Land of the Giants

Disney is an Animation Company

Disney’s soul is arguably its animation studio, which has a 100-year track record of creating iconic characters and stories, and a distinct brand centered around “once upon a time.” Not so long ago, Disney produced films like "The Little Mermaid" and "The Lion King," catapulting animation into the mainstream while burnishing Disney's own brand as the premier animated film studio. But lately, those movies have felt lost and often, distinctly, "un-Disney." Recent box office flops like “Wish” are costly missteps that have a huge impact on Disney’s bottom line.
With more studios producing animated films, and Disney having acquired Pixar, it’s not always clear what’s a Disney film anymore. So what makes a film a Disney film today, and why does it matter?

This episode hosted by Bilge Ebiri (@BilgeEbiri)

From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big tech is transforming every aspect of our world. But how, and at what cost? This season of Land of the Giants – The Disney Dilemma – focuses on Disney’s ability to weather the ups and downs of the business cycle and changing tastes and explores what has kept it successful for over 100 years. The entertainment giant has leveraged nostalgia and its intellectual property to build a beloved brand, but after an acquisition spree that included Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Fox, can it sustain high quality and brand loyalty on a scale that keeps it growing? Who is Disney now, and can it compete against the tech giants in a battle for our attention and dollars?

From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network. New episodes drop every Wednesday.