While the '90s were a golden age for Walt Disney Animation with timeless hits like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, the early 2000s told a different story with a string of box office disappointments. However, one of the era's flops just justified its cult classic status by topping the Disney+ streaming charts.
Disney's The Emperor's New Groove finally pulled the right lever and is currently the #1 movie on the U.S. Disney+ streaming charts. First released in December of 2000, the irreverent comedy centered on the egotistical Emperor Kuzco who's transformed into a llama by his ex-advisor. The film was considered a disappointment alongside other Disney animated movies like Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Planet.
But now, after 25 years, The Emperor's New Groove has finally earned that top spot and currently rules as the most watched movie within Disney's streaming library. Joining Kuzco in his long-awaited glory is 2011's Rio, which is surprisingly not an original Disney film, at #2, followed by 2003's Freaky Friday on the heels of Freakier Friday's recent release (check out the Coleman family tree here!), and 1998's The Parent Trap, which also happens to star Lindsay Lohan. Coming in at the fifth spot is Hulu's The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, followed by FX's Alien Earth, The Incredibles, Hulu's Eenie Meanie, Rio 2, and 2002's Ice Age as #10.
Starring David Spade as Emperor Kuzco, John Goodman as Pacha, Eartha Kitt as Yzma, and Patrick Warburton as Kronk, The Emperor's New Groove is a buddy comedy set during the Incan Empire. Unlike other Disney animated movies, the film was a departure from its predecessors in that it broke the fourth wall, wasn't a musical, and was filled with snappy, sarcastic, and even absurd one-liners. Upon its release and with the exception of Fantasia 2000, The Emperor's New Groove raked in the lowest box office earnings of any Disney animated movie since the 1980s (via Polygon).
Did Disney's Film Finally Find Its Groove?
Even though The Emperor's New Groove landed amongst Dinosaur and Atlantis: The Lost Empire in terms of ticket sales, the movie found a wider audience when it released on home media and has since been hailed an underrated animated gem. Therefore, it's only poetic that The Emperor's New Groove would prove its worth on streaming as audiences revisit the film.
As for the timing of this redemption story and why the 2000-era film suddenly rocketed to the top spot in the charts, one possibility is the fact that buddy comedy is turning 25 years old this year. In fact, Disney is commemorating The Emperor's New Groove's anniversary at Destination D23 in the coming days, as well as offering another Marvel and Star Wars showcase for 2025.
It's also possible that new audiences are just now discovering the animated film, and it may register even more with subscribers today, given its style feels modern and is closer to today's spirit of animated comedies than the sweeping, dramatic Disney epics of the 1990s.
