Disney’s Financial Missteps Network faced high-profile losses last year that totaled an eye-watering $628 million. Among their greatest missteps were The Marvels, losing a substantial $237 million, The Flash with a loss of $155 million, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny drowning by $143 million, and Wish and the Haunted Mansion facing deficits of $131 million and $117 million respectively. Solely, The Marvels saw a deficit that equated almost a quarter of a billion dollars – that’s with a ‘B’. A clear testament to the failure of mediocrity.
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Speaking of Wish, it’s blatantly obvious audiences had experienced a déjà vu effect with Disney’s princess and goofy companions (this time a loquacious goat and plump celestial body). The public decided to pass and wait for their release on Disney+. But this decision raises questions of whether Disney’s streaming platform is truly beneficial, or detrimental to their theatrical performances.
Raising a valid question – if Disney+ is indeed sabotaging Disney’s blockbuster showings, then how come Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 garnered tremendous success last year? Also, it’s bewildering how The Little Mermaid remake amassed a whopping $300 million Domestically. And let’s not discount the fact that Avatar: Way of the Water emerged as one of the greatest hits in cinematic history. So what’s going wrong for Disney?
The truth might sound harsh, but it has to be stated – Disney is not fetching box office results because their recent saturating injection of political correctness into their narratives is discernible from a mile off. The company’s decision to replace childhood innocence with controversial issues has not only been unpopular but downright detestable.
In just a couple of years, we’ve witnessed how the Disney image has degenerated from a universally beloved symbol of joy, creativity, and timeless stories, to a brand that gains notoriety for forcing unfitting adult themes onto children. The company, it seems, now aims to introduce children to mature concepts like cross-dressing, non-traditional gender roles, and alternative sexualities, much to the dismay of parents and audiences worldwide.
The Marvels was critical flop because it relied heavily on lecturing feminism, rather than focusing on superhero action and compelling storytelling. Featuring a main lead whose screen time seemed like a montage of scathing rebuke, the film failed to appease viewers, leaving it forgotten in the hall of misplaced heroines.
The Indiana Jones sequel, Dial of Destiny, was another disappointment for devout fans, for it diverged from the nostalgia of the original to accommodate a new political agenda. As a result, the iconic hero was belittled and humiliated for embodying the traits of an older Caucasian man as opposed to a diverse, politically-correct figure. The memory of what Disney did to Luke Skywalker and Han Solo – emasculating them through overpowering, gender-neutral antagonists – further deterred audiences from giving this a shot.
On a similar footing, Wish was deserted by Disney’s audience because earlier animations like Strange World and Lightyear appeared as inappropriate inducements to children. The films were analogous to a suspicious guy, with no pants, driving around a school giving away free sweets – a disturbing image that families rightfully shunned.
As for Haunted Mansion, the public chose not to engage with it because it subtly propagated an agenda of forced diversity. The original version with Eddie Murphy was a different story. Murphy was not a ‘black star’ but simply a human star, unencumbered by racial politics. The color of his skin never played a role in the film. His genuine talent and charisma were the propelling forces.
Unfortunately, the film industry’s new progressive mindset—Hollywood’s present ‘wokeness’—has chosen to make skin color paramount. Consequently, an aura of discrimination seems to loom over productions like the Haunted Mansion remake. It’s no longer about talent and meritocracy, it’s about fitting into a politically correct mold and promoting a narrative.
In conclusion, audiences globally have showcased their displeasure and desire to not be served propaganda through the medium of cinema. Remarkably, no one has the patience to sit through fabricated narratives that serve political ideologies alone. The icing on the cake is that blockbusters are born from repeat viewings, be it at home or in theaters, both of which have now become rather rare occurrences for Disney.
Disney has always been a cherished part of childhood memories. However, its recent transformation from a purveyor of magic and imagination into a platform for ideological indoctrination has cost the company not only the affection and trust of its viewers but has also inflicted substantial economic loss.
It’s clear that audiences value authentic storytelling, engaging characters, and universal themes. They are not interested in a force-fed diet of political correctness and societal engineering. The company needs to realize this if it is to bounce back from its recent failures.
In the final analysis, the adhere-to-political-agendas model in crafting the narrative arc doesn’t seem to be a successful strategy for Disney. The film industry as a whole must remember that cinema has a profound effect on societies and generations. It must refrain from capitalizing personality traits, pushing personal narratives, and stereotyping for mere political correctness. Collaborative, not divisive, narratives must define the future of Disney and Hollywood at large.
