Why Disney's 'Strange World' Failed at the Box Office | Fine Tuning with Drew Taylor Ep. 199

Box Office Performance of 'Strange World'

• 📉 Strange World significantly underperformed during its Thanksgiving holiday release, grossing only 18.6 million in North America over the 5-day period, far below its projected 30-40 million.
• ⚠️ This underperformance is considered a major disappointment, with the film's opening weekend being one of the worst for Disney animation since Treasure Planet.

DreamWorks Animation's New Logo and Strategy

• ✨ DreamWorks Animation unveiled a new animated logo, which serves as a mission statement, showcasing core franchises like Toothless, Po, Boss Baby, Poppy, Shrek, and Donkey.
• 🎯 The studio's strategy involves releasing one franchise movie and one original film per year, aiming to generate new franchises from original content.
• 🗓️ Upcoming franchise films include Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Trolls 3, Kung Fu Panda 4, and The Bad Guys Holiday Heist, with hints of a Shrek return and a potential Boss Baby 3.

Universal Studios Florida Park Changes

• 🎢 Several attractions at Universal Studios Florida, including Fievel's Playland and Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster, are closing on January 15th, 2023.
• 🏗️ These closures are rumored to make way for a new DreamWorks-themed land, featuring rides based on DreamWorks franchises.
• 💡 This follows the recent addition of the Minions Villain Con attraction in the former Shrek 4D theater.

Disney+ and Home Video Releases

• 🎬 The documentary "Mickey: The Story of a Mouse" is praised for its look at animators like Eric Goldberg and Mark Henn, though the accompanying short is wished to be longer.
• 💻 "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" is a new CG release on Disney+.
• 🌟 The Ed Asner Family Foundation is hosting its annual "It's a Wonderful Life" table read on December 11th, benefiting children with autism, featuring Brendan Fraser as George Bailey.

'Strange World's' Box Office Failure Analysis

• 📺 A contributing factor to 'Strange World's' failure is the audience's training to wait for animated films to arrive on Disney+, especially with other major releases like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Avatar competing for attention.
• 📣 The marketing campaign for 'Strange World' is described as one of the worst by Disney, struggling to convey the movie's essence, partly due to a significant third-act twist that paralyzed promotional efforts.
• 🏳️‍🌈 The film also includes LGBTQ+ themes, which may have complicated marketing efforts, contributing to a "perfect storm" of issues leading to its box office stumble.
• 🌎 Director Don Hall aimed to tell a story inspired by his sons' discussions about climate change, with producer Roy Conli known for tackling brave projects.
• 🎭 While the world-building is praised, some critics felt the characters were not as evolved as the world itself, though the inclusion of an openly gay Disney hero is noted as a significant positive step.

Historical Disney Films and Future Discoveries

• 🎞️ "So Dear to My Heart" is highlighted as a historically important Disney film that inspired Walt Disney's concept for Disneyland, though its home video releases have been limited.
• 🏰 The film features Granny Kincaid's cabin, a miniature built by Walt Disney himself, which is part of the "One Man's Dream" exhibit at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
• 🔮 Despite its current box office performance, 'Strange World' may find a wider audience later, similar to how films like Encanto gained popularity through Disney+ after their theatrical runs.
• 🖼️ The Van Eaton Galleries is holding an auction on December 3rd-4th featuring a vast collection of Disney animation art, including items from Sleeping Beauty and character costumes.

Holiday Programming and Animation News

• 🎄 Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas programming includes animated classics like "Disney's A Christmas Carol", "Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas", and "Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas".
• 🎬 The "The Santa Clause 2" is being shown this year after a period of being skipped in Freeform's holiday lineup, possibly due to the new Disney+ series.
• 👻 Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is noted for its title change from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" to "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" shortly before its release, with Henry Selick directing.
• 🎙️ The podcast "Light the Fuse", focusing on the Mission Impossible franchise, is mentioned, with an upcoming episode on "Maverick".
• 🐦 Drew Taylor can be found on Instagram and Twitter at @DrewTailored, and Jim Hill on Twitter and Instagram at @JimHillMedia and Facebook at JimHillMediaNews.