Walt Disney Studios is making a bold pivot in its content strategy, urgently seeking to recapture the attention of young male audiences after a string of box office disappointments and shifting cultural tides. The move comes hot on the heels of the extraordinary success of A Minecraft Movie, which wrapped up its theatrical run in July 2025 with a staggering $955 million in global box office receipts. The film, starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black, not only became the tenth highest-grossing movie in Warner Bros. history but also emerged as the top-grossing film of 2025, according to Variety. This achievement has sent ripples through the industry, prompting Disney to rethink its approach to attracting Generation Z and Generation Alpha viewers—especially young men.
Analysis of A Minecraft Movie's opening weekend revealed a strong concentration of viewers in the 13-24 age bracket, with the 18-24 and 13-17 groups showing particular enthusiasm. This demographic, largely shaped by the COVID-19 lockdowns, is described as heavily gaming-focused and, at times, socially isolated. As Fiction Horizon reported, studios have always sought to convert young audiences into regular moviegoers, but Disney’s latest push is more direct than ever: the studio is actively soliciting pitches for global adventures and treasure hunts—genres that have traditionally resonated with young male audiences.
This urgent search for fresh ideas is being overseen by David Greenbaum, who replaced Sean Bailey in 2024 as the head of Disney’s live-action film business. Greenbaum’s mandate is clear: find new intellectual properties (IPs) and original concepts that will appeal to young men aged 13 to 28. The strategy is not limited to just one label; it’s part of a broader company-wide effort to win back a demographic that has become increasingly elusive for legacy studios. As Variety and Daily Mail both confirm, Disney’s leadership is pressuring Hollywood creatives to deliver stories that will draw this audience back into theaters.
The urgency of this shift is underscored by recent setbacks. Disney’s once-unshakable brands—Marvel and Star Wars—are not the box office powerhouses they once were. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has grossed over $34 billion to date, is reportedly losing audience film by film. Meanwhile, Star Wars hasn’t seen a theatrical release since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, leaving a notable gap in Disney’s slate of male-skewing blockbusters.
Other recent attempts to capture young male audiences have also faltered. The 2023 release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny—a franchise historically popular with men—flopped at the box office. More damaging, perhaps, was the critical and commercial failure of the Snow White remake in early 2025, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. The film was lambasted by critics for its so-called “woke” changes, including the controversial decision to replace the classic dwarves with CGI “magical creatures.” This move sparked outrage among actors with dwarfism, who called Disney’s reliance on computer-generated characters “absurd” and “discriminating.”
Critics were unsparing. Daily Mail’s Brian Viner gave Snow White two out of five stars, describing it as a “painfully muddle-headed affair” and a “pallid reimagining.” He did, however, acknowledge Zegler’s talent. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw was even harsher, awarding the film just one star and labeling it a “pointless” and “exhaustingly awful reboot” with “tiresome pseudo-progressive additions that tie the whole thing in knots.” Bradshaw lamented, “Those otherwise estimable performers Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot are now forced to go through the motions, and they give the dullest performances of their lives.”
Despite these stumbles, Disney has not lost its box office magic entirely. The studio scored several billion-dollar hits over the past year, including Lilo & Stitch and Moana 2. Looking ahead, Disney is banking on more big wins with upcoming releases such as Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash, both expected to cross the billion-dollar threshold. The Freaky Friday sequel, Freakier Friday, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, has already grossed double its budget, offering some reassurance that the studio’s formula still holds appeal for certain segments of the audience.
However, the competitive landscape is shifting rapidly. Warner Bros., Disney’s longtime rival, has found remarkable success with films that specifically target young male viewers. In addition to A Minecraft Movie, their recent Superman reboot also performed strongly at the box office. These successes have only increased the pressure on Disney to adapt and innovate.
Disney’s new approach is not without precedent. Recent hits like Inside Out 2—which grossed over $1.7 billion worldwide and became the highest-grossing animated movie of all time—demonstrate the power of connecting with Gen Z audiences. Similarly, 2022’s The Rise of Gru triggered the viral #GentleMinions trend on TikTok, drawing large numbers of teenagers and young adults to theaters. These examples suggest that, while the tastes of young viewers are evolving, they are far from unreachable if studios are willing to take creative risks.
Yet, taking those risks means moving away from tried-and-true formulas. As Screen Rant notes, venturing into original content and video game-focused projects—genres that speak directly to Gen Z’s gaming-centric culture—could be Disney’s best bet for securing its future. The studio recognizes that the formative years of this generation were shaped by pandemic-era isolation and digital interaction, making them more receptive to stories that reflect their experiences and interests.
For Disney, the path forward is clear but challenging. The studio must balance the need to innovate with the risk of alienating its traditional audience. As one industry observer put it, “Disney’s contorted attempts not to offend anyone have somehow managed to offend everyone.” The studio’s willingness to embrace fresh ideas, even at the expense of nostalgia and established brands, will determine whether it can reclaim its status as the premier destination for young moviegoers.
With David Greenbaum at the helm and a renewed focus on original storytelling, Disney is betting big on the tastes and habits of a new generation. Whether this gamble will pay off remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the race to win over Gen Z men has never been more intense, and Hollywood’s next blockbuster could come from the most unexpected of places.
