The adage “go woke, go broke” perhaps best applies to Disney and their ideological insistence on churning out stories most Americans have no desire to participate in – and least of all wanting their kids to participate in.
After veering sharply to the left and engaging in some of the most contentious culture wars of the day, Disney has seen their share price plummet and any remaining goodwill for the company evaporate.
The woke company has most famously lost its sovereignty after Florida governor Ron DeSantis revoked their special privileges after taking a very public stance against his education bill that prevented public school teachers from discussing issues of sex and gender with students in grade kindergarten through 3rd grade.
But there’s another developing story, this one also affecting the company’s bottom line. Three of their latest animated features have gone woke – and cost the company hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Daily Wire outlined three films – Strange World, Lightyear, and Turning Red – that were produced on massive budgets and completely missed their marks.
Of Strange World, Daily Wire wrote:
Take the movie “Strange World,” which was released in November 2022. This original project follows a family of explorers called the Clades who discover a plant called Pando, which is used as a powerful energy source for civilization. The family reunites to discover why the plant is losing its potency decades after they discover this magical plant.
Wikipedia noted that the film likely grossed less than $100 million worldwide and would “lose the studio $100-147 million.”
“Another massive failure on the Disney docket was the highly anticipated spinoff in the “Toy Story” franchise, “Lightyear,” the Daily Wire said of the second box office bust. “This movie served as the backstory to one of the main characters, a space robot toy named Buzz Lightyear. The “Toy Story” franchise is massively popular, as are the characters, but the film made several missteps along the way. The biggest problem was it came out just as Disney was seeking an opportunity for virtue signaling.”
Again, Wikipedia tallied the total box office figures, and while it noted that the film was the “fourth-highest grossing animated film” last year, earning more than $200 million, that too was set against the backdrop of a reported budget worth just as much.
Finally, the Daily Wire mentioned the 2022 movie Turning Red. While the movie contained less overt references to LGBT themes, “it did give parents pause due to mature themes.”
Some analysts suggested the film tanked because Disney made the curious decision to release the film simultaneously in both theaters and on their streaming service, but that could also be seen as a way for them to blame the substantial loss on factors other than content alone. The film was estimated to have lost more than $150 million.
Whereas in the past Disney was renowned and beloved for its memorable, touching, and indeed magical animated features. Starting with Snow White in 1937, later reclaiming its status as a premiere producer of animated classics in the late 1980s and 1990s, and even producing somewhat secent stories like Frozen more recently, Disney films were practically owned in and adored by every house.
It seems like few people care what Disney does next. It seems unlikely Disney will fully rectify their situation any time soon, and even if they do, they’ve burned so many bridges that most people will simply move on to new entertainment options.
