'Strange World' Disney's 2022 Animated Film

[TP2000]

With Strange World's weekend coming into view, here is some perspective on historic Disney Animation box office bombs at 19 days in release (all in today's dollars). Note Strange World opened on over 1,000 more screens than any other film on the list:

- Strange World: $30.5 estimate
- Black Cauldron: $44M
- Treasure Planet: $45M
- Home on the Range: $60M
- Chicken Little: $155M

#resoundingsuccess

Here's that financial chart of domestic box office, adjusted for inflation.

Strange World is the little green squiggle at the bottom of the chart.

 

[TP2000]

Exactly. Their two choices are to keep going (and keep losing money) or to stop completely. Either one will offend people but the latter would offend fewer. The problem is the vocal minority of the few are very loud. So as you said they are kind of damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

It's just a mess now. They did this to themselves. Let's never forget that part.

I wonder though if their isn’t a third option. Which is to do one Super LGBTQ movie every few years and then just leave it completely out of all the movies in between.

What just flashed through my mind is mages of fabulous musical production scenes with dancing fountains and scores of top-hatted gentlemen, like the hilarious The French Mistake scene from Blazing Saddles. (Sounds like steam escaping!.... I'm parked over by the commissary...)

I'd actually buy a ticket to see that Disney movie!

That would probably be a fair compromise to appease someone like me. I’m not sure how Middle America would feel about it though. It also comes across as kind of telegraphed and inorganic but so does the box checking they are doing now.

It's just a mess now. Did I mention they did this to themselves all on their own?

I maintain the best course of action is to stop putting these Checked Boxes From HR into children's animation and save that stuff for the PG-13 or R rated movies from their other studios. But what do I know? And what does the free marketplace of consumer choice know? Burbank thinks they know better than both. Hmm...

 

[mickEblu]

It's just a mess now. They did this to themselves. Let's never forget that part.



What just flashed through my mind is mages of fabulous musical production scenes with dancing fountains and scores of top-hatted gentlemen, like the hilarious The French Mistake scene from Blazing Saddles. (Sounds like steam escaping!.... I'm parked out by the commissary...)

I'd actually buy a ticket to see that Disney movie!



It's just a mess now. Did I mention they did this to themselves all on their own?

I maintain the best course of action is to stop putting these Checked Boxes From HR into children's animation and save that stuff for the PG-13 or R rated movies from their other studios. But what do I know? And what does the free marketplace of consumer choice know? Burbank thinks they know better than both. Hmm...

Totally agree. Save it for the PG 13 stuff. Not the PG Disney animated feature films. Between all of their studios, they have so many other places they can put it. Those people in Burbank are really out of touch. Maybe they thought they could actually sway a large majority of parents minds across the nation because they are Disney. Or more likely they are living in a bubble and don’t understand the majority of people in their target audience. Either way I’m tired of trying to justify or figure out their incompetency lately.

 

[TP2000]

Those people in Burbank are really out of touch.... Or more likely they are living in a bubble and don’t understand the majority of people in their target audience.

I'm of the firm belief that it's mostly that reason. The financials of the free market be damned.

I've ended up at parties or events with those types, and it's exactly what you think. Completely living in a bubble, with a very low opinion of anyone who doesn't live in their bubble. Diversity of thought and culture is mostly not allowed. When I watched those now infamous Zoom call videos from 2021 of the Disney execs talking about their Inclusion strategies for films, I knew exactly the personalities they were and how they talk and behave in real life. It was textbook.

Those execs are in Bubble World. And they think they're better than you, don't forget.

Next up, Walt Disney Animation Studios presents Wish, opening Thanksgiving 2023!

 

[ILoveWDW4ever]

Those who are now refusing to see Disney movies because of the “trend” and “agenda” are more likely than not a very small minority.

Refusing is a strong word. More like not interested.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Oh I skipped over your second sentence. Yes you directly stated that but just confused how you or anyone don’t think the Gay crush thing wasn’t at least half the reason the movie bombed. I can’t tell if it’s genuine or a desperate attempt to control the narrative so that Disney continues to make movies like this.

Half the reason? That’s quite far-fetched. You’d have to provide some strong evidence for me to believe that.

Refusing is a strong word. More like not interested.

Refusing, disinterest… My point still stands.

 

[LittleBuford]

The weakness of some of the claims being made can be revealed by a very simply thought experiment. Does anyone here really believe that either Lightyear or Strange World would have done any better at the box office had their two gay characters been straight instead?

 

[Californian Elitist]

The weakness of some of the claims being made can be revealed by a very simply thought experiment. Does anyone here really believe that either Lightyear or Strange World would have done any better at the box office had their two gay characters been straight instead?

Great question.

 

[TP2000]

The gay plot points in both Lightyear and Strange World we’re not revealed in the teasers and trailers. Additionally, there is a subtle hint to homosexuality in Wakanda Forever. Plenty of people have seen that movie, and plenty took their kids to see it.

Wakanda Forever was rated PG-13.

It's up to the parents who know their child and their child's development, not to mention the values and culture of the individual family they are in charge of, but I wouldn't have a problem taking a smart 12 or 13 year old to Wakanda Forever. And I certainly wouldn't have a problem with a 15 year old seeing Wakanda Forever.

Strange World was rated PG, and marketed at a younger age of child than 13. And since Disney is incapable, or simply unwilling, to make G rated movies any longer, the PG rating is the new G rating.

There's a huge difference between a 14 year old and an 8 year old. I think that's all any of the parents here has tried to say, often saying it to people (like me) who are childless adults.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Wakanda Forever was rated PG-13.

It's up to the parents who know their child and their child's development, not to mention the values and culture of the individual family they are in charge of, but I wouldn't have a problem taking a smart 12 or 13 year old to Wakanda Forever. And I certainly wouldn't have a problem with a 15 year old seeing Wakanda Forever.

Strange World was rated PG, and marketed at a younger age of child than 13. And since Disney is incapable, or simply unwilling, to make G rated movies any longer, the PG rating is the new G rating.

There's a huge difference between a 14 year old and an 8 year old. I think that's all any of the parents here has tried to say, often saying it to people (like me) who are childless adults.

People took their 8-year-olds to see Wakanda Forever.

I never said it’s not up to the parents. I did say that we need more gay, and I stand by that.

 

[TP2000]

People took their 8-year-olds to see Wakanda Forever.

Yikes. 8 year olds going to a violent PG-13 movie with adult themes on purpose? That seems like a recipe for some dangerous teen years at best, and an unsuccessful trip into young adulthood at worst. I would wait until at least 12 to let children go to PG-13 movies. Which is the reason there's a "13" in the rating, after all.

I never said it’s not up to the parents. I did say that we need more gay, and I stand by that.

The financial data on the last two Disney/Pixar family films with gay characters or gay themes in 2022 says otherwise.

A business doesn't get this kind of massive, historical failure in the free marketplace like Strange World and escape some introspection. Or at least for the sake of the future of Disney Animation, I would hope they've got some introspection going on in Burbank this month.

 

[TP2000]

I know a lot of people have postulated that Disney was aware that denying Strange World a theatrical release would give it a bad rep in the media about trying to hide their gays so even knowing they had a stinker on their hands, they decided to basically sacrifice it at the box office rather than relegate it to a Disney+ exclusive.

Agreed. That's likely a big part of it.

The massive flop of Strange World can not be pinned on just one thing, socio-political issues or bad marketing or otherwise. I think it's several wide-ranging factors all coming together for a perfect storm of failure.

Will the Burbank execs learn a lesson from this is the only thing left to ponder, really.

 

[Andrew C]

Yikes. 8 year olds going to a violent PG-13 movie with adult themes on purpose? That seems like a recipe for some dangerous teen years at best, and an unsuccessful trip into young adulthood at worst. I would wait until at least 12 to let children go to PG-13 movies. Which is the reason there's a "13" in the rating, after all.

Ehh. My 9 year old watches the PG-13 Star Wars movies. I feel the violence in those is a bit less graphic than the MCU though. She hasn’t seen any of those.

 

[TP2000]

Ehh. My 9 year old watches the PG-13 Star Wars movies. I feel the violence in those is a bit less graphic than the MCU though. She hasn’t seen any of those.

The original Star Wars in '77 was rated PG. But that was before PG-13 came along, so I think it probably would have been bumped up to that if it had existed in 1977.

There's probably a good short documentary waiting to be made explaining how the MPAA rates the various movies that get released in this country, and how that rating system and their standards for rating have changed over the last 55 years. I'd watch that documentary, and I'm not even a big movie buff!

 

[ILoveWDW4ever]

The weakness of some of the claims being made can be revealed by a very simply thought experiment. Does anyone here really believe that either Lightyear or Strange World would have done any better at the box office had their two gay characters been straight instead?

The movies would have done better if they were better. But instead of making good movies. Disney is making bad ones that have inclusivity as their top line marketing point.

 

[CaptainMickey]

I don’t agree. Lightyear was simply a bad film; had it been good, it would have done better than it did. (Having not seen Strange World, I can’t speak to its quality, but we all seem to agree that it was barely marketed.)

Most Americans are now in favour of gay marriage. The idea that droves of parents are boycotting the films because they don’t want their children seeing (extremely tame, innocent) depictions of queer romance isn’t borne out by any evidence or data.

I think you are trying to make a 100% correlation that is much lower then you think. True, most Americans are in favor of gay marriage. That part is true. But, that number drops off considerably if you think every one of them wants to pay see stories about it in a theater and It drops off a cliff if you think they want to see those themes is a Disney children's Theatrical movie.

 

[jeangreyforever]

Ehh. My 9 year old watches the PG-13 Star Wars movies. I feel the violence in those is a bit less graphic than the MCU though. She hasn’t seen any of those.

The MCU movies also tend to have more explicit language and crude humor. The Star Wars movies are way more family friendly in that regard. I'm not a parent but I didn't care much for Tony Stark calling a little boy a demeaning and sexually explicit term in Iron Man 3.

 

[TP2000]

Where is the strong proof that clearly shows that the main reason those films failed is because of the gay plot point? Or at least one of the main reasons?

There's no proof for any of this. If someone says there was "no marketing", someone can Google up 5 different commercials and photos of the banners for the Strange World preview at DHS. If someone says it was because of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ angle, someone can Google up 189 Tweets all with 100 likes from childless adults claiming they loved the movie and saw it twice in one weekend.

But for whatever reason, Burbank allowed Strange World to become one of the biggest flops in their corporate history.

The financial data is the part that is irrefutable and can not be spun in any real way but dollars and cents.

Production Budgets:.................................................$180 Million.............$200 Million............$90 Million..............$80 Million
Global Box Office Totals:........................................$53 Million+.............$218 Million............$204 Million...,.......$939 Million

 

[TP2000]

I don't think it's a coincidence either that this was the year Top Gun was a massive blockbuster.

It's not. There were some really big movie blockbusters in 2022.

But unfortunately for Hollywood, they had more turkeys and flops than they had hits in '22. Strange World is just one of the most blatant examples of that for not just 2022, but for the history of Walt Disney Animation.

 

[jeangreyforever]

It's not. There were some really big movie blockbusters in 2022.

But unfortunately for Hollywood, they had more turkeys and flops than they had hits in '22. Strange World is just one of the most blatant examples of that for not just 2022, but for the history of Walt Disney Animation.

All of those other movie blockbusters are superhero sequels or sequels to kids movies based on popular IPs. Top Gun was technically also a sequel, but it's completely different from the rest of the franchise blockbusters we saw this year. Elvis is really the only other sole exception that became an enormous hit without being a sequel. And I know there's been a discussion about how the Doctor Strange, Thor, and Black Panther sequels were all hits but not as strong as they were expected to be at the box office.

Disney Animation and Pixar generally crack the top ten highest-grossing movies for the year, but that hasn't been the case this year or last year. Pixar at least had the excuse that they didn't have any theatrical releases last year and Encanto became a streaming hit, but how much longer can those excuses work? There was no reason Lightyear shouldn't have cracked the top ten for this year especially when the Minions and Sonic sequels both did.