Disney Plus has sparked a backlash from its subscribers after it removed one of its original sci-fi movies less than two months after its release. Crater, a movie produced by the makers of Stranger Things, was pulled from the streaming service on June 30, 2023, without any notice or explanation.
Crater, which cost $53.4 million to make, premiered on Disney Plus on May 12, 2023. It told the story of a boy named Caleb (played by Mckenna Grace) who lives in a lunar mining colony in the year 2257. When his father dies in a mining accident, Caleb is told he’s being transferred to Omega, an Earth-like planet, at the behest of his dad’s last will and testament. With just 72 hours left before he departs, Caleb enlists his three best friends for one last, moon-bound adventure. They travel to a crater – one with apparently extraordinary views – that Caleb’s dad promised to him before his untimely death.
The movie received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, but it was not a complete flop. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds 64% and 63% ratings respectively from critics and everyday viewers. However, that did not stop Disney from axing the movie after only seven weeks on its platform, earning it the dubious record of being the first film in Disney Plus’ history to spend less than two months on the service.
Many Disney Plus subscribers expressed their anger and frustration on social media, as they were not given any heads up or reason for the removal of the movie. Some of them had planned to watch Crater but missed their chance, while others wanted to rewatch it and found it gone.
“@DisneyPlus can you guys give us heads up when you’re gonna yank shows or films off. Was gonna watch Crater this week. If I knew it would be gone I would have watched it last week. This is insane. Looked like a cool story. What sucks can’t find it on iTunes either so guess I will…” tweeted Ray Abu Salim.
“Tried to rewatch the excellent Crater on @DisneyPlus only to find it’s been inexplicably deleted. It’s only been 3 weeks since I watched it. It’s like the pre-VCR era when missing a show meant it was gone, but at least then it was free. Why am I even paying for these services?” wrote Trike.
“@DisneyPlus wtf….Crater came out less than 2 months ago and it’s already gone, no notice. Enough of this crap. Release the stuff on physical media or keep it on your streaming service. This just deleting content is completely idiotic.” posted DH.
The removal of Crater was part of Disney’s strategy to cut costs and content on its streaming services, which also affected other shows like Willow. Disney CEO Bob Iger is targeting $3 billion in savings in 2023 and has taken a content impairment charge of $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion.
Disney’s new strategic approach to content curation combined with the mass exodus of content from platforms such as Max has raised some questions about media preservation. With few receiving physical releases, more and more titles seem fated to disappear from existence entirely.
“Analysts suggest media companies may have stumbled upon a controversial strategy for tax reduction and lower licensing fees,” reported Gamespot.
Crater’s exit leaves a giant hole in Disney Plus’ library and in the hearts of its fans. Will Disney ever bring back the movie or explain why it was removed? Will other original movies suffer the same fate? Only time will tell, but for now, many subscribers are feeling disappointed and betrayed by the streamer.
Relevant articles:
– Disney Plus Angers Subscribers After Pulling Original Sci-Fi Movie Less Than Two Months After Release, IGN, July 5, 2023
– Disney Plus Removes New Movie From Stranger Things Producers And People Are Upset, Gamespot, July 5, 2023
– Disney Plus Removes 7 Week Old Original Sci-Fi Movie From Streaming With No Warning, MSN, July 4, 2023
– Disney Plus’ recent movie Crater just earned an embarrassing record that no one wants, TechRadar, July 5, 2023