Numerous shows are set to leave Disney+ and Hulu next week, among the most prominent of them being Willow, which wrapped up its run less than six months ago.
First reported by Deadline, the move will see more than two dozen shows leave the streaming services as part of broader cost-cutting measures by Disney. Apart from Willow, Disney will also be removing Y: The Last Man from Hulu, Turner & Hooch from Disney+, and more.
The full list is below:
- The Mysterious Benedict Society [Disney+]
- Big Shot [Disney+]
- Turner & Hooch [Disney+]
- Willow [Disney+]
- The Making Of Willow [Disney+]
- Just Beyond [Disney+]
- The World According To Jeff Goldblum [Disney+]
- Pistol [Hulu]
- Dollface [Hulu]
- The Quest [Hulu]
- The Hot Zone [Hulu]
- Y: The Last Man [Hulu]
- Maggie [Hulu]
- Little Demon [Hulu]
- The Premise [Hulu]
- Love In The Time Of Corona [Hulu]
- Everything’s Trash [Hulu]
- Best In Snow [Hulu]
- Best In Dough [Hulu]
- The One And Only Ivan [Disney+]
- Timmy Failure [Disney+]
- Be Our Chef [Disney+]
- Magic Camp [Disney+]
- Howard [Disney+]
- Earth To Ned [Disney+]
- Foodtastic [Disney+]
- Stuntman [Disney+]
- Disney Fairy Tale Weddings [Disney+]
- Wolfgang [Disney+]
- It's a Dog's Life With Bill Farmer [Disney+]
The move follows Disney CEO Bob Iger's mandate to cut content on its streaming platforms after losing more than a billion dollars on the platform. According to a report by Variety, Iger is targeting $3 billion in savings in 2023. The removal will reportedly come with a content impairment charge of $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion.
Willow's removal will come less than six months after the completion of its only season, which wrapped up in January. The revival of Ron Howard's 1988 fantasy film was heavily promoted by Disney, but it received a lukewarm reception from fans and critics and was subsequently canceled in March. Now it will be removed from the service entirely.
"They gave us six months. Not even. This business has become absolutely cruel," writer John Bickerstaff wrote in response.
They gave us six months. Not even. This business has become absolutely cruel. https://t.co/8Kczi6HCvW
— John Bickerstaff 🏳️🌈 (@Bitterstaff) May 18, 2023
The removal of dozens of shows from platforms such as Max have raised major concerns about media preservation. With few receiving physical releases, more and more shows seem fated to disappear entirely. Fans have responded by uploading lost episodes of their favorite shows to Archive.org and other mediums, but their efforts have mostly been piecemeal.
IGN has reached out to Disney for comment. The shows listed above are slated to leave the service by May 26.
Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
