Strange World Is Expected To Lose Disney $100 Million In Its Theatrical Run
You know how the saying goes: If you build it, they will come. So when a studio does the exact opposite of "build it," well, I guess we can't be too surprised by the inevitable outcome.
The release of "Strange World" (you can read /Film's review by Josh Spiegel here) should've been cause for celebration. Not only is any project from the vaunted halls of Walt Disney Animation Studios worthy of our attention (especially at a time when animation as a medium struggles to receive its due), but doubly so for one that comes from such pulpy roots and features a bounty of family-friendly messages, too. Unfortunately, the animated film ended up making history for much less enviable reasons.
Over Thanksgiving weekend, "Strange World" debuted to a paltry amount of box office receipts after a noticeable lack of marketing. As the smoke clears, it's become apparent that the Don Hall and Qui Nguyen-directed movie didn't merely underperform the already-low expectations of $30 to $40 million. According to Variety, the final outcome will be much worse than that — after scraping together only $11.9 million domestically over the extended weekend, the theatrical run of "Strange World" is now expected to lose Disney upwards of $100 million. Toting a hefty $180 million budget (not including marketing costs, such as they were), the animated blockbuster would've needed to earn at least twice that figure in ticket sales to simply break even.
Read on for all the grisly details.
A fumbled release, a doomed genre, or something else?
Is this a matter of lingering COVID-19 concerns, a genre that is simply set up for failure among disinterested audiences, or should we consider this one last parting gift from the recently-ousted Disney CEO Bob Chapek?
Finding the real reason behind "Strange World" turning into one of Disney's worst-ever opening weekend bombs will likely require months of analysis, but it certainly seems like a perfect storm of factors contributing to a historic underperformance for a major Disney blockbuster. One can point fingers at a lackluster marketing campaign, audience apathy towards animated sci-fi adventures (as recent fare like "Lightyear" can attest to), or the Chapek-era mandate to prioritize Disney+ at all costs — even over traditional theatrical releases. When the film will likely debut on the studio's streaming service soon enough, after all, why would a family venture out for an expensive night at the theaters?
Unfortunately, the final result is the same either way.
The Variety report goes on to indicate that "Strange World" may not be able to rely on overseas sales for a much-needed boost, either. After earning an even more alarming $9.2 million from over 40 international markets, the prospects of even coming close to turning a profit grow dimmer by the day. Not helping matters is the fact that the film will not receive a Chinese or Russian release at all, with additional pulled releases in the Middle East and Indonesian markets over the inclusion of an LGBTQIA+ romantic subplot adding further insult to injury.
Keep an eye on /Film for more box office coverage to come, but it's safe to say that those looking to "Strange World" to act as a rebound for animated releases are doomed for disappointment.