Credit: Disney / Kadyn Pierce, Unsplash / edited by ITMWhen it comes to making money, Disney has practically written the playbook. From billion-dollar box office hits to endless theme park revenue, the company has found ways to monetize every piece of magic. Want to meet Mickey Mouse? That’ll be $150. Want to see the latest Disney film before spoilers hit? That’s a $15 movie ticket—or wait for it on Disney+.
Between the merchandise, streaming bundles, live-action remakes, and Lightning Lane upcharges, it’s no secret that Disney knows how to cash in. But now, after years of leaning into remakes and sequels, fans are finally saying “enough is enough”—and they’re directing their frustration straight at Disney CEO Bob Iger.
Especially after what he just said.
Disney’s Billion-Dollar Remake Machine
Let’s not pretend the live-action trend hasn’t worked at times. Some of Disney’s remakes brought in massive cash, and on paper, that success justifies making more. These reimagined classics brought beloved characters to a new generation and a new profit margin.
Here are a few that raked in serious money:
Beauty and the Beast (2017): Over $1.264 billion
The Lion King (2019): $1.657 billion
Aladdin (2019): $1.05 billion
Lilo & Stitch (2025): Also over $1 billion
That last one may surprise some people, but Lilo & Stitch performed surprisingly well at the box office and exploded in merch sales. Stitch is now Disney’s second-largest licensed merchandise character, only behind Mickey Mouse himself.
While it wasn’t a billion-dollar box office hit, Mulan (2020) still earned respect with an 88% Rotten Tomatoes score despite the COVID-era release that impacted its theatrical run.
So it’s not all bad. But you probably already guessed what’s coming next.
When the Magic Fails
For every hit, Disney has a handful of live-action flops that barely made a dent—or even lost money. The company poured millions into visually grand retellings that failed to strike the same emotional chords.
Some notable underperformers include:
The Little Mermaid (2023): $569.5 million at the box office, 67% Rotten Tomatoes
Dumbo (2019): $353.3 million, 46% Rotten Tomatoes
Snow White (2025): $205.5 million, 39% Rotten Tomatoes
- Lady and the Tramp (2019): Disney+ release, 67% Rotten Tomatoes (pretty significant difference from the original, which has a 91%)
- Pinocchio (2022): Disney+ release, 27% Rotten Tomatoes
While The Little Mermaid wasn’t a total bomb, it wasn’t a home run, especially considering the $500 million gap between it and big hits like Aladdin or The Lion King. In addition, there was controversy surrounding its casting and marketing, and it felt more like damage control than celebration.
Countless other live-action films showed early promise only to crash and burn after opening weekend, whether due to poor word-of-mouth, weak storytelling, “woke” agendas, or the simple fact that the originals did it better.
Sequels, Sequels Everywhere
If there’s one thing Disney knows how to do besides remakes, it’s sequels. You almost need a spreadsheet to keep track of them all.
Some sequels have succeeded:
Inside Out 2 (2024): Huge box office (almost $1.7B and lots of critical love)
Monsters University (2013): Solid performance and nostalgia
Others… not so much:
Mufasa: The Lion King (2024): 56% Rotten Tomatoes
Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016): 29% Rotten Tomatoes, $299.5 million
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019): 40% Rotten Tomatoes, $491.7 million
The Fox and the Hound 2, 101 Dalmatians 2, and even the second (and first) live-action Dalmatians: all flops
Even when Disney strikes gold financially (Lilo & Stitch again being the latest example), the reviews rarely match the original’s legacy. That’s been the recurring pattern: significant returns here and there, but rarely—if ever—the emotional weight or creative spark that made the originals iconic in the first place.
Fans Are Burnt Out
After years of watching Disney reach back into its vault to squeeze every last dollar out of beloved classics, the fan base is starting to push back. Yes, some newer audiences love the modern takes, but longtime fans are seeing the pattern—and they’re over it.
Online forums, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit threads, and even YouTube comments are filled with people mocking Disney’s recent slate. And after Snow White (2025) flopped so hard, the meme storm practically wrote itself.
The internet has become increasingly brutal, and Bob Iger just gave them more fuel.
Bob Iger’s “Original IP” Comments Backfire
During yesterday’s earnings call, Iger said something that made fans do a collective double-take:
“The more we can find and develop original property, the better.”
Really?
He went on to claim that Disney prioritizes both sequels and original content. But that’s not how it looks to most fans. From Frozen II to Zootopia 2, Toy Story 5, Mufasa, Moana 2, and beyond, it’s been sequel after sequel, remake after remake.
Iger didn’t shy away from the truth—he admitted that Disney’s already-established properties bring in the most revenue. So instead of chasing fresh ideas, the focus is on using what already works. He tried to soften the blow by saying they just want to “make great movies,” but fans weren’t buying it.
Original content has existed in recent years—like Elio (2025), Wish (2023), and Elemental (2023)—but even then, those films either underperformed or were poorly marketed.
As for the theme parks? It’s a similar story. Rides are now being transformed or replaced with IP-heavy experiences. Original park concepts, like Tom Sawyer Island or Rivers of America, are being pushed aside for rides based on Encanto, Indiana Jones, and Zootopia.
Fans are starting to feel like they’re not visiting Disney anymore—they’re visiting the company’s merchandise catalog.
Trading Creativity for a Quick Buck
You’d think Disney would learn. The long list of underperforming sequels and forgettable remakes should serve as a wake-up call. But instead, the company continues chasing the handful of billion-dollar wins—ignoring the dozens of others that barely broke even or flopped completely.
Sure, there’s nothing wrong with giving new life to old stories. But when nearly every new project is a rehash, the magic starts to fade. So when Bob Iger tries to sell the narrative that Disney wants to be original while continuing to churn out sequels, fans aren’t buying it.
Not when movies are judged solely by merch potential. Not when it feels like creativity keeps getting traded for the next easy payday.
Disney isn’t just chasing nostalgia anymore. It’s monetizing it to the point where fans can see the strategy—and they’re laughing at it. Or maybe crying, depending on how much they loved the original.
At the end of the day, fans hoping for a wave of bold, original storytelling may be waiting a long time. Disney’s focus is clear—repurpose what already exists and keep the machine running.