Disney Cancels Release of Its Biggest Box Office Flop of 2025

Disney has had a mixed year at the box office. While Zootopia 2 became the highest-grossing Hollywood movie of 2025, Disney also released its worst-performing film of the year, Ella McCay.

Now, Disney has decided to cancel the movie’s upcoming French release, which was scheduled for January 7. The film stars Emma Mackey and Jamie Lee Curtis. According to reports, Disney may have canceled the release to avoid further losses after the movie performed very poorly in the United States.

Very Poor Box Office Performance

Ella McCay was released in U.S. theaters last weekend and earned only about $2.1 million from more than 2,500 theaters. Its total box office so far is around $4 million, while the movie cost $35 million to make.

This makes it one of Disney’s worst box office openings in the past decade. Compared to this, even movies that struggled at the box office look successful.

Directed by a Famous Filmmaker

The movie was directed by James L. Brooks, who is well known for his work on The Simpsons and As Good as It Gets. This was his first movie as a director in 15 years. Unfortunately, critics did not like the film and gave it very negative reviews.

Despite the poor response, the movie has a strong cast. Along with Emma Mackey and Jamie Lee Curtis, the film features Rebecca Hall, Woody Harrelson, Ayo Edebiri, Albert Brooks, Kumail Nanjiani, Jack Lowden, and Spike Fearn.

Critics Strongly Rejected the Film

Unlike some movies that succeed even with bad reviews, Ella McCay did not have a fan base or franchise support. As a political comedy, it struggled to attract audiences.

The film currently has a 24% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Many critics said the movie felt outdated and confusing. One critic even described it as an old-fashioned film that did not connect with modern audiences.

Audience Reactions Were Mixed

Audience opinions were more divided than critics’. Some viewers said the story was interesting and fast-moving. Others complained that Emma Mackey’s character was too weak and not convincing as a powerful figure.

Because of this, the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes (Popcornmeter) is around 54%.

Streaming May Be Its Best Chance

The failure of Ella McCay is likely not only because of bad reviews. Many moviegoers now prefer to watch smaller films at home rather than in theaters. Movies that do not offer a big cinematic experience often struggle at the box office.

The film is expected to find more viewers when it arrives on streaming platforms. The cancellation of the French release suggests that Disney may release it on streaming sooner than planned.