Disney Digest 2/28/24 (What AI Can’t Do, Oscar Songs, “Wish” on Blu-ray, and More)

There’s nothing but (AI) flowers, will Ryan Gosling be Kenough for the Oscars?, and Wish is coming to Blu-ray at an awkward time.

AI Can’t Create Life…Yet

Today is the first day of the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival with its beautiful gardens, magical topiaries, and serene butterfly garden, so naturally, it made me think of AI.

Let me be upfront: I do not think that AI will replace the work of the talented horticulturists at Walt Disney World, but that is the point. AI is going to make it easier to create low quality content that will flood the ecosystem — similar to how blogs caused a flood of low quality writing such as this column. I have no doubt that those that base their business on creating large quantities of low quality content will be impacted as the technology grows and develops. But perhaps this means there is an even greater window for Disney.

In a fragmented market, we have seen consumers want to experience cultural moments where it feels like we are all uniting. Taylor Swift, Barbenheimer, and the NFL have all seen success even though there are more options for everyone’s time than ever. If Disney is able to resolve their recent quality issues, perhaps they can excel while others keep lowering costs and quality as the market fragments even further. I know The Blackwells wants Disney to embrace AI, and there is no question there are AI based tools that can assist the creative process, but I believe Disney’s future should involve them taking the high road where artists deliver the highest quality because consumers will be so sick and tired of seeing low-quality garbage everywhere they look.

Perhaps AI also justifies the $60 billion Disney is investing in their experience business. AI may be able to generate video of elephants playing on a savannah, but it can not recreate the experience of Kilimanjaro Safaris, the excitement and scale of Rise of the Resistance, or the natural beauty of the Flower & Garden Festival. It is hard to tell how the changing world will impact the entertainment business, but the growing consumer spending in experiences implies that in a more digital world, people put more value into the physical realm.

Disney’s Great Indian Exit II

In what has been an open secret, Disney, Reliance, and Viacom 18 have announced that they will be combining their media businesses into a new joint venture that will be controlled by Reliance. Disney will own 36.84% of the new enterprise.  

This is not the first time Disney has had an operational exit out of India. Starting in 2006 and continuing through 2012, Disney incrementally bought stakes in UTV until they had full ownership of the Indian media producer. However, in 2016, they decided they were going to exit film production and focus on distribution of their domestic films with many executives departed. Then, with the purchase of 21st Century Fox, Disney acquired Star, which was a powerful force in the country with their cricket rights. But, as soon as Disney could figure out what was going on, Uday Shankar (who was the mastermind behind Star) left to form Bodhi Tree with his former Fox associate James Murdoch. Star also saw big subscriber losses when they lost the IPL streaming rights to Viacom 18 as Bob Chapek thought the price had gotten too high.

You can’t help feel that Disney wasn’t just outplayed here while the company was managing their CEO flip flop. Disney is now partnering with the folks that outbid them and their former India head, while ceding majority ownership of that business. Perhaps it makes sense for a company that has multiple touchpoints with Indian consumers, such as Reliance, to take the lead on guiding that diverse and evolving market. But I also wouldn’t be surprised if Disney acquires another Indian business in 10 years so that we can see this whole scene play out again. After all, Disney does love sequels.

Countdown to Oscars

We got the list of the performers who will be performing the nominated songs at this year’s broadcast.

"The Fire Inside" from FLAMIN' HOT – Performed by Becky G

Music and Lyric by Diane Warren

"I'm Just Ken" from BARBIE – Performed by Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson

Music and Lyric by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt

"It Never Went Away" from AMERICAN SYMPHONY – Performed by Jon Batiste

Music and Lyric by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson

"Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)" from KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Performed by Scott George and the Osage Singers

Music and Lyric by Scott George

"What Was I Made For?" from BARBIE – Performed by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell

Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell

While we do have one Disney nominee with “The Fire Inside,” I think we all know that “What Was I Made For?” is going to win. Perhaps Disney’s big win will be that former Mouseketeer Ryan Gosling (accompanied by Mark Ronson) will be performing the viral song “I’m Just Ken.” As much as Disney loves Oscar wins, as the broadcaster of the ceremony, they would also love anything that will cause folks to tune in despite the ceremony’s waning popularity.

What was your favorite song from the list?

In the Mailbox

We got our review copy of Wish on Blu-Ray and it is a bit bittersweet. This may be the last home video release we get directly from The Walt Disney Company. I have hopes that Sony will be a good custodian of the Disney library, it won’t be quite the same. And while I enjoyed the film, I am glad that I have a forever copy of Once Upon a Studio which is included as a bonus feature so Disney+ can never take that away from me moving forward. I must say the collectible steel book edition that includes 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray, and digital code is stunning. Unfortunately, it is only available at Walmart, so make your choice.

Quick Hits (Video Game Edition):

6 Things to Watch For Tomorrow: