Disney Finds Itself In Unfamiliar Territory: Facing Box-Office Setbacks

gamespot.com:

Disney has encountered challenges as some recent releases face difficulties in theaters, according to a report from Variety. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Little Mermaid, Elemental, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny have all fallen short of expectations, putting Disney in unfamiliar territory.

Despite commanding 37% of industry revenues in 2023, Disney has experienced a decline in ticket sales compared to pre-pandemic years.

Critics have expressed mixed opinions about Disney's recent releases. The decline in Disney's fortunes can be attributed to various factors, including changing market conditions, creative shortcomings, and increased focus on streaming. With the launch of Disney+, audiences can now wait for films to become available on streaming platforms.

Pixar, in particular, has been affected by this shift. The animation giant has struggled since the pandemic began. Rival studios believe Pixar has lost its edge and become less appealing compared to more populist animated films.

The Star Wars franchise has also experienced a decline in theater performance. Several new Star Wars movies, including one bringing back Daisy Ridley, were announced earlier this year, though those are still years away. And Marvel releases, meanwhile, may no longer be the same level of tentpole events that they once were.

Notably, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is poised to be one of the bright spots as the studio's highest-earning film of the year, projected to take in $835 million. However, while that is a big figure, this marks a departure from previous years, excluding the pandemic-ridden 2020 and 2021, as it would be the first time since 2014 that Disney fails to achieve the $1 billion milestone with any of its movies.