For the better half of the century, Disney movies have been synonymous with box office dominance. Whether it’s the latest Pixar project, a Marvel blockbuster, or a new adventure in the Star Wars galaxy, Disney is known for event pictures: they’re seen on the biggest screen possible, driven less by word-of-mouth than blind compulsion or FOMO. You see the company’s movies because that’s just what you do — and until recently, most of said movies honored that loyalty with quality storytelling, justifying a bonkers box office return. But things haven’t been right at the House of Mouse for some time now. While a few “bad apples,” like 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, were expected every once in a while, Disney’s entire harvest now feels rotted to the core.
2023 was Disney’s no-good, very-bad year, with most of its biggest swings failing to make their customary splash or recoup their exorbitant production costs. Though the studio has delivered some fine movies since, from Marvel’s Fantastic Four reboot to Pixar’s Hoppers, the Disney brand doesn’t carry the same weight as it once did. Not even the first Star Wars film in seven years is getting the same reception as the billion-dollar-grossing projects that came before, resulting in a shocking theatrical shake-up.
