Disney’s first movie that features an LGBT lead character has bombed at the box office.
Some fans and film critics attributed the poor showing of the animated Disney picture “Strange World” to poor marketing and producers not adequately promoting the children’s film with the gay lead character named Ethan, according to PinkNews.
Some of y’all still don’t know that Disney’s Strange world is out now in theaters and I don’t blame you
— Wildest Moments on Cartoon shows and Movies (@toonsgowild) November 26, 2022
Disney is 100% going to blame STRANGE WORLD’s inevitable bad box office on the fact that there’s an openly gay character in the movie when in reality, it’s going to flop because they didn’t market it at all. They’ll use this as an excuse to not have queer rep ever again. pic.twitter.com/diD7It4Bk4
— Jordan Woodson #GlassOnionSweep (@jordanjwoodson) November 17, 2022
The budget of the film was $180 million, the outlet noted. During the preview period which began November 2, the movie grossed about $800,000. By Thanksgiving weekend, the film had earned $18.6 million, according to Variety. (RELATED: ‘Gay Agenda’: Disney Employees Reportedly Reveal Effort To Inject ‘Queerness’ Into Children’s Shows)
The poor figures thus far could have been prevented, some film critics argued.
“Disney had a chance to lean into the film’s queer narrative and champion it for global audiences, but instead it feels buried, as part of the film that it almost seems ashamed to promote,” The Gamer reviewed.
Fall was the worst in nearly 30 years for the box office. Now, Thanksgiving Week was led by a film only making $68m. Meanwhile an animated movie with the name “Disney” on it failed to cross $20m in its debut. That’s three straight Disney animated flops.https://t.co/i8Bl1mAhgs
— wdwpro (@wdwpro1) November 27, 2022
While the LA Times lauded the movie for boasting “thematic swings” in a “vibrant, weird, visually stunning subterranean world,” others were not so amused:
Took the kids to the movies today to watch a Disney cartoon called “Strange World”.
Within 10 minutes of the movie, my 10 year old son said “Dad, I have no desire to watch this movie. Can we leave?”
We left.
The leaders at @Disney have forgotten who the PAYING customer is. pic.twitter.com/9auHGgUZSH
— Patrick Bet-David (@patrickbetdavid) November 27, 2022
Furthermore, one parent took to Rotten Tomatoes to write “If I want to teach my children about sex and or sexual preferences at 7 and 8 I would do it in my home. I don’t need a Disney movie to help me out with it. STOP making everything sexual, its unbelievable,” according to The Daily Mail. (RELATED: REPORT: Disney CEO Bob Chapek Steps Down In The Middle Of The Night)