Disney Confirms Move Away From Theaters, Focus On Streaming

Ever since the release of 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs—yes, the animated movie is that old—Disney has become synonymous with the movie and animated world. However, that title has been put to the test, and poor office box performances of its recent releases, paired with the harsh criticism, are apparently forcing Disney to rethink its approach to churning out content and reaching its audiences, which is why the company’s hitting the brakes on various production, in order to improve the quality of its output and focus more on Disney streaming services.

This move to streaming isn’t really a novelty; the movie companies are sharpening their focus on streaming services rather than theatrical releases as a way of generating even more revenue. In today’s age of content on demand, producing, curating, and offering said content on proprietary digital platforms, such as Disney’s streaming service, ensures brand loyalty, which has a beneficial effect on the company’s profits. Is this the end of movie theaters as we know them? Of course not. But we can expect theatrical releases to be sidelined in the coming decade.

As for Disney hitting the brakes on various projects to increase the quality of its output in streaming, well it’s about time. The 1937’s Snow White was a massive success that garnered $418 million at the box office on a mere $1.5 million budget and really put Disney on the map. That success continued throughout the decades, and the company gave birth to some of the most iconic cinematic franchises. However, that success has been put to the test due to recent criticism and lower box performances of the company’s most recent titles.

We won’t dive into politics, but Disney has been criticized for its “woke” approach to its old and new IPs. The live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid was heavily criticized due to Disney’s “woke” approach, not because an African-American actress was cast as Ariel, but because Disney prioritized seeing colors rather than providing emotional and entertainment value.

So, it’s really not that hard to imagine what pushed Disney to shift focus towards streaming and increasing the quality of its output. The upcoming Snow White is also garnering criticism for a variety of reasons, and it would seem that Disney finally cracked under the fandom’s pressure.