In February, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” featuring a star-studded cast fell short of breaking even on its $200 million budget, earning only $215 million domestically and $476 million worldwide.
The November release of “The Marvels” fared even worse, opening to just $46 million and struggling to reach $100 million domestically, making it the lowest-grossing Marvel film in the franchise.
Disney’s reliance on remakes faced rejection from moviegoers. “The Little Mermaid,” released in May, earned a respectable $297 million domestically but fell short of expectations internationally. In contrast, the 2019 live-action release of “The Lion King” grossed a staggering $1.6 billion worldwide.
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” starring 81-year-old Harrison Ford, grossed just $174 million domestically and less than $400 million worldwide, unable to recoup its nearly $300 million budget.
Similarly, the reboot of “Haunted Mansion” closed out the summer with a dismal $68 million domestically and $117 million worldwide against a $150 million budget.
Animated Classics
Even Disney’s genius in creating animated classics faltered in 2023.
