Disney Shines in 2019 – A Box Office Review

When it comes to box office revenues this year, one company seems to shine brighter than the rest; Disney. As an experienced name in this field, they’re still able to churn out fantastic movies whether it’s through their original titles (like Aladdin and The Lion King), through Pixar (with Toy Story 4), or even through the likes of Marvel (and the Avengers). 

With so many huge movies dominating our screens in 2019, Disney has now surpassed the $8 billion mark for ticket sales this year. Earlier in 2019, it all started with Captain Marvel which quickly pushed past $1 billion in revenue. From here, we’ve seen The Lion King, Aladdin, and Avengers: Endgame do the same. If Toy Story 4 follows this path, the company will have a total of five movies that have hit this impressive target and moved into the top 25 highest-grossing films of all-time. 

Considering all of this success, there are many companies that would love to enjoy just a fraction of Disney’s success. However, their year hasn’t been without problems.

Battles for Disney 

Firstly, their overall revenue figures have actually fallen short of predictions. According to some sources, this is a result of the operating costs associated with Hulu, 21st Century Fox, and Disney+. We aren’t saying that Disney will have a cash flow problem in the coming months, but it shows that even the world’s biggest companies can miss their targets. 

Secondly, the acquisition of 20th Century Fox meant a whole new world in terms of superheroes. Although Endgame broke all records, it’s fair to say that Dark Phoenix didn’t exactly capture the imagination of film-goers. Earning $65 million in the US and less than $190 million overseas, this was disappointing for the company after spending $200 million on creating the picture (excluding marketing costs). 

Compared to the same period last year, Disney were up on their third quarter totals. With $3.8 billion in revenue, this was actually an increase of 33%. Yet, it is considerably down on many projections which had the company exceeding $4.5 billion. 

A Slow 2020 Incoming?

Despite these two negatives, the year as a whole has been a successful one in terms of box office revenues. It always seemed that this was destined to be the case; franchises were building up to conclusions and remakes were scheduled in this hectic twelve-month period. Therefore, analysts on CNBC have said that 2020 will be much slower in comparison. 

Next year, Disney doesn’t have quite so many blockbusters planned. Though they will undoubtedly find more success in 2021 with Avengers 2, industry experts believe that we’re witnessing a year that won’t be replicated for some time. 

In the coming months, it seems the company will focus on Disney+. Thought to have cost billions so far, the streaming service will launch in November for a fee of $6.99 per month. For all Disney fans, the many films and TV shows on the platform makes Disney+ a must-have purchase!