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Adding to Disney's woes, the timing of Haunted Mansion's release coincided with the massive successes of Barbie and Oppenheimer, which both enjoyed strong second-weekend holds at the box office. These films demonstrated that audiences are still eager to go to theaters, provided there are compelling options and effective promotional efforts.
It's worth noting that the Barbie and Oppenheimer stars are currently on strike, underlining a broader industry challenge—yet their movies continue to perform strongly. Conversely, despite stars being on strike, Disney's Haunted Mansion struggled without star power to boost its appeal, underlining the core issues plaguing Disney's recent slate.