News Disney’s Boy Trouble: Studio Seeks Original IP to Win Back Gen-Z Men Amid Marvel, Lucasfilm Struggles

[Mike S]

Flop after flop? I get that Elio didn’t do well at the box office, but it was a good film. Elemental was great. So was Luca and Soul.

The Wild Robot from Dreamworks was great and it didn’t do well at the box office too.

Yes I’m referring to box office. Elio is the only movie you mentioned that I didn’t see. I did enjoy the rest having seen all of them through streaming.

I guess I’m just reminiscing on my younger days where every movie from them was a success across the board (including financially) and they could seemingly do no wrong.

 

[Stripes]

Yes I’m referring to box office. Elio is the only movie you mentioned that I didn’t see. I did enjoy the rest having seen all of them through streaming.

I guess I’m just reminiscing on my younger days where every movie from them was a success across the board.

Pixar still has the best track record in the industry. Personally, I still give Pixar the benefit of the doubt when it comes to their unreleased projects.

However, marketing has never been a strong suit for Pixar, and Elio’s marketing was particularly bad.

But, Gatto sounds incredible to me so far. I’m really, really looking forward to it. Hoppers looks good too! I’ve got a much better feeling from the marketing for Hoppers than I did for Elio.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Yes I’m referring to box office. Elio is the only movie you mentioned that I didn’t see. I did enjoy the rest having seen all of them through streaming.

I guess I’m just reminiscing on my younger days where every movie from them was a success across the board (including financially) and they could seemingly do no wrong.

I'd just add, success is going to start to be measured differently across the industry. The market and the way content is consumed is changing, and so too will the metrics.

Netflix has a HUGE smash on their hands with KPop Demon Hunters, but it's not gonna show like that if you look for box office data.

Encanto was a smash hit also, but again the box office does not show this, due to when it was released.

 

[Disney Irish]

I'd just add, success is going to start to be measured differently across the industry. The market and the way content is consumed is changing, and so too will the metrics.

Netflix has a HUGE smash on their hands with KPop Demon Hunters, but it's not gonna show like that if you look for box office data.

Encanto was a smash hit also, but again the box office does not show this, due to when it was released.

Agreed, something I've been saying for a long time in the box office thread. The era of the box office as the "win/loss" indicator is ending.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Agreed, something I've been saying for a long time in the box office thread. The era of the box office as the "win/loss" indicator is ending.

Theatrical releases may start to be seen (or maybe already are seen by the production company) as a tool to promote a film, and get a chunk of money, before it shows up to rent / buy on VOD or a stream on whatever app carries it.

I'd certainly be interested in how the people actually making the films and spending the money, start to measure success internally.

 

[Mike S]

Theatrical releases may start to be seen (or maybe already are seen by the production company) as a tool to promote a film, and get a chunk of money, before it shows up to rent / buy on VOD or a stream on whatever app carries it.

I'd certainly be interested in how the people actually making the films and spending the money, start to measure success internally.

The problem with streaming is that it doesn’t really offer the same after theater money making potential as video and DVD did.

 

[Disney Irish]

Theatrical releases may start to be seen (or maybe already are seen by the production company) as a tool to promote a film, and get a chunk of money, before it shows up to rent / buy on VOD or a stream on whatever app carries it.

I'd certainly be interested in how the people actually making the films and spending the money, start to measure success internally.

I think its already seen that way, as we've seen studios like Disney and Uni talk about how theatrical boosts PVOD/Streaming views.

 

[Disney Analyst]

The problem with streaming is that it doesn’t really offer the same after theater money making potential as video and DVD did.

Right, but I mean, it was inevitable that the source of income from those more traditional release models was going to change, dry up, become less. Streaming is the way soooo many now consume music, movie, tv, heck even games these days. They had to pivot how things are released, based on consumers, which means how they determine success, which influences how they spend money, would also pivot and change.

 

[Disney Irish]

The problem with streaming is that it doesn’t really offer the same after theater money making potential as video and DVD did.

Netflix would like a word with you.....

With its $41B in revenue for 2025 off many of those same theatrical releases that used to go to DVD.

 

[Disney Irish]

Right, but I mean, it was inevitable that the source of income from those more traditional release models was going to change, dry up, become less. Streaming is the way soooo many now consume music, movie, tv, heck even games these days. They had to pivot how things are released, based on consumers, which means how they determine success, which influences how they spend money, would also pivot and change.

I mean we are going way off topic here, but I hope that eventually this idea that PVOD/streaming is "less than" and "won't make the same money" goes away. Because its been proven to be a solid business model for many industries, as consumers change how they want to consume their products so too must the industries change that provide them.

 

[HMF]

Ok, I’m a woman and some of the comments in this thread are bordering on offensive. Quality content appeals across the board to female and male audiences.

The Star Wars sequels were bad because they weren’t well-written or creative or even cohesive; the worst Marvel stuff clearly was churned out without care or love of the product.

This has nothing to do with who the content is aimed at. Yes, more men like Red Dawn than women; I’m not saying there isn’t male/female centric content.

But to blame failures on trying to appeal to women is ridiculous.

The last 2 Indiana Jones flops have nothing to do with trying to appeal to women- a Lucasfilm franchise, I might add, that historically succeeded because it appealed to multiple demographics.

Plenty of girls/women loved the original Star Wars movies. They have universal appeal.

And are we honestly saying the Lion King is a boy movie? Because I was in middle school when the original came out, and all of my friends and I were obsessed. It’s Hamlet.

The mandate from above to churn stuff out en masse, per some algorithm they think promises success, has affected the Disney company across the board- we’ve all seen it at the parks.

The problem here is the reduction of quality (at great expense), in the prioritization of flashy emptiness over meaningful depth, and this is a direct result of creatives losing their power at the company.

This is what you should be attacking: that imagineers and filmmakers with talent are being marginalized, while cardboard CEOs like Iger, and non-creative backgrounds like Kennedy, are running things.

When true creatives are given the chance to run with it, rides like Tower of Terror and content like Andor is produced.

When they’re not, you get Toy Story Land and Secret Invasion.

This is exactly why I argue that it is stupid to solely aim for a specific demographic. The best route is as wide an audience as possible. Disney seems to have either forgotten or does not care about this

 

[CoastalElite64]

Yes I’m referring to box office. Elio is the only movie you mentioned that I didn’t see. I did enjoy the rest having seen all of them through streaming.

I guess I’m just reminiscing on my younger days where every movie from them was a success across the board (including financially) and they could seemingly do no wrong.

Back then Pixar had more autonomy since Steve Jobs and JL were involved. I do think there's some credence to Disney becoming too involved and it affecting Pixar's culture and quality.
Having said that next year's movies do look more promising.

 

[HMF]

Those were creative successes but the sequels were what actually mattered and beyond Mandalorian most people were too burned to care about Disney+ Star Wars as proven by the numbers.

I honestly still think Disney should have really leaned in on the television content and wait a few years before making a movie. I honestly felt the Iger idea of a film every year, no matter what was unrealistic. It was obvious to everyone at least by the time Rise of Skywalker came out that there really was no plan as far as the sequel trilogy was concerned. Disney just assumed that the Star Wars name alone was invincible and they could crap out something every year regardless of it's quality and the masses would eat it up anyway.

 

[HMF]

The biggest slap to the face for me is how this same company is able to get Alien and Predator of all things completely right but can’t figure out Star Wars. For a family friendly company you’d think it would be the opposite!!!

To be honest I always feared the concept of Disney owning Star Wars prior to 2012 seeing how they were running the parks at the time and abandoning the art form that made them famous. Since then the vast majority of my fears have been confirmed.

 

[HMF]

So you admit that Disney has created great Star Wars content? Frankly, better Star Wars content than George Lucas has made in over 40 years and maybe ever.

I just flat out disagree with that. All of George Lucas' Star Wars movies had MUCH more thought and care put into them than the Sequels did. The original six were designed to tell a story. The Sequel Trilogy was explicitly designed to make $$$$$.

 

[HMF]

You admit you’re young so I don’t blame you but you’re continuing to downplay how important the sequels were to people that grew up with the OT characters.

.The marketing for "The Force Awakens" seemed to be designed to make Gen X think their childhood was somehow coming back while the millennials who grew up with the prequel trilogy feel like their favorite movies didn't matter and would be ignored.

 

[HMF]

If Disney were to announce tomorrow that the sequel trilogy is being de-canonized, how would that make you feel?

I honestly wouldn't accept it. Disney made the films, they suck but they exist. You can't go back in time and retro-actively pretend something didn't happen. It would alienate too many people. I honestly don't know how the Sequel Trilogy will be viewed in 5-10 years. I know that I don't care for them, but again I am from the generation that grew up with the Prequels and Gen X famously thought they were crap.

 

[HMF]

There were a couple decades when the Disney name alone (or Marvel, or Star Wars, or Pixar) was enough to guarantee quality and get butts in seats, all that good will seems to be lost now.

That's mostly because Disney used to actually make quality stuff. Most of the things that I love about Disney tend to be products of the 20th Century. The 21st Century Disney is just another random brand printed on the tags of cheap plush toys. Is it any wonder why the parks and consumer products are now the same division of the company?

 

[Mike S]

Right, but I mean, it was inevitable that the source of income from those more traditional release models was going to change, dry up, become less. Streaming is the way soooo many now consume music, movie, tv, heck even games these days. They had to pivot how things are released, based on consumers, which means how they determine success, which influences how they spend money, would also pivot and change.

Aren’t they the ones that forced the change though?

Netflix would like a word with you.....

With its $41B in revenue for 2025 off many of those same theatrical releases that used to go to DVD.

And yet Netflix was the only one to actually pull off a profit until relatively recently, correct? We’re also going to reach a point where there’s so many streamers it might as well just be cable in a different format from how many subscriptions you’ll need and the total cost for them.

.The marketing for "The Force Awakens" seemed to be designed to make Gen X think their childhood was somehow coming back while the millennials who grew up with the prequel trilogy feel like their favorite movies didn't matter and would be ignored.

Millennial here that grew up watching the OT on video and the Prequels in theaters. I was excited as heck for Episode VII.

 

[HMF]

It may sound stupid but this kind of stuff works. Did you know Pulp Fiction is actually a Disney movie? The failed Super Mario Bros. from the 90s?

Not many people associated with the first Super Mario Brothers movie want to admit they were involved with it.