The eagerly awaited Disney animated picture “The Strange World” performed poorly at the box office. The movie’s performance continues to be unsatisfactory both domestically and abroad. On Thanksgiving, the film had its debut but showed a lack of audience interest in watching it in theaters. The Disney Studios’ animated films have not fared well this year. The meager profits from “The Strange World” were less than predicted openings of $30–40 million, which were based on the assumption that more people go to the movies around the holidays.
The movie’s poor box office performance, according to movie critics, was caused by its careless marketing, which was late as promotions started right before the movie’s release. The film requires effective marketing in order for people to be aware of the story, characters, and setting. When there is fierce rivalry in the film industry, pre-release advertising to generate buzz can be very effective at piquing the public’s interest. However, the studio did not focus on this aspect, which might have contributed to its low results.
In addition, movie reviewers and critics did not recommend the movie to viewers. Additionally, the audience can decide not to watch the film in theaters because it will soon be available for streaming on the Disney+ network. Likewise, Disney’s popular films like “Frozen,” “The Incredibles,” or “Enchanto” would not make their OTT debut when there is a great opportunity for them to gross billions of dollars from global releases. However, ignoring cutting-edge concept movies like “Strange World” and paying attention to colossal theoretical openings would not be construed as a positive message for upcoming releases.
The animated film “The Strange World” is about an action-packed journey into an undiscovered country where various creatures are waiting for the Clades family to arrive and explore it. Jaeger Clade and his son Searcher are on an exploration to discover unexplored worlds. They set out on a quest to investigate the area. They encounter the country of Avalonia as they ascend a mountain. Meanwhile, Clade Junior Searcher discovered a plant that emits light. Nevertheless, Jaeger wants to carry out the mission, while Searcher wants to return home with Plant Pando. This creates a rift in the family, and Jaeger keeps exploring when Searcher harvests the plant and provides energy resources for Avalonia. The Searcher has a family with a wife and son. The Searcher Clade is portrayed in the movie by Jake Gyllenhaal, the Jaeger Clade by Dennis Quaid, the Ethan Clade by Jaboukie Young-White, and the Meridian Clade by Gabrielle Union.
The high-profile movie has a production budget of about $180 million. It’s estimated that the studio would lose $100 million from the movie’s theatrical run. Additionally, its online broadcasting will be unable to offset the potential losses for the large corporation. The film’s release may not have had much of an impact internationally. The box office revenue for movies has been impacted by the absence of Hollywood releases in nations like China and Russia. Further, the movie wouldn’t be released in particular countries like the Middle East, Indonesia, and others because it has some LGBTQ characteristics. Disney does not want to remove any of the film’s queer content, which could have an impact on how well the movie does financially. Queer films are criticized and censored in various regions of the world.
The Disney Studio did better than other Hollywood projects despite box office failures. The domestic revenue for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” was close to $50 million. In addition, a lot of other Hollywood films did not do well financially over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Aside from a lack of marketing and buzz, the audience has grown accustomed to watching films and series on the streaming service. On several OTT platforms, people are conditioned to wait and watch new releases. People are hesitant to leave their homes to view movies, and if they do, only a few movies will compel them to do so in a theater.
The audience gave the movie an average rating, and they were harsher than the critics themselves. In the exit polls, the film received a mediocre B for its cinema score. Nobody had high hopes for it. “The Strange World,” directed by Don Hall, examines a variety of ideas, including energy issues, LGBTQ themes, and family dynamics. Despite positive reviews from numerous critics, the public decided not to watch another Disney animated family drama.
See more: Is ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ A Big Box Office Win Or Another Phase IV Dud?
