Disney is removing a huge swath of content from its streaming services Hulu and Disney+, including some of its newest TV shows and movies. According to a report by Deadline, the list of impending removals includes the movies Rosaline and Darby and the Dead, both of which only came out in 2022. Many fans were floored that such new productions could be on the chopping block, wondering what it means for the streaming industry in general.
Disney’s streaming catalog slashes made headlines this week as it removes some recent shows, in-house productions and even titles that aren’t available to rent or purchase elsewhere. Rosaline premiered exclusively on Hulu in October of 2022, and at the time of this writing it does not seem to be available anywhere else, even on digital stores or in physical form like Blu-ray. Darby and the Dead was also a Hulu Original Movie released in February of 2022. It has no physical release and is not available on digital stores at the time of this writing.
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Disney’s CFO Christine McCarthy offered some explanation for this purge in a call with investors earlier this month. She reportedly said: “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.” According to Deadline, the company is still suffering losses in its streaming business but reduced those losses in the most recent fiscal quarter.
Disney is the latest company to try and save money by cutting its streaming library so drastically. Warner Bros. Discovery made headlines throughout last summer with a similar move, again with the result that some original productions disappeared with no alternative means of access. These kinds of “purges” often shock fans who wonder how it can be profitable, and the best explanations are still disappointing.
As for Rosalie and Darby and the Dead, fans may want to check them out while there is still a chance. Rosalie stars Kaitlyn Dever in an adaptation of the 2012 young adult novel When You Were Mine – itself a reimagining of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. The movie got generally positive reviews and is recommended by fans of other period romances like Bridgerton.
Darby and the Dead is more divisive with mixed reviews – though its defenders are passionate. The movie stars Riele Downs as Darby Harper, a teenager who can communicate with the spirits of the dead and does so for profit. Its all-star cast also includes Moana star Auli’i Cravalho and sitcom legend Tony Danza. Both movies will be available until May 26, 2023. It’s not clear if or when they will be available in any form after that.
