Mouse roars back in theaters

Moviegoing may be heading back to normal after a tumultuous year and a half marked by pandemic-related lockdowns that helped boost the streaming industry.

Disney says that all of its remaining films slated for release this year will open exclusively in cinemas.

During the pandemic, Disney and other studios adapted altered release strategies, as theaters were shut due to rising coronavirus cases.

The House of Mouse had adapted a day-and-date release plan for some films, debuting them in theaters and on streaming service Disney+ simultaneously. For other films initially planned as theatrical releases, including June’s Pixar flick, “Luca,” Disney bypassed theaters altogether and went directly to streaming.

Disney’s Friday announcement means that Marvel’s much-anticipated superhero flick “Eternals,” starring Kit Harington, Angelina Jolie and Richard Madden (right) will hit theaters on Nov. 5 — months before it makes it to streaming.

Other movies that will debut exclusively in theaters include Ridley Scott’s “The Last Duel” (Oct. 15), Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” (Dec. 10) and “Kingsman” prequel “The King’s Man” (Dec. 22).

All of the films will have a minimum run of 45 days in theaters before streaming.

The decision comes as Disney has seen two weeks of robust ticket sales for its latest Marvel flick, “Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”