Disney’s Bob Iger confirms that it’s axed some potential projects, as it doubles down on making its film slate better.
Disney has been quietly killed potential movies, as it seeks to improve film slate
Disney boss Bob Iger is out on the offensive, after what’s been a taxing year or two for the studio. On the film front at least, the days of $1bn-grossing movies from the studio seem in the rear-view mirror for the time being, although the likelihood is that it’s sitting on a very big hit with this summer’s Deadpool And Wolverine.
Still, the air has come out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe it seems, across the board – Disney animation, Pixar, Star Wars – the hits have dried up.
Iger has been talking about this in a new piece at The Hollywood Reporter, where he’s insistent that audiences aren’t fatigued, they just want great films. He cites Oppenheimer as an example of that.
Because Iger is a CEO and very rich, he uses ‘IP’ rather than franchises and films. But still, he confirms “we reduced the output of Marvel, both the number of films they make, and the number of TV shows, and that really becomes critical, but I feel good about the team.”
Here comes the use of ‘IP’ in everyday conversation. “I feel good about the IP we’re making”, said Iger.
He also used the interview to confirm that unnamed projects have been pulled. Preferable of course to films being made and then deleted – hello Warner Bros! – but still a slimming down it seems of what Disney is putting its bets on.
“It’s not an easy thing, but you got to make those tough calls. We’ve actually made those tough calls. We’ve not been that public about it, but we’ve killed a few projects already, that we just didn’t feel were strong enough.”
Iger isn’t naming the films that have gone, but he’s previously suggested that the company is leaning harder into franchi… sorry, ‘IP’ than ever before. Sequels, universes, and things like that.
Coming up? The First Omen and Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes, one of which is a bit easier to repeatedly type out than the other….
