Just a year ago, Disney CEO Bob Iger was in the midst of an ongoing apology tour for the studio after a string of lukewarm box office returns. At a conference last November, he acknowledged that things had regressed and promised, as he regularly does, that Disney would focus on quality over quantity going forward. WondersLatest Indiana Jones and a handful of other movies disappointed.
“I’ve been very public about this, and I would say now, my first priority is to help the studio transform creatively,” he said.
Now he has something to brag about.
The company’s fiscal fourth quarter that ended in September was one of the best ever in the studio’s history. Pixar Inside Out 2 and Marvel Deadpool Wolverine The movie became one of the best movies of the year so far, setting box office records. Disney became the first studio to surpass $4 billion globally in 2024.
In an executive commentary on the numbers this morning, Iger and CFO Hugh Johnson noted the renewed creative power, “the result of the intense work we began two years ago to bring creativity back to the center of the company.”
They will take questions from analysts on the 8:30 a.m. ET call.
“We are encouraged by this momentum in our studio business as we enter the holiday season,” they said. Moana 2 later this month and Mufasa: Lion King in December. Titles in 2025 include Captain America: Brave New World, Lilo & Stitch, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ashes.
“By combining our intellectual property with our creative talents and a growing number of consumer touchpoints that extend our stories, today’s Disney hit movie delivers more value than ever before.”
The studio, located in content sales/licensing – one of the three divisions in Disney’s entertainment sector along with streaming and linear TV – saw revenue jump 39% to nearly $2.6 billion in the most recent quarter. It turned a profit of $316 million from a loss of $149 million.
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