Disney latest animated feature, “Wish,” faced challenges at the box office during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, earning only $31.6 million over the five-day period. This figure fell significantly below box office analysts’ expectations, which ranged between $45 million and $55 million. Historically, Disney has been successful at the Thanksgiving box office, often releasing top-grossing animated films during this period.
The underperformance of “Wish” contributes to a broader trend for Disney, which has encountered difficulties inspiring moviegoers to visit cinemas for its new features since the onset of the pandemic. The company’s strategy of bolstering its streaming service, Disney+, with content has drawn criticism for potentially stretching creative teams thin and leading to the straight-to-digital release of theatrical movies during the pandemic. Disney latest animated
This trend raises questions about the impact of Disney’s streaming-focused approach on its traditional theatrical releases and underscores the evolving challenges in the movie marketplace. The pandemic has prompted changes in audience behavior and preferences, and studios are grappling with the need for adaptable strategies in this dynamic landscape.
Then there’s the added pressures of shareholders who have become focused on the profitability of Disney+, tight marketing budgets and audiences that have become more selective about when and what they go out to see at cinemas.
Disney, which ruled the animation genre for decades, is also facing steep competition from Netflix, Universal, Sony and Warner Bros., among others, for moviegoers’ attention. Just a week before “Wish” hit theaters, Universal’s DreamWorks animation studio released “Trolls Band Together,” the third installment in the popular Trolls franchise.
“Trolls Band Together” secured $25.6 million in ticket sales during the five-day Thanksgiving frame, just a few million shy of “Wish.” Box office analysts believe “Trolls” ate into “Wish” ticket sales.
“Entering a marketplace with a familiar ‘Trolls’ movie already in the mix was a recipe for a less than stellar result for the company’s latest release,” Dergarabedian said.
Still, the story of “Wish” isn’t done. Disney has found success over the run of a theatrical release for films like “Elemental,” which tallied just $29.6 million during its domestic opening, but went on to secure nearly $480 million globally before leaving theaters.
Similarly, “Encanto” snared $40.3 million for the five-day Thanksgiving period in 2021. Although it captured less than $250 million globally during the pandemic, it found new life on Disney+. The film quickly became a fan favorite with kids and adults alike, who gravitated towards catchy tunes like “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”