Loser: Classic Disney
Disney certainly had some wins this summer (Elemental, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) but two properties based on its history, The Little Mermaid and Haunted Mansion, did not connect as expected. Haunted Mansion battled average reviews and maybe a lack of brand recognition, while Little Mermaid battled the weight of expectations. A film grossing $300 million domestically is not usually considered bad, but when other live-action adaptations of classic Disney films do $500 million (Beauty and the Beast) or $550 million (The Lion King), that’s a huge underperformance.
