Disney’s latest animated feature, “Wish,” experienced a disappointing opening weekend, reflecting a continuing trend of underperformance at the box office for Disney, which is commemorating a century in the film industry.
The movie earned $19.5 million over its debut weekend, far below the expected $45-$55 million, as reported by CNBC.
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Thanksgiving box office: ‘Wish’ falls behind ‘The Hunger Games,’ ‘Napoleon’
Over the five-day Thanksgiving period, it grossed $31.8 million domestically.
In contrast, the weekend was dominated by “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” and the historical drama “Napoleon,” which garnered $28.8 million and $20.4 million respectively, according to Box Office Mojo.
Disney’s ‘woke’ policies likely cause of 2023 movie flops – critics
This setback for “Wish” is part of a larger pattern for Disney in 2023. Other titles such as “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Elemental,” “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” and “Haunted Mansion” also fell short of expectations.
Critics have pointed out that Disney’s recent approach, perceived as incorporating “woke” politics, might alienate traditional family audiences.
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Disney’s casting choices, star remarks spark backlash in remakes
Conservative commentators particularly criticized the casting decisions in the live-action versions of “The Little Mermaid” and “Snow White.”
Additionally, Rachel Zegler, the star of “Snow White,” faced backlash for her comments on the original 1937 movie.
Disney’s past holiday hits outshine recent releases
In contrast to these recent results, Disney has previously enjoyed much better box office performances during the holiday season.
For instance, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” brought in $63.8 million over the Thanksgiving weekend in 2022, “Encanto” made $40.6 million in 2021, and “Frozen 2” earned a remarkable $125 million over the same period in 2019.
CEO Bob Iger addresses Disney controversies, aims to curtail tension
The ongoing controversies surrounding Disney have led to a response from Bob Iger, the company’s reinstated CEO. Iger expressed his desire to reduce the company’s involvement in cultural disputes, emphasizing the need to show respect for Disney’s audience.
In a town hall meeting with employees, he stated, “Do I like the company being embroiled in controversy? Of course not. It can be distracting, and it can have a negative impact on the company. And to the extent that I can work to kind of quiet things down, I’m going to do that.”
Disney’s 100th year marked by box office struggles
Disney’s current box office struggles come at a time when it celebrates 100 years of movie-making.
This centennial year has not been marked by the success the company has been accustomed to. The lackluster performance of “Wish” and other titles in 2023 indicates a shift in audience preferences or reactions to the company’s creative choices.
Disney’s Quest: Balancing Innovation with Broad appeal in a changing era
Disney’s challenge is to find a balance between staying relevant and innovative while maintaining the broad appeal that has been its hallmark for decades.
As it navigates these complex cultural and market dynamics, the direction set by Iger and his approach to these controversies will be closely watched.
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