Another Box Office Flop for Disney?

The Walt Disney Company has been charting rough waters recently. Whether it comes to the Disney vs. DeSantis feud, the recent reports that state that the theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort have been unusually empty, or even Universal’s edge over Disney despite Magic Kingdom Park’s recent win, things have been tough for the Mouse House. When it comes to Disney’s entertainment—Disney hasn’t had the easiest time at the box office either. Despite having some of the biggest movies of the last few months, the company also released some of the worst films of 2022.

Lightyear, Turning Red, Strange World, Disenchanted / All Images Credit: Disney

2022 was a rough year for Disney movies

2022 saw one of Disney’s toughest years when it came to productions from the Mouse House. Strange World bombed at the box office and was one of the worst films in Disney Animation history, and Lightyear got banned from several countries. Despite these failures, the Walt Disney Company was still the 2022 Box Office Champion, raking in just under $5 billion worldwide, courtesy of its many properties.

A still from The Little Mermaid / Credit: Disney

Disney at the box office in 2023

2023 has already been kinder to Disney. Six weeks into the year, Disney had already grossed over $1 billion, thanks to Avatar: The Way of Water from director James Cameron, which became the third highest-grossing film of all time, and Marvel’s Ant-man: Quantumania; the re-release of Titanic also helped.

Disney has also had many highly anticipated movies up for release in 2023, like Haunted Mansion; some of their recent live-action remakes, namely The Little Mermaid, have also seen their fair share of success.

#Elemental is one of the best Pixar films in years. With loveable characters, stunning animation and an enchanting score, the film tells a beautiful and touching story about family and love, about finding your place in the world. It's also a sweet and charming rom-com. pic.twitter.com/0CwrUNXoiA

— Ashley Carter (@AshleyLCarter1) June 17, 2023

Elemental at the box office

Recent reviews of Elemental have praised it; however, it doesn’t seem like that is translating very well into numbers. Disney-Pixar’s Elemental opened at the box office this weekend and posted earnings of $11.8 million on Friday. The family film is expected to gross $28 million to $32 million for the three-day weekend. This makes Elemental the lowest or second-lowest debut ever for Pixar Animation Studios since Toy Story debuted at $29 million nearly three decades prior (the numbers not adjusted for inflation).

Mickey Mouse and Friends at Magic Kingdom Park, Walt Disney World Resort / Credit: Disney

Elemental is directed by Peter Sohn and stars Leah Lewis as Ember and Mamoudou Athie as Wade, among a larger cast that recently revealed how exhausting their work was. The movie explores the themes of connection, celebrating differences, and finding one’s place in the world.