The Walt Disney Company announced at a virtual media event on 4 May that Disney+ Hotstar will launch in Malaysia on 1 June 2021. The platform will be home to the company’s most iconic entertainment brands including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and a wide array of general entertainment series and films for young adult audiences, and homegrown Asian hits.

Subscription to Disney+ Hotstar is at RM54.90 for three months, or through special packages with Astro. 

Coming to Malaysian viewers are Disney+ Originals such as The Mandalorian and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and Marvel Studios’ WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Loki. This is in addition to the latest blockbuster releases and library content, including Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, and Black Panther; Disney’s live-action adaptations – Mulan, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, The Lion King, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast; Animation favourites – Disney’s Frozen 1 and 2, Moana and Big Hero 6, as well as Disney and Pixar’s Soul, Coco, The Incredibles 2 and Finding Dory. There will also be a robust catalogue of general entertainment series and films such as Nomadland, The Walking Dead, Jojo Rabbit, Criminal Minds, Fresh off the Boat, The Simpsons, Grey’s Anatomy, 9-1-1 and many more.

David Shin, General Manager of The Walt Disney Company Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia said that the launch of Disney+ Hotstar in Malaysia in collaboration with Astro is an important milestone for the company as they continue to expand their footprint in the region by delivering compelling entertainment. He added, “Malaysians are not only connected but also extremely tech-savvy and they represent some of Disney’s biggest fans in the region. We are tremendously excited to be able to deliver a wide array of content for everyone of all ages through our world-class platform, covering the best from Disney’s brands across a multitude of genres.”  

A platform for Malaysian storytellers

Apart from the robust content offerings of Disney, Disney+ Hotstar also aims to support Malaysia’s film community, with the platform entering into a series of multi-year agreements with leading Malaysian studios such as Skop Productions, Revolution Media Films, Primeworks Studios, WAU Animation, Act 2 Pictures, Les’ Copaque Production, Red Films and more.

Disney+ Hotstar will be the exclusive home to some of Malaysia’ most anticipated blockbusters which will skip theatres and launch directly to the streaming service. Coming to the platform are J Retribusi, the explosive action-packed sequel to the blockbuster J Revolusi, starring Zul Ariffin, Ashraf Sinclair and Amelia Henderson, Zombitopia starring Shaheizy Sam, Bront Palarae and Sharifah Amani, and Ada Hantu starring Hairul Azreen, and the hit animation Ejen Ali The Movie 2, after its theatrical debut.

Moreover, Primetime drama series such as TV3’s Single Terlalu Lama and Kekasih Hati Mr. Bodyguard will premiere first at 7:00 a.m. on the same day as the linear telecast. With this, drama aficionados can watch their favourite local series on the platform up to 15 hours before anywhere else.

Other iconic and critically-acclaimed Malaysian films that will be available on the platform include J Revolusi, Tombiruo, KL Special Force, Ejen Ali The Movie, Upin & Ipin: Keris Siamang Tunggal, Munafik, Istanbul Aku Datang!, the Rock franchise (Rock, Rock Oo!, Rock Bro!, and Rock 4: Rockers Never Dai), Talentime, Mukhsin, The Kid From The Big Apple 2, Vedigundu Pasangge, Evolusi KL Drift 1 & 2, KL Gangster 1 & 2, Gol & Gincu 1 & 2, Guang, Redha and Roh.

Kids and families will enjoy the likes of hit series such as Ejen Ali, over 10 seasons of Upin & Ipin, Club Mickey Mouse, T.O.T.S, Alif & Sofia, Wizards of Warna Walk and Marvel’s Spider-Man, while fans of Asian content can look forward to popular movies and series from across the region, such as Infernal Affairs, Ip Man 4 The Finale, The Deer and the Cauldron, The Legend of Haolan, Pandian Stores and Vishwaroopam 2, and exclusive content like The Silent Forest, Dil Bechara and Live Telecast.

Ahmad Izham Omar, Executive Director of Content & Creative, Disney+ Hotstar, Southeast Asia commented, “In addition to being able to bring amazing content from Disney’s incredible brands from all around the world, it has been such a privilege to collaborate with homegrown studios and creators to bring Malaysian stories to Disney+ Hotstar and drive the growth of our creative community. Through Disney+ Hotstar, we look forward to continuing our deep-rooted support of Malaysian-made content and shining a well-deserved spotlight on inspiring Malaysian stories, filmmakers and talent.”

Best-in-class experience

Subscribers will be able to stream Disney+ Hotstar on a wide selection of compatible mobile and connected TV devices at launch, including streaming media players. Each registered account can support two concurrent streams, and the majority of content is available for download on mobile and tablet. All content is commercial-free, with a dedicated kids section with age-appropriate content and a kid-friendly, easy-to-navigate user interface.

Consumers can subscribe to the service directly from the Disney+ Hotstar website, the Disney+ Hotstar app on Android and iOS devices, or with Astro, starting from 1 June 2021. Please visit DisneyPlusHotstar.my for more information.