To Disney's surprise, their latest animated, family adventure film, Strange World, bombed at the box office this Thanksgiving weekend. Strange World follows the Clades, a family of explorers who must set aside their past differences to save their home from impending ecological crisis. The animated, pulp-action film stars several notable actors including Jake Gyllenhaal, Lucy Liu, and Dennis Quaid. Strange World was praised by critics for its diverse cast and featuring Ethan Clade, an openly gay character played by Jaboukie Young-White.

Strange World bombed at the box office over the holiday weekend, with Variety reporting that the film raked in a disappointing $18.6 million. Disney had projected a $30 to $40 million weekend over the 4,174 North American theaters showing Strange World. The international box office release failed to make up the difference as well, only earning $9.2 million, bringing the total for the opening weekend to $27.8 million. Strange World has a $180 million budget that it is now unlikely to recoup in the following weeks, leading to another massive loss for Disney. The studio, whose animated films had been a consistent box office draw, have struggled to find their footing since theaters reopened after the pandemic.

Walt Disney Animation & Pixar Movies Continue to Struggle At Box Office


Strange World is expected to cost Disney $100 million if it fails to pick up momentum in the coming weeks. This follows a recent trend of box office duds for the studio, including Pixar's Lightyear which bombed earlier this year. Lightyear, a film based on the titular character from the widely popular Toy Story franchise was expected to perform well as Pixar's grand return to the movie theater. However, the film grossed a measly $226 million against a $200 million budget, a shocking upset for Pixar which has long been considered the gold standard for animation. Encanto, which premiered Thanksgiving weekend 2021 to a mediocre $40.3 million, managed to stir up buzz from critics and fans alike that it eventually surpassed $100 million worldwide.

Early reviews for Strange World suggest it likely won't be able to bounce back the way that Encanto did. Critics noted that the film is a run-of-the-mill adventure film that is geared more towards kids than the entire family and lacks the "spark" that people associate with Disney films. This uninspiring adventure film is unlikely to produce the kind of word of mouth Strange World needs in order to be a box office success or an instant Disney classic. Disney's focus on boosting subscriptions to their streaming service, Disney+, may be a factor in these disappointing sales as more people choose to get their Disney experience at home. This speaks to a larger trend, with Thanksgiving weekend box office sales down 10% overall when compared to last year.

The overseas release of Strange World will likely be limited as well due to the inclusion of a gay character, something not permitted in films released in the Middle East and parts of Asia. Disney decided not to censor Strange World, a move they had previously taken a stand with for the release of Lightyear. Disney has also found themselves embattled in a public feud with Florida governor Ron DeSantis who berated the company for being a "woke corporation", and encouraged his supporters to boycott the studio. The backlash to the inclusion of LGBT characters in films geared towards families may have contributed to Strange World's disappointing opening weekend.