Normally, I focus on Disney — but today I would like to examine one of their peers and perhaps what lesson “The Mouse” can learn from one of their competitors.
Paramount is basically out of money. Due to a heavy debt burden, National Amusements had to sell the company to Skydance which is controlled by the kid of Larry Ellison, one of the richest people in the world. But while I wouldn’t often look to companies that have to sell themselves for business advice, Paramount does have a bright spot this weekend where Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is expected to win this weekend’s box office ahead of Disney’s Mufasa.
But Sonic 3 could only happen if both Sonic 1 and 2 were successful. There was a time when many thought this franchise would be dead on arrival.
When test footage was first screened in 2018, it was panned. The character’s more human-like appearance was very different from what appeared in the video games. This not even turned off fans, but even folks who worked on the games were appalled. Initially, the studio pushed back on the criticism by tweeting a “Can’t a guy work out?” sign. After the trailer premiered in 2019, the blowback continued. The number of dislikes far outnumbered the likes on YouTube and the design became as maligned as the movie version of Cats. Years later, this boondoggle would even be referenced in Disney’s Emmy winning Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers film where Ugly Sonic (seen above) was a significant character.
A few months later, Paramount announced that they would redesign the character which pushed the film from the lucrative holiday season to November and added a reported $5 million to the budget. By taking this beat, they were able to save the film.
Paramount could have dug in their heels or they could have cut their losses, but they listened to fans, and gave birth to their newest film franchise. While letting fans dictate creative decisions is a dangerous path, there are times when the broader community has a point that should at least be listened to. But to me, the more important lesson here is that it is better to do something right, then on-time. Obviously everyone wants every project to be on-time, on-budget, and good, sometimes things don’t pan out as you would hope.
This is even more important when it comes to theme park experiences. While films can often-times be somewhat ephemeral, theme park experiences are major investments that are often expected to last decades. As we have seen with Walt Disney World’s Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, sometimes tweaks need to be made to deliver a great experience. Every time I would urge Disney to always take time to ensure their experiences are excellent from the get-go instead of making some promised debut date. As the saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
At D23, Josh D’Amaro announced a wide range of products planned for across the globe that were also promised to be delivered in the next five years. I hope they are able to make that target, yet I am also fully aware that recently history is lined with cancelled projects that have caused many Disney fans to be jaded on whether all of this will happen. But frankly, I am fine if they break their deal if it means better offerings.
If it takes six years instead of five to deliver a mind-blowing experience, take that extra time. If it becomes clear that one of their projects isn’t going to deliver as they had hoped, I want Disney to be flexible and change their mind. Sure, they will be flack online, but I would rather they have some short-term grief instead of years of a mediocre attraction.
Historically, Disney has not liked to reveal their decision making process as it is part of their culture to keep backstage decisions backstage. However, in this era of ongoing discussion and analysis of their decisions, I would recommend being more upfront than they have been in the past. It is ok to admit to needing more time or pivoting your plan if you can say it is for the long-term best interest of the parks and its fans. In the end, that is what we all want. Good new attractions that continue Disney’s legacy of themed entertainment. I am willing to give them some patience if the end result will deliver.
In the end, I hope Disney takes this one lesson from Paramount — just whatever they do, don’t follow Paramount’s lead on debt management.