Fixing Walt Disney Studios in Five Steps or Less

Let's face it - it's a tough time to be at Walt Disney Studios. First, there was the unexpected departure of Chairman Dick Cook, and now comes news that President Mark Zoradi is also leaving. On top of that, A Christmas Carol had a mediocre opening at the box office despite months and months of hype, and if The Princess and the Frog doesn't deliver, it's going to be a disaster. It's clear that the Studios are going through a rough patch, and they haven't had a blockbuster film for some time now. Here are five steps that the new regime could follow that this blogger thinks would put Walt Disney Studios back on the map in a big way:

1. Enough with the sequels. Congratulations, you've got a hit movie. Your next step is, of course, to make more money. But before you get ready to milk that cash cow for all it's worth, stop and think: does National Treasure really need a sequel? Were there any loose ends the first film didn't cover? No? Well then, instead of going back to the well, let's remember what made that movie great in the first place and apply that to a different idea. Nothing ruins a good movie like a bad sequel (see: The Matrix), and just because you can doesn't mean you should.

2. Turn down the marketing machine. Publicity is a tricky thing. You need to get butts in the theatre come opening day, but if you sell it too much you create unreasonably high expecations in your audience, which leads to disappointment, which leads to bad word of mouth. And bad word of mouth will kill box office sales faster than you can say "Gigli." Walt Disney Studios is learning this lesson with A Christmas Carol right now - guess what? Nobody cares that this movie cost $180 million. What audiences are seeing is a blah retelling of a story everyone already knows and would rather see with Muppets. In a way, the Disney marketing team has put The Princess and the Frog in an impossible place - after all the money spent on marketing and promotions (not to mention the cost of actually making the damn thing), will any opening weekend numbers be high enough?

3. Do not take all your cues from the Disney Channel. Over the past 10 years or so, the Disney Channel has become a force to be reckoned with, becoming home to more than a few franchises and hit series, as well as launching the careers of many of Young Hollywood's brightest stars. But the Disney Channel formula is not applicable to the film industry in general. Contrary to popular opinion, most of America is not interested in the Jonas Brothers. Sure, High School Musical 3 was great, but you know what was even better? 17 Again. Allow young talent to flourish on the Disney Channel while they're still firmly in the demographic, then let those stars mature (along with their audience) into bigger and better roles on the silver screen.

4. Recognize your strengths, then stick with them. Making movies with Dwayne Johnson is not one of those strengths. If you look at two of Walt Disney Studios' most recent hits, Pirates of the Caribbean and National Treasure, they have a lot in common - they're popcorn movies, family-friendly without being pandering, anchored by major stars, and intended to be fun. (They're also both "quest" movies that explore some daddy issues, but that's a seperate post.) Bottom line - before you make a movie, think about your audience, before you end up with another Beverly Hills Chihuahua on your hands. Who's your audience? It's not kids. It's everyone. Remember that, and you'll be golden.

5. Hire Michael Bay. You want to make money? Call Michael Bay. The man could make a movie about a talking trash can and it would win special effects Oscars and make $300+ million at the box office. Oh wait, he did that already. Scoff if you must, film elitists, but Bay knows what audiences want and delivers every time. So the next time you start thinking it's time to adapt another Magic Kingdom ride for the big screen, you better let Bay put the "thunder" in "Big Thunder Mountain." You betch'yo britches it's the wildest ride in the wilderness.
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Related Links:

* The Princess and the Frog Art & Designs
* Do We Really Need a Pirates 4?
* Disney's Real Leading Ladies