Disney’s Plans for its Upcoming Daisy Ridley Starrer Could Save the Film From Facing the Same Harsh Fate as Ryan Gosling’s The Fall Guy
The latest Disney production, Young Woman and the Sea has drawn the interest of viewers from all over the globe. As a sports biopic about Gertrude Ederle, the first woman who swam across the English Channel, portrayed by Daisy Ridley, the film is packed with drama and motivation.
The movie was directed by Joachim Rønning while the script was written by Jeff Nathanson. The story was adapted from the book Young Woman and the Sea which was written by Glenn Stout in 2009. With a lineup of Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Stephen Graham, Kim Bodnia, Christopher Eccleston, and Glenn Fleshler, the movie has all the right actors to tell Ederle’s story.
Young Woman and the Sea to Stay in Theaters Before OTT Release
The movie was originally set to premiere exclusively for Disney+ viewers. However, it changed its release strategy multiple times over the years and settled on a limited theatrical release with the possibility of expansion. This is a smart move by Disney considering that the industry has witnessed some shifts in consumer trends and even the probability of low movie sales.
In order to not suffer the same sad fate as Ryan Gosling’s The Fall Guy, Disney has planned a release schedule. As reported by Deadline, Young Woman and the Sea will be shown for two weeks in theaters before premiering on Disney+.
This comparison is quite fitting, especially when we consider that Gosling’s action thriller was moved to streaming after being in theaters for only 19 days, which contributed to its lackluster box-office performance. According to Variety and Box Office Mojo, It only grossed $148 million worldwide, even though it had a known cast and a production budget of $140 million.
Moreover, according to Deadline, Disney decided not to disclose the movie’s box-office sales, as they are marketing it solely as an awards contender. This decision is made in order to preserve the movie’s image and not cause any negative perception of its quality.
Young Woman and the Sea Have Earned Mixed Reviews
Although the movie is having a limited release in theaters, early reactions to Young Woman and the Sea seem to indicate mixed reactions to the film’s reception. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 85% based on the 59 reviews from critics currently, with an average rating of 7.6/10 on IMDb.
Most of the critics enjoyed Daisy Ridley’s performance, and the story of Gertrude Ederle was obviously inspiring. The movie can be considered a decent mixture of modern and traditional sports movies.
Tomris Laffly from Variety praised director Joachim Rønning for his efforts and felt that the movie makes its viewers both emotional and motivated to push further in life. Linda Marric from The Sun felt that although the movie was a bit predictable, it managed to be entertaining and thrilling.
However, Charles Bramesco of Guardian felt that the movie was a “disneyfied” take on feminism. Derek Smith of Slant Magazine again pointed out that the movie is too predictable at times, and it leaves no room for a surprise element for viewers. According to Deadline, Young Woman and the Sea is expected to make $500,000 in the opening weekend.
Young Woman and the Sea has been released on May 31, 2024, in theaters and is expected to be on Disney+ before the summer Olympics.
