No, Disney Plus is not getting an R-rated movie after all

UPDATE: Disney Plus is not getting its first R-rated movie after all. Over the weekend a now-deleted video on the Disney Plus YouTube channel appeared to confirm that the streaming service was getting 2001's Kiss of the Dragon in April, but this information was provided in error.

Disney has reached out to Tom's Guide to clarify that Kiss of the Dragon is not coming to Disney Plus in the U.S. Instead, the movie will only be joining the service in Canada. This is far less noteworthy, as subscribers in the Great White North already enjoyed R-rated movies such as Deadpool via Disney Plus. The original story follows...

Disney Plus just confirmed its slate of new content for April via a snappy sizzle reel, and among the family-friendly movies, TV shows and documentaries was the announcement that Kiss of the Dragon would be hitting the service on April 29. 

The news that Disney Plus is getting a fairly forgettable Jet Li martial arts movie from 2001 might not seem worth flagging at first, but this film is actually one of the most significant additions to Disney Plus to date. That’s because Kiss of the Dragon is rated R, which is a first for the traditionally family-focused streaming service. 

Kiss of the Dragon is an action thriller which follows an intelligence officer who enlists the help of a prostitute to prove his innocence after he’s betrayed and accused of a crime he didn’t commit. It’s definitely not the type of content you’d expect to find on Disney Plus, which is why its addition is such a big deal. 

Disney Plus has been working hard recently to shed its image as a streaming service purely for families and Marvel/Star Wars fanatics. This began last month when the Defenders Saga was added to its content library. This collection of TV-MA rated comic book shows includes Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and The Punisher. These shows originally debuted on Netflix, but have now found a new home on Disney Plus. 

It should be noted, Disney Plus is no stranger to content targeting an older audience in international markets. In regions such as the U.K., Disney Plus offers a collection of grown-up movies/shows via its Star channel. This includes Hulu shows such as Only Murders in the Building and Dopesick, as well as recently released R-rated movies such as The King’s Man and The Last Dual. 

Since its launch, we’ve ranked Disney Plus one of the best streaming services available, but always with the caveat that it lacks content designed specifically for adult viewers. This could become less of an issue if the additions of Kiss of the Dragon and the Defenders Saga are a sign of things to come. Netflix definitely needs to watch out, as the battle for eyeballs and wallets could be about to get even more competitive.