Strange World: It's the biggest Disney movie you've never heard of, and it's in theaters right
now. So why is the movie bombing, and what lessons can the Mouse House learn from its failure?
Before you can work out what went wrong with Strange World, it's worth looking at
another major animated release that came out this year: Minions: The Rise of Gru.
"Miniboss! Miniboss!"
"Alright, alright, I'm not mini. Please stop calling me that."
Box Office Mojo reports that the Despicable Me spin-off grossed over $369 million
domestically and $937.8 million worldwide. Not only was this a big box office haul,
but it also proved to be hugely profitable for Illumination because of its $80 million budget.
Strange World cost $180 million to make, meaning it is currently the tenth-most
expensive animated film of all time — in fact, it is currently tied with WALL-E for that spot.
A huge number of Disney and Pixar animated releases starting from 2010 have had similar
budgets. Tangled and 2019's Lion King remake cost around $260 million each to produce,
while movies with budgets of $200 million or above include Cars 2, the last two Toy
Story films, and Lightyear, which also performed below expectations this year.
Not only are movies in general costing more to produce, but Disney and Pixar
are seemingly increasing the budgets of their movies above the industry's
current standard. All of this is important for one simple reason:
the higher the budget, the more difficult it will be for these movies to turn a profit.
"It's so cute! I wanna merchandise it."
Normally, it wouldn't be hard for Disney movies to make money,
even with larger-than-expected budgets. However, the mega-corporation has not
been immune to the effects of this year's low box office turnout. While hits like Top Gun:
Maverick helped give theaters a much-needed shot in the arm, the subsequent months
have not been quite as successful in bringing people back to the big screen.
Part of this likely has to do with the increased prevalence of streaming services,
including Disney+. The service has successfully provided a one-stop shop
for the company's large portfolio. However, it has also seen its fair
share of controversy due to the alleged theatrical sidelining of animated films.
Some criticized the move to release Pixar's Turning Red as a Disney+ exclusive despite
massive critical acclaim and high viewership numbers, and 2021 saw two major releases,
Luca and Soul, relegated to the platform. An anonymous Pixar staffer revealed at the time:
"We don't want to be a title just on Disney+. These movies are crafted for the big screen.
We want you to watch these movies with no distractions, no looking at your phones."
While these decisions certainly contributed to the poor performance of Strange World at the
box office, arguably the most obvious factor was the film's marketing campaign. Despite
ads for the movie playing frequently during sports events like the 2022 FIFA World Cup,
it feels like the marketing campaign hasn't been
nearly as prevalent as those enjoyed by other Disney projects in the past.
To make matters worse, the marketing that was released for the film had a hard time explaining
what it was even about. While the promos for the movie focused on the stunning animated visuals,
it was hard to gauge what the story of Strange World actually was. Puzzling out the movie's
premise took additional research, and as a result, many potential viewers were left
in the dark. It's hard to sell a movie if you can't properly convey what it's about.
"Dad?!"
This issue could be indicative of a larger marketing problem at Disney,
too. If you recall the lead-up to Lightyear, it was emphasized that the film was actually
supposed to be a movie in the Toy Story universe, something that wasn't made clear
upon its initial announcement. It's likely that the company is currently relying too
much on its name alone to sell its films, a tactic that has never worked out for
them in the past. Need an example? Just ask anyone what happened with Treasure Planet.
"You're just like me, Jimbo. You hates to lose."
It's hard not to attribute this bomb to a recent high-profile firing conducted
by Disney. Last week, Bob Chapek was terminated from his position as CEO.
He was replaced by his predecessor, Bob Iger. The firing came down to a staggering loss of
money attributed to the decisions Chapek had seen during his brief time in the position.
Disney+ is among the victims of these lost profits, as the streamer has allegedly lost
nearly $1.5 billion and is struggling to become profitable. With this in mind,
it might explain why Strange World was given a coveted theatrical release. Considering how
much money it cost to make the movie, it may have been easier for Disney to just release it
in theaters so they can attempt to recoup costs. According to Deadline, post-Chapek Disney could
be looking to make a clearer picture of what gets sent to theaters and what is released
on Disney+ — higher-budget releases might head to theaters, while mid-budget fare could hit Disney+.
If we're being realistic, though, Chapek was almost certainly not responsible for all of
the weird decisions made surrounding the release of Strange World. Rather,
it was a company-wide effort that ultimately failed. However,
you also can't deny that these decisions were overseen and approved by the embattled executive,
and the company's decision to oust him days before the film's release can't be a coincidence.
It's hard to imagine that the box office performance of Strange
World will significantly affect Disney from a financial standpoint. However,
it will likely serve as a major wake-up call for the company. You can't have a lackadaisical
approach to promoting your projects, especially when they have budgets of
$180 million or higher. It's also more important for the company to create a better idea of their
release schedules and consider reining in the ballooning budgets of their animated movies.
And while you might point a finger at one particular aspect of Strange World
that led to its failure, things in the entertainment industry are rarely that
straightforward — especially for a company as influential as Disney. It's certainly sad to
see the work of hundreds of people fail to turn a profit, but here's hoping the mishandling of
Strange World is the motivation the company needs to get back on track.