Walt Disney Studios has officially made history by creating their first animated film featuring a biracial, LGBTQ+ character. This is amazing news, but why does this release have such negative connotations? 

Disney released “Strange World” at the same time as “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” which made millions in box office over Thanksgiving weekend. In contrast, “Strange World” experienced a $147 million-dollar loss. 

Part of the reason the animated film did so poorly was the lack of promotion Disney performed in contrast to all their heterosexual films. There was little publicity, no merchandise in stores and little media presence. 

The second reason is that many people against LGBTQ+ equality refused to see the film. Additionally, many countries would ban the film. Disney has already had issues where films with a minor homosexual scene were forced to cut the scene in order to play in countries such as China, such as “Lightyear.”

Many critics have also called the film “boring,” which is a rare criticism for a Disney movie. Overall, Walt Disney Studios failed to deliver what could have been a beautiful, intriguing and representative film.