Disney Seeks Original IPs to Win Back Gen-Z Men

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Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty aren’t the only ones looking for a prince.

Leadership at Walt Disney Studios has been pressing Hollywood creatives in recent months, multiple sources tell Variety, for movies that will bring young men back to the brand in a meaningful way. “Young men” is defined here by sources as ages 13-28, aka Gen Z.

First, duh. Every film studio is looking for better ways to convert young audiences into habitual moviegoers. Numerous studies show that Gen Z men in particular are a lonely, gaming-obsessed group who were hampered in their formative years by COVID-19 lockdowns — not the easiest segment to grasp. But what’s surprising producers, writers and other partners in the larger industry is that Disney has been calling for original concepts to lure the demo back to the movies.

This is the same Disney whose multibillion-dollar content engines, Marvel and Lucasfilm, have sated men of all ages over almost two decades since the company acquired them. The sources say Disney has been seeking new IP and pitches such as splashy global adventures and treasure hunts, as well as seasonal fare like films for the Halloween corridor. The calls come as the Star Wars machine struggles to produce any film project and the superhero genre sheds audiences by the minute.

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When the execution is correct, Disney’s sweet spot at the movies has been millennials. That generation rabidly consumed classic vault titles like “The Lion King,” “101 Dalmatians” and “Lilo & Stitch” as kids. Now, they bring their children in droves to see live-action reboots. (This year’s billion-dollar grosser “Lilo & Stitch” over-indexed with men and boys, Disney previously said.) Gen Z is a different story.

Built-in interest is not nearly as guaranteed for such an audience, which propelled Warner Bros.’ “A Minecraft Movie” to nearly a billion-dollar haul. That was a game Gen Z played as very small kids. Not to mention the euphoric viral moments it created for young men filming key moments inside multiplexes and sharing them on platforms like Tik- Tok. (See also Universal Pictures’ “Gentleminions” trend in 2022, when Gen Z bros packed theaters in suits and ties for “Minions: The Rise of Gru.”)

As it stands, Disney is in line with Sony Pictures and Paramount in its market share for Gen Z (10% of ticket buyers in 2024). That’s two points above Universal and two points below Warners. But Disney is not leaving the job of courting Gen Z entirely up to the film group. Concurrent to Greenbaum’s hire, the corporation bought a $1.5 billion equity stake in gaming juggernaut “Fortnite,” which will incorporate Disney’s iconic stable of characters. Two sources say Disney does not, however, enjoy movie rights to “Fortnite” itself, which would seem a no-brainer in luring Gen Z to theaters.

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