Well, it happened. Disney+ and Hulu have axed a number of TV and movie projects, with some expected to be used as tax writedowns, effectively erasing them from existence for a tax break. This is a strategy that first reared its head at Warner Bros. Discovery, notably with the cancellations of Scoob!: Holiday Haunt and Batgirl, but has started to expand out through the whole streaming industry. The movies and TV series that have been removed are part of a broader cost-cutting plan at Disney, which also resulted in the closure of a wildly expensive (both to produce and also to stay at) Star Wars-themed hotel.
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So far, Disney+ itself has dropped a dozen movies, including some high profile projects like Cheaper By the Dozen and Stargirl (as well as its sequel). The company has yet to confirm that the projects are being written down, and it’s possible that some or all of these projects are just being placed into the “Disney vault” and could return later — or even that some of them could end up licensed to other platforms.
Part of the cost savings is potential tax breaks, but there’s also a conversation about how studios are disappearing content in order to avoid paying residuals to the artists who made them. Once projects are no longer available on Disney+, they aren’t making money for Disney, and so there’s no percentage to pay out to writers, actors, filmmakers, and the like.
As a result, some of the projects are surprising, if only because they feature big-name stars. Those people, after all, command a hefty payday, and so it saves Disney even more to kill those projects if they aren’t doing big numbers.
You can see the full list — of feature films on Disney+, not counting Hulu content or TV shows — below.
Artemis Fowl
Disney’s Artemis Fowl, based on the beloved book by Eoin Colfer, is a fantastical, spellbinding adventure that follows the journey of 12-year-old genius Artemis Fowl, a descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds, as he seeks to find his father who has mysteriously disappeared. With the help of his loyal protector Butler, Artemis sets out to find him, and in doing so uncovers an ancient, underground civilization—the amazingly advanced world of fairies. Deducing that his father’s disappearance is somehow connected to the secretive, reclusive fairy world, cunning Artemis concocts a dangerous plan—so dangerous that he ultimately finds himself in a perilous war of wits with the all-powerful fairies.
Better Nate Than Never
Thirteen year old Nate Foster fantasizes about becoming a Broadway star. However, he struggles to even get roles in his high school play. When Nate’s parents leave for the weekend, he and his friends decide to make Nate a star.
Black Beauty
A wild horse and a teenage girl forge an unbreakable bond which keeps them connected for a lifetime. A wild horse and a teenage girl forge an unbreakable bond which keeps them connected for a lifetime. Kate Winslet and Mackenzie Foy starred in this 2020 adaptation of Anna Sewell’s classic novel.
Cheaper By the Dozen
Cheaper by the Dozen is directed by Gail Lerner with a screenplay by Kenya Barris & Jenifer Rice-Genzuk Henry based upon the novel by Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. Kenya Barris is producing, with Shawn Levy, Gabrielle Union, Brian Dobbins and Donald J. Lee, Jr. serving as executive producers. The movie stars Gabrielle Union, Zach Braff, Erika Christensen, Timon Kyle Durrett, Journee Brown, Kylie Rogers, Andre Robinson, Caylee Blosenski, Aryan Simhadri, Leo Abelo Perry, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Christian Cote, Sebastian Cote and Luke Prael.
Darby And The Dead
After suffering a near-death experience as a child, Darby Harper is granted the ability to see ghosts. To combat the existential boredom of high school, she runs a side business counseling local spirits in her spare time. When an unexpected occurrence happens between Darby and Capri, the most popular girl at school, Darby reluctantly agrees to help her and in the process learns how to fit in with the living world again.
Flora & Ulysses
Flora & Ulysses tells the story of 10-year-old Flora, an avid comic book fan and a self-avowed cynic, who saves a squirrel she names Ulysses only to have its unique superhero powers wreak havoc in a series of humorous, antic-filled adventures that ultimately change Flora’s life—and her outlook—forever.
Hollywood Stargirl
In a sequel to 2020’s Stargirl (which is also on the list), Stargirl goes on a journey out of Mica and into a world of music, dreams and possibility.
Magic Camp
A group of misfit campers help a down-on-his-luck magician rediscover his love of magic in Disney’s “Magic Camp,” a heartwarming comedy about finding joy and confidence in self-acceptance. As a boy attending the Institute of Magic, a secluded mountain retreat which plays host to a bevy of aspiring young magicians each summer, Andy Duckerman (Adam Devine) was a camp legend.
Now, at 35, he’s struggling to make ends meet as a professional illusionist and is frustrated and depressed by the direction his career has taken. But when the Institute invites Andy to return as a counselor, he finds himself in charge of the greenest and most awkward wannabe magicians, and having to deal with his former partner and current arch rival, Kristina Darkwood (Gillian Jacobs), who’s also a counselor. As Andy slowly gains the respect of his team of ragtag artists, they in turn inspire him to nurture each of their unique talents while preparing them to compete with the camp’s more experienced magicians in the Institute’s annual Top Hat magic contest.
Stargirl
Stargirl from Disney+ is a tender and offbeat coming-of-age story based on the critically-acclaimed, New York Times’ best-selling young adult novel about an unassuming high schooler who finds himself inexplicably drawn to the free-spirited new girl, whose unconventional ways change how they see themselves and their world.
Leo Borlock (Graham Verchere) is an average student at Mica High School. He gets decent grades, is a member of the school’s marching band and has always been content flying under the radar. But all that changes when he meets Stargirl Caraway (Grace VanderWaal), a confident and colorful new student with a penchant for the ukulele, who stands out in a crowd. She is kind, finds magic in the mundane and touches the lives of others with the simplest of gestures. Her eccentricities and infectious personality charm Leo and the student body, and she quickly goes from being ignored and ridiculed to accepted and praised, then back again, sending Leo on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
The One And Only Ivan
Ivan is a 400-pound silverback gorilla who shares a communal habitat in a suburban shopping mall with Stella the elephant and Bob the dog. He has few memories of the jungle where he was captured, but when a baby elephant named Ruby arrives, it touches something deep within him. Ruby is recently separated from her family in the wild, which causes him to question his life, where he comes from and where he ultimately wants to be.
Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Tom McCarthy, Disney+‘s “Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made,” based on the best-selling book of the same name, follows the hilarious exploits of our quirky, deadpan hero, Timmy Failure, who, along with his 1,500-pound polar bear partner Total, operates Total Failure Inc., a Portland detective agency. An elementary school oddball, the clueless but confident Timmy (Winslow Fegley) must navigate the world of adults around him, including his overburdened mother (Ophelia Lovibond), her well-meaning boyfriend (Kyle Bornheimer), his teacher/nemesis (Wallace Shawn) and a school-mandated guidance counselor (Craig Robinson), all in his quest to become the best detective in the world. Directed by Tom McCarthy, who won an Oscar® for his “Spotlight” screenplay, “Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made” is written by McCarthy & Stephan Pastis based on the book by Pastis. The producers are Jim Whitaker, p.g.a., and Tom McCarthy, p.g.a., with Michael Bederman and Kate Churchill serving as executive producers. The film stars Winslow Fegley, Ophelia Lovibond, Kyle Bornheimer, Wallace Shawn and Craig Robinson.
Wolfgang
The true story of Wolfgang Puck, a man who survived a troubled childhood filled with a series of challenging obstacles and whose perseverance led him to become a prolific and celebrated chef.
