Real life isn’t like a Disney movie. It’s quite the opposite in reality. Life loves to throw curveballs at every possible second: divorce, death, hardship rain down on us like there’s no tomorrow. It seems as though there is no way out, but for as long as I can remember, I have lived with Disney movies in the background. They taught me love at first sight, happily ever after, and to never give up, even when it seems impossible.
In recent years, Disney movies have shifted from previous storylines. From animation styles to a change in power, they are evolving, and whether that is a good thing remains to be seen. I chose to believe that there is hope for a better Disney than ever before; their recent movies and projects have made it hard for me to continue watching.
For example, recent movies such as Elio and Wish generated little money compared to Disney Classics. Elio was Pixar’s worst opening week in the history of Pixar. It only earned $35 million globally, and when compared to the estimated budget of $150 million, it’s clear to see why it was a disappointment. Elio was only one of the few newest movies that have been flops in the box office. Other movie flops include Lightyear, Turning Red, and Elemental.
However, some flops at the box office of Pixar films are actually really good films. The Good Dinosaur is considered Pixar’s first major flop, earning $226.4 million worldwide. Although it may have been their first major flop, The Good Dinosaur is a brilliantly made movie. It brings you to tears at the end, like every classic Pixar movie, and makes you rethink your life in a way you never thought before. Onward is also like that even though it is considered a flop. However, that mainly accounts for being streamed on Disney+ because it was during COVID-19. Meaning, no one could go see it in the movies.
Besides Pixar, there are many other aspects of the Disney film franchise. You have the Disney animation itself, but you also have Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. Looking speicfacially at the Star Wars franchise, it is no surprise when the squels are the wrost out of the three trilogies. Even though it did beat the prequels at the box office, it is criticized for mainly a bad plot line. The movies are seen as lacking qualities of a cohesive, planned story arc, which will leave fans wanting more.
Moving on to the other action-packed category of Disney, Marvel was believed to be over when the last Avengers movie,Avengers:Endgame, was released in 2019. It was highly popularized that the original team, including Captain America, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Thor, The Hulk, and Iron Man, was done, including the actors. In contrast to this belief, there were still projects made concerning the original team. The character Hawkeye got his own TV series, and the Black Widow movie came out after 2019, but these movies were just set-ups for the next generation of Avengers. With Thor: Love and Thunder, the same thing happened there. Thor settled down and was basically teaching his new daughter about his hammer and axe.
Lastly, the Disney category has had some major flops in the last few years. For example, Wish was the main movie that marked Disney’s 100th anniversary. Instead of becoming a huge hit like Frozen or Moana as predicted, it became Disney’s fourth-biggest financial loser of 2023. There is also Strange World, a movie I haven’t seen, and I am a huge Disney fan. Strange World lost $197 million and is known as one of the biggest losses in recent animation history. But why is this?
There are a few possibilities concerning the rapid change in Disney’s movies. One possibility is the change in power. Josh D’Amaro is the current CEO of The Walt Disney Company, succeeding Bob Iger. Another is diversity and inclusion. The world is becoming open to cultures and lifestyles, and Disney is incorporating them into their movies. They are trying to be inclusive by adding LGBTQ characters and basing their stories on current modern-day cultures. This idea of inclusivity isn’t working for them, however, but as old Disney puts it, Faith, Trust, and a little bit of pixie dust is all we need to wish for a better movie to appear.
