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Disney Receiving Backlash Over ‘Howard’ Removal From Disney+ – Deadline

 1 year ago
source link: https://deadline.com/2023/05/disney-backlash-removal-howard-documentary-little-mermaid-lgbtq-1235373329/
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‘Howard’ Documentary Will Remain On Disney+; List Of Disney Streaming Removals Still Being Finalized – Update

The Little Mermaid lyricist documentary removed from Disney+ on eve of live-action film release

Walt Disney Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

UPDATE, 11:25 AM: Disney+’s documentary Howard will not be removed from the service.

“The list of titles coming off of Hulu and Disney+ next week is still being finalized,” a rep for the company said, indicating that there could be additional changes.

As revealed by Canal+ last week, Howard was on the list of titles Disney had sent to its international partners, informing them that they will be taken off the platform May 26. The authenticity of the list was confirmed by Deadline.

Since the titles were made public yesterday, Disney had received backlash over the pending removal of Howard — about famous lyricist Howard Ashman, a gay man, who co-wrote the songs for Disney’s Little Mermaid animated classic —  and its timing, on the eve of the release of the live-action Little Mermaid movie and LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

PREVIOUS, 10:28 AM: Disney is taking some heat following news yesterday that it will be removing dozens of titles from its Disney+ and Hulu streaming services on May 26, including some LGBTQ+-themed content.

On the list is Howard, the 2018 documentary film about the brilliant lyricist Howard Ashman, a gay man, who collaborated with composer Alan Menken on soundtracks for several Disney animated films including Beauty and the Beast, Under the Season, Friend Like Me and The Little Mermaid. As some have pointed out on social media, the removal of Howard is particularly noteworthy and upsetting as it comes days before release of the live-action The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey and Jonah Hauer-King, and also on the eve of LGBTQ Pride Month. Ashman died in 1991.

One commenter wrote, “Did you enjoy Disney’s The Little Mermaid in theaters? Then come to Disney+ where we spit on the grave of the man responsible for it by removing the excellent documentary film HOWARD” I am paralyzed with fury right now.”

Another wrote: “Disney+ is removing Howard, the documentary about the man who literally saved that company, as well as their only real acknowledgment of a queer figurehead within the studio, right before Pride month. It’s time for Gay Wrath.”

Another Disney series which is being pulled from the service, Willow, also has an LGBTQ+ focus. One commenter wrote: “Another disturbing aspect here with the removal of #Willow, it’s one of their few LGBTQ+ projects. Certainly sends the wrong kind of message in the wake of Disney’s fight with DeSantis and anti-LGBTQ+ politics. Feels icky they’re removing it and sort caves to these bigots.”

The move, which comes with a content impairment charge of $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion, was announced during the recent Disney earnings call on May 10. The nearly 60 affected titles that have emerged consist largely of short-lived original series, direct-to-streaming movies and specials.

“We are in the process of reviewing the content on our DTC services to align with the strategic changes in our approach to content curation,” CFO Christine McCarthy said. At the time, no details were provided on the content that would be removed.

Deadline has reached out to GLAAD for comment on the removals.

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  • Anonymous on May 20, 2023 4:35 pm

    Removing content is disgusting, wether they’re LGBTQ+ or not.

  • Patrick on May 19, 2023 8:16 pm

    I think blockbuster would have closed all of its stores sooner if the wholesaler who sold them the video tapes started charging them rent on the rentals.

    The people who worked on the show should get royalties on their work when they are played on a streaming service, but this business of charging the streamer to host the content isn’t viable. It cost electricity money to host and serve content.

  • Courtney on May 19, 2023 7:45 pm

    It’s well past time for Disney to stop trying to play to both sides. Just do the right damn thing and stop allowing bigots to dictate content decisions.

  • Sam on May 19, 2023 2:16 pm

    As long as Disney+ exists this documentary should be on there. They owe Howard that at least!

  • Keep it loud, folks on May 19, 2023 1:54 pm

    Keep the outcry coming, folks. WHy doesn’t Iger take a 10 billion salary reduction? Boom, 2 billion in savings and then some, no art removed.

    At least save the shows that constitute Disney+’s LGBT rep

    Howard – saved
    Big Shot – First lesbian kiss / relationship in DISNEY live action overall
    Willow – Most developed lesbian relationship in DISNEY history
    Diary of a Future President – 2nd gay coming out story in live action (behind Andi Mack)

    And save Marvel’s Hero Project and MPower docuseries – one is made to empower real life little heroes and ther other women… very tone deaf to remove. The latter is only 2 months old.

    Let’s also keep some original live action series that aren’t superheroes and star wars? How about Mighty Ducks, Turner & Hooch and Mysterious Benedict Society.

    And keep the franchise films, like Cheaper by the Dozen, both Stargirls, etc.

    THis isn’t complicated and would still result in MANY unscripted titles going. Nobody will miss Shop Class or Rogue Trip except those getting royalties.

    The cuts don’t have to be stupid.

    Also, WBD didn’t spare anything. We took Disney by surprise, they already spared Howard. Keep it going. We already have a chance to save more.

    • EGP on May 19, 2023 6:57 pm

      Oh my goodness, this ISN’T a Gay decision. It is a moronic decision by bean counters, who cannot count. Unscripted shows generally have little or no residuals anyway so it is odd they are including those at all. If the costs are associated with renewing music options then re-mix with library music instead. Any talent on unscripted shows are typically overscale and if more than double overscale then the overage can be credited against residuals due as well.
      By campaigning to put titles back because of LGBTQAA+ issues, the focus then becomes about that instead of the deluded rationale that these shows cost too much to keep them on the service. Howard is a terrific documentary and should never be taken down.

    • Anonymous on May 19, 2023 6:24 pm

      No one is watching these shows, why should Disney+ keep them on the site. Disney knows exactly who and when they watch a show and for how long. Unlike network Disney has far more data than you can imagine. That’s why streaming services drop shows all the time, they have the data networks don’t.

      • Anonymous on May 19, 2023 8:34 pm

        And it costs nothing to keep it on a server for “no one” to watch it.

        Think you’re intelligent but you’re not.

        • Anonymous on May 20, 2023 12:20 pm

          Oh, hon. Tell us you don’t work in the industry without telling us you don’t work in the industry.

  • Anonymous II on May 19, 2023 12:50 pm

    Are these shows destroyed or are they held in a kind of purgatory, or vault, until such time the studio wants to, and can, release them again in some form? The idea that they are taking creativity, regardless of it being good or bad, and throwing it away like trash is repulsive.

    The possible legacy of that creativity being lost to their creators and not having anything to show family, friends, and colleagues is disheartening let alone no longer getting income from it. Do they get a copy in some form to have and say, “I did this.”?

    Destroying something for the insurance money is illegal. This seems similar and should be too.

    The streamers are badly managed in more ways than one. One possible solution is to, maybe, rotate content in and out on a three to four month basis. How about better organization on the site to find these shows and films? How about actually promoting them? Regular e-mails letting subscribers know of ALL new content on a weekly/monthly basis should be a no-brainer. Stop e-mailing us the “We have a new movie you might like” type garbage. They could also do so for content leaving the streamers.

    When you are a company like Disney pushing Marvel and Star Wars at the expense of other content you are creating and/or acquiring, what did they expect?

    This is probably the “tip of the iceberg” to start fixing things.

    • Juan Pablo on May 19, 2023 3:00 pm

      They are not writing them as tax-offs, just taking them off Disney+/Hulu. They could still (theorically) air somewhere else.

      • Anonymous II on May 19, 2023 10:11 pm

        They are taking a “content impairment charge”. If you Google that, it seems to mean, basically, writing off a loss for something deemed worthless, or nearly so. What I do not know is if they can ever bring the content they are removing for this back in any way – streaming again, their cable TV networks, syndication, DVD, whatever. Is it completely trashed or held until they can financially reclaim them again? Does it only apply to the streaming service only or all methods of presenting that content in some form? Are they burning down the house or locking it up for a financial winter?

        What about WB/Discovery’s footage from “Batgirl”? Is that trashed or held onto for any reason? There have been past instances of films sitting on a shelf for a few years or so before getting released, but doubt this is the same, in part due to it being unfinished.

  • Anonymous on May 19, 2023 12:22 pm

    It’s my understanding that these shows and movies are being removed from Disney+ because no one was watching them. So … where the hell was all this support when it was originally available?

  • Anonymous on May 19, 2023 12:15 pm

    Why is everyone in media so afraid to call out this blatant discrimination against gay and minority TV shows that’s going on with streamers right now?

  • mr pop on May 19, 2023 12:12 pm

    The most important element of the documentary is how much influence Howard Ashman had on the film as a producer. Yes, he wrote the lyrics for the songs, but his impact on the film far surpasses that. This is a very important documentary for that story, as well as the general creation of the animated film that virtually saved WD Studios.

  • Anonymous on May 19, 2023 11:49 am

    This documentary is wonderful. So glad more people will be able to see it and appreciate Howard’s genius and know his story.

  • Anonymous on May 19, 2023 11:39 am

    Thank you for finally bringing this to the attention of Disney+, and thank god it will stay. Howard Ashman is an important part of Disney’s legacy and a musical genius and his story, even from before he and Alan Menken created their partnership, needs to continue to be told.

  • Anonymous on May 19, 2023 10:39 am

    In Disney’s defense, they were terrible at including LGBT stories before DeSantis too. Sure, they’re bad now, but we have to remember that they were also just as bad before.

    • Pink Ceiling on May 19, 2023 5:49 pm

      There’s no defense. Howard and other gay talent not only saved the company in its hayday but gave them IP to remake to the present day. Quite simply the old Disney of the 1940s-50s might have aged out and the true Disney we know today is from their work in the 90s due to gay men. The right thing to do would be to acknowledge it publicly in 2023 and make gay creative talent and stories not something you have to hide in shame or be embarrassed by which it feels as if they do. Why no gay CEOs being considered as well? Google the pink ceiling and you may find your answer. This is not just Disney but with all the studios content and top ceos. Warner Bros, NBC Universal, Sony, Fox (Dis), etc…


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