Disney Moves ‘Onward’ Forward

Disney and Pixar’s “Onward” will be available to buy digitally and on Movies Anywhere beginning today Friday March 20 at 5 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. ET and on Disney+ on April 3 in the U.S., the Walt Disney Studios announced today.

The animated film premiered in theaters on March 6 and earned rave reviews from audiences and critics alike, raking in more than $103 million in global box office. In its announcement today, Disney attributed the release date change to the fact that many movie theaters have been temporarily shuttered due to the global health crisis. Disney will offer “Onward” for purchase on digital platforms in the U.S. for $19.99.

“While we’re looking forward to audiences enjoying our films on the big screen again soon, given the current circumstances, we are pleased to release this fun, adventurous film to digital platforms early for audiences to enjoy from the comfort of their homes,” said Dan Scanlon, the animated feature’s director along with and producer Kori Rae.

In “Onward,” teenage elf brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot (voices of Tom Holland and Chris Pratt, who also appear in Disney Marvel’s “Avengers” franchise as Spider-Man and Star-Lord, respectively) get an unexpected opportunity to spend one more day with their late dad, embarking on an extraordinary quest aboard Barley’s epic van Guinevere. Like any good quest, their journey is filled with magic spells, cryptic maps, impossible obstacles and unimaginable discoveries. But when the boys’ fearless mom Laurel (voice of Julia Louis-Dreyfus) realizes her sons are missing, she teams up with a part-lion, part-bat, part-scorpion, former warrior—a.k.a. The Manticore (voice of Octavia Spencer)—and heads off to find them. Perilous curses aside, this one magical day could mean more than any of them ever dreamed.

Disney also recently pushed up the release of its “Frozen II” onto its Disney+ streaming service in response to pandemic’s impact on movie theaters.