Following Disney’s confirmation that some movies and TV shows would be leaving Disney+, the streaming platform has removed 12 movies from its catalog. Disney announced in mid-May that 40 shows would be removed from Disney+ and Hulu, including some popular Disney+ original series like Willow. The decision to remove streaming content appears to be a cost-cutting measure by Disney, as well as a response to internal changes to their content creation strategy.
Now, Decider reports that 12 films have left Disney+ in the midst of Disney’s content purge. Included are some star-studded movies, including the Bryan Cranston-led family film The One and Only Ivan. All the films removed are Disney+ originals, meaning it will be difficult to find them elsewhere, if at all. Check out the list of removed content below:
- Artemis Fowl
- Better Nate Than Never
- Black Beauty
- Cheaper by the Dozen (2022)
- Darby and the Dead
- Flora & Ulysses
- Stargirl
- Hollywood Stargirl
- Magic Camp
- The One and Only Ivan
- Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made
- Wolfgang
What Removed Disney+ Films Mean For The Platform
Many of the Disney+ original movies being removed by the streaming service are wide-appealing family or children’s films. It also includes Artemis Fowl, an action adventure film with a budget of $125 million originally scheduled to be released in theaters. The removal of these films indicates Disney may be producing fewer small, family-oriented movies going forward, as well as expensive films from unproven franchises.
Last week, it was reported that Disney+ content removal is also influenced by the cost of licensing fees Disney has to pay production companies. While the films Disney removed were produced by Walt Disney Pictures, some, like The One and Only Ivan and Artemis Fowl, had additional production companies involved. Disney’s purge of original content might save them money through avoiding licensing fees while redefining Disney+ originals moving forward.
As of writing, it’s unclear if the original content being removed from Disney+ will be released elsewhere. While a similar purge by HBO Max resulted in Westworld and other series finding new homes through free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST), there’s no guarantee Disney will follow in their footsteps. For now, it seems the removal of films and shows from Disney+ means some much-loved productions are gone for good.
