30 years ago, The Little Mermaid saved a film studio and revolutionized what a Disney film could be. Here's how that happened.

What happened to Disney in the 80s?

Moviemaking also was changing in America in the early 1980s. Audiences were diminishing for the family films that had been the mainstay of the Company for many years, and Disney was not meeting the competition for films that attracted the huge teenage and adult market.

What movie bankrupted Disney?

The Movie That Nearly Ended Disney: The Black Cauldron.

Did the Little Mermaid save Disney?

Along with the major success of both Disney's 1986 animated film The Great Mouse Detective and the 1988 Disney/Amblin live-action/animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Little Mermaid is given credit for breathing life back into the art of Disney animated feature films after some films produced by Disney were ...

What film saved Disney?

The 1950 fantasy yarn of a girl, her wicked stepsisters and evil stepmother, a dashing prince, glass slippers and a gaggle of cute, talking animals was a smashing success, right off the bat. “Disney was on the ropes,” Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz tells Parade. “Cinderella saved Disney.”

What 1980s movie “saved” Disney and launched a new era of animated films?

Which Princess saved Disney?

Not only did The Little Mermaid help usher in the Disney renaissance, an era of unparalleled critical and commercial success, it also helped save the studio.

Why was Disney failing in the 1980s?

The dark ages (1981 to 1988)

Due to creative differences and infighting, release dates were being delayed and staff turnover was high. None of the films during this time were stand-out hits, with The Black Cauldron (1985), in particular, failing to make even half its budget back at the box office.

What happened to Disney in 1983?

By September 1983, The Disney Channel was available on cable providers in all 50 U.S. states. In October 1983, the channel debuted its first made-for-cable movie, Tiger Town, which earned the channel a CableACE Award.

Who ran Disney in the 80's?

As a result, Eisner was well-recognized by children at the company's theme parks who often asked him for autographs. During the second half of the 1980s and early 1990s, Eisner revitalized Disney.

Is Moana hit or flop?

Hit: Moana

Clearly this approach was effective because Moana performed well domestically, but it truly found a home overseas and tapped into something special. The $150 million movie has grossed over $643.3 million and Moana fever has far from faded.

Is Turning Red a flop?

9 Turning Red

The film actually ended up ranking among the biggest box office bombs of 2022 with a worldwide gross of only $20 million in comparison to its $175 million budget.

What is Disney's most unsuccessful movie?

The Lone Ranger is one of the most notorious Disney box office disasters, as it had the most potential to be great. The movie reunited Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski and star Johnny Depp, and its huge $215 million budget hinted at the radio series adaptation having some action set pieces.

Why is Disney 100 years old?

It was 100 years ago that Walt Disney founded The Walt Disney Company The company has become a pop culture empire — with movies such as Fantasia and Frozen. To celebrate the milestone anniversary, Disney is releasing a restored 4k version of the 1937 film Snow White.

How old is Disney 2023?

The Walt Disney Company has a big birthday to celebrate in 2023. It's celebrating 100 years by throwing the biggest event yet in Disney history: Disney 100 Years of Wonder. The heart of the celebration took place at Disneyland Resort, and that's where the party kicked off Jan. 27, 2023.

Did ww2 save Disney?

Oddly enough, the entry of the United States into World War II in 1941 helped rescue Disney's company from financial ruin. The day after Pearl Harbor, Walt Disney allowed the U.S. Army to “invade” his Burbank, California studios, making it the only Hollywood studio to ever be occupied by the military.

What's the oldest Disney movie?

In 1937, Walt Disney Animation Studios released its first fully animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, pioneering a new form of family entertainment.

What was Disney's Dark Age?

There is one era of Disney's output (1970-1988) that is often overlooked and described as 'the dark age,' referring to when Walt Disney Pictures was trying to follow in Walt Disney's footsteps after his death.

What happened at Disney in 1987?

On March 7, 1987, a 15-year-old boy was fatally shot in the Disneyland parking lot. The incident began as an early-morning confrontation between rival gang members before escalating into a brawl.

When did Disney struggle?

Major films and television productions

A strike by Disney animators in 1941 was a major setback for the company. Many top animators resigned, and it would be many years before the company produced animated features that lived up to the quality of its early 1940s classics.

Who is Disney's top 1st princess?

1937: Snow White

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs came out in 1937, debuting the very first Disney princess with Snow White herself.

Who is the 1st Disney Princess?

They were given an official number in the franchise line-up based on the chronological order in which their films were released, starting with Snow White as the first and original Disney Princess, with Cinderella being the second, followed by Aurora and so on.

Who is Disney's forgotten princess?

Forgotten Princesses - Megara (Hercules), Pocahontas, Kida (Atlantis), Maid Marian (Robin Hood), Eilonwy (The Black Cauldron).