Disney has been torn between two extremes at the box office this past week.
On one hand, its freshest Marvel offering, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever seems to be effortlessly dominating international box offices, skating past the $675 million mark at the weekend. On the other, its latest animation release, Strange World, which was released in the US during the Thanksgiving holiday, has been disastrously underperforming.
The film, which tells the story of a family of explorers and stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Lucy Liu, has raked in about $18.5 million in the five days since its release. Several publications, including Variety, are predicting it is going to lose about $100 million in its theatrical run.
As far as ticket sales are concerned, Strange World has now had one of Disney’s worst opening weekends. There have been, however, even worse performers.
We take a look at six other Disney bombs, some of which can’t escape our memories quickly enough and others that have since gone on to become cult classics.
Turning Red (2022)
It’s difficult to imagine a Pixar film not only bombing at the box office but becoming the Tsar Bomba of Hollywood history. It’s a shame because Turning Red was actually a pretty good film.
A charming story about a teenage girl, 13, who transforms into a giant red panda whenever she gets overly excited, Turning Red lost about $168 million, raking in only $20 million at the global box office. This was, in large part, due to Disney’s decision to forgo a theatrical run in favour of releasing the film on its streaming platform Disney+.
Still, the film proved to be a critical success. It has a 95 per cent certified fresh rating on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics' consensus reading: “Heartwarming, humorous, beautifully animated and culturally expansive, Turning Red extends Pixar's long list of family-friendly triumphs.”
Mulan (2020)
The live-action remake of the beloved 1998 film did not fare as well as the original, which made $300 million at the box office. The 2020 film, though visually spectacular, lacked the heart and soul that made the animated Mulan a cult classic. The film was also released in the thick of the pandemic, which hampered its box office earnings. After several delays, Disney opted to release it on its streaming service, though many countries outside the US did enjoy a theatrical run.
In the end, Mulan brought in $70 million, half of which came from China alone. It had an estimated loss of more than $180 million.
The Lone Ranger (2013)
This Johnny Depp-starring Western needed about $650 million worldwide just to break even. This was supposed to be Disney’s box office comeback in 2013, a year after the enormous flop that was John Carter. However, if anything, the film seemed to sustain its performance anxiety. The Lone Ranger came out in the US during the same time as Despicable Me 2, and though it cost three times more to make, earned only a third of what the animated comedy raked in.
In the end, The Lone Ranger lost an estimated $104 million.
John Carter (2012)
The star-studded John Carter, which featured Willem Dafoe, Bryan Cranston, Dominic West and Taylor Kitsch in the title role, grossed almost $300 million internationally. Despite this, the film was considered a flop due to its immense production and marketing costs, with experts estimating that it needed $600 million in ticket sales to break-even.
Mars Needs Moms (2011)
Up until the pandemic, Mars Needs Moms was Disney’s worst-performing film, and it didn’t have Turning Red’s saving grace of being critically well-received.
The film tells the story of a boy, 9, who sets out to rescue his mother from Martians. It cost $150 million to make and grossed less than $40 million worldwide.
Treasure Planet (2002)
This science-fiction rendition of the classic 1882 novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson has become a bit of a cult classic, despite its lukewarm performance at the box office. The film tells the story of a rebellious teen who is given a map by a dying pirate to a mysterious Treasure Planet, nudging him into an interstellar odyssey.
Treasure Planet had a budget of $140 million, making it one of the most expensive traditionally animated films ever made. It fused together CGI with hand-drawn animations, making it a visual spectacle that was leaps and bounds ahead of anything else at its time. Sadly, its release date, which coincided with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, hampered its box office performance, resulting in a $74 million loss for Disney.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
RESULT
Manchester City 1 Sheffield United 0
Man City: Jesus (9')
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
T20 SQUADS
Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Hussain Talat, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shinwari, Hassan Ali, Imad Wasim, Waqas Maqsood, Faheem Ashraf.
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
More on Quran memorisation:
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
