Walt Disney Co.'s (NYSE:DIS) upcoming theatrical release will feature a gay teen, leading to speculation over whether that will hurt box office returns.
What Happened: Disney previewed "Strange World," a Don Hall-directed animated film, at the recent Annecy International Animated Film Festival.
The film revolves around a family of explorers across three generations. The main protagonist, Ethan Clade, played by comedian Jaboukie Young-White, will be Disney Animation's first gay teen character.
Related Link: To Infinity And Not Saudi Arabia: 'Lightyear' Banned In Country Over Same-Sex Kiss
Why It’s Important: Inside the Magic, a blog devoted to Disney news, called the film an “extremely bold move” considering the overseas boycott of Pixar's animated film "Lightyear," where a same-sex kiss led to the film being banned in China and 13 Muslim-majority countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Disney had initially removed the scene, but later restored it when the company was criticized for not being supportive of the LGBTQ community in the wake of the controversy surrounding the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” legislation in Florida.
Disney also reportedly toned down LGTBQ representation in the animated feature "Turning Red." These days, the studio is seemingly on a course correction, featuring same-sex relationships or LGBTQ representation in other movies (i.e., “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”).
As Disney balances calls for inclusion from fans and employees, it's also facing boycotts in international territories that flat-out refuse to screen certain films, thus hurting ticket sales.
“Lightyear,” which revolves around the Buzz Lightyear character from the "Toy Story" series, grossed $67.3 million domestically and $33.6 million internationally through June 23 according to Box Office Mojo. It finished in second place at the domestic box office, losing out to carryover “Jurassic World: Dominion” from Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA).
"Toy Story 4" — the last film in the series — grossed $434 million domestically and $1.07 billion worldwide when it was released in 2019.
“Strange World” may be a hit for Disney given the past success of Hall, who previously directed “Winnie the Pooh,” “Big Hero 6,” “Moana” and “Raya and the Last Dragon.” The release also coincides with Thanksgiving, a weekend that typically has strong box office performance.
Whether the plot will likely have an impact on where the movie is shown across the globe and how it performs at the box office remains to be seen.
DIS Price Action: Disney shares are up 3% to $97.34 on Friday, versus a 52-week range of $92.01 to $187.57.
