Here’s a tiny smidgen of good news, amid a cascade of postponements:
“Frozen 2” (shown here) will reach the Disney+ screening service on Sunday (March 15), three months sooner than expected.
The Disney people said they’re doing it to ease the lives of families, which suddenly have lots of empty time. Many of the schools have shut down, while the usual diversions have disappeared.
Amusement parks (including Disneyland and Disney World) have temporarily closed. Most movie theaters remain open, but the biggest films have been delayed, led by the newest James Bond and “Fast and Furious” films and Disney’s live-action “Mulan.” Even “Peter Rabbit 2” – clearly an Easter-time film – will wait until Aug. 7. Disney did release “Onward,” getting $39 million last weekend; but this weekend, with caution growing, it’s expected to have less than half of that.
Kids – and the rest of us – need distraction. As I mentioned in the earlier story, it’s suddenly become a worthy thing, to stay home and stare at the TV. Now “Frozen 2” – with gorgeous visuals, potent songs and a good-enough story – gives us something worth staring at.