Superhero Slump
For over a decade, Disney’s lineup of superhero movies has attracted millions of moviegoers. However, the recent releases failed to meet expectations. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” with its star-studded cast including Paul Rudd and Michelle Pfeiffer, fell short of breaking even. The $200 million-budget film earned only $215 million domestically and $476 million worldwide, far from the $600 million required to turn a profit.
Similarly, “The Marvels” struggled to make an impact, grossing just $46 million upon its opening. With a reported budget of $274 million, this film became the lowest-grossing Marvel movie to date, potentially endangering Disney’s box office success.
Among the superhero films, the standout performer was “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3,” which earned an impressive $359 million domestically and $845 million worldwide, securing its place as the fourth highest-grossing film of the year.
Remakes and Reboot Rejection
Disney’s highly anticipated live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid” fared well domestically, earning $297 million. However, it fell short internationally, with just $267 million in overseas box office receipts. With a $250 million budget, the film struggled to match the success of the 2019 live-action version of “The Lion King,” which grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide.
The release of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” starring Harrison Ford at 81 years old, underwhelmed at the box office. With only $174 million domestically and less than $400 million worldwide, the film failed to recoup its nearly $300 million budget.
Disney’s reboot of “Haunted Mansion” also struggled, earning a lackluster $68 million domestically and $117 million worldwide. Despite an impressive cast, including Rosario Dawson and Owen Wilson, the film failed to live up to its predecessor’s success.
Furthermore, Disney’s latest animated features faced challenges as well. Pixar’s “Elemental,” with its $200 million budget, fell short of expectations, grossing only $154 million domestically and struggling to reach $500 million worldwide. In comparison, Pixar’s “Inside Out” made $357 million domestically and nearly $860 million worldwide with a smaller budget of $175 million.
While Disney disputes the notion that “Elemental” was a flop, citing its $400 million global box office revenue, the film failed to match the success of its predecessors.
Lastly, Disney’s pre-Thanksgiving release of “Wish” turned out to be a disappointment. Despite being promoted as a film “a century in the making” to commemorate the studio’s 100th anniversary, “Wish” only grossed around $50 million domestically and just over $125 million worldwide, putting it at risk of significant losses given its reported $200 million budget. This pales in comparison to the success of Disney’s pre-Thanksgiving release in 2021, “Encanto,” which earned over $250 million worldwide.
With the delay of the “Snow White” live-action remake following public backlash, Disney’s future theatrical releases face uncertain prospects.