What movie almost bankrupted Disney?

While Disney faced near-bankruptcy multiple times, the 1985 film The Black Cauldron is famously cited as the animated movie that almost destroyed the studio's animation department due to its massive budget and disastrous box office, nearly leading to its closure before the Disney Renaissance. However, early films like Fantasia and Pinocchio also caused severe financial strain, with Fantasia bombing initially due to World War II, leaving Disney in huge debt.

What movie almost destroyed Disney?

The movie that nearly ruined Disney animation was The Black Cauldron (1985), a dark fantasy film that was a massive box office bomb, becoming the first Disney animated feature to earn a PG rating and putting the entire animation department in jeopardy, with serious consideration given to shutting it down before it was saved by The Little Mermaid a few years later.
 

What movie saved Disney from bankruptcies?

In 2023, Ben Mankiewicz, host of Turner Classic Movies, told Parade magazine, "Disney was on the ropes. Cinderella saved Disney." He also said, "It has everything you want in a princess story, and it's done in this authentic, beautiful way."

What Disney movie was almost deleted?

The Disney/Pixar movie that was almost entirely deleted was Toy Story 2 in 1998, when an accidental command deleted nearly 90% of the files, but a technician working from home, Galyn Susman, had a complete backup on her home computer, saving the film from being lost forever.
 

What movie almost ended Disney?

That perception seems to have first emerged in a 2010 Slate article, which stated that the film "almost killed Disney animation". In 2025, it's hard to have a conversation about The Black Cauldron without it being mentioned that it almost shut down the animation department.

The Black Cauldron: Disney’s Biggest Gamble

What movie almost bankrupted Pixar?

Toy Story two, a ninety-million-dollar movie was almost completely lost. The studio went into full panic mode but one of Pixar's technical directors, Galen Sussman had been working from home because she just had a baby and she happened to have a full copy of the movie on her home computer.

What is the biggest flop in movie history?

The biggest movie flop in history, measured by estimated financial loss, is often cited as Disney's John Carter (2012), with losses around $255 million due to a massive budget and poor marketing, though some lists place films like The Lone Ranger or even Heaven's Gate (for studio impact) in contention. Other major contenders include Mars Needs Moms, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, and Cutthroat Island, known for huge percentage losses relative to their budgets. 

Did Pixar delete 90% of Toy Story 2?

By the time they unplugged the server, about 90% of the movie had been deleted. The backups had also been dead for weeks. So they began to panic. But the technical director had a backup with a PC at home since she had just given birth to her son.

What is the least known Disney movie?

There's no single "least popular" Disney movie, as it depends on metrics like box office, critical reception, or audience scores, but films often cited for poor performance or reception include Artemis Fowl (2020) for its critical failure, Strange World (2022) and Wish (2023) for recent box office disappointments, and older films like The Black Cauldron (1985) or Home on the Range (2004) for lack of audience connection. 

What is Disney closing in 2025?

Here is a full list of the permanent closures for 2025 at Walt Disney World - Magic Kingdom 🏰 - Tom Sawyer Island 🗺️ - Liberty Belle Riverboat ⛴️ - Rivers of America ⛴️ Disney's Hollywood Studios 🎥 - Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano 🍝 - PizzeRizzo 🐀 🍕 - Muppet*Vision 3D 🇺🇸 Disney's Animal Kingdom 🌳 - Fossil Fun Games ...

What is Disney's darkest song?

The darkest Disney songs often involve intense themes like lust, damnation, racial hatred, or psychological horror, with "Hellfire" (Hunchback of Notre Dame) frequently cited as the absolute darkest for its portrayal of obsession and damnation, alongside powerful villain anthems like "Be Prepared" (The Lion King) and unnerving musical sequences like "Pink Elephants on Parade" (Dumbo) and "Night on Bald Mountain" (Fantasia).
 

What movie did Disney get sued for?

The writer is now suing for $10billion in a new copyright claim. An animator is suing Disney for allegedly stealing the idea for the House of Mouse's Moana films, which he claims have almost entirely been lifted from his screenplay without his consent.

What is the #1 saddest movie?

There's no single #1 saddest movie, as it's subjective, but Grave of the Fireflies, Schindler's List, and Manchester by the Sea are consistently ranked among the most heartbreaking, often cited for their profound depiction of loss, war's impact, and deep grief, alongside tearjerkers like The Green Mile, The Notebook, and Titanic that evoke strong emotional responses. 

What movie almost ruined DreamWorks?

The movie that nearly ruined DreamWorks Animation was Rise of the Guardians (2012), a major box office bomb that led to significant financial losses, mass layoffs (350 employees), and the cancellation of future projects, despite its critical praise and cult following later on.
 

What is Disney's least successful movie?

The lowest-grossing Disney movie depends on the category, but Strange World (2022) and Mars Needs Moms (2011) are major contenders for animated flops, while Newsies (1992) holds the title for live-action theatrical failure, with Elio (2025) noted as a recent Pixar low point, though these figures often compare against massive budgets. For actual historical box office, older films like Fantasia (1940) or Pinocchio (1940) had very low initial returns, but modern bombs like Strange World or Mars Needs Moms represent larger financial losses. 

What movie almost ruined Disney?

The movie that nearly ruined Disney animation was The Black Cauldron (1985), a dark fantasy film that was a massive box office bomb, becoming the first Disney animated feature to earn a PG rating and putting the entire animation department in jeopardy, with serious consideration given to shutting it down before it was saved by The Little Mermaid a few years later.
 

What is the most forgotten Disney princess?

There's no single "most underrated" Disney Princess, as fans often name characters like Kida (Atlantis), Megara (Hercules), Tiana (Princess and the Frog), Merida (Brave), Pocahontas, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), and Raya (Raya and the Last Dragon) due to their strength, unique stories, or lack of merchandise/screen time compared to others. Kida is praised for her warrior skills, Tiana for her work ethic, Merida for her fierce independence, and Megara for her sharp wit, while others feel Aurora and Pocahontas are sidelined despite their iconic films.
 

What is the only R rated Disney movie?

With the exception of Deadpool & Wolverine, Disney never releases R-rated films under the "Disney" brand; all of these films are published by subsidiaries and thus only indirectly Disney-related and will generally not receive in-depth coverage here beyond pages on the films themselves.

What movie accidentally got deleted?

In 1998 while working on Toy Story two a Pixar employee typed one wrong command and the system started deleting everything. One by one Woody's hat disappeared. Then Woody himself. And then the entire movie was gone.

What is the longest running Pixar movie?

The longest Pixar movie is Incredibles 2 (2018), with a runtime of 1 hour and 58 minutes (118 minutes). It surpassed the original Cars (2006) as Pixar's longest film, though it was later surpassed as the longest American animated feature by Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023).
 

Who was the lady who saved Pixar?

In 1998, Toy Story 2 was nearly lost when 90% of its files were deleted and no backup was available. Then came an unlikely hero: Galyn Susman, working from home on maternity leave, had a copy. It saved the project. Pixar didn't just restore they reimagined.

Who is the no. 1 flop actor?

Mithun: India's Most Insuccessful Actor 🎬 Score Card: 180 Flops, 33 Consecutive Flops, Zero Hit In 25 years. Mithun Chakraborty holds the dubious honour of giving the highest number of flop films among lead actors in Bollywood. The actor has 180 flop films in a career that has spanned over 40 years.

What is the #1 movie ever?

There's no single "number one movie" as it depends on the metric (box office, critical acclaim, audience votes), but Avatar (2009) is the all-time highest-grossing film (unadjusted for inflation), while Gone with the Wind (1939) often tops lists adjusted for inflation, and films like The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather are consistently rated highest by audiences and critics.
 

What's the lowest grossing movie ever?

The lowest-grossing movie of all time is widely considered to be Zyzzyx Road (2006), starring Katherine Heigl and Tom Sizemore, which made only $30 at the U.S. box office during its limited run in a single Dallas theater. This low figure resulted from a deliberate strategy to fulfill Screen Actors Guild requirements for a U.S. release before an international DVD release, though the notoriety led to some media attention and subsequent DVD sales.