Onward director Dan Scanlon is happy his family-friendly Pixar adventure is already on Disney+. Starring Chris Pratt and Tom Holland, Onward follows two brothers who live in a fantastical suburban world where magic exists, but has stopped being used. On Ian's (Holland) sixteenth birthday, he's given a spell that can bring his deceased father back to life for one whole day. However, when the spell goes wrong, Ian must venture on a quest with his irresponsible older brother Barley (Pratt) to fix it so they can get just a bit more time with their dad. The heartwarming story was inspired by Scanlon's own life.
Ahead of its early March release, Onward received mostly positive reviews that praised the fantasy elements, but suggested it wasn't up to previous Pixar standards. Onward had a disappointing box office debut that might have been partially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, which then led to movie theaters across the US shutting down. Disney opted to follow a growing trend and sent Onward to on-demand only weeks after it opened in theaters. Last weekend, the animated film arrived on Disney+.
While some directors might be disappointed to miss out on most of their theatrical run, Scanlon is approaching the change with a positive attitude. While speaking to ComicBook.com about the film, Scanlon said he's just pleased people can still see it. What's more, they can see it with their families. Scanlon's full comments are below:
It's such an unprecedented moment in history and I think we're just happy that people are going to get to see it, that people can watch it at home with their families, that it can be a distraction and hopefully a little bit of joy during uncertain times. And the biggest gift for me has just been going on social media and hearing people talk about how they watched the movie today and how they enjoyed it and it made them happy and they connected with it. And yeah, we're really happy about that.
While Onward's Disney+ performance can't be measured in traditional ways (like say box office numbers), online interest in the film suggests it is more popular now that it's on the streaming service than it was while in theaters. There's been an uptick in conversations surrounding Onward in the days since its Disney+ arrival, and odds are they could increase even more as people self-quarantining at home continue to seek out new things to watch. Parents especially are looking for ways to entertain their children, and Disney has made taken several steps to supply the content they are craving. Before Onward, the biggest new addition to Disney+'s catalog was Frozen II.
Nothing can beat watching a movie in theaters, but while this pandemic continues, people will take the next best thing. Studios sending their newest movies to on-demand and streaming, while unconventional, has proven to be a success. It's a solid way to ensure audiences can still see the movies they might have missed in recent weeks, and in the case of films like Onward, they can possibly become a bright spot for those looking for a reason to smile.
Source: ComicBook.com
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