'Strange World' Disney's 2022 Animated Film

[Californian Elitist]

I do it all the time because it's my scene. It's not your scene, so you should be careful when you try to speak for a community that you are not a part of. But tread lightly, and we'll welcome you with open arms!



Thank you. Apology accepted. It's the internet after all, and the typed word is harder than the spoken word to communicate with! It's fine, we'll move on.



You say that as if you get extra credit points somewhere for such a thing.

I merely ask that you acknowledge I have a lived experience of the 1960's/70's/80's that is radically different and much more difficult than your HR protected life in the 2020's.

Please respect my lived experience, that was often painful. My own government considered me a National Security Threat by my mere existence. Let that sink in.



I just think that minorities like ourselves should be represented truthfully and believably. Gays are only 10% of the population, so let's not make 30% or more of Disney film characters gay. Because that would be fake and dumb.

I’m always careful about what I say. How do you know I’m not queer? I’ve already been welcomed by many gay people, both here and outside this forum. You and I don’t get along, and that’s fine.

I’m not concerned about “extra points” for a game I’m not playing. I simply stated that to make a point and state facts. I’m not concerned earning any brownie points from you.

You’ve mentioned your age range many times. I don’t know you personally, but based on facts about yourself, I can infer that you, as a gay man, have experienced some hardships. Don’t refer to my life as “protected.” Just like you, I’ve gone through some hardships, specifically as a black woman. “Protected” and black women have never matched.

Agree to disagree. I want more representation for minorities.

 

[TP2000]

I don’t have any problems with gay relationships either

Me either. I often have been known to encourage them.

 

[Chi84]

Agreed. Which is why I purposely chose 30% as the point where it becomes cringey and dumb.

20% is probably going to have to be the benchmark for the 2020's, because of the lack thereof in previous decades. But even that is a stretch, and it must be handled very carefully. Shoehorning it in to every family animated film that comes along twice per year isn't helping the cause.

Everyone just needs to relax. Calm down. Space it out. Wait for a story or character that really makes sense. Then it will feel more organic and natural. And dare I say, entertaining?!?

That last word, "entertaining", might seem shocking to some who are stuck in a loop of HR approved slogans and talking points, but this is the entertainment industry after all. And the audience votes with their wallet.

As of now, it just feels forced and fake at best, and offensive at worst. Executives in Burbank are checking boxes and pumping up their annual bonus with this stuff. It's dumb, and you can spot it from a mile away.

That’s a reasonable take. I suppose I’m less bothered by what some consider over representation. I figure Disney is trying to do the right thing by representing marginalized groups so I’m less critical.

 

[TP2000]

You’ve mentioned your age range many times. I don’t know you personally, but based on facts about yourself, I can infer that you, as a gay man, have experienced some hardships. Don’t refer to my life as “protected.” Just like you, I’ve gone through some hardships, specifically as a black woman. .

You've shown us photos of yourself, and explained your career as a ride operator at Disneyland in the 2010's. You have presented yourself here as a cisgender Black woman aged 28 to 35.

Knowing that basic timeline, it is a simple fact that your government has never classified you as a National Security Threat, you have never been threatened with Dishonorable Discharge and criminal proceedings for being you, nor have you ever been denied entry to a hospital hospice wing because of who you are and the relationship you have with the registered patient.

I have a lived life that has many twists and turns. I'm proud that I can look back and laugh at it, instead of cry.

 

[TP2000]

That’s a reasonable take. I suppose I’m less bothered by what some consider over representation. I figure Disney is trying to do the right thing by representing marginalized groups so I’m less critical.

I can agree with that. And I honestly don't envy them, when I'm in a generous mood.

But it just seems so heavy-handed and pompous. You watch those Zoom calls of Karey Burke from 2021, and you see the language used in official quotes and marketing. And it's just pukey and fake.

I would normally be willing to cut them some slack and give them some credit. They're trying. But then they ladle on the hipster crap so heavily and so quickly, and it ruins it. And the fact they so publicly look down on anyone who even so much as pauses at this sudden change, and they just come off as jerky snobs. They're insufferable with the disdain they have for their own audience and customers. Talk about living in a bubble!

Which is why I chuckle when their mega-budget movies bomb as big as they have recently. Strange World might have been the final straw, but we'll have to see with Wish.

 

[Californian Elitist]

You've shown us photos of yourself, and explained your career as a ride operator at Disneyland in the 2010's. You have presented yourself here as a cisgender Black woman aged 28 to 35.

Knowing that basic timeline, it is a simple fact that your government has never classified you as a National Security Threat, you have never been threatened with Dishonorable Discharge and criminal proceedings for being you, nor have you ever been denied entry to a hospital hospice wing because of who you are and the relationship you have with the registered patient.

I have a lived life that has many twists and turns. I'm proud that I can look back and laugh at it, instead of cry.

I can be cisgender, black, in my 30s, and absolutely queer. You don’t know me.

I’m not one to participate in the Oppression Olympics. Your experiences are not mine, mine are not yours. I’ve been through things that you, as a white man, will never experience.

I’m going to sleep now.

 

[TP2000]

I can be cisgender, black, in my 30s, and absolutely queer. You don’t know me.

I’m not one to participate in the Oppression Olympics. Your experiences are not mine, mine are not yours. I’ve been through things that you, as a white man, will never experience.

I’m going to sleep now.

Nighty, night!

 

[TP2000]

What did Universal know in 2022 that Disney didn't?

How can two companies located just a few miles from each other, one in Burbank and one in Universal City, with similar historical backgrounds and similar current business models, have such different years? Just a string of bad luck for Burbank not helped by that bozo Bob Chapek who didn't have a post-Covid exit strategy? Or is it something else?

2022 Financial Summary

Universal/Dreamworks Animation (Sing 2, The Bad Guys, Minions Rise of Gru)
2022 Production Budgets = $245 Million
2022 Global Box Office = $1.6 Billion (with a B)

Disney/Pixar Animation (Turning Red, Lightyear, Strange World)
2022 Production Budgets = $550 Million
2022 Global Box Office = $324 Million (and slowly counting for Strange World)

Disney Defends Its Animation Game Plan Despite Strange World's Failure

Universal Pictures continues to outperform Disney in the box office stakes for animated films -- but Disney is defending its animation strategy.

www.cbr.com

 

[Movielover]

Well... at least we don't have to worry about Star Tours closing to be replaced by Strange World...

 

[TwilightZone]

I think I was doing sony a disservice by removing them from my old price chart, since I just remembered that Cloudy with a Chance of meatballs existed, and that came out in 2009. I dislike realizing movies are older than I think they are, but it's a fact to be acknowledged sometimes.

Sony movie box office and budget

Honestly I am really surprised by these, because they all seem like movies that just sorta happened and then disappeared from public concisouness, but apparently they made back their money.

I left out "Michelle vs. The Machines" and "Vivo" because they are streaming exclusive, and thus don't have a box office listed on wikipedia.

 

[TwilightZone]

Box office mojo-fied charts now. I put it as Inflation Adjusted. Whoops a couple of these are "actuals". Too lazy to fix rn. Sorry.

For some reason, I wasn't able to get "trolls world tour" to appear here. RIP

Same list with "Strange World" instead of HTTYD

Wow look at secret life of pets 2 and minons 2!

It could only show Angry Birds 2 because of streaming exclusives I assume.

And for complete fairness here's disney and pixars recent output compared to strange world

'

Wow incredibles 2 and TS4 did a lot better than I expected, I guess that's the power of brand recognition.

 

[DKampy]

Well as someone who goes to the movies once a week… I can say I believe it was the marketing… I bet your average movie goer did not know this movie existed and if they did did not know which weekend it was being released. I never even once seen a trailer not even before Disney’s own Wakanda Forever and that was just 2 weekends before Strange World was to debut. My local theater did not even have any posted signs ahead of it’s release… all I saw was a couple of quick ads on tv the week it was coming out and it made it look like just like a generic syfy movie. I would probably not even realize the movie existed if I did not follow film closely.

I certainly did not see a huge push about gay representation in the movie… frankly I am appalled at the number of close minded people on a Disney fan site… a company who has an attraction called Small World and has supported gay cast members for decades

 

[GimpYancIent]

Well as someone who goes to the movies once a week… I can say I believe it was the marketing… I bet your average movie goer did not know this movie existed and if they did did not know which weekend it was being released. I never even once seen a trailer not even before Disney’s own Wakanda Forever and that was just 2 weekends before Strange World was to debut. My local theater did not even have any posted signs ahead of it’s release… all I saw was a couple of quick ads on tv the week it was coming out and it made it look like just like a generic syfy movie. I would probably not even realize the movie existed if I did not follow film closely.

I certainly did not see a huge push about gay representation in the movie… frankly I am appalled at the number of close minded people on a Disney fan site… a company who has an attraction called Small World and has supported gay cast members for decades

Saw plenty of trailers. Marketing did advertise. It came across as D+ material not big screen. Not worth time and money to go to the theater when it can be watched at home. Some productions have that interest factor some don't.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Well as someone who goes to the movies once a week… I can say I believe it was the marketing… I bet your average movie goer did not know this movie existed and if they did did not know which weekend it was being released.

This is begging the question.

Why did Disney choose not to market it heavily?

 

[Heppenheimer]

Going back to the choice to market a film heavily or not...

I know some people liked it, but for most it was a big "meh" (including me)- Onward. I also don't remember seeing much marketing for this film when it came out. Although any chance for it to do well was probably killed by the pandemic, Disney could not have known in advance that cinemas and everything world wide would close temporarily. Did they similarly see Onward as stinker not worth spending ad money on?

The first time I even heard of Onward's existence, surprisingly, was on a trip to Disneyland, which coincidentally happened to be the last week it was open before the pandemic shut everything down. They placed a mock-up of the van on Pixar Pier for photo-ops... and it didn't seem to be busy at all. Some of the shops were also selling plastic wands that nobody seemed to buy.

 

[Prince-1]

Saw plenty of trailers. Marketing did advertise. It came across as D+ material not big screen. Not worth time and money to go to the theater when it can be watched at home. Some productions have that interest factor some don't.

And this is the main reason that SA failed. It didn't look that great and people are learning that Disney movies are making their way on D+ very very quickly so why waste the money to go see it in the theaters. There will be movies like Top Gun 2, Avatar 2, etc that will definitely draw large crowds but the way that a movie is judged as a success is changing before our eyes.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

people are learning that Disney movies are making their way on D+ very very quickly so why waste the money to go see it in the theaters.

These were temporary pandemic-era measures and anyone expecting it to continue long-term will be mistaken.

 

[GimpYancIent]

These were temporary pandemic-era measures and anyone expecting it to continue long-term will be mistaken.

Nah. Prepandemic theaters were feeling the pressure of diminishing attendance. Movie goers got choosy about what to go and see. The pandemic was a gut punch for the theaters. Long term people still enjoy periodically going to a theater and enjoying a movie with emphasis on the cost / time investment vs enjoyment. With the variety of venues and methods to experience / enjoy productions that exist now the golden days of theaters is gone.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Nah. Prepandemic theaters were feeling the pressure of diminishing attendance. Movie goers got choosy about what to go and see. The pandemic was a gut punch for the theaters. Long term people still enjoy periodically going to a theater and enjoying a movie with emphasis on the cost / time investment vs enjoyment. With the variety of venues and methods to experience / enjoy productions that exist now the golden days of theaters is gone.

Rise of Gru just did $940 million on a budget of $80 million.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Rise of Gru just did $940 million on a budget of $80 million.

And your point is? A production the viewing public enjoyed / enjoy watching. The public are not going because there is nothing else. Certainly not to simply support theaters.