If there’s one film leading the Oscar conversation right now, it’s Nomadland – the latest feature by The Rider director Chloé Zhao (also behind Marvel’s upcoming Eternals), starring Frances McDormand as a woman who loses everything in the financial crash at the end of the ‘00s and takes on a nomadic lifestyle in the American expanse. It’s had major critical acclaim, tons of awards buzz (including wins for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director at the Golden Globes), and festival hype, but with UK cinemas currently closed, plans for its release over here have been up in the air. Now, the film has been confirmed for a release on Disney+, with a cinema release to follow.
Nomadland will find a home on Disney+ on 30 April, on the streaming service’s newly-launched Star section, which includes films and TV series suitable for older audiences (largely from the expansive 20th Century Fox library that Disney acquired in its takeover of the studio). Zhao originally produced the film for Fox Searchlight. The film will be available at no additional charge, unlike the paid Premier Access releases for the likes of the live-action Mulan and animated adventure Raya And The Last Dragon.
If the wide-open vistas of Nomadland are perfectly suited for the big screen, it seems that Zhao’s film will still be released in UK cinemas when they open again – with Disney confirming that it “will be available to UK and Ireland exhibitors for theatrical performance” whenever film venues are able to welcome filmgoers again. In the meantime, the Disney+ release will bring one of the year's most talked-about movies straight into people's living rooms. Just, avoid watching it on your phone, OK?