Part 8/10:
This shift suggests a broader trend: blockbuster fatigue with traditional franchises and an increased appetite for horror, which continually proves to be a lucrative and resilient genre. Studios that invest in effective horror franchises like The Conjuring seem to have a better shot at consistent, high returns than those relying on heavily marketed remakes or franchise extensions that fail to resonate with audiences.
Disney’s decline in these metrics reveals a crucial lesson—heritage IPs and over-reliance on nostalgia aren’t always enough. When poorly executed or overly commercialized, these films can underperform, sometimes embarrassingly so.