It has been a very bad year for Disney. Since picking a fight with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over the Parental Rights Bill, conservatives have taken the company to task and effectively boycotted the company’s movies, theme parks, and streaming content. For folks who believe boycotts don’t work, they only need to look at Disney. The company has seen decades low stock prices, cratering attendance at their parks, and a string of box office flops that would bankrupt companies with shallower pockets.
Unfortunately, the company only has itself to blame. Instead of focusing on the wholesome family entertainment that Disney was built on, they have pushed leftist narratives, political agendas, and woke offerings that the box office numbers prove no one wants to see. As 2023 ends, Disney is looking at a historic string of failures.
This year marked the Mouse’s 100th anniversary, but there is no celebration for the reeling corporation. The list of box office failures is impressive. Disney ruined “The Little Mermaid,” brought a merciful end to Indiana Jones, and pumped out yet another failed reboot with “The Haunted Mansion.” All of the films failed miserably, proving audiences are basically tired of recycled material.
Even the new offerings from Disney failed to bring fans to the Cineplex. “Elemental,” “Wish,” “The Marvels,” “Strange World,” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantemania” failed to create a buzz with moviegoers. All were considered financial disasters, both domestically and overseas. The reasons are varied; whether it be tired material, a lack of star power, or woke themes that made parents uncomfortable, it was clear in 2023 that Disney would have to go back to the drawing board if 2024 was going to be any better.
Speaking of 2024, the studio has a number of big-budget releases planned, and some are already showing signs of tanking. The company pushed the woke, live-action “Snow White” from 2024 to 2025 after disastrous early reactions from fans who didn’t want changes to the beloved classic. After comments from the star Rachel Zegler belittling the original film and reports that there would be no Prince Charming and full-size actors instead of the dwarves from the original, Disney decided to shelve the film for an extra year, ostensibly to let the controversy from their recent failures die down.
2024 will be a pivotal year for the studio. Disney has “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool 3” slated for next year, and if the studio tanks with these two films, it could be curtains for the company. Of particular concern is the Deadpool movie. people love Ryan Reynolds, and Deadpool may be the last hope for the superhero genre. If it fails, we may see the end of superheroes on the big screen.
The failures haven’t been from a lack of star power in some cases. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” featured a star-studded cast, including Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer and Bill Murray. The movie was priced at around $200 million but only earned roughly $215 million domestically and $476 million worldwide. That was a far cry from the reported $600 million needed to break even. It was a stunning failure for a once-bulletproof franchise.
It still remains to be seen if Disney can course correct in 2024 and save the brand. If they steer away from controversial material not suitable for kids and lean into wholesome family entertainment, fans will forgive and forget. If they choose to continue down their current path of tired reboots, leftist themes, and inappropriate material, then 2024 will be another rocky year for the House of Mouse.
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