Disney sentences classic 20th Century Fox films to the vault

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Although John Locke popularized the economic concept of "supply and demand" in 1691, the concept itself goes back almost 2000 years. Now whether or not the good folks at Disney are students of classic economics is probably up for debate, however they certainly know how to create artificial scarcity. The House of Mouse has been notorious for putting classics like CINDERELLA and SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS into their vault, releasing them again every few years, returning them to the vault, and then repeating the cycle. It's a strategy that's continually generated revenue for decades.Well it seems as if Disney is about to apply that strategy to their newly acquired catalog of 20th Century Fox films.

Ever since the completion of Disney's merger with Fox earlier this year, speculation has run wild as to what precisely Disney was going to do with 20th Century Fox movies. According to an exclusive story courtesy of Vulture, since the merger, Disney has repeatedly canceled previously agreed upon screenings of Fox films at multiple theaters. Furthermore, the company has also denied requests for new bookings to these same theaters. Their reasoning? Crickets.

Disney's latest move could be devastating for small theaters that survive on showing classic films like ALIEN and FIGHT CLUB in order to stay in business. I know of at least two theaters near me whose main source of income comes from screening old movies. Of even further concern is if Disney's ploy applies to physical media like Blu-rays and DVDs. Could titles like THE PRINCESS BRIDE and DIE HARD suddenly become unavailable for extended periods of time? As the Magic 8-Ball once said, "All signs point to yes."

It stands to reason that the company Mickey built is making this move in order to drive the public toward the new Disney+, where many of these 20th Century Fox titles may be exclusive to the streaming platform. Another possibility is that Disney just wants to exude total control over their catalog of films, much like an 80s kid hoarding his He-Man action figures unless someone gives him a chocolate bar.

I have to say this is an absolutely horrible look for Disney. People have been decrying this acquisition since the merger occurred and moves like this only serve to reinforce their fears. Couple this latest news with Disney's routine "block booking" practices and the company begins to look less like the kind hearted Goofy and more like Peg-Leg Pete.

Disney+ launches November 12.