The accountant Kit Parfitt is well aware of the inconsistent quality of some of Disney's most recent Marvel Studios films.
He criticizes the Moon Knight and She-Hulk miniseries as being subpar. Even worse is the movie Thor: Love and Thunder. "Unwatchable again. ".
However, the 27-year-old, a self-described "massive" Disney fan who resides close to Brighton, claims that these setbacks won't prevent him from going to the movies this month to see the newest installment of the series, Ant-Man and the Wasp.
I'll watch anything when it comes to Marvel and Star Wars, he claims.
That kind of dedication is what Disney is counting on as it tries to carve out a profitable path in a market of declining movie ticket sales, cancelled pay TV, and financially unsound online streaming.
Boss Bob Iger, who was reinstalled in November after the abrupt ousting of chief executive Bob Chapek, told investors this month that the company would be doubling down on its big brands like Marvel and Frozen, time-tested profit-makers, while slashing spending on more risky "general entertainment" fare.
This year will see the release of a third Guardians of the Galaxy film, another Indiana Jones film, and a new Little Mermaid.
Following that will be Toy Story 5, Frozen III, and a second Zootopia, dubbed Zootropolis in the UK.
The actions are a bet that Mr. Iger's strategy, which he oversaw from 2005 to 2020 during his first term as CEO and helped the company more than double in value by acquiring Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm, will continue to produce positive results.
Even more, he claimed that the business would take a step back from its streaming push and turn more of its attention to traditional television and movie theaters for content distribution than it had in recent years when it sent content to its Disney streaming service in an effort to attract subscribers.
Will the conventional playbook suffice?
Bank of America analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich claims that Disney has an advantage over its rivals due to the popularity of its brands, but investors are not yet persuaded.
Since March 2021, the value of Disney's stock has almost halved, and it has not changed much since Mr. Iger announced his plans.
Everyone is aware that there are numerous difficulties, she says. There will be a lot of difficult work to do. ".
The number of movie tickets sold is still about a third lower than it was in 2019, before the pandemic forced theaters to close all over the world.
And the rise of streaming has fractured audiences, making it difficult to generate the kind of buzz that propels people to pay for entertainment.
Jackie Allen, a mother of two from Oxfordshire, claims she decided against getting her kids Disney subscriptions because she didn't think the offer was worthwhile. She is also not particularly excited about the company's upcoming schedule.
She claims that rather than considering whether it should be made, it appears that they are rehashing something just to make money.
Even devoted followers like Kit will admit to growing weary.
He tells me that Disney's most recent action movies, like Avatar, can consistently entice him to the movies while he is browsing the enormous store in Manhattan's Times sq\. filled with tourists and locals.
However, wife Andrea, who made her entrance to a song from the Disney/Pixar film Up in 2009, is concerned that the extensive backstories that come with building a franchise like Marvel may turn off potential customers.
Additionally, neither of them feel compelled to see a movie like Toy Story 5 at this time.
The rising cost of living has made the couple more likely to stay at home, but after four films and a spin-off, they are also generally becoming weary of the story.
Kit remarks, "Milking something to number five is a bit much.
Disney has long been accused of relying too heavily on repurposing and reinventing well-known works.
Considering that the first Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs movie debuted in 1937, the company is preparing for the ninth iteration of the film.
The strategy, which has supported decades of success, has, however, recently become mired in America's acrimonious culture wars, with some updates sparking claims from conservatives that the company is becoming too "woke.".
For instance, controversy surrounding a same-sex kiss delayed the release of Lightyear, a Toy Story spin-off, last year. The kiss was later restored after staff members claimed the company had censored gay affection.
The movie's same-sex plotline drew criticism from right-wing politicians like US Senator Ted Cruz and was outright banned in some markets.
According to Janet Wasko, professor of media studies at the University of Oregon and author of Disney Inc., a franchise strategy has been shown to be profitable despite the possibility of alienating some fans.
"It is risky in some ways, but if it succeeds, it really can be incredibly profitable," she says. "Building on already existing fans and consumers and expanding what they have to consume.". "I don't think they'll ever stop. ".
Amanda Welch, 29, a subscriber to the company's streaming service and a frequent visitor to Disneyworld, claims that the company's strategy of returning to its most successful brands hasn't significantly diminished her love for Disney.
In order to better control their spending, she and her 31-year-old fiancé Brandon Dumont have canceled the service a few times. But they continue to return. To put them to sleep, they occasionally turn on Disney.
I'm not really tired of any Disney movies, claims Brandon. "I could keep watching them.
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