May 22, 2023, 11:37 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Disney+ is considered a major Netflix competitor, but the streaming service’s recent numbers have been anything but rosy. Perhaps partly for this reason, the provider is now cleaning out its program–for the very first time!
This is something more commonly associated with competitors like Netflix or Amazon. Until now, Disney+ has only added new content. Now, the streaming service appears to be shifting gears–in line with its numbers. While Disney+ had previously only seen an upward trend, the numbers for the current quarter (Q2 2023) did not look good. The streaming platform has lost a staggering four million subscribers. Seemingly in response, Disney+ is cutting numerous original productions from its lineup, including notable titles featuring stars like Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Disney+ Cuts Over 30 Originals
As reported by industry portal Deadline, Disney+ is indeed cutting a whole range of originals. This move is unusual because these titles typically do not require the provider to pay licensing fees. Over 30 films and series are affected.
Apparently, the streaming service is currently removing titles from the platform that have significantly fallen short of its expectations. This is likely related to the fact that the service’s current numbers are not looking good at all. Disney+ remains a loss-making venture for the company. Back in March, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced a new cost-cutting program. Among other things, thousands of jobs were cut, and even then, there was talk of reducing Disney+ content.
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These Movies and Series Are Affected
As previously mentioned, Disney+ is removing a total of 31 titles from the streaming platform. Among others, subscribers will have to do without several smaller Marvel productions, including “Marvel’s Hero Project,” which tells the heroic stories of real people. Also disappearing is “Turner & Hooch,” based on the 1989 film, as well as the romantic comedy “Rosaline,” which tells the story of Romeo and Juliet from the perspective of Juliet’s spurned cousin. Additionally, the fantasy gem “Willow” with Catherine Zeta-Jones will no longer be available on the streaming service after the end of May.
The following movies and series are being removed by Disney+; the titles are listed in alphabetical order:
- A Spark Story
- Be Our Chef
- Big Shot
- Black Beauty
- Cheaper by the Dozen (Remake)
- Clouds
- Diary of a Future President
- Disney Fairy Tale Weddings
- Earth to Ned
- Encore!
- Foodtastic
- Howard
- It’s a Dog’s Life with Bill Farmer
- Just Beyond
- Magic Camp
- Marvel’s Hero Project
- Marvel’s MPower
- Marvel’s Voices Rising: The Music of Wakanda Forever
- Rosaline
- Stargirl
- Stuntman
- The Making Of Willow
- The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers
- The Mysterious Benedict Society
- The One and Only Ivan
- The World According to Jeff Goldblum
- Timmy Failure
- Turner & Hooch
- Weird but True!
- Willow
- Wolfgang
The listed titles are available on Disney+ until May 26.
Will Disney+ Cut Even More Content in the Future?
The mentioned titles might not be the end. Looking at the U.S. market, even more originals are affected. Specifically, this concerns the series and films from Hulu. In the U.S., the two streaming services are now officially accessible through one app, while in Germany, Hulu productions mostly run on Disney+. These movies and series could soon also be removed from Disney+ for cost reasons.
Disney+ is not alone in this approach. Just last winter, Warner Bros. Discovery made headlines. Discovery+ and HBO Max were merged into a streaming service called Max. In this process, some content disappeared from the streaming platforms, but new original productions were also announced, including a “Harry Potter” series. Such a step is not yet evident at Disney+.