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In an attempt to court Gen Z, Disney has been seeking new IP and pitches for seasonal fare like films for the Halloween corridor. Gen Z is the most frequent moviegoing generation, and it also spends the most on premium large formats like IMAX and concessions. Disney, like the rest of the industry, took notice when Gen Z powered recent hits like Obsession and Backrooms.
This is not to say we will see straight horror films under The Walt Disney Studios banner; save those for 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures. However, Disney seems to be intrigued by more spooky and supernatural stories that can cater to Gen Z and also fit within the lucrative Halloween corridor.
It’s unclear if previous Disney supernatural films like the comedy Spooked and The Graveyard Book are still in development, as those projects predate the new leadership at The Walt Disney Studios and the current Gen Z push. Spooked was a supernatural Halloween comedy about a group of trick-or-treaters transformed into the costumes they were wearing. It was originally intended for Disney+. The Graveyard Book follows a young boy who is raised by graveyard ghosts following his family’s murder. The film has been stuck in development for numerous reasons, and development on the film was actually paused due to sexual assault allegations against The Graveyard Book author Neil Gaiman. However, it is worth noting that the project has been mentioned by some media outlets in passing fairly recently.
Even if Spooked and The Graveyard Book don’t make it out of their lengthy development, it’s become abundantly clear Disney is targeting Halloween-centric IP that has spooky, supernatural, or even horror vibes. Part of me is shocked Disney isn’t mining its own library to find new Halloween-centric IP.
- For years, I’ve suggested a theatrical adaptation of Halloweentown (either live-action or animated), as that universe could have massive potential on an even larger canvas.
- Disney seems to be a bit obsessed with developing villain-centric films like Maleficent and the rumored Gaston. What about more obscure chances like The Headless Horseman or The Horned King?
- There’s plenty of spooky Disney IP to go around, but the crown jewel would be the Haunted Mansion. Could Disney finally throw the kitchen sink to get Guillermo del Toro and Ryan Gosling to do a Haunted Mansion film? That would likely give Disney its best shot at a critical and commercial Haunted Mansion hit.
Walt Disney Studios is actively searching for new IP, and that is the basis of one of my upcoming reports on the studio.
However, we know for sure that they want to court this Gen Z demographic, and they want to bring back different genre flavors like Halloween and spooky films. As October comes to a close, it will be fascinating to see what Disney’s future spooky slate may look like.
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Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
