At a time when its global blockbusters Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out-2 have raked in strong collections at the Indian box office, the Walt Disney Company is bullish on tapping opportunities that India presents as a fast-growing entertainment consumption market.

Speaking at a select media roundtable, Asad Ayaz, Chief Brand Officer, the Walt Disney Company said, “Our fans in India and their love for our brands is very important for us. We are thrilled with how.... Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out-2, have done well in the country. We focused on culturally authentic activations for promoting these movies in India. The result has been amazing, especially the word-of-mouth, and shows the level of the fandom.” 

He was speaking at the sidelines of Disney’s fan-event, D23 Expo 2024. Deadpool & Wolverine has already crossed the ₹100 crore-mark at the Indian box office, as per analysts. 

Resonance with a broad audience

“In fact some of our greatest successes such as Avengers: Endgame and Avatar: The Way of Water have been sensational in India. Also, certain movies resonate with a broad audience in a significant way. They have more cinematic appeal, more scope and production values that lend themselves to the big screen. I think success of Inside Out 2 also showcases the opportunity for animation films in theatres, which is exciting,” he added.

Asked if India is among the fast-growing international markets for Disney, Ayaz said, from an entertainment consumption standpoint, India offers “tremendous opportunities” and has a strong “film culture”. In February, Disney and Reliance announced a strategic joint venture that will combine the businesses of Viacom18 and Star India, which is currently in the works.

Talking about evolving content consumption patterns, Ayaz said, “The biggest change is the massive shift to digital and social media, and India has been ahead of that in many ways. There has been a shift to consumption of short-form and user generated content... What that means for us is that we have to develop creatives that are bespoke not just to the local culture and taste, but also to the platforms themselves.”

“Our streaming business is also very driven. What makes it unique is not just the quality of the content that we have but also our focus on ensuring we have content for all types of audiences on our streaming platforms,” he added.

Thoughtful about AI

On AI, Ayaz noted that it enables “operational efficiencies” but that the company will need to be “thoughtful” about how it is utilised.

In a bid to strengthen engagement with consumers in international markets, the company plans to take the D23 event to Brazil later this year, and will also do a large-scale fan-event in Tokyo next year. “It’s important that these fan events are developed with the local team, keeping local tastes and culture in mind. There is an opportunity for us to do something in India too, and we are working with our local team to explore options,” Ayaz added.

(The author is at Disney’s D23 Expo at the invitation of the company)

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