Disney Ousted as Highest-Grossing Studio for 2023 Box Office
In a surprising turn of events, 2023 marked the first year since 2015 that Disney failed to secure its position as the leading studio in the global box office. Universal Pictures emerged as the highest-grossing studio, boasting successful films like Oppenheimer and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which collectively raked in over $4.9 billion in worldwide ticket sales.
While Disney’s 17 films released this year did earn the studios the number two spot in the global box office, it is evident that the company failed to have the cultural impact and success it has had in the past. Movies such as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, The Little Mermaid, and Elemental were criticized for being laden with woke propaganda and failed to resonate with audiences.
This setback for Disney serves as a wake-up call for the studio to reevaluate its decision-making processes, especially considering the potential alienation of its family-oriented audience, which values traditional messaging.
In the past, Disney executives reportedly stated that they wanted to pursue a “not-at-all secret gay agenda” for their content, particularly in children’s programming. However, the incorporation of left-wing talking points, such as feminist issues, LGBT themes, and race-swapping of classic characters, appears to have contributed to a decline in audience engagement.
In 2022, Disney’s stock experienced a 40% drop, and in 2023, the company was compelled to lay off over 7,000 employees globally. Even Disney’s streaming service, Disney Plus, fell short of expectations, prompting the company to raise monthly subscription prices to offset the losses incurred by the streaming platform.
The challenges faced by Disney underscore the consequences of alienating your consumer base. For decades, Disney was branded as the “family-friendly” movie studio. But when the company produces numerous projects designed to lecture its audience and indoctrinate children with far-left values, it should come as no surprise when families decide to stay home instead of going to the theaters.
