In the last edition of the D-Files, we see that the pieces are now in place to radically change the very foundation of Disney Animation leading up to the Disney 100 Celebration in 2023. After John Lasseter’s firing and with the #MeToo movement in full rage, Jennifer Lee took over Disney Animation with the goal of 50/50 equity in animation. Lee “achieved” her goal by hiring activist artists from social media sites like Tumblr.
The result should have been a happy work environment of diverse male and female artists creating “Disney magic” in perfect harmony. Instead, what Lee created (whether intentional or otherwise) was a toxic work environment of artists walking on eggshells in fear of being outed by Lee’s snitches. For the Veteran Animators (The Old White Guys), they were left with the choice to either quit for mental health reasons, get fired for the most minor infractions, or shut their mouths and keep their heads down to keep their jobs. By the time Raya and the Last Dragon was completed, Lee’s nightmarish team was in place to “reimagine” Disney Animation.
The Box Office Thud Heard Round the Kingdom
Unfortunately, the box office success or failure (depending on who you ask) of Raya and the Last Dragon was and remains unclear. It was the first Disney animated feature to return to theaters after the COVID-19 pandemic. Disney saw Raya as a critical success. Much like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Raya and the Last Dragon came out to critical acclaim with a 93% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. But what did paying audiences think?
“Though very subtle, Raya’s story was infused with what many Disney nay-sayers consider ‘woke’ storytelling.”
Despite the critical acclaim, it is widely believed that the film marked the start of a downward box office trend. Though very subtle, Raya’s story was infused with what many Disney nay-sayers consider “woke” storytelling as the reason for the financial spiral. This was part of a trend that permeated all of Disney’s brands, including the Marvel and Star Wars franchises.
The first change started way back with Ralph Breaks the Internet and its trend with the absence of a villain. Here, Raya and her squad worked together to overcome and defeat a mystical force. Secondly is the portrayal of female characters as strong leaders, also known as “girl bosses.” Raya and Namaari, both women warriors, take charge in the fight against this mysterious force. Third is the diminished role of men in Disney films. Male warriors are not exactly seen as equal or stronger fighters than the leads. According to some sources, specific measures were taken to emasculate all male characters. In Raya, no man came to her aid when she was beaten. It was either another female or the character’s intestinal fortitude. Any notion to elevate a male character was directly criticized for promoting misogynistic tropes and was immediately removed. THIS IS NOT AN UNDERSTATEMENT!
Raya and the Last Dragon was made with an estimated budget of $120 to $150 million and earned $116 million ($54 million Domestic) at the box office and $23 million in physical media sales. Its inability to succeed at the box office was, of course, blamed on COVID-19. It was also part of the Disney Premier Access promotion, which allowed Disney+ subscribers to watch Raya on the platform for $29.99 on the same day as its theatrical release, a similar strategy to that of the live-action Mulan. The results were also disappointing.
[…] Part 4 describes the new storytelling mandates put in place not only at Walt Disney Animation but also at Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel. Lee’s first feature film with her complete stamp of approval from start to finish was Strange World, which leaned heavily into producing an environmental allegory with a gay teen love story. Audiences stayed home for this one. Tanking at the box office, Lee responded, “This is a bummer, but the ‘message’ is important, and we will press on with it.” And press on they did, which brings us to Wish. […]
[…] like in Hollywood and comic books, feminists used harassment and discrimination allegations to gain power in the […]
I’m currently reading teh 20 year old Mickey Mouse Mystery Magazine. Italian, and Mickey playing PI in a noir kind of city. It’s great, and adapting it for D+ would probably work. They’re not going to do it, though, because it’s not woke.
I am always confused by the marketing of these movies. Do they dry run them to identify the market? Do they understand their audience? Do they have data to suggest that the LGBT… community are drawn to these kinds of films? Or is that that they have no idea and are on a crusade to save us from ourselves?
Do you think that MovieBob is going to throw a hissy fit about this, becoming so irate that he skips second lunch in order to defend the honor of a company that currently produces the lowest brow entertainment for mid-40s virgins in the world?
Make a good movie with a good plot. If you want to make a message movie, then release it to the population it was made for. Do NOT release it and try to force the general public to like it by calling them names, misogynist, homophobic, transphobic. Look up the cycle Victim, Victimizer, Victim. That is what Disney created.
Great article as always. Thank you! ありがとう ございます
These insider insights are exclusive here. Congratulations, Film Threat. David takes on Goliath, once again.
Real gay people (not the pretenders created by propaganda making it trendy), make up less than 4% of the population; and those people are much less likely to have children/families. It is no wonder traditional families and people find this alienating and unappealing. I know everyone I talk with is sick of having this endless gay parade shoved in their faces, while they are told how wonderful being gay is. If everyone was ‘queer’ then humanity would die out.
I recall certain people saying the reason Strange World didn’t do well was -because- the advertising budget was slashed. I wonder if it’s just to have something else to blame or if it was a legitimate factor.
I think ‘Strange World’ and other films that include LGBTQIA relationships and other polarizing themes would be much less controversial if they received the PG-13 rating at minimum so at least parents know there will be mature themes present.
That is an EXCELLENT idea that I’ve never thought of. As a former Democrat turned independent with 2 small children, I now read ever single review of every movie before I take my kids. For the past couple years, I’ve been taking my 11 year old to Tom Cruise flicks, Chris Nolan rereleased (Batman Trilogy and Interstellar) and things like Godzilla Minus One (her first fully subtitled film) and she loves it! We have fun together and she gets to fall in love with the cinema like I did as a child. She’s very mature for her age, but that is an option for some preteens and teens.