Two months into 2024, it’s now time to close out the past year and focus on the upcoming films that will soon be appearing across viewer’s screens. Disney’s recent movies have received mixed results—some criticize the lack of quality or originality behind the latest films, while others have been content with the releases. While a few 2023 Disney movies have received success—such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which was praised—many have fallen short, according to moviegoers. Disney fans have begun to feel a bit disheartened with the performance of the major entertainment company and look now to 2024’s films for a hopeful resurgence.

The question is posed then: Will Disney’s upcoming releases lead to a comeback for the studio? Or has Disney finally lost its magic? So far, Disney has seven confirmed movie releases planned in 2024. These include The First Omen, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Inside Out 2, Deadpool 3, Alien: Romulus, The Amateur, and Mufasa: The Lion King. 

The first standout impression of this list is that it’s noticeably short. The collection of seven confirmed films is remarkably less than the collection that the studio has traditionally released. While this shift might be partly because of the alleged cost-cutting, the smaller amount of movies could also help the company focus on quality over quantity. With a minimal number of projects, Disney will hopefully take the chance to put extra thought and creativity into these seven films, along with the strong advertising needed to make a movie a success. The downsized scale could also help fans recover from the “fatigue” that’s been occurring with Disney films. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has experienced this issue the most as “superhero fatigue” has become a common trend among fans. With significantly fewer movies to potentially overwhelm viewers, people have the opportunity to look forward to the few that are coming out.

These movies are also promising in themselves. While the films are arguably “safe” and non-risky, a safer year after the company struggled in 2023 will most likely be beneficial. The last three movies in the Planet of the Apes franchise performed well, so a continuation of the series will most likely have matching results. A similar expectation is expected from Alien: Romulus, as the Alien movies have a loyal fanbase and will most likely lead to a good turnout. Another large section of the company’s promised films are sequels or prequels. Again, while this is a bit of a safe choice by the studio, all the movies are related to beloved originals. Inside Out 2, Mufasa: The Lion King, Deadpool 3, and The First Omen all follow or prelude their successful counterparts. Inside Out 2 and Deadpool 3 are especially promising and will likely be some of the studio’s hits of the year. Finally, The Amateur is the only movie not connected to a former Disney film. This upcoming thriller is supported by a strong cast and will hopefully perform well. 

Disney is taking advantage of past successful films that couldn’t be viewed in theaters. The company is re-releasing some of these movies. Soul, Turning Red, and Luca will all receive releases in theaters. 

Overall, Disney seems to strive to be strategic and thoughtful with their 2024 movie list. Hopefully, their attempts to boost their viewership will work, and fans will experience entertaining and well-made films in 2024.