Nolte: Disney’s Faltering Brand Takes Another Hit with ‘Encanto’ Box Office Nosedive

ENCANTO
Walt Disney Animation Studios

Despite rave reviews, Disney’s Encanto, an animated musical with songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, took a nosedive at the holiday box office.

Lol.

As of Thursday, this tale of a magic castle in Colombia (or something) is expected to gross just $26 million over three days and an anemic $38.6 million over the full five-day holiday.

First off, no one can blame streaming. This is a theatrical-only release.

Secondly, no one can blame the pandemic. Plenty of movies are opening just fine.

How bad is this?

Oh, it’s bad.

By comparison, one of Disney’s biggest bombs, The Good Dinosaur, grossed $55.4 million over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend.

This is also the second time Hollywood’s precious Lin-Manuel Miranda has failed to juice the box office this year. His live-action musical, In the Heights, opened to a devastating $11 million back in June. This, after the so-called experts predicted it would haul in up to $50 million.

Well, this is what happens to an industry that’s lost touch with its audience. Outside of Manhattan and Los Angeles, no one knows or cares who Lin-Manuel Miranda is. And those of us who do know him find his woketardery obnoxious and off-putting. He’s not here to entertain. He’s here to lecture!

So why did Encanto flop?

I have no idea.

Although I’m sure the far-left entertainment media will soon blame this failure on “racist” Americans ignoring a movie set in Colombia, that holds no water. Disney’s Coco (2017) was set in Mexico and grossed $210 million in the U.S. and almost $900 million worldwide. Disney’s Moana (2016) was set in Polynesia and grossed $250 million in the U.S. and nearly $650 million worldwide.

Whatever the reason, here’s what should worry Disney…

Disney couldn’t open this sucker.

If there is one area where the Walt Disney Co. outshines all others, and by a country mile, it is/was the ability to open a movie. Not only is the Disney brand itself magic, but Disney has the greatest opening machine we’ve ever seen.

Well, not so much anymore, and I blame Disney’s Woke Nazism for tarnishing the brand, for monkey-wrenching the machine.

Disney’s brand problems began with squatting over its Star Wars brand and dropping a dump of woke all over it.

Disney’s brand problems got worse when these fascist China-humpers blacklisted Gina Carano for the sin of rejecting servitude on the Woke Plantation.

Disney is open and strident about its racist and intolerant left-wing politics.

Disney is destroying the innocence of children with its appalling embrace of sexual politics.

And now Disney has no Star Wars film franchise, its streaming service is under-performing, its Marvel franchise has stumbled, and it didn’t open a no-brainer like Encanto.

Disney has worked overtime to tarnish a once trusted and beloved brand by all Americans, most especially parents.

Disney used to entertain and inspire. Now it lectures and perverts, and those chickens are coming home to roost.

Lol.

Elsewhere at the box office, the non-woke Ghostbusters: Afterlife had a terrific second weekend with a $34 million haul, which puts its gross at $87 million. House of Gucci is doing pretty well with a $22 million opener. Disney’s Eternals sputtered with an $11 million fourth weekend, which brings it to an awful $150 million total.

Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC. Follow his Facebook Page here.

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