Back in August, Disney had announced that a King Kong show was in early stages of development for Disney+. It was going to be produced under James Wan's studio Atomic Monster Productions and the script would be written by Stephany Folsom. Since then, news on the show has been radio silent, but it was to be expected as it was in pre-production at the time. However, other stuff has happened that could have affected the show's production and the writers strike is one of those.
What is the writers strike about? Well, what is the one thing everyone needs to live comfortably? The answer is money. Without money you can't pay your bills, pay your taxes, buy groceries, buy gas for your car, pay rent, pay for insurance, pay for those streaming services that cost a monthly subscription fee, that Starbucks frappuccino you like to get on a daily basis, etc. You must have money to afford all of these things. When a movie or tv show makes money, writers get a cut of that money.
According to Variety, the Writers Guild of America claims that cuts of the profits earned has been shrinking smaller and smaller. The weekly minimum for a staff writer on television show from 2019-2020 was $4,546. They work at an average of 29 weeks on a network show for $131,834 annually, or an average of 20 weeks on a streaming show for $90,920.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents all of Hollywood's studios, streamers, and production companies, claims the writers' demands require keeping these writers on staff and paid when they're not needed. AMPTP has tried to negotiate with the Writers Guild on generous increases in compensation, which include the highest first-year wage increase in a WGA contract in more than 25 years and the creation of a new category of rates that would require a new, higher minimum wage for mid-level writers. Yet, the Writers Guild are asking for more than that.
Now, multiple films and tv shows going into production are put on pause and according to our favorite insider Königreich der Monster (KdM) this has also affected production on Disney's King Kong series. KdM has been a trusted insider source for all information regarding the Monsterverse and other monster movies and tv shows. I must warn to take any insider information with a grain of salt as it is unconfirmed information. It would not be surprising if this show's production is put on pause. As I have stated, it was in very early development when the show was first announced back in August 2022.
On top of that, Disney's Q2 earnings report revealed Disney has suffered a LOSS of $659 million, which was after Disney reported the day before a loss of 4 million Disney+ subscribers. These losses in revenue and subscriber count is not coming from the writers strike. Rather this is coming from their main audience (who are children and families) no longer trusting the Disney brand. Disney has got themselves in quite a political pickle when they decided to add suggestive ideas into their films and shows. Parents feel attacked when a corporation decides to undermine the parent's authority over what children should be exposed to. Once their audience and their trust are lost so does the money corporations need to stay standing.
Lastly, Disney has lost that spark of magic they once had. Disney was once regarded as the studio that families can look for family-friendly entertainment. Finding Nemo, Wall-E, Toy Story, The Princess and the Frog, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Lilo and Stitch, Monsters Inc., Treasure Planet, Mighty Joe Young, Hercules, Tarzan, The Lion King, The Santa Clause, and so much more before 2017 gave kids memories of the magic Disney once had. They were fun, creative, memorable, and told great stories. What does Disney have now? Soulless live-action remakes, mediocre Marvel movies and shows, and a series of Star Wars shows and movies that lack any coherent direction.
If this was past Disney doing this King Kong show I would be all excited for it. Since this is current Disney, I am very cautious and nowhere near excited as I would be for a Godzilla or Monsterverse movie. The writers strike is only temporary and all of the shows that paused production will go back into production eventually. Yet, Disney's loss in quarterly earnings and subscriber numbers says to me their audience no longer trusts them and that loss of trust could hurt the King Kong show in the long run.
What are your thoughts on Disney's King Kong show being put on pause and how Disney losing revenue and subscribers? Do you think all of this could affect the show's performance in the long run? Leave a comment in the comments section of your thoughts on the King Kong show and Disney. Make sure to follow me on Facebook, Minds, MeWe, Gab, and TRUTH Social to stay up to date for more news, reviews, and discussions.