Top 10 Promising Movies That Disney RUINED

#10: “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (2023)

Topping “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” shouldn't have been this hard. But maybe we didn't give Spielberg enough credit, since Disney's follow-up fumbled even harder. With a 300 million dollar budget, the fifth Indy movie was a costly disaster. James Mangold directing? Great on paper. Harrison Ford? Gave it everything he had in a standout performance. But even they couldn't save this sluggish final chapter. The action was bland, the new characters were predictable, and the whole thing felt like a setup for a spinoff no one asked for. All it offered were nostalgic reminders of past Indy movies.

#9: “Mulan” (2020)

This reboot had the chance to boldly reimagine the animated film. The new “Mulan” could have been a grounded war epic with heart. What we got instead was a soulless, sanitized version that forgot what made the original special. The once charming characters were now devoid of personality. The humor? Practically non-existent. Even the action scenes were ruined by amateur editing and camerawork. While they did toss in a few notes from “Reflection”, it felt more like a guilt trip than a tribute. The film's lack of soul undercut any attempt at being serious. When that happens, you're left with nothing worth remembering.

#8: “Strange World” (2022)

Disney's hot streak in the 2010s ended fast– and “Strange World” was the proof. We will admit that the premise was interesting: a Jules Verne inspired adventure that echoed “Atlantis” and “Treasure Planet”. Visually, the film also had some flair, but none of it mattered due to the bland characters, and atrocious pacing. It didn’t help that every emotional beat was undercut by bad attempts at humor. Disney wanted the film to be fun and meaningful but both the sci-fi elements and characters lacked depth. What made it really sad is that nothing about it was exciting. For a film with such extensive world-building, it built nothing lasting at all.

#7: “The Lone Ranger” (2013)

After striking gold with Gore Verbinski's “Pirates” films, Disney thought throwing money at anything would make them rich–even an old western no one really cared about. “The Lone Ranger” had trouble written all over it from the get-go. Johnny Depp's casting was controversial, given his questionable connection to Native American heritage. The production budget had also ballooned to a whopping 250 million dollars. Worst of all, the story just couldn't decide what it wanted to be. It dragged when it should've galloped, and not even the creative set pieces could stave off the boredom. Turns out not everything needs a reboot.

#6: “A Wrinkle In Time” (2018)

All the pieces were there. A beloved young adult novel. A visionary director. A star-studded cast including Oprah Winfrey. Yet somehow, “A Wrinkle In Time” never found its rhythm. The special effects were out of this world, but when your visuals outshine your characters, you have a problem. Emotional arcs were also half-baked, leaning so hard into its moral lessons that it forgot to tell a good story. Disney banked on this being a huge franchise, instead it was one of their biggest box office blunders. Fans will just have to wait for the book to get adapted properly.

#5: “The Black Cauldron” (1985)

This dark fantasy came when Disney animation was not so popular. In an effort to get teenage viewers, they worked on an adaptation of Lloyd Alexander’s series “The Chronicles of Prydain”. However, cramming two books into one script should have been the first sign that it wasn't going to work. Several of the crew left due to such choices, including John Musker and Ron Clements, the duo who'd later direct “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin”. Twelve minutes were then deleted after they were told the film was too violent. What hit theaters afterwards was an awkward blend of horror and childish fantasy. Too shallow for teens, too scary for kids, and too muddled for just about anyone else. It's mostly remembered now for almost sinking Disney's animation department. And if that’s not bad enough, it ended up losing financially to the Care Bears movie. Yes, the Care Bears movie.

#4: “Tomorrowland” (2015)

With George Clooney starring and Brad Bird, the man behind “The Incredibles” and “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”, directing, “Tomorrowland” had every reason to succeed. But Disney aimed for the stars and missed. The world's futuristic design was gorgeous, captured by Bird's distinct visual direction. We can tell that the filmmakers had a love for the original theme park land. However, underneath the shine was pretty hollow storytelling. The plot meandered, the tone was awfully preachy, and lacked a sense of wonder. We were supposed to be transported to a new world but it felt like we were stuck in a Disneyland commercial. Maybe the studio should stop pouring hundreds of millions into movies based on their parks.

#3: “John Carter” (2012)

This take on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Martian books, should have been a hit. Sci-fi, romance, and action – all wrapped up in a classic pulp adventure. Andrew Stanton had the pedigree and passion after directing “Finding Nemo” and “Wall-E”. Unfortunately his transition to live-action filmmaking proved rocky. Endless reshoots, a bloated runtime, and an abysmal marketing push killed any momentum. Even the title confused people. Was it a drama? A fantasy? Science fiction? No one knew who or what “John Carter” was. Many thought the film looked expensive but also uninspired. It's no surprise that Disney buried one of its biggest flops in the dirt.

#2: “Wish” (2023)

We were all hoping this was going to be something special. “Wish” was supposed to be a celebration of Disney's 100 years of magic. The semi-traditional animation, classic musical numbers, and Oscar winning lead Ariana Debose, seemed to represent everything Disney stands for–except it didn't. Nearly everything about it felt forced. The stylized mix of 2D and 3D animation looked unfinished, making the film look like a knockoff of Disney’s own films. Even the songs sound like they were cooked up by an algorithm. They’re catchy, sure, but none of them stir emotion like musicals are supposed to. In trying to pay homage to its greatest hits, Disney forgot what made them timeless, and settled for releasing a lackluster tribute.

#1: “Artemis Fowl” (2020)

This one should've been a slam dunk. With so many beloved books, a built-in fanbase, years of anticipation, and a skilled director at the helm, “Artemis Fowl” had everything going for it. Things went sideways fast when the film finally released on Disney Plus. So what happened? For starters, the movie changes so many things that it's barely recognizable to fans of the book. So much of the original plot was dropped for clarity, but it still left viewers confused. We don't even know where to begin with the special effects and cinematography. Did Disney give up halfway through production and think we wouldn't notice? What could've been a smart, slick fantasy turned into a cautionary tale of how not to adapt books into movies.

Were any of these movies just a few changes away from being a hit? Tell us which movie you think was the most likely to succeed down in the comments below.