Streaming "Nomadland" in Canada

This post was published on February 11, 2021 and was last updated on May 26, 2021. Discover the whereabouts of the highly acclaimed film featuring Frances McDormand in Canada.

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Nomadland, a remarkable movie crafted by Chloé Zhao with Frances McDormand as its lead portraying a woman's journey across the Western United States, is widely regarded as the most outstanding North American film of 2020. It received the prestigious Oscar for Best Picture at the 93rd Academy Awards. The film was released on February 19, 2021, with a substantial distribution limited to the United States.

Starting from April 9, 2021, Nomadland has become accessible to Canadian viewers through the Star hub on the Disney streaming platform. Canadian subscribers can enjoy the movie without incurring any additional costs. As of early May, the film is also being screened in select Canadian theaters; however, due to closures in many parts of the country, Canada's largest theater chain, Cineplex, has decided not to exhibit the film at this time.

One day before the film's release in the United States, Searchlight Pictures, the distributor which was previously known as Fox Searchlight and now operates as the art-house films division of The Walt Disney Company, made an official announcement regarding the release of Nomadland in Canada, scheduled to commence on April 9. Initially, there were plans for an early theatrical release in cinemas around Toronto on March 19, but this aspect of the plan had to be canceled due to the continued closure of theaters in that area.

Is "home" merely a word, or does it represent something you carry within you? Follow@nomadlandfilm, a Chloé Zhao film featuring Frances McDormand, as it arrives on #DisneyPlusStar on April 9. Experience#NMDLND by visiting this link.

— Disney CA (@DisneyPlusCA) February 18, 2021 You can access Disney in Canada by subscribing for $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year for new subscribers (existing subscribers prior to February 23 will retain their previous rates until at least August). While some media outlets describe Star as an "additional offering" to Disney , access to Star, and consequently to Nomadland, is automatically included at no extra cost. However, you may need to adjust your content settings to permit R-rated films like Nomadland.

Why was "Nomadland" not available in Canada earlier?

The arrival of "Nomadland" in Canada experienced a sluggish pace due to various factors, including the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic that forced the closure of theaters not only in North America but also worldwide. This delay began during film festivals such as the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2020, where a digital screening with limited capacity took place. Interestingly, this digital screening was accessible from any location in Canada.

In the United States, Searchlight Pictures, a subsidiary of Disney, decided to release the film simultaneously in theaters and on Disney's general entertainment streaming service, Hulu, on February 19. This decision was likely made considering the expectation that most American theaters would continue to operate at reduced capacity or remain closed in certain areas for the foreseeable future.

However, Disney recently announced that they would delay the international release of "Nomadland" until early March, exhibiting a cautious approach. The inclusion of Canada in the "domestic" (U.S.) release plans tends to differ depending on the distributor. Furthermore, it should be noted that Hulu is not available in Canada. Nevertheless, Disney had already commenced the launch of its new "Star" section within Disney, focusing on adult-oriented programming in Canada and a few other countries. Consequently, in Canada, Disney chose to utilize Star in a similar manner as Hulu in the U.S. for the release of "Nomadland."

Is "Nomadland" the new Robin Wright film?

No, that's a separate movie about a woman living in the wilderness, simply titled "Land." The Canadian release of "Land" occurred on February 12 in theaters and became available through PVOD (Premium Video-On-Demand) in early March.

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