
Over the past several months, The Walt Disney Company’s theatrical releases have been without access to the Chinese market. But it appears that Disney execs are not too worried about being without its second-largest box office in the world.
During Disney’s Q2 Earnings webcast, Disney CEO Bob Chapek was asked about the ongoing issue with Mainland China as Covid-inspired lockdowns continue to keep the nation shut down. Chapek explained that the situation has become very complicated in both a business and political sense, but he was confident that success in China is not needed in order to have success at the global box office.
“We’re pretty confident that even without China, if it were to be that we continue to have difficulties in getting titles in there, that it doesn’t really preclude our success given the relatively lower take rate that we get on the box office in China than we do across rest of the world,” he said.
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Chapek cited the lates Marvel movie release, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as an example. The film starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen has grossed over $450 million at the box office already and that is without the help of the normal audiences in Mainland China, Russia, and Ukraine.
Chapek and Disney CFO Christine McCarthy also appeared to be confident that while Shanghai Disney Resort and its Theme Park Shanghai Disneyland remain shuttered indefinitely at the moment, the growing crowds at Disney’s domestic Parks and Resorts (the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort) and Disneyland Paris Resort will offset the losses and show well for a quick surge in attendance upon reopening.
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This statement by Chapek may come as a surprise to many onlookers as Disney has arguably touted as a crucial part of their future success since and the began work on with the .
We at Disney Fanatic will continue to monitor Disney movie and Disney Parks news and we will update our readers as more developments come to light.