As part of its ongoing cost-cutting strategy, Disney removed Clouds from Disney+ worldwide as of May 27.
“Clouds” tells the true story of Zach Sobiech (Fin Argus), a 17-year-old musician diagnosed with a rare bone cancer. Despite learning his disease has progressed, he, alongside his best friend and songwriting partner Sammy (Sabrina Carpenter), decide to pursue their musical dreams. Mentored by Mr. Weaver (Lil Rel Howery), they secure a record deal. Supported by his girlfriend Amy (Madison Iseman) and his parents, Zach’s journey illustrates the power of friendship, love, and music.
Why Was ‘Clouds’ Removed From Disney Plus?
Disney decided to remove Clouds from Disney+ because of its low viewership. The company didn’t see the cost of maintaining the movie as justified, particularly while it’s aiming to save $5 billion through cost-cutting measures.
Disney still bears ongoing costs to keep movies like Clouds on Disney+. By eliminating certain titles, Disney can save money, as it no longer needs to make residual payments and pay licensing fees.
Additionally, removing content also opens up opportunities for Disney to establish licensing agreements for these shows/movies with other companies, like Netflix or HBO, which could generate additional revenue.
Will ‘Clouds’ Come Back To Disney Plus?
Due to a content impairment charge that Disney has implemented, which serves as a write-off for tax purposes, Clouds is unable to return to Disney+.
When the impairment period ends, Disney could theoretically bring Clouds back to Disney+. Nonetheless, considering Disney’s stance that the continuous costs of hosting the title on Disney+ aren’t justified, and given the prior low viewership, a surge in viewership upon re-introduction on Disney+ appears highly unlikely. Therefore, the likelihood of Clouds making a comeback is incredibly small.
Where To Watch Clouds
Currently, there are no alternative streaming platforms or purchase options available for Clouds.
Disney’s decision to remove content parallels a preceding action by Warner Bros. Discovery, headed by David Zaslav, which also pulled a selection of titles from (HBO) Max. The company subsequently granted Roku and Tubi the rights to many of these shows through a number of licensing agreements, thereby further monetizing programming that had previously failed to achieve expected success.
It’s unclear whether Disney will license the movie to another streaming service, as that would depend on the interest of other platforms. However, it’s certainly a possibility that Disney will follow a similar path to Warner.
Similarly, there’s uncertainty about if or when Disney might offer Clouds for digital purchase.
If and when Clouds is made available on another streaming service or available to purchase, we’ll be sure to update this article.
What Other Titles Have Been Removed From Disney Plus?
Disney has pulled over 100 titles in total from Disney+, such as Willow, Better Nate Than Ever, Turner & Hooch, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, Just Beyond, Diary of a Future President, Big Shot, and The World According To Jeff Goldblum, and many more.
You can see the full list of removals right here.