Disney’s been having a rough time lately. It’s like trouble is popping up everywhere for them. People going to their theme parks have been griping about problems, and even over in Disneyland Paris, there’s been worker strikes. Plus, the movies and content they’re putting out just aren’t hitting the mark with audiences.
Even Marvel, the big superhero movies (and former easy bet-cash cow), is having a hard time. Movies like “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “Secret Invasion”? Well, they pretty much flopped this year. And now everyone’s crossing their fingers that the upcoming “The Marvels” in 2023 won’t tank too. But with misogynistic fans hating on Brie Larson and friends, that pool is having turds tossed in while the strike doesn’t allow the stars to hype it. It’s kind of weird considering how Marvel used to be the star player for Disney.
Remember Pixar? They’ve also been struggling ever since the pandemic rocked things in 2020. But there was one surprise winner this year, “Elemental.” It did better than expected at the theaters, but was still considered a nothing burger (which got a 4 out of 10 from me).
Disney’s own creations aren’t doing much better either. They made a live-action version of “The Little Mermaid,” and it did pretty, but the recent “Haunted Mansion” movie was a total disaster.
And let’s talk about the “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” movie. It’s the fifth one with Harrison Ford. But get this – it cost nearly $300 million to make! It’s one of the most expensive movies ever. It’s like Hollywood studios are in a contest to see who can spend the most money on making movies, but not in a good way. This has been going on since even before COVID hit, with big-budget movies becoming the norm.
People are starting to talk about why movies are getting so expensive. Some complain that they’re pouring money into sometimes-good computer graphics (CGI) instead of using practical effects. There’s also Hollywood strikes happening, which means actors and writers are protesting and it’s delaying a bunch of movies. And you know what? These delays are costing studios a lot of cash, possibly up to $2 million a month.
Disney’s in a pickle with this “Indiana Jones” movie. It’s set to lose a ton of money, and it’s not looking like they can make up for it on their streaming service, Disney+. That streaming thing isn’t making money either. Even though things are getting better after COVID, people aren’t rushing back to theaters (except to see Barbenheimer) like they used to, and that’s hurting how much money movies are making.
There’s a bunch of movies that were supposed to come out in 2024, but they’re getting pushed back because of the strikes. And guess what? The delays are making studios lose even more money. Some folks who know a lot about movies, like Steven Spielberg, are worried that the whole movie industry is going to fall apart because they’re spending way too much money on these huge productions.
Disney might be the first to feel the heat if things keep going like this. It’s like they’re standing at a crossroads, wondering which way to go, not realizing they’re also standing on train tracks. And they can’t hear the locomotive coming.
Untitled Film Project 