Summary
- Disney CEO Bob Iger acknowledges criticism of too many sequels but defends their success and quality.
- Disney’s recent underwhelming box office performance is attributed to a string of sequels and remakes.
- Despite criticism, Disney shows no sign of slowing down with plans for numerous upcoming sequels, signaling potential viewer fatigue.
Disney CEO Bob Iger addresses the studio’s recent increase in producing sequels. For several years, the iconic studio found incredible success creating original animated and live-action movies. However, recently Disney’s movies have been criticized as lacking originality. This is because a lot of the studio’s recent releases have been remakes, live-action versions of animated features, or sequels. Seemingly as a result, Disney has struggled at the box office with a series of movies underperforming.
According to The Wrap, Iger, who returned last year to once again take up the reins of the giant company, addressed Disney’s underwhelming 2023 box office run and the recent trend of making sequels during a Q&A at the New York Times’ DealBook conference. Iger stated that he would not be tendering any apologies. However, he admits that the studio might have made too many. Read his full comments below:
“I think I don’t want to apologize for making sequels. Some of them have done extraordinarily well. And they’ve been good films too. I think there has to be a reason to make it, beyond commerce. You have to have a good story. And we have made too many. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to continue to make them.”
Why Disney Has Been Making A Lot Of Sequels
The accusation of making a lot of sequels is one that has been leveled against Hollywood as a whole, but Disney, in particular, because their releases over the last few years have been critically underwhelming and have also struggled to perform at the box office. In just 2023 alone, the company released Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and a live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, all which have performed poorly at the box office, reportedly causing the company to lose about $900 million.
There are several reasons why Disney might be creating so many sequels, but perhaps the most obvious reason is because it is a safe and tested formula that has brought them success in the past. A prime example is the Toy Story franchise. While the first installment, which was released back in 1995, found a lot of success, the subsequent sequels and spinoffs have equally been very profitable and have also gained a lot of critical acclaim. The most recent installment, Toy Story 4, grossed over $1 billion worldwide.
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While Disney has received criticism for the amount of sequels it has made recently, the studio doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. It has already been confirmed that the company has plans to release Inside Out 2, Deadpool 3, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Mufasa: The Lion King, Captain America 4, Zootopia 2, and more sequels to Avatar. There are also plans for a Toy Story 5 and Frozen 3 and 4. Considering the obvious viewer fatigue with these sequels, it might be time for the studio to chart a new course.
Source: The Wrap