The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 2018–2023
Wish: Disney's centennial film, a $175–200M celebration that lost $131M
Disney's 100th-anniversary animated film, Wish, cost $175–200M, grossed $255M, and lost $131M — the animation studio's big miss.
Walt Disney · 2023-11-22
What happened
Wish, Walt Disney Animation Studios' 62nd feature and the centerpiece of the studio's 100th-anniversary year, was budgeted at $175–200 million. It was released in the United States on November 22, 2023.
The film grossed $255 million worldwide, a strong number for many releases but far below what a film of its cost and marketing needed. Deadline, tallying all revenues including streaming and home entertainment, calculated the net loss at $131 million.
Reviews and word of mouth were lukewarm. Deadline noted that audiences 'waited this one out for Disney+,' and rival-studio sources said the film 'reeked of corporate product rather than magical event.' It became the first Walt Disney Animation theatrical release in years to lose money.
Why it happened
- Disney priced its centennial celebration as a tentpole, but the film was built to celebrate the brand rather than to tell a story a broad audience wanted to pay to see.
- Critics and audiences found the result generic corporate product, and the nostalgia pitch did not carry it into the holiday frame it needed.
- The $255M gross was far below what a $175–200M film plus heavy marketing needed, so Disney booked a $131M loss on its own anniversary showcase.
The lesson
An anniversary is not a story: Disney spent $175–200M celebrating itself and lost $131M when the film read as corporate product — a tribute to your own name is not a reason to buy a ticket.
Sources
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