Disney CEO Bob Iger said new IP is of great value to the company longer term while the popularity of franchises remains high with potential sequels or bringing “them forward in a more modern way, as we’ve done. Or converting what was previously animation to live action,” as per Lilo & Stitch and upcoming Moana …. It’s just a great opportunity for the company and supports our franchises.”
But “I wouldn’t say that we’ve got a priority one way or the other. Our priority is to put our great movies that ultimately resonate with consumers. And the more we can find and develop original property, the better, of course,” he said during a Q&A with analysts after Disney’s quarterly earnings.
“We are developing original property under the 20th Century [Studios] banner and under the Searchlight [Pictures] banner. And you could even argue that Marvel continues to mine its library of characters for original property. Even though, for instance, there have been Fantastic Four movies before, we kind of consider the one that we did an original property in many respects because we’re introducing those characters to people who are not familiar with them at all.”
The film studio had a tough comparison in Disney June quarter with Inside Out 2 the year before. A turnaround has been a top priority for the CEO since he returned to Disney in 2022 and has been largely successful. Iger laid out how renewed theatrical momentum is additive to popular brands and franchises “further demonstrating their ability to generate ongoing, long-term value across our businesses.”
Lilo & Stitch is a prime example. The live-action reboot recently crossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office, making it Hollywood’s first film to reach that milestone this year, joining global hits Moana 2, Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2 to become Disney’s fourth billion-dollar-film in just over a year and fueling viewership of the original 2002 animated film and related content on Disney+ with more than 640 million hours streamed globally.
The film is also is on track to become the company’s second-largest licensed merchandise franchise this year behind only Mickey Mouse, with more than 70% revenue growth compared to last year. Stitch has been deployed across parks and experiences worldwide, with a sequel to the live-action film already in development.
Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps opened two weeks ago and upcoming 2025 releases include Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash. Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, Pixar’s Toy Story 5, a live-action Moana and Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday arrive in 2026.
