PALO ALTO, U.S./TOKYO -- As Japanese cinemas enjoy the box office windfall of a Demon Slayer franchise smash hit, a certain cartoon mouse threatens to play villain and spoil the fun.
Under pressure from investors, Walt Disney is preparing to release new films online as a majority of theaters in the U.S. remain shuttered or at lower capacity due to coronavirus restrictions. Such a business model, however, would harm cinemas in Japan, which are very much open to audiences.
