Part 6/11:
During the earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger made headlines by unexpectedly praising Universal's Super Mario Brothers movie, calling its success a "tremendous achievement." Iger stated, "Allow me to digress for a moment to congratulate Universal for the tremendous success... It certainly proves people love to be entertained in theaters around the world."
This unexpected praise seemed to serve a dual purpose: acknowledging the undeniable popularity of the Mario film while subtly attempting to frame it as a beacon of hope for the entire industry. Iger's comments appeared to aim at resetting the narrative—suggesting that success in theaters is achievable and perhaps implying that Disney can learn from such hits.