Last week saw Disney’s summer “flop” become a “bop” overseas as Elemental rose from the ashes to become a surprise summer success after all. It was a close race for a second there, but the heartwarming flick came out on top, something we hope is in the cards for the studio’s next animated feature film, Wish. That is, if Disney’s marketing team musters up the same enthusiasm it had for The Little Mermaid. That’s not asking for the world, yet recent marketing blunders from the Mouse House make it feel as though it might as well be.
Speaking of Ariel, the underwater mermaid princess found herself a surprise galactic enemy today after Disney Plus pulled the rug out from Marvel with a dual release date announcement. Then again, better to have a release date than not to have one at all, which appears to be the case for what was supposed to be one of Disney’s next live-action remakes.
Despite its obsession with live-action remakes, Disney supposedly cancels what could have been a good one
Rumblings of a live-action The Hunchback of Notre Dame have tickled the soles of our feet since 2019, but earlier this year composer Alan Menken, who wrote songs for the original The Little Mermaid, shared that the movie was stuck in limbo. Now, inside reports from The DisInsider claim that Bob Iger’s return to the CEO chair has resulted in The Hunchback of Notre Dame hitting a full stop. As it turns out, Iger is allegedly not a fan of the original, so even though Frozen’s Josh Gad, who was tapped to produce Huncback, called the script “one of the best I’ve read,” it might not be enough to save the movie from developmental hell.
It’s Marvel v. Disney as Ariel faces off with our favorite Guardian of the Galaxy on Disney Plus
September 6 was supposed to be the day The Little Mermaid debuted for the masses on Disney Plus. Or was it the day I Am Groot returned for its second season? Oh wait, it’s both. Disney announced today that the live-action blockbuster and small-screen superhero will share the same D+ birthday, which sounds cute and cuddly, but in reality, it’s hardly a show of support to pin a beloved animated short against a box office behemoth when Marvel is already cleaning up the splat of brown liquid off its leg that was Secret Invasion.
Not again — Disney gets lambasted for giving Wish the Crater treatment
Everyone knew about The Little Mermaid before its theatrical premiere. Just like everyone has already heard about the live-action Snow White thanks to predictable backlash to its diverse group of cast members and modern storyline. On the flip side, there’s been nary a whisper about Disney’s upcoming animated feature, Wish. The movie is scheduled to release during Thanksgiving weekend, but if it doesn’t get a move on marketing the darn thing, it runs the risk of becoming the next Crater. You know, the Disney Plus original Disney refused to market and then pulled from the platform seven weeks later? Yeah, that one.
While we hope Wish comes out on top, or at the very least possesses Elemental’s phoenix wings, the safest bet would be for Disney to get a move on marketing it. Relying on fans to hype up a movie they don’t know about is like asking Ariel to sing after Ursula stole her voice; she needs her voice back first. Disney, you have to market the movie first.
Published: Aug 7, 2023 07:00 pm