•  Bob Chapek believes that Disney’s animation is solely for youngsters.
• He believes that parents and those without children aren’t watching animated films.
•  He did state that he was “open” to R-rated entertainment.

CEO Bob Chapek has raised even more ire by believing that Disney’s animation programming is solely for youngsters and that parents and those without children aren’t watching animated films.

Disney has advanced significantly over the past five years under the leadership of both Bob Iger and Bob Chapek.

While the house of mouse continues to rule the industry and amuses millions of people around the world through its theme parks and various brands like Pixar and Marvel Studios, it has recently navigated choppy waters with accusations of being “too woke” and a lack of diversity in its films, among other things.

Chapek stated, “Our fans and audiences put their kids to bed at night after watching Pinocchio, Dumbo or Little Mermaid, then they’re probably not going to tune in to another animated movie, they want something for them.”

Chapek was speaking at the Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live conference. Given the malleability of the consumer base, he did state that he was “open” to R-rated entertainment, adding that “we probably ought to listen to our audience, which means we have more degrees of freedom than we probably thought.”

Parents have in the past objected to the inclusion of R-rated shows like Punisher and Daredevil that Marvel TV had previously produced for Netflix.

Nevertheless, the entertainment behemoth appears to be adjusting its programming tactics in light of the success of TV-MA films like Marvel’s Werewolf by Night and Moon Knight.

Chapek appears to have forgotten Walt Disney’s maxim when it comes to cartoon and film material, despite the fact that it appears to be a move in the right direction for the brand.

Famously, he once declared, “I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether we be six or sixty.” And that still holds true today.

His assumption that parents won’t “tune into” animated films may be a little misleading, given that adults are the ones who are mostly debating Disney’s products online.

Despite the fact that most animated entertainment is geared toward children, given Disney’s long history, everyone was a child when they first watched their favourite Disney film.

The popularity of this year’s Top Gun: Maverick, starring Tom Cruise, as well as the several live-action remakes of Disney’s numerous animated flicks, including The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and the eagerly awaited Little Mermaid, are proof that nothing tickles viewers more than nostalgia.

With a company like Pixar, which creates animated films that appeal to audiences of all ages and genders, if Chapek is genuinely focusing on consumer elasticity, the power of animated films shouldn’t be discounted.

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