As theatres remain shut here in Australia, domestic Marvel fans will undoubtedly be googling โHow to watch Shang-Chi & The Legend Of The Ten Rings.โ After all, the damn movie was filmed right here in our very own country. Itโs only right we get a preview of Simu Liuโs titular Shang-Chi duke it out with the legendary Hong Kong actor Tony Leungโs Wenwu, right? The good news is, regardless of whether your local Event Cinema rolls out the red carpet for everyday punters in the coming months, youโll be able to stream it free of charge on Disney+ Day (November 12th).
Granted, it might be a bit of a struggle to watch more than two months after its initial premiere date of September 3rd, but free is free, and Disney+ seems pretty intent on rewarding your patience as it celebrates the platformโs two-year anniversary. While it might not exactly sit within the realm of your care, taste, or general scope of attention, Jungle Cruise starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt will also be made available to stream at no additional cost for subscribers; arriving with a special involving the โorigins and legacyโ of iconic Star Wars character Boba Fett โ probably to generate hype for the coming spin-off series โ another special commemorating the Marvel Cinematic Universe with โan exciting look towards the futureโ (read: MCU Phase 4), as well as a brand new Home Alone movie titled Home Sweet Home Alone.
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According to The Verge, other Disney+ Day releases will include the following:
- The first five episodes of The World According to Jeff Goldblum season 2
- A new short starring The Simpsons characters paying tribute to Disney+โs marquee brands
- A new series of shorts titled Olaf Presents
- A new short animated by Pixar titled Ciao Alberto starring characters from Luca
- As well as the streaming debut of โbeloved and award-winning shortsโ such as Frozen Fever, Paperman, Get A Horse!, & more
Unlike Black Widow โ i.e. Marvelโs other major feature-length film of 2021 โ Shang-Chi & The Legend Of The Ten Rings wonโt be receiving a limited video-on-demand release between the 45-day window and its streaming debut, instead opting to extend the time between hitting theatres and hitting associated VOD platforms. The reason? Itโs actually making a decent bit of coin.
Shang-Chi & The Legend Of The Ten Rings has managed to earn US$177 million (AU$244 million) in the US and US$305 million (AU$420 million) worldwide. And keep in mind this is before it premieres in the filmโs biggest potential theatrical market of China, where its government approval is still pending.
โSimultaneous release cannibalises ticket sales in favour of streaming-service viewership, or sales if itโs a premium offering,โ John Fithian, CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners, tells Business Insider.
โThe bigger problem, though, is piracyโฆ When a movie is released simultaneously to a streaming service, a pristine copy of that movie is made available day one that itโs in cinemas.โ
Given how Shang-Chi & The Legend Of The Ten Rings has apparently been pirated far less than Black Widow thus far, in addition to the numbers itโs currently generating, many speculate itโll outperform the Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh-led affair by a healthy financial margin.
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Shang-Chi & The Legend Of The Ten Rings follows Xu Shang-Chi / Shaun (portrayed by Simu Liu), who is forced to confront a past he has failed to escape. Drawn back into the mysterious Ten Rings organisation led by his father and warlord Xu Wenwu (portrayed by Tony Leung), the fate of the world hinges on discovering a mythical village that guards this realm from a darker, otherworldly presence.
Liu and Leung are joined by Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, as well as Fala Chen, Mengโer Zhang, Florian Munteanu, and Ronny Chieng. Shang-Chi & The Legend Of The Ten Rings is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton โ who has previously helmed films such as Short Term, The Glass Castle, and Just Mercy; the first and third incidentally starring other A-list names from Marvelโs talent roster: Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) and Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther).
In terms of story, the Marvel property has been adapted for screens by a collaboration of Destin Daniel Cretton himself, David Callaham (The Expendables, Zombieland: Double Tap, Mortal Kombat), alongside longtime creative partner to Cretton, Andrew Lanham; the latter of whom has also contributed to The Glass Castle and Just Mercy.
How to watch Shang-Chi & The Legend Of The Ten Rings in Australia
- Sign up for a Disney+ subscription here.
- Fire it up on Disney Plus Day (November 12th) free of additional charge.
- Watch to your heartโs content.
