Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Friends

Chick flick lovers beware: You might have to find a new source for cheesy romantic comedies and bubbly but predictable endings. People familiar with Walt Disney Co.’s production strategies told The Wall Street Journal that the film giant is moving away from traditional date movies like the recently released “When in Rome” starring Kristen Bell. Disney is heading back to basics. (Check out the Wall Street Journal's article on the Disney production switch here.) The company's upcoming production slate is expected to focus more on creating brand names, similar to the Mickey Mouse face that originally made Disney famous.

It’s not that I don’t like romantic comedies. Sometimes there’s nothing better than a bowl of popcorn and a movie that you know you have to pay very little attention to. Romantic comedies are particularly appealing when their mindless fun is only a click away to the tune of about $1.99. But companies like Disney don’t make money from movies that even their designated audiences (say, a 20-year-old girl like me) only want to see once. DVD sales were way down for the company. And Disney flicks didn’t fare too well at the box office either.

But with its recent purchase of Marvel Entertainment and the acquisition of over 5,000 comic-book characters, including Spider Man and Captain America, Disney is hoping to rework its once titanic empire. And if there’s a movie category that you can bank on for DVD sales, it’s the brand name children’s movies, like Spider Man or the Disney “Princess” movies.

When I was a little girl, I think a princess movie was permanently jammed into my VCR. It really didn't matter what princess movie it was, as long as it had the words “Disney” and “princess” on the cover. I also had my fair share of Disney princess costumes, cups, plates, picture frames, toothbrushes, and basically anything else that could be branded with a princess likeness. These movies bring with them an entire market of merchandise. Just walk into the Disney store at your local mall.

So while Disney’s new strategy may leave a few romantic comedy lovers without a Friday night flick, the emphasis on brand names might just be the right amount of blast from the past the company needs to turn around its profits.

--Brooke Sutherland