It turns out that Warner Bros. is not the only studio canceling its own releases. While there is no information on the scale of that company’s ill-fated Batgirl or Coyote vs. Acme, it has been reported that Disney has also done some purposeful “killing” of projects as part of a drive to bring its profitability back on track.
We know this because Disney CEO Bob Iger said so himself.
“You have to kill things you no longer believe in, and that’s not easy in this business, because either you’ve gotten started, you have some sunk costs, or it’s a relationship with either your employees or the creative community,” he said at a Morgan Stanley event today, as reported by the Hollywood Reporter. “It’s not easy, but you have to make those tough decisions. We’ve really made those tough decisions. We haven’t been very open about it, but we’ve already destroyed a few initiatives that we didn’t believe were strong enough.”
He did not mention any titles, but fans may be able to guess. However, Iger emphasized that he has been “spending a lot of time with the creators, watching these films, giving detailed notes in these films, engaging in a respectful process that results in improvement.”
He was also predictably questioned about “superhero fatigue,” namely the palpably lessened excitement surrounding the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Many people believe it is due to audience tiredness, but it is not. They want amazing films. And if you create it excellent, people will come,” Iger added, underlining the need for “excellence and respect” to foster a creative atmosphere. “Focus is really crucial. We lowered Marvel’s production, both in terms of films and television series, which is crucial, but I am confident in the crew. I’m confident in the intellectual property we’re developing, and our track record speaks for itself.”
And, in fact, the highly anticipated Deadpool & Wolverine, which hits theaters on July 26, might help Disney turn around its box office fortunes. Disney is also working on sequels to Inside Out and Moana, as well as Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Iqra Khan