Disney’s Box Office Bombs May Be… Nominated for Oscars?

For those following the Hollywood drama over the past year (strikes, flops, and scandals), it might not come as a surprise that Disney has made some of the largest box office flops of all time. But despite the movies’ poor performance, some of them may actually be up for some Academy Awards. Although Disney is no stranger to flops (John Carter, Treasure Planet, Strange World, etc.), 2023 is a record-breaking year for them.

Related: Iger Has Some Explaining To Do After Disney Drops $1 Billion on Four Flops

The 96th Academy Awards will take place in Hollywood on March 10, 2024. Set to be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the biggest award show in the entertainment industry will air live on ABC. Although the official list of nominees will be announced on January 23, 2024, a shortlist has been released.

Shared Thursday last week (December 21, 2023) was a shortlist for ten Academy Awards categories. Among these were a few of the Walt Disney Company’s biggest failures of 2023.

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Elemental

Elemental (2023), a film that managed to have some legs but still ultimately lost money, is on the shortlist for Music (original score). The Disney Pixar film had the worst opening of any Pixar movie, though it managed to hit around $500 million worldwide.

However, after all was said and done, including the cost of the film, marketing, and distribution, it is far from a blockbuster, despite what Disney CEO Bob Iger may claim.

Related: ‘Wonka’ Kills Disney (At the Box Office)

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was another film that was a colossal flop this year. Produced by Lucasfilm (owned by Disney), the film was the fifth in the Indiana Jones franchise.

It is currently #13 of the most expensive movies ever made. Meanwhile, its box office numbers show it losing around $100 million.

Despite all this, it has made it on the shortlist for Music (original score) and Visual Effects.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Finally, on the Academy Award shortlist for Visual Effects is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It, too, had a similar situation as Elemental (2023). Although it didn’t break any records (especially when compared to other MCU films), through good word of mouth, it had some legs that helped it make a little more money after its opening weekend.

It was considered a flop because of its poor numbers during release. However, it ended its run with around $845 million worldwide. Depending on who you ask, some insiders and number gurus will claim the movie, even with that figure, only broke even.

Related: Disney Getting Clobbered At the Box Office Again

Other Disney Movies?

It can be expected that other Disney movies (flops) made this year, such as the animation Wish (2023), The Little Mermaid (2023), Haunted Mansion (2023), and others, will be up for some Oscars as well. Although they may not be up for something as big as Best Picture or Best Screenplay, an Academy Award is still an Academy Award, right?