It has been a roller coaster week for theme parks boss Josh D\u2019Amaro, who was named the next chief executive of Walt Disney Co.<\/a> last week.<\/p>\n Once he officially takes the helm of the Mouse House in mid-March, he must tackle several key areas to chart the future of the 102-year-old media and entertainment giant.<\/p>\n For one, he\u2019ll need to bolster Disney\u2019s pipeline of content. As the saying goes, \u201ccontent is king.\u201d<\/p>\n The Burbank company already has a strong stable of franchises and stories that power its entertainment and streaming businesses, theme parks, merchandise and cruise ships, but Disney will need to keep building on that.<\/p>\n Strong sequels like last year\u2019s \u201cZootopia 2\u201d and live-action adaptations such as \u201cLilo & Stitch\u201d \u2014 both of which grossed more than $1 billion<\/a> in worldwide box office revenue \u2014 show that good stories can keep paying dividends in new ways, Moffett Nathanson senior research analyst Robert Fishman wrote in a note to clients last week.<\/p>\n On the bright side: This year\u2019s film lineup has several historically strong franchise contenders, including Disney and Pixar\u2019s \u201cToy Story 5,\u201d Lucasfilm\u2019s \u201cStar Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu\u201d and Marvel Studios\u2019 \u201cAvengers: Doomsday.\u201d (Marvel, however, has struggled in recent years to pump out consistent hits at the box office.)<\/p>\n But Disney also needs to develop new stories \u2014 which has been more of a struggle.<\/p>\n Disney and Pixar\u2019s \u201cElio\u201d misfired at the box office last year, as original animated movies have had a harder time bringing in the massive audiences<\/a> they once did because of the drop-off in theater attendance since the pandemic.<\/p>\n That puts more pressure on Disney and Pixar\u2019s upcoming \u201cHoppers,\u201d an original animated film out in March. The film has gotten strong early traction in online trailer views, Fishman wrote.<\/p>\n The content investment also extends to scripted series, which Fishman noted are a \u201ccritical component of success and cannot become an afterthought to theatrical.\u201d He singled out Disney-owned FX as a \u201cprestige outlet\u201d that can contribute to both television and streaming lineups. The network has had a number of successes, including 2024\u2019s \u201cShogun,\u201d<\/a> which was one of my favorites. <\/p>\n D\u2019Amaro likely will get help on the content side from soon-to-be president and chief creative officer Dana Walden, a longtime television executive who is respected in Hollywood and well-versed in the entertainment knowledge he lacks.<\/p>\n D\u2019Amaro\u2019s area of expertise is Disney\u2019s experiences sector, which includes the theme parks, cruise line, merchandise and Aulani resort and spa in Hawaii and brings in the lion\u2019s share of operating income<\/a> for the company. In the fiscal first quarter of this year, the experiences business hauled in a record $10 billion in revenue<\/a>.<\/p>\n The challenge there will be maintaining Disney\u2019s market dominance in the theme park space while continuing to invest to drive growth and managing attendance in the face of ongoing competition from arch rival Universal Studios<\/a>.<\/p>\n On the investment front, Disney is all in. The experiences business is in the midst of a 10-year, $60-billion expansion project<\/a> that would add new themed lands to parks around the world, including at Anaheim\u2019s Disneyland Resort. The company also is building a park in Abu Dhabi and added new cruise ships.<\/p>\n In the near term, however, are concerns about \u201cinternational visitation headwinds\u201d at Disney\u2019s U.S. parks. The company signaled in its most recent earnings call that those foreign visitor trends could contribute to \u201cmodest\u201d operating income growth for the experiences division in the fiscal second quarter, along with pre-launch costs for a new cruise ship and an upcoming \u201cFrozen\u201d land in Disneyland Paris.<\/p>\n To keep attendance rates up, the company shifted its marketing and promotional focus to a more domestic audience, said Hugh Johnston, senior executive vice president and chief financial officer, on the earnings call. But stock analysts \u2014 and D\u2019Amaro \u2014 undoubtedly will be keeping an eye on international attendance rates and what that will mean for the theme parks going forward.<\/p>\n The part of the company with the potential to drive the most growth, analysts say, is its streaming business.<\/p>\n After recording billions of dollars in losses, Disney\u2019s streaming services, which included Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, finally reached profitability in 2024<\/a>. The company\u2019s next goal is to reach 10% operating margins in its entertainment streaming business comprised of Disney+ and Hulu \u2014 a milestone that would give investors confidence in its vision.<\/p>\n To get there, continued investment in local language content will be a key priority to increase international subscriptions, as well as bolstering the tech that powers the platforms and provides recommendations.<\/p>\n In short, D\u2019Amaro faces a choice.<\/p>\n \u201cSome investors are thinking, \u2018Will he choose to be the same? Or can he start a new era?\u2019\u201d asked Laurent Yoon, senior analyst at Bernstein.<\/p>\n At least one former Disney CEO has weighed in.<\/p>\n \u201cMy advice to Josh is continue Bob Iger\u2019s strategy that creativity will handle profits, always protect the brand, and keep close the words of Walt Disney: \u2018We love to entertain kings and queens, but the vital thing to remember is this \u2014 every guest receives the VIP treatment,\u2019\u201d Michael Eisner posted on social media last week<\/a>.<\/p>\n But D\u2019Amaro\u2019s own words provide an idea of what he\u2019s thinking. At a global town hall meeting with Disney employees last week, D\u2019Amaro spoke about the company\u2019s legacy \u2014 and its path forward.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are 100 years old, but we\u2019re 100 years young as well, willing to embrace new technology, new creators and new markets,\u201d he said. \u201cThat willingness to change and take risks is what keeps the brand going, and it\u2019s something I intend to continue to push on.\u201d<\/p>\n Post-apocalyptic horror film \u201cIron Lung\u201d has grossed $34.3 million in worldwide box office revenue, a remarkable number given the film\u2019s reported $3 million production budget and self-distribution route.<\/p>\n Written, directed and executive produced by YouTuber Mark Fischbach, who goes by the online alias of Markiplier and also stars in the film, \u201cIron Lung\u201d follows the story of a convict who sails a blood ocean in a submarine. The movie had a $17.8-million opening during the weekend of Jan. 30, placing it right behind Disney\u2019s 20th Century Studios\u2019 \u201cSend Help,\u201d which grossed about $19.1 million in its debut. \u201cIron Lung\u201d picked up an additional $6 million this past weekend.<\/p>\n Its success reignited the debate about self-distribution and the theatrical draw of content creators.<\/p>\n Since the Olympics started last week, I\u2019ve been all in on figure skating, a sport I\u2019ve watched since I was a kid who marveled at the artistry and athleticism of stars like Kristi Yamaguchi, Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano and Michelle Kwan.<\/p>\nStuff We Wrote<\/h2>\n
Film shoots<\/h2>\n
Number of the week<\/h2>\n
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<\/picture> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\nWhat I\u2019m watching<\/h2>\n