Disney CEO Bob Iger plans to reduce movie releases to bolster creative production

Disney is restructuring things at the studio. After the years of the COVID pandemic and blockbuster movie studios and theaters having to close for a period of time, and now, during the months-long strikes in Hollywood, Disney is taking a step back from previous models and deciding their new path forward.

During the company’s recent quarterly earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed (via ComicBook) that he will have more day-to-day involvement in the studio’s film schedule, to ensure upcoming projects are as well executed as possible. He explained:

“Then there is the need to strengthen the creative output of our film studio, which generates value across the company. To achieve this, we are focusing sharply on the core brands and franchises that power all our businesses and reducing the overall production, to allow We focus on fewer projects and improve quality, while continuing our efforts to create new and compelling original intellectual property. I’m spending a lot more time on this with the goal of improving returns , always striving to exceed the level of creative excellence that audiences have come to expect from Disney. Meanwhile, we have four of the 10 highest-grossing films at the global box office this year, including Pixar’s Elemental, which grossed nearly half a billion of dollars all over the world. As well as being the most watched film released this time of year on Disney+.”

Iger also spoke about Disney’s place in the recent movie market, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We recently had four really strong titles, and top 10s last year, led by [Avatar: The Way of Water], of course, but there have been other successes as well,” Iger continued. “That said, looking at our overall output, it’s clear that the pandemic has created many challenges, creatively, for everyone, including us. Also, at the time of the pandemic, we were aiming for a huge increase in how much we were making, and I’ve always thought that quantity can actually be a negative when it comes to quality, I think that’s exactly what happened. We lost focus a bit. And so, working with the talented team at the studio, we are trying and working to consolidate ourselves, which means producing less, focusing more on quality. We’re all rolling up our sleeves, myself included, to do just that. Obviously we have great resources, great stories to tell from the resources that we have or that we have purchased. And I’m really optimistic about the schedule going forward, which will be a balance of some really strong sequels to some very popular titles, as well as some good original content, starting with Wish, which comes out over Thanksgiving weekend. So I feel good about the direction we’re taking, but I’m aware that our performance, from a quality perspective, was really up to the standards we set for ourselves.”

Disney’s next list includes Wishhitting theaters this month on November 22; Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be released in theaters on May 24, 2024; Inside out 2 is scheduled for June 14, 2024; Mufasa: The Lion King is scheduled for July 5, and The amateur has a release date of November 8, 2024. Marvel Cinematic Universe entries include Deadpool 3, Captain America: Brave New WorldAND Lightning. The studio’s live-action remake of Snow White has been postponed to 2025 due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike.