Disney Backtracks “Woke” Status, Listens to Families

After what felt like ages of poor box office performance, Disney is finally on the mend as Inside Out 2 becomes its biggest success in years. While the new sequel from Pixar Animation Studios is currently the sister company’s biggest success since Finding Nemo (2003), one crucial detail could change the Disney brand forever.

Before its release, Disney and Pixar constantly and consistently dealt with critical fire after forced messaging pushed to incorporate more inclusivity, representation, and alternative storytelling. There’s nothing wrong with those attributes alone, but forcing them down the audience’s throat proved to be the company’s kryptonite.

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At the time of writing, the film has earned $1.25 billion globally and is currently amongst the top five most successful animated films of all time.

While the performances from Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale), and Disgust (Liza Lapira) joined by Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) and Pixar’s highly imaginative crew with director Kelsey Mann are essential to the film’s success, it’s the moms and dads buying the tickets that truly made it a smash hit.

Inside Out 2 Revives Disney’s True Audience

Inclusion and recognizing underrepresented demographics matter, and all movie studios should keep that in mind. However, Disney’s decision to make those elements its primary identity proved to do more harm than good. 

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Films like Strange World (2022), Lightyear (2022), and even the well-received Elemental (2023) might have been interesting films with unique concepts and storylines, but they completely neglected Disney’s core audience. Disaster is bound to occur when a studio built on family-friendly feature films neglects parents who buy movie tickets.

The primary reason Inside Out 2 was such a financial success was that it returned to the traditional Disney framework. It told a great story with likable and relatable characters while also leaving viewers with a positive moral message without being preachy or pandering.

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Pixar head Pete Docter said it best in his recent interview with TIME.

“It’s a known movie and characters that meant something to people and a really funny cast—and hopefully something meaty at the heart of it that you can take home as well.”

Because both Disney and Pixar have essentially gone back to the drawing board, the studios are slowly regaining the trust of their viewers. While they might rest on their laurels for now, this is only the first step in regaining that classic Disney magic.

What Comes Next

Even for a brand as well-known as Disney or Pixar, $1.25 billion is nothing to sneeze at. As the first film to break past the billion-dollar mark since 2022 for the House of Mouse, it sets the bar for any future releases.

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While viewers can expect a sea of sequels between now and the next Disney original, it’s safe to assume that the Walt Disney Company has seen the error of its ways. By utilizing a traditional formula with traditional morals and values seen in previous films, Disney has earned more than just the film’s budget back.

If Disney is interested in maintaining this consistent cash flow with any of its future projects, the powers that be will stick to the script and remember who its core consumer base truly is. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to take an alternative route to reach an underrepresented audience, making that your primary focus at the detriment of your core support network is far from the wisest choice.

Does Disney truly owe everything to families? Tell us what you think in the comments below!