'Strange World' Disney's 2022 Animated Film

[TP2000]

She's not always reliable, but Grace Randolph from Beyond the Trailer said she's heard that Wish will have "strong" LGBTQ representation.

However, she made this statement before the box office failure of Strange World. Ariana DeBose, who is voicing the main character, is "openly queer," so it could have been seen as an opportunity by Disney to have its first lesbian princess voiced by a queer actress. We shall see next November.

Thank you very much for that info!

My response to that, even if it's just rumors that won't pan out, is.... Oh, jeez!

 

[mickEblu]

Then we really do have different definitions of homophobia.

I sincerely hope you come to terms with what is happening, because there’s no going back.

With what’s happening? What do you mean exactly? If you re hoping for more of the kind of representation we saw in Strange World and Lightyear in another Disney animated feature film any time soon you will probably be disappointed. Unless of course Disney has decided their a charity that can keep this up when their core fanbase doesn’t want it.

 

[TwilightZone]

I've been pondering about this, and I think the problems with audience reception to animated science fiction comes down to what the average theater goer wants from the genre: lasers and things blowing up.

I think Wall - e proves a nonviolent sci fi animated movie can become popular. I attribute wall-e's success with a great advertising campaign, a lovable and cute protagonist, a fantastic story, and the fact it was part of a string of already successful films from Pixar.

If I made wall e a check list, here's how strange world would fit. Red x means no, the chick (cause I can't think of anything else) means half, the green checkmark means yes.

Great advertising campaign

Lovable, cute protagonist

Fantastic Story

Part of a string of already successful films

 

[mickEblu]

She's not always reliable, but Grace Randolph from Beyond the Trailer said she's heard that Wish will have "strong" LGBTQ representation.

However, she made this statement before the box office failure of Strange World. Ariana DeBose, who is voicing the main character, is "openly queer," so it could have been seen as an opportunity by Disney to have its first lesbian princess voiced by a queer actress. We shall see next November.

Have they lost their damn mind? Three in a row? Are they going for a hat trick of flops?

 

[Ghost93]

With what’s happening? What do you mean exactly? If you re hoping for more of the kind of representation we saw in Strange World and Lightyear in another Disney animated feature film any time soon you will probably be disappointed. Unless of course Disney has decided their a charity that can keep this up when their core fanbase doesn’t want it.

I suspect Disney will probably back off doing LGBTQ representation in their $180-$200 million animated movies in the next five years, but will continue to have more inclusive representation on their Disney Plus content, as well as in the Marvel Studios movies (where reactions to gay characters have been significantly less controversial).

Then, once the drama has died down a bit, they may take another stab at significant gay representation in animation.

 

[LittleBuford]

She's not always reliable, but Grace Randolph from Beyond the Trailer said she's heard that Wish will have "strong" LGBTQ representation.

However, she made this statement before the box office failure of Strange World. Ariana DeBose, who is voicing the main character, is "openly queer," so it could have been seen as an opportunity by Disney to have its first lesbian princess voiced by a queer actress. We shall see next November.

I very much doubt that Strange World’s poor showing will determine how Disney deals with queer representation in the future. We can look forward to much more of it in the years to come.

 

[Ghost93]

I very much doubt that Strange World’s poor showing will determine how Disney deals with queer representation in the future. We can look forward to much more of it in the years to come.

I hope you are right, but I'm not convinced.

It should be noted that neither Lightyear nor Strange World received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, so Disney could theoretically view the financial disappointments of both films as an indictment of mediocre quality rather than anti-gay backlash. We shall see.

 

[Phroobar]

When Disney doesn't make money, it pivots to something new. It just takes a long time to pivot.

 

[TP2000]

I rewatched Frozen the other night. First time I watched it since probably 2014. What a great movie. Disney needs to go back to making cinema like that again.

There's an army of Sharp Pencil Boys in Burbank who would agree with you.

And they're getting more nervous by the day.

 

[LittleBuford]

I hope you are right, but I'm not convinced.

It should be noted that neither Lightyear nor Strange World received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, so Disney could theoretically view the financial disappointments of both films as an indictment of mediocre quality rather than anti-gay backlash. We shall see.

That would be the more logical reading, especially since sexuality isn’t a central theme of either film (admittedly, I haven’t seen Strange World, but no-one has claimed that the gay crush is a major plot point).

I think it would be very bad optics for Disney to retreat on this issue, and I very much doubt they will.

 

[TP2000]

I suspect Disney will probably back off doing LGBTQ representation in their $180-$200 million animated movies in the next five years, but will continue to have more inclusive representation on their Disney Plus content, as well as in the Marvel Studios movies (where reactions to gay characters have been significantly less controversial).

Because those movies are rated PG-13 or R and are not targeted at children aged 5 to 11 via the Target toy aisles or McDonald's Happy Meals, I think that's the right decision for them to make.

 

[TP2000]

The website that delivers daily updates on American box office has some nifty features! I just found this one; it's a graph you can create comparing different movies and their box office performance over time.

Here's three 2022 big family cartoons that went to theaters; Lightyear, Minions Rise of Gru, and Strange World. This graph really illustrates for me the historic failure of Strange World in the free marketplace.

And just six months ago we all thought Lightyear was a flop?!?

The Numbers - Where Data and the Movie Business Meet

The Numbers provides detailed movie financial analysis, including box office, DVD and Blu-ray sales reports, and release schedules.

www.the-numbers.com

 

[LittleBuford]

The website that delivers daily updates on American box office has some nifty features! I just found this one; it's a graph you can create comparing different movies and their box office performance over time.

Here's three 2022 cartoons that went to theaters; Lightyear, League of Super Pets, and Strange World. This graph really illustrates for me the historic failure of Strange World in the free marketplace.

And just six months ago we all thought Lightyear was a flop?!?

View attachment 683972

The Numbers - Where Data and the Movie Business Meet

The Numbers provides detailed movie financial analysis, including box office, DVD and Blu-ray sales reports, and release schedules.

www.the-numbers.com

It’s interesting that you have nothing to say about DC League of Super Pets, which, according to the graph, did worse than Lightyear.

 

[TwilightZone]

Lightyear was a flop?!?

I will give lightyear this, it was actually marketed well, super well in fact. I constantly saw commercials for it, it even had a meet n greet! It just seemed bland and lacked imagination. The audience knew this and skipped it.

Today, I watched some spongebob, partially because I love spongebob but also to see what commercials I would get.

Guess what commercial I didn't see. Shouldn't be hard.

 

[TP2000]

It’s interesting that you have nothing to say about DC League of Super Pets, which, according to the graph, did worse than Lightyear.

While you were saying that, I'd already swapped it out for Minions on that chart. I just included it because the website recommended it as an option, and I've never heard of that Super Pets movie and the title made me chuckle. I'm having fun with this new chart thing, but I can put it back in? I assume it's about pets that have superpowers of some kind?

It also had a production budget that was less than half of Lightyear's.

 

[LittleBuford]

While you were saying that, I'd already swapped it out for Minions on that chart. I just included it because the website recommended it as an option, and I've never heard of that Super Pets movie and the title made me chuckle. I'm having fun with this new chart thing, but I can put it back in? I assume it's about pets that have superpowers of some kind?

It also had a production budget that was less than half of Lightyear's.

But what are we to blame its relative failure on? Does it feature a gay subplot?

 

[TP2000]

Here's a different chart of box office data, freshly cherry picked as if it was a warm July morning in the Skagit Valley...

Frozen vs. Moana vs. Coco vs. Lightyear vs. Strange World: Cage Match Smackdown Edition!

Frozen as the obvious best case scenario for a Thanksgiving movie and eternal benchmark for Burbank, but then the other three were also Thanksgiving movies that did differing levels of box office. Plus Lightyear, as the previous 2022 point of reference for "flop".

The Numbers - Where Data and the Movie Business Meet

The Numbers provides detailed movie financial analysis, including box office, DVD and Blu-ray sales reports, and release schedules.

www.the-numbers.com

 

[TP2000]

But what are we to blame its relative failure on? Does it feature a gay subplot?

I doubt it. I think it was just probably a crappy kids movie about super pets. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

 

[LittleBuford]

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Indeed. That’s the point I’ve been trying to make all along.

 

[Phroobar]

This chart is even better. Encanto wasn't making much money when pulled to Disney+. It was already starting to flat line.