Interviewer Andrew Ross Sorkin read a letter written by Walt Disney himself during the Dealbook Conference, which reminded shareholders that the company’s founder would not be interested in the direction that Disney had taken in the intervening years. The letter read, “I’m a born experimenter. To this day, I don’t believe in sequels. I can’t follow popular cycles, I have to move on to new things. There are many new worlds to conquer. As a matter of fact, people have been asking us to make sequels ever since Mickey Mouse first became a star.”
In response, Bob Iger assured the attendees that Disney was not attempting to replicate the success of former projects, but rather only attempting to make more worthwhile stories. “Right now, we’re not thinking about making another ‘Mary Poppins,’ we never will,” he said. “Perhaps there’ll be other ventures with equal critical and financial success. But we know we cannot hit a home run with the bases loaded every time we go into play. We also know the only way we can even get to first base is by constantly going back and continuing to swing.”
As of this writing, Disney’s largest upcoming projects feature “Inside Out 2,” “Mufasa: The Lion King,” and a live-action adaptation of “Moana.” Conversely, Iger has previously suggested that the Marvel Cinematic Universe could see a noticeable decrease in sheer content quantity as early as March 2024.
