BY JENI NANCE
Staff Writer
I grew up in what I would consider to be one of the prime ages of Disney. Its animated movies left a lasting impression on my younger self. Disney’s magical films arguably made the early 2000s one of the best times to have grown up. However, I have noticed a steep decline in the popularity of newer Disney movies in recent years.
The animation, soundtracks and storytelling in these new films are arguably not up to par with Disney’s standards, and their box office sales reflect it.
COVID-19 played a large role in the serious decrease in box office sales in the 2020s. However, the pandemic is not entirely to blame. Even with social distancing and mask regulations lifted, the turnout for Disney animated films in theaters is not what it used to be.
“I like [the new Disney animated films], but I do love the OGs, ‘Cars,’ ‘A Bug’s Life,’” junior environmental science major (and sorority sister of mine) Maya Feinstein shared. “‘Moana’ is my favorite Disney movie. The old ones have more of a sweet spot.”
Disney has also recently turned to live-action remakes, which have accumulated mixed reviews from the public as well as from critics.
“I feel like the live actions are turning people away from Disney because they scream ‘Cash grab,’” junior elementary education major (and my sorority sister) Erin Ritchie said. “Disney was always so known for their original content and soundtrack. They don’t have the same charm and it’s very off-putting.”
I have been led to ask: Is Disney’s creative outlet circling the drain?
I looked at some notable movies from the last three decades to see whether Disney’s revenue and audiences for its animated movies have withstood the test of time.
The 1990s: Arguably Disney’s most successful decade
A couple of the most notable animated movies from the 1990s are “Beauty and the Beast”(1991) and “The Lion King” (1994). When “Beauty and the Beast” was released, it was one of Disney’s most successful animated films.
“Beauty and the Beast” follows the tale of a young French girl whose kindness meets the heart of a frightful beast who has been trapped by his vanity. Disney produced the film under a budget of about $25 million, with a box office gross of about $424 million. This success makes sense; the movie is quite a popular children’s tale, and its phenomenal soundtrack was nominated for a Grammy for album of the year in 1992.
“The Lion King,” inspired by Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, brought in the most box office sales during the 1990s. It continues to be one of the highest-grossing Disney animated movies to date, tipping the scales at nearly $1 billion worldwide. Its soundtrack features hits like “Circle of Life” and “Hakuna Matata.”
The 2000s
The turn of the century brought about many changes for animated movies. Multiple production companies, including Dreamworks, transitioned from two-dimensional (2D) animation to three-dimensional (3D) animation, forever changing how animators produce films. But Disney’s audience did not stop growing.
A major Disney movie from the 2000s was “WALL-E” (2008), which projects a fearful outcome that might overtake our lazy generation. At the turn of the century, people were determined to predict the newest technological advancements. However, “WALL-E” showed the consequences of relying on such technology while showcasing a sweet love story. Its budget was around $180 million, and it grossed over $500 million in box office sales.
“Up” (2009) is also one of the biggest Disney animated movies from the early 2000s, topping box office charts of the year. It is best known for its tear-jerking moments between love-struck protagonists, Carl and Ellie, along with its adventurous nature. While the movie is not a big sing-along, it has incredible scores such as “Married Life.” Those who have not seen “Up” can likely still recognize the tune. The film ran on a budget of $175 million and grossed box office sales of over $700 million.
“They’re not making anything close to that anymore,” Sam Devard, a senior kinesiology and exercise science student (and acquaintance of mine), said.
“When we were kids, our parents wanted to sit down and watch these movies with us, but now I don’t even want to watch them,” Devard said.
What was once a broad demographic seems to have been narrowed down to only children.
The 2010s
“Moana” (2016) is one of the newer successful princess movies. It is about an island princess who must save her island and the world from being consumed by pure evil. She is the only Polynesian princess to date and is one of few movies that feature island culture. Naturally, this alone drew a lot of attention, but the music score for this film was also quite a hit. Its budget was between $150 and $175 million, and it grossed nearly $700 million in box office sales worldwide.
Although probably obvious, the biggest hits from the 2010s are “Frozen” (2013) and “Frozen II” (2019). “Frozen” features two princesses – one of whom is the heir to the throne – who face an incredible power that they must control as they step up as leaders. The soundtrack is extremely popular (and catchy). It seemed like everyone, at one point or another, had “Let it Go” stuck in their heads. Only running on a budget of $150 million, it grossed over $1 billion in box office sales worldwide and is one of the highest-grossing films of all time.
Some of the recent box office “flops” of this decade
“Luca,” which came out in 2021, has had one of the lowest box office sales of the decade so far. It was released post-quarantine after people began to ease back into a more stable routine and resocialize. It did not have an exceptional music score and focused mainly on character dialogue. The plot lacked structure, and although it was cute, it lacked substance.
“Sounds too much like ‘The Little Mermaid,’’’ Devard said when asked if he would want to watch the film.
Its sales were unimpressive. With a budget of $120 million, it only grossed $49.8 million in box office sales worldwide. The film did not even produce half of what the company spent on it.
“Turning Red” is a film that was released in the spring of 2022. It is about a young girl who transforms into a giant red panda after reaching adolescence. I was in high school when it came out, and my art teacher repeatedly talked about how obvious it was that it was about a girl getting her period, as the New York Times also noted in a review.
“I feel like ‘Turning Red’ is one of their best because it highlights their mother-daughter relationships,” Feinstein said. “I felt very seen.”
Although it received some positive feedback from audiences, some critics didn’t agree. Some pointed out that the film chalks up women to being hormonal and out of control of their feelings.
It ran a budget of around $175 million, only grossing a little over $21 million in box office sales. Disney lost over 85 percent of its budget for this movie. Need I say more?
“Wish” (2023) is the reason why I wanted to write this article in the first place. It is about a girl named Asha who wishes on a star to save her kingdom from a power-hungry ruler named King Magnifico. To me, the animation felt unfinished, the soundtrack was juvenile at best and the story had no structure. That said, it has grossed over $250 million in box office sales on a budget of around $200 million, which is not terrible considering its quality.
The rise of Disney+
Disney+ came out around the time COVID-19 started in response to movie theaters shutting down for quarantine. It was a way for people to enjoy not only new movies, but classics as well from the comfort of their home.
“When they added Disney+, they had to compete with other streaming platforms,” Ritchie said. “ [Disney has] a reputation of not being that good anymore that I don’t have a desire to see them anymore. Now that I have Disney+, I don’t have to go see them.”
Some may contend that Disney animated films have experienced a downward trend since the 90s, which is arguably its best era, but its box office sales and audience trends have taken a severe hit in recent years. Its best films seem to have come from previously existing stories such as “The Lion King” (“Hamlet”) and “Aladdin” (“The Arabian Nights”).
“They’ve been better, they’ve been worse, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch a Disney movie,” junior neuroscience major (and sorority sister) Sophie Kravitz shared. “But if it’s on, I’ll watch it.”
The stories Disney has come up with on its own are taking down its ratings. So what does this mean for future Disney animated movies? Honestly, I do not know. It would have to do some serious restaffing in its creativity department to fix this downward trend and rebrand.
For now, enjoy the classics. Disney+ is here for a reason, so put on “Cars” (2006) or “Toy Story” (1995) and try to revel in the good old days, when Disney was magical.
“When we were kids, they kept the movies running [on the Disney Channel] and got you locked in, never wanting to change the channel,” Devard said. “There is no magic left.”
