Disney's Boss, Bob Iger, Claims Emphasis on Original Films, Yet Questions Remain
Disney's 2025 Film Slate Leans Towards Franchise Films, Balanced with Original Projects
Disney, like other Hollywood studios, prioritises making money, and its upcoming 2025 theatrical slate reflects this. The lineup is heavily weighted towards sequels, reboots, and franchise extensions, with a smaller but notable presence of original films.
The slate includes multiple high-profile franchise entries, such as the third instalment of the Avatar series, Avatar: The Way of Water, the Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel Captain America: Brave New World, and the new MCU team-up film Thunderbolts. Other franchise films on the list are Zootopia 2, Toy Story 5, Tron: Ares, the sequel to Freaky Friday, and live-action remakes such as Snow White and How to Train Your Dragon.
Despite Bob Iger's emphasis on prioritizing "great movies" over familiar titles, the released slate leans predominantly on well-known properties. However, there are some original projects, like Pixar's Elio, and smaller releases with new concepts, such as Mickey 17, Bong Joon-ho's sci-fi dramedy, and The Smashing Machine sports biopic.
The slate spans Disney's various studios—Marvel, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures—with a mixture of originals and franchises. Yet, franchises dominate theatrical highlights and marketing emphasis.
Iger's definition of "original" for film projects at Walt Disney Studios may be broader than commonly understood, including reboots as original properties under certain circumstances. The upcoming Fantastic Four film, titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is an example of this. Despite being a new interpretation of the characters, Iger considers it an original property because it introduces the characters to audiences who are not familiar with them.
The future of Disney's film slate may include a broader range of original projects than initially perceived, including reboots that introduce characters to new audiences. For instance, the live-action Moana, scheduled for release in 2026, is an example of a film that brings existing IP forward in a modern way.
Iger values the creation of new intellectual property (IP), but also acknowledges the importance of utilizing Disney's popular existing IP. He stated that the studio's priority is to release great movies that resonate with consumers, whether they are original or familiar titles.
In summary, while Disney's upcoming 2025 film slate shows a clear majority of sequels, reboots, and franchise films, original films play a supportive but smaller role. This indicates a pragmatic approach blending innovation with franchise strength under Iger's leadership.
- Gizmodo might cover Disney's upcoming film slate, leaning towards franchise films but also featuring original projects like Pixar's 'Elio'.
- io9 could write about the future of Disney's film slate, shifting towards a broader range of original projects, like the live-action 'Moana' in 2026.
- The Wall Street Journal's business section may report on Disney's strategic approach in balancing franchise films with original projects in its 2025 film slate.
- Entertainment Weekly's movies-and-tv section might highlight some of the original projects in Disney's 2025 film slate, such as Bong Joon-ho's sci-fi dramedy 'Mickey 17'.
