It seems that Disney is on its way back to the top of the entertainment industry, courtesy of the recent record-breaking numbers achieved by its teaser releases. In just 24 hours, the teaser for The Devil Wears Prada 2 garnered a staggering 185 million views, while Pixar’s Toy Story 5 received 142 million views across all platforms (via Collider).
Avengers previously held these viewership records: Infinity War and Endgame from the MCU, which are now dethroned by another Disney film franchise. The numbers may also help the company steady its approach towards character copyrights, as it is currently fighting for them legally against an AI company.
Disney vs. Midjourney: What Is the Lawsuit About?
As we have seen lately on social media and YouTube, there have been several instances where copyrighted characters from Disney, or a signature art style from one of their IPs, are being used to generate content. And with Midjourney being the prime culprit through their image and video generative AI, Disney and Universal have issued a lawsuit against them (via CNBC).
In the 110-page document submitted, they allege the AI startup of Textbook Copyright Infringement by using Disney and Universal’s iconic IPs to train its generative AI models. It also provides examples and command prompts that churn out images and videos that have an uncanny resemblance to properties owned by the entertainment juggernauts.
And since Universal and Disney claim that the data used by these AI models was scraped from the internet without their permission, it falls under the violation of the copyright clause in the US laws. Both companies have also sent cease-and-desist letters to Midjourney, effective until further notice in 2024 and 2025, but to no avail (via The Washington Post).
Thus, with industry legends such as Guillermo Del Toro bashing AI usage in the films, it seems like the case against the use of such tools is about to heat up even more.
Is Disney Risking Too Much by Banking on Legacy Film Sequels?
With the usual factors of proven box-office success and nostalgic appeal, the use of legacy films for unplanned sequels is something that has been gaining momentum in recent years in Hollywood. And the biggest perpetrator of this is none other than Disney.
With constant remakes of original animated films like Snow White and The Lion King, the memories and legacy of these franchises are diminished in the eyes of the viewers, especially when they’re unwanted. Along with that, if they don’t bring the same magic as the original, it tarnishes both their reputations, just like the recent Snow White with Rachel Zegler.
And finally, it also conveys the message that the company’s creative potential may have either been exhausted or completely driven out due to corporate greed, leading to a lack of innovation in the foreseeable future. Thus, for the loyal fans, if the trend continues, it may spell disaster for the House of Mouse.
Here’s more information on The Devil Wears Prada and Toy Story 4.
| Movie | Rotten Tomatoes Score | Box Office |
| The Devil Wears Prada | 75% | 76% | $326 Million |
| Toy Story 4 | 96% | 94% | $1.07 Billion |
What are your thoughts on the upcoming sequels? Tell us in the comments below.
The Devil Wears Prada and Toy Story 4 are available to stream on Hulu/Disney+ (US).
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