As arguably the biggest studio on the planet, Disney is no stranger to finding success at the box office and dominating the competition. Through the years, the studio has had many hits, and even when they have a misfire, they always find a way to bounce back. Now that they have Star Wars and Marvel, the studio seems to continue trending upward.
During the 2000s, the studio was fresh off of the Disney Renaissance, which took the 90s by storm and changed the game forever. The 2000s, however, proved to be a rough stretch for Disney. Thankfully, an underrated film would hit theaters, find success, and ultimately start the Disney Revival period.
Let’s take a look at how things played out before and after Disney’s underrated gem changed its fortune.
Disney Was Having Uneven Success After Its Renaissance
The Disney Renaissance is often regarded as one of the greatest periods in the studio’s history, and taking one look at the films released during this period are a reminder why. Projects like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King, and more all came out during the studio’s Renaissance, and they simply couldn’t miss. After that period, however, things became quite uneven for Disney.
During what has been referred to as the Second Disney Dark Age, the studio was taking chances on different animation styles and interesting projects, but for one reason or another, the box office receipts simply weren’t there on a consistent basis. Fantasia 2000, The Emperor’s New Groove, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and Treasure Planet all failed to live up to expectations, despite the legacy that a few of them have now.
That era wasn’t an entire downslide for Disney, as Lilo & Stitch and Brother Bear were successful. The studio also had success with its team-ups with Pixar. Overall, however, things weren’t looking all that great for the once mighty studio. Thankfully, a film would release in 2008 that provided the spark that the studio needed to change its fortune.
‘Bolt’ Was Successful, But Is Considered Underrated
When looking at the list of Walt Disney animated movies, Bolt may not be a name that immediately stands out as a classic, but when looking at its place in history, it becomes quite clear that this underrated gem has had quite the impact on the studio.
2008’s Bolt was an Oscar-nominated animated movie that got things rolling for Disney after a noticeable slump at the box office. Featuring the voice talents of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, the story focused on a canine television star who believes he has actual powers and sets off to rescue his owner, who he thinks was kidnapped. It’s silly, sure, but this movie had a ton of heart.
Bolt would be met with solid reviews upon its release, and it wound up netting over $300 million at the box office. It was just what Disney needed at the time, and little did the studio know that this film is what would help them rise from the ashes once again to thrust itself back into a prolific period of major commercial success.
The Revival Has Been A Huge Success
Following the success of Bolt, the studio, now having left its Second Dark Age, released The Princess and the Frog, which was not that big of a hit at the box office. Instead of panicking at what had happened, Disney kept moving along, eventually righting the ship and vanquishing the competition in no time with subsequent releases that would have a profound impact on the studio’s future.
In 2010, Tangled hit theaters and wasted no time at all in becoming a gargantuan hit for Disney. Focusing on the famed Rapunzel, Tangled delivered the goods and made over $590 million worldwide. It was Disney’s biggest hit in years, and it helped set the stage for what was to come with the studio. Needless to say, they had a few more hits up their sleeve in the years to follow.
Despite the lackluster Winnie the Pooh doing little at the box office immediately following the success of Tangled, Disney got back on track with Wreck-It Ralph. The mega hit was then followed by other blockbusters like Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet, and Frozen II. All of those films were huge successes at the box office, and they all made the Disney Revival one of the best periods in the studio’s history.
Bolt may not be the most loved Disney movie ever made, but that underrated gem was just what the studio needed to get back on track and reclaim its place at the top.
