We told you it was going to be a busy week for Disney.
The theatrical debut of Haunted Mansion is just 48 hours away. As is customary for potential blockbusters such as these, all eyes are on its box office performance. The movie has received a relatively positive forecast, but unfortunately, its bloated budget, less-than-stellar reviews, and Disney’s recent string of recent box office duds are overshadowing its potential performance.
Meanwhile, Secret Invasion is doing everything possible to upset devoted Marvel fans with its sixth and final episode of the season. Aside from a slew of plot holes that make no sense, the episode is also stinking up a storm on Rotten Tomatoes.
At least there’s a shred of good news in this roundup as the fourth and final season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series finally does right by a fan-favorite character whose monumentally important story arc finally comes to fruition 17 years after his debut.
The LGBTQIA+ community scores a big win as a major High School Musical character is finally confirmed to be gay
The fourth and final season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is right around the corner, and with it, the return of several characters from the original film series, which debuted on Disney Channel 17 years ago in 2006. One of the biggest moments to come out of the Disney Plus show’s official trailer was the reveal that Ryan Evans (Lucas Grabeel) is indeed gay, or at least interested in men. He is seen kissing another man on screen, marking the first time the franchise has ever officially addressed his sexuality on-screen, although it’s been alluded to several times in the past. It might seem like a minor development, but for Disney (and High School Musical fans), it’s a huge win.
Secret Invasion angers an entire fandom with a rotten season finale, earning the title of the worst-rated episode in Marvel’s Disney Plus history
Secret Invasion had the potential to be a fantastic show that smashed everyone’s expectations, but it achieved the exact opposite almost right off the bat. Teetering between marginally impressive and downright disappointing, the six-episode Disney Plus series finally shot itself in the foot with its finale episode. A fun fight scene between two overpowered superheroes wasn’t enough to save this series as critics give it a 13% on Rotten Tomatoes, formally making it the worst-rated Marvel TV show episode on Disney Plus, and not for lack of justification.
Haunted Mansion’s bloated price tag dooms it for failure despite solid box office projections
At the moment, Justin Simien’s Haunted Mansion is projected to make $25 million to $30 million over the weekend at North American theaters, according to Variety, which actually isn’t that bad considering it’s a family-friendly film geared toward a younger audience. It’s nowhere near what Barbie is projected to make during its second weekend in theaters ($85 million) but still impressive nonetheless. However, Haunted Mansion cost $150 million to make and tens of millions more to promote, which means it’s fighting an uphill battle, especially when the poor performance from recent Disney duds like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Elemental cast a daunting shadow over its box office potential. This only reinforces the problem currently plaguing Disney, and Hollywood as a whole, at the moment. It doesn’t help that the film is also suffering from a bought of negative reviews.