Disney and Apple’s disappointing box office results show another tough week for Hollywood as Thanksgiving celebrations draw to a close. Recent theatrical releases have failed to live up to pre-pandemic levels, despite hits like Barbie and Oppenheimer. Industry-wide issues like the SAG-AFTRA strike and complaints about “woke” or pandering content have only made matters worse.
Industry insiders estimate a total of approximately $37 million for the five-day period, with Disney’s expensive endeavor, “Wish,” earning a meager $8.3 million on Wednesday, out of an astounding $200 million budget. “Napoleon,” another Apple Original Production with a high production cost of $200 million, earned $7.7 million on Wednesday and is projected to earn $30 million for the five days.
The fate of these cinematic attempts is greatly influenced by critical response, though. Rotten Tomatoes critics have given “Napoleon” a 62 percent favorable rating, while general audiences have given it a 61 percent rating as well. The idea behind “Wish” has also come under fire, with critics like Ben Shapiro, editor emerita of the Daily Wire, voicing their disapproval.
Shapiro voiced his disapproval of the film, seeing it as a metaphor that unfairly portrays God as “bad” until a courageous “empowered female character” steps in to right the wrong. In his synopsis of the film, he emphasized the plot point about a king who grants wishes selectively, leading an apprentice to fight for the fulfillment of all wants. Even if it’s sarcastic, Shapiro’s comment clarifies the question of how media depictions of God are being debated.
Curiously, The Daily Wire has also announced a live-action version of “Snow White,” a fairytale by the Brothers Grimm, making Disney’s rivalry with them even more fierce. Notably, Disney’s favorability ratings have taken a nosedive due in part to the fact that Rachel Zegler has openly panned the original tale in the film’s adaptation. While Disney’s adaptation has been delayed by another year, the film starring Brett Cooper (an actress and YouTube superstar) from The Daily Wire is set to release in 2024.
From shifting consumer tastes to controversy over storylines, the entertainment business is facing a lot of problems, and Disney and Apple’s problems are just two examples. The future of blockbuster releases is uncertain as Hollywood deals with these difficulties; studios must navigate a complex landscape to regain their grandeur from before the pandemic.