logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2023
7m 43s

FT Edit presents: Disney struggles to re...

Financial Times
About this episode

For the next few weeks, we will be bringing you some of our most popular articles from the FT Edit app.


Elemental, the new movie from Pixar studios, recently disappointed at the box office.


On this episode, Chris Grimes, the FT’s Los Angeles correspondent, takes us inside Disney, the owner of Pixar, and asks whether it can regain its creative crown after a few years of concentrating on lucrative sequels to its existing franchises and on its streaming business, Disney+. It has been a long time since Toy Story, and critics are fretting that Pixar has lost its touch. Even Marvel, which was reliably turning out annual blockbusters, has stumbled recently with the likes of Ant-Man. Chris wrote this article shortly after the release of Elemental.


You can also find this story in FT Edit, an iPhone app that gives you a taste of the very best of FT journalism. After a month’s free trial, it is 99p or 99 cents a month for the next six months. Try it out if you want the best global politics, analysis and opinion pieces.


Learn more about FT Edit.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Jan 2025
Our final episode: thank you
This is it. Today we present you a massive special episode full of wisdom, which answers your final pressing questions. Listeners wrote in from around the world — from Perth to Virginia to Prague — asking about music, cooking, careers, home, fashion and how to live a good life. L ... Show More
59m 39s
Dec 2024
Cultural predictions for 2025: the year we accept the chaos
It’s a time-honored tradition: for the third year in a row, FT Weekend editor-at-large Matt Vella joins Lilah to reflect on this past year, and muse on the coming one. We’ve asked listeners to send their predictions and wishes for 2025, and today we’re talking through them! Will ... Show More
34m 37s
Dec 2024
The perfect winter survival guide
Today we are bringing you a winter survival guide, full of deceptively small tips that will make winter unmeasurably better. How do we best appreciate these cold, dark months? How do we stay stimulated, but also reject the grind? Our FT Weekend Magazine’s resident “winter goddess ... Show More
29m 50s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2023
Disney’s Tragic Kingdom
<p>In an alternate corner of the multiverse, Disney is a family-friendly company that reliably puts out iconic films and turns them into billions of dollars through licensing and theme park visits. In our universe, they are fighting a tough battle for streaming viewers, reeling f ... Show More
13m 6s
Jun 2023
Has Pixar Lost its Magic Touch?
Matt is joined by The Hollywood Reporter’s Rebecca Keegan to discuss Pixar’s recent cold streak, who’s to blame, and if it can be rectified. They talk about whether their pandemic misfires has caused permanent damage, why their movies cost so much more than every other animation ... Show More
31m 55s
Jul 2024
Disney is a Cinematic Universe Company
Marvel and Star Wars are the crown jewels of Disney’s empire. They’re the highest-grossing movie franchises in history, with devoted fan bases and expansive IP universes, but right now, both are in a bit of a slump. As Disney asked for more and more content to satisfy its busines ... Show More
39m 37s
Apr 2024
Is Disney Falling Apart?
The House of Mouse is falling down. Disney’s last four big releases have bombed at the Box Office. The company is currently no longer Hollywood’s number one film studio. Recent box office takings show even Marvel has lost its - well - marvel. Critics say the reason is simple. Dis ... Show More
21m 44s
Jul 2024
Disney is an Animation Company
Disney’s soul is arguably its animation studio, which has a 100-year track record of creating iconic characters and stories, and a distinct brand centered around “once upon a time.” Not so long ago, Disney produced films like "The Little Mermaid" and "The Lion King," catapulting ... Show More
45m 8s
Oct 2023
Is Disney losing the magic?
As Disney celebrates its 100th birthday this month, a series of recent flops and gargantuan acquisitions has left people asking whether the shine is beginning to wear off. Plus, we look back at the studio’s past - including the time when Donald Duck dressed up as a Nazi.This podc ... Show More
26m 52s
May 2024
Fixing Pixar
After duds and missteps, the animation studio is looking to Inside Out 2 to help it  recapture the magic. By Thomas BuckleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
21m 12s