Onward (2020) was one of Disney's first large projects that they had planned for the launch into the new decade. The film was created by Pixar Animation Studios with Dan Scanlon attached to the film as its director, someone who has work on other Pixar films such as Monsters University (2013). It started development as early as July 17, 2020, and was finalized in February 17, 2020. The story of this animated movie takes place in a world where magic used to be special, but is now become irrelevant due to technological advancements. It follows two brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot, respectively played by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt who, through the use of Ian's newfound magical abilities, have 24 hours to restore their passed father so that they can see him one last time. The movie is a fantasy adventure movie, though it does feature a complex drama-lie narrative, as the driving force of it is the brotherly relationship and adventure that Ian and Barley share.
Onward is Pixar's 22nd animated film that they created. Pixar has previously crafted hit movies such as Toy Story (1995) and Cars (2006) using computer generated, or CG animation. However, as animating techniques have evolved through the years, this film looks stunning compared to previously released animated movies, with the environment and characters looking so life-like despite of the animated and fantasy setting.
Like other films that are nearing their release, The Walt Disney Company made sure that Onward was marketed to as many people as possibly. The main messages and themes that the film was marketed as having were those of familial bonds, specifically brotherly ones, and magic, though this one was more metaphorical. This helped make the film appeal to a large audiences of families, as the film is about brothers trying to see their father one more time, which is an emotional core that can hook people in to seeing it. Magic also plays a key role in the film, as the world is a convergence of a suburban community in a fantasy environment, where the brothers use what little magic is left in the world to try to see their father again. The magic and fantasy genre are used kind of as a trope, as Barely claims he knows all about magic, with him nitpicking Ian on how to weird their father's staff and him explaining how the path that is not charted is the best one, tropes that many fantasy stories follow. The use of magic may appeal to kids, as they are likely to believe in it during their childhood, or at least have fun imaging it, which could also convince parents to take their kids to see it. Once again, though, like most of Disney's productions, it targets the whole family, as the brothers' dynamic with their mother and deceased father is another aspect to the core of the story. Onward was also showcased to be a rather comical film through advertisements and television spots, in tune to other recent Disney properties. The story itself takes some comedic pleasures, as Ian and Barley travel around with their dad's mindless legs, which of course gets them into trouble along the way. Another key aspect to the marketing was Guinevere, Barley's van in the film that the brothers use as transportation in their quest to fully restore their father. It advertised in several of the film's key posters, and a scale replica was even brought to Disney's D23 expo in 2019 to further promote the movie. The standard interviews and press tours with the actors and crew of the film also happened.
Onward was release to theaters on March 6, 2020. It was expected be another success for Disney, however an unplanned threat disrupted its chances at success. The COVID-19 pandemic really hurt its opening weekend, as many wanted to avoid movie theaters entirely, causing it to be pulled from theaters shortly after its initial release. While Onward did not necessarily due poorly, it was not enough to give Disney and Pixar a profit. Because Disney usually puts more money into their animated projects because they are confident they will succeed, Onward got a production budget of around $175 - $200 million, yet it only achieved a revenue of $39.1 million domestically, which did not result in Disney gaining a profit.
Another factor that went poorly for Onward was the film being banned in several Mideast countries, including Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, for having a small mention of the Character 'Specter,' a cyclops that is a police officer, mention that her girlfriend's kid always drives her crazy. This scene implies that she is lesbian and a member of the LGBTQ community, the first character in any Pixar film, and since those countries make it illegal to be a part of that community, the film was banned for that small line, which may have negatively contributed to its international gross.
Fortunately for Disney, however, the pandemic gave them another opportunity to give Onward another chance: their recently launched streaming service, Disney+. Disney released Onward on Disney+ on April 3rd, a mere month after it had been in theaters. Disney opted to release it early on Disney+ in an attempt to persuade more people to subscribe for it, granting the film another chance to make profit. This was a strategic move on Disney's part, as many people preferred to watch content from streaming service than in theaters because of the mass outbreak of COVID-19. The film seemed suitable for the platform, as it was a feature-length animated film about the relationship that family has, something to bring joy to many families and individuals that were in distress because of the virus. While exact viewership numbers have not been given, the release of the film on the platform did coincide with a boost in google searches for the film, which may indicate the interest people had in it, and it was also on the trending tab for the service after being released.
Onward is a good example of how smart Disney is at its marketing and distribution practices. Its move from theaters to Disney+ shows that Disney adapted to the changing world to make back profit that they otherwise would have lost. The themes that the movie conveyed and the genre it is also is very representative about how The Walt Disney Company and their various production companies releases films that can be enjoyed by everyone for everyone.