Disney's Strange World received the worst Audience Score in Disney animation history.
The Dom Hall and Qui Nguyen-directed epic marks the 61st animated film from the animated movie giant, following the Clades family as they explore the mysterious planet, Avalonia.
The film has been a source of controversy in its lead-up to release, as a number of countries banned the film for its on-screen LGBTQIA+ representation. It has also been met with middling critical reception early in its theatrical run, currently sitting at a 75% on Rotten Tomatoes.
It is hard to tell whether Strange World will thrive going into the Holiday season, but its Audience Score might be an indication that the future is all that bright for Disney's latest.
Strange World Gets a B Grade
Disney's latest blockbuster, Strange World, received the worst Audience Score in the Studio's storied animation history.
The Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, and Gabrielle Union-led film got a "B" rating CinemaScore from moviegoers, putting it on the same level as films like Amsterdam, Tenet, and Micheal Bay's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
As mentioned above, this is the worst mark for a Disney animated film and the only one to drop below an "A-." The earliest recorded film from the Disney with this rating is 1991's Beauty and the Beast.
CinemaScore is a calculated average of ratings given by moviegoers straight out of the theaters, so it's entirely based on the initial reaction of the general public.
The full list of Walt Disney Animation Studios Cinemascores can be seen below, in release order:
- Beauty and the Beast: A+
- Aladdin: A+
- The Lion King: A+
- Pocahontas: A−
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame: A
- Hercules: A
- Mulan: A+
- Tarzan: A
- Fantasia 2000: [No data]
- Dinosaur: A
- The Emperor’s New Groove: A
- Atlantis: The Lost Empire: A
- Lilo & Stitch: A
- Treasure Planet: A–
- Brother Bear: A
- Home on the Range: A–
- Chicken Little: A–
- Meet the Robinsons: A–
- Bolt: A–
- The Princess and the Frog: A
- Tangled: A+
- Winnie the Pooh: A–
- Wreck-It Ralph: A
- Frozen: A+
- Big Hero 6: A
- Zootopia: A
- Moana: A
- Ralph Breaks the Internet: A–
- Frozen 2: A–
- Raya and the Last Dragon: A
- Encanto: A
- Strange World: B
Is Disney's Strange World In Trouble?
Disney's Strange World was going to have an uphill battle right from the get-go.
It is an animated sci-fi adventure that takes its inspiration from pulp magazines of the early 20th century. The film was also a niche title from the start, with the idea that star power and the Disney name could carry it to the general audience.
If Strange World was good enough to earn positive reception through word of mouth, then perhaps it could be a hit. However, the combination of lackluster reviews and this negative record-breaking Cinemascore could spell the doom of Disney's latest blockbuster.
Of course, all this has to be taken with the biggest grain of salt, as Audience Score is not a scientific metric by any means. It is merely a calculation of reactions tabulated immediately following a movie's conclusion.
To put this into perspective, earlier in Summer 2022, Thor: Love and Thunder received a "B+" Cinemascore, putting it in the same conversation as critical flops like David Ayer's Suicide Squad and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. While Love and Thunder was not perfect by any means, it seems a little ridiculous to say it is on the same level as some of the worst movies in comic book film history.
So, all that is to say this "B" mark should not be the mark do death for Disney's newest animated feature.
Strange World is in theaters worldwide now.
