Disney Director 'Devastated' Her Movies Are Being Pulled From Disney+

By Allison Schonter

Disney's decision to pull dozens of titles from its streaming platforms, including Disney+ and Hulu, is facing backlash not only from subscribers, but also those connected to the titles being pulled. Director Julia Hart, whose films Stargirl and Hollywood Stargirl are among the titles set to be purged, addressed the move on social media, sharing that she was "devastated" to learn her movies were being pulled from the Disney+ streaming platform.

After learning that her two films, which follow Mica High School student Leo Borlock, portrayed by Graham Verchere, and Stargirl Caraway, played by Grace VanderWaal, were on the roster of titles set to leave, Hart wrote in a tweet, "devastated that the movie I poured my [heart and] soul into is leaving [Disney+]." Hart, who encouraged her followers to watch the two films while they are still available, said she is "proud of the work my amazing colleagues & I did. I was 8 weeks post-partum when we started. The process was worth the sacrifice even if the result was not. Focus on process. Always." Hart later learned that her Stargirl sequel Hollywood Stargirl would also be removed, writing on social media that she "made this movie to show young people a road map to telling their own stories. The truth is hardly any of us stand a chance anymore. I'm heartbroken."

"I went around telling anyone who would listen that we should applaud studios for creating space for mid-budget humanistic stories on streaming. I'd like to take that back. This industry is broken. It's going to be basically impossible for movies like this to get made," Hart continued. "And again, this is why artists must focus on process. I had the time of my life, made lifelong friends [and] provided for my family. I don't regret a thing.... I bet a lot of people don't realize how much crew & actors rely on employers being able to view their previous work in order to secure future employment."

Hart also clarified that "the creatives with whom I work directly at the studio have nothing to do with this decision." Instead, the director said those involved in the two movies "are as heartbroken as I am to see their work disappear."

Stargirl and Hollywood Stargirl are both among dozens of titles set to be purged from the Disney+ and Hulu content catalogues as part of a cost-cutting measure. During Disney's latest quarterly investors call, Disney's CFO Christine McCarthy confirmed, "we are in the process of reviewing the content on our DTC services to align with the strategic changes in our approach to content curation that you've heard Bob discuss. As a result, we will be removing certain content from our streaming platforms and currently expect to take an impairment charge of approximately $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion." The list of titles, which includes the 2023 Cheaper By the Dozen adaptation, Artemis Fowl and the Willow show, among many others, are set to leave on Friday, May 26.

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