The Walt Disney Co. has said it is paying $1.5 billion (approx. €1.39bn) for a stake in Fortnite maker Epic Games, working with the game developer to create a “games and entertainment universe” that will feature games, shows and characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar and more.
“This marks Disney’s biggest entry ever into the world of games and offers significant opportunities for growth and expansion,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement.
Disney said the two companies have already collaborated on Fortnite content, including the Marvel 'Nexus War with Galactus', which drew more than 15.3 million concurrent players.
Elsewhere, Disney has revealed two major releases.
The first is Taylor Swift's blockbuster concert film The Eras Tour, which will make its streaming debut on Disney+ on 15 March.
The Walt Disney Co. announced that the film, now titled Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor's Version) will land on the streaming platform next month, with five new songs included with the film, including 'Cardigan'.
“'The Eras Tour’ has been a true phenomenon that has and continues to thrill fans around the world, and we are very excited to bring this electrifying concert to audiences wherever they are, exclusively on Disney+," said Iger, Disney.
The Eras Tour amassed more than $262 million worldwide in theaters after opening in October, setting a record for concert films. Swift partnered with AMC Theaters for the release in a first-of-its-kind deal that cut out Hollywood studios and instead sent the film directly into theaters.
The Eras Tour will hit Disney+ about a month before Swift's recently announced new album, 'The Tortured Poets Department', drops on 19 April.
The second major reveal is that Moana 2 is coming to theaters for a Thanksgiving release.
Iger confirmed that the sequel to Disney’s hit 2016 animated film will head to theaters on 27 November.
Originally planned as a television series, the movie finds Moana journeying on a dangerous mission to the far seas of Oceania after getting a call from her ancestors. It is, the company said, “an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.”
Moana 2 is directed by Dave Derrick Jr. and will feature music by Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Mark Mancina, and Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa’i.
No details were given about the voice actors.
The first film made over $680 million at the global box office and has been streamed for over 1 billion hours on Disney+. Dwayne Johnson is also working on a live-action Moana film for the company.
