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Credit: DisneyAfter a season of financial flops, Walt Disney Animation Studio is predicted to take a long hiatus to step back and reorganize its plans and practices.
Walt Disney Animation has been battling a tidal wave of criticism after lackluster performances at the box office. Even the highly-anticipated Wish (2023) didn’t hit the financial mark it was predicted to. Now, many are suggesting Disney should/will take a hiatus to reevaluate its direction.
Disney CEO Bob Iger recently confessed his displeasure with how things are being handled, and heads will definitely roll. However, the reality of a Disney drought is still looming in the background, and this wouldn’t be the first time something like this has happened.
Disney Animation Goes Back to the Drawing Board
Chances are, a large portion of Disney’s current audience hasn’t gone without a new movie from the studio at least every year. Thanks to Michael Eisner and the Disney Renaissance, the studio has been a consistent force of magic in our lives since many of us could walk.
As enchanting as films like The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and The Lion King (1994) were, there was a time much like today when Disney tried what was popular, failed, and took an extended break. In short, we are staring down the barrel of a new Disney Dark Age.
Between 1977 and 1985, the Walt Disney Company struggled to find its identity in a world without its famous founder. Although the post-Walt years had hits like Robin Hood (1977) and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), the films that followed were not the successes the studio was used to.
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History repeats itself, and that’s exactly what we see with films like Wish and Strange World (2022). We’ve had Disney figureheads leave and return to the studio, filmmakers trying to appeal to what is popular in the current culture (as seen with The Black Cauldron (1985)), and it might just lead to a nearly ten-year hiatus if things don’t change at the studio soon.
That all being said, it doesn’t mean Disney is done for. In fact, Disney is already repeating the process of utilizing nostalgia to keep the brand relevant until the studio becomes properly refocused. Why else would plans for Frozen, Toy Story, and Zootopia sequels be rising to the top at Disney Animation?
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The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and although interest has been sparked with Disney, some things are easier said than done. If Disney is going to take a break to rethink and regroup, fans will undoubtedly have to rely on streaming or their own collection of movies to satisfy their magical needs.
At this point, no formal announcement has been made by the Walt Disney Company regarding any plans for a hiatus or leave. However, the similarities between Disney’s Flop Era and its Dark Age cannot be ignored.
Are you prepared for a Disney drought? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!