NEW: Woke Hollywood FLOPS Over Holiday Weekend As Apple, Disney Films Fall Short

During this Thanksgiving, Hollywood’s titans such as Disney and Apple faced significant setbacks. Their high-budget films, “Wish” and “Napoleon,” failed to captivate audiences marking a notable downturn in the industry’s holiday box office performance.

Disney’s “Wish,” with a staggering $200 million budget, managed to earn only $8.3 million on its opening day, projecting a modest five-day total of just over $37 million according to Variety. The underwhelming performance is not just a financial disappointment but also signifies a deeper creative crisis for a studio that was once considered unbeatable in the realm of animation and family entertainment.

Similarly, Apple’s foray into big-budget filmmaking with Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon,” also priced at $200 million, didn’t fare much better, earning a lukewarm $7.7 million on its debut. Although its global earnings might paint a slightly rosier picture, they hardly seem to justify the enormous investment, raising questions about Apple’s strategic approach in the competitive film industry.

Thanksgiving is a critical period for movie box offices due to the holiday season kickoff, the extended weekend providing more leisure time, the strategic release of major films, and the alignment of movie themes with the festive spirit of the season.

Studios often schedule the release of major films around this time to capitalize on the increased audience availability. These releases often include family-friendly films and big-budget blockbusters, aiming to attract a wide range of viewers. The performance of movies released during Thanksgiving can also serve as an indicator for how well they will do through the rest of the holiday season.

The results have been indicative of a broader trend in Hollywood, where the shift towards streaming services and changing audience preferences are challenging the traditional movie-making and distribution models.

Last week Disney’s latest Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film “The Marvels” continued to face significant setbacks, marking a historic low in the franchise’s box office performance.

“The Marvels,” a sequel to 2019’s “Captain Marvel” and a continuation of the television miniseries “Ms. Marvel,” opened to a disappointing $47 million at the US box office, the lowest start in MCU history. Internationally, it debuted at $63.3 million, culminating in a global start of $110 million.

The figure is notably lower than the nearly $190 million opening of “Captain Marvel” in 2019, despite a substantial $200 million production budget. “The Marvels” not only set a record for the worst opening weekend in MCU history but also experienced a dramatic 78% drop in its second weekend, the largest ever for a Marvel movie.

Among its notable failures include a remake of “The Little Mermaid” starring Black actress Halle Bailey, which provoked outrage, especially in Asia, where consumers argued the choice ran counter to their image of the traditionally white namesake character.

The films’ lackluster performances are also seen as a reflection of broader challenges within Disney. They have struggled in recent years with progressive portrayals in films that have left critics salivating at the chance to take the multi-billion dollar company down a peg or two.

As studios navigate these changes, the recent box office flops of such high-profile films suggest a pressing need for a strategic reevaluation, particularly in an era where audiences are increasingly critical of ‘woke’ content and are seeking more genuine, un-politicized entertainment.