Will Smith and Beyoncé Keep Winning on Disney+
Disney+ is the biggest new streaming platform of the moment. The service, which offers everything from new and original content to classic Disney films like Old Yeller, has only been around for a year, but it has already earned a slew of fans of all ages. Although the platform has caused some controversy over the recent release of the live-action film Mulan, any negative press has been far outweighed by all the buzz-worthy titles available for subscribers — titles such as Aladdin and Black Is King. These films are not only huge moneymakers for Disney, but they star two of the biggest movie stars in the world — Will Smith and Beyoncé.
Disney+ is one of the hottest new streaming platforms
For years, Netflix was the best-known and most popular streaming option. The platform features a wide variety of content, from children’s cartoons to hot original shows such as Stranger Things. Still, in late 2019, a new challenger arose to challenge Netflix’s dominance over the streaming space. Disney+ debuted in November 2019, and well before it premiered, fans were abuzz.
Disney+ included titles from its Star Wars catalog, as well as Pixar and Marvel Studios. The platform debuted with original shows that quickly became fan-favorites, including, most notably, The Mandalorian, a series that has been widely credited as the best of the new Star Wars projects. In the months since the service debuted, it has routinely added new titles every month, including the hit movie Aladdin — an all-new live-action version of the original animated classic.
Will Smith has been very successful on Disney+
Will Smith has been one of the biggest movie stars in the world for well over two decades. Still, his dominance of Disney+ is noteworthy, even for a celebrity of Smith’s magnitude. Fans flocked to Disney+ to watch Aladdin when it launched on the platform, and lavished praise on Smith’s version of the genie. The role could have easily overwhelmed any other actor but Smith, especially considering that Robin Williams was the original voice of the genie in the animated film. However, Smith’s magical blue genie was a hit with fans of all ages.
Aladdin was released on Disney+ in January 2020, and it has consistently remained in the platform’s “what’s hot” list in the months since, according to Inside the Magic. It seems that for Disney, anything that Will Smith touches turns to pure gold.
Beyoncé is one of the biggest stars on Disney+
Another one of Disney’s big-budget remakes debuted on the streaming platform in January 2020 — The Lion King, a slightly more realistic (but still animated) remake of the classic nineties film. One of the talented stars to lend her expertise to the movie is Beyoncé Knowles, who voices the character of Nala. Knowles certainly helped the movie to succeed at the box office, and again on Disney+. Still, it is far from the only project that Knowles has collaborated on for the studio.
Knowles’ visual album, Black Is King, was released on the platform in July, and although it is tied into The Lion King, it also stands uniquely on its own as an impressive artistic achievement. Critics as well as fans praised Knowles for her high level of artistry and her commitment to telling an interesting story. The allegorical film is unlike anything else on Disney+ and has remained popular over the past few weeks. For Disney+, Beyoncé Knowles is truly a collaborator that cannot be topped in terms of her talent, star power, and vision.
