Disney Confirms Plan for Reduced Theatrical Releases to "Strengthen Creative Output"

To some, Disney has become synonymous with the movie world, especially thanks to franchises like Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pixar, and more. Even then, some of the studio's recent projects have been subject to criticism and lower box office performances — but it sounds like the company has plans to right the ship. During the company's recent quarterly earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that he will have a more day-to-day involvement in the studio's theatrical slate, to ensure that the upcoming projects are as well-executed as possible.

"Next is the need to strengthen the creative output of our film studio, which generates value throughout the entire company," Iger explained. "To achieve this, we are focusing heavily on the core brands and franchises that fuel all of our businesses and reducing output overall, to enable us to concentrate on fewer projects and improve quality while continuing our efforts around the creation of fresh and compelling original IP. I'm devoting considerably more of my time to this with the goal of improving returns, always seeking to exceed the level of creative excellence audiences expect from Disney. Meanwhile, we have four of the top 10 highest grossing films of the global box office this year, including Pixar's Elemental, which has grossed nearly a half a billion dollars worldwide. In addition to being the most viewed film released this year on Disney+."

Iger also spoke about Disney's place in the recent movie market, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Recently, we did have four really strong titles, and for the top 10 in in the past year, led by [Avatar: The Way of Water], of course, but there were other successes too," Iger continued. "That said, as I looked at our overall output, it's clear that the pandemic created a lot of challenges, creatively, for everybody, including for us. In addition, at the time the pandemic hit, we were leaning into a huge increase in how much we were making, and I've always felt that quantity can be actually a negative when it comes to quality I think that's exactly what happened. We lost some focus. And so, working with the talented team at the studio, we're looking to and working to consolidate — meaning make less, focus more on quality. We're all rolling up our sleeves, including myself, to do just that. We have obviously great assets, great stories to tell from the assets that we either have or that we purchased. And I feel really optimistic about the slate going forward, which is going to be a balance between some really strong sequels to some very very popular titles, as well as some good original content, starting with Wish, which comes out Thanksgiving weekend. So I feel good about the direction we're headed, but I'm mindful of the fact that our performance, from a quality perspective was really up to the standards that we set for ourselves."

What Are Disney's 2024 Movies?

At the moment, Disney's 2024 theatrical releases include Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Inside Out 2, Mufasa: The Lion King, and The Amateur. Marvel Cinematic Universe entries Deadpool 3, Captain America: Brave New World, and Thunderbolts are also on the docket. The studio's live-action remake of Snow White has already been delayed to 2025 amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors' strike.

What do you think of Iger's new comments about Disney's theatrical future? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!