Disney Will Not Be Removing ‘Howard’ From Disney+ After All
Following online backlash, Diseny announced that the Diseny+ documentary Howard will not be removed from the streaming service after all.
Among the list of shows that were slated to be removed from Disney+ on May 26, the 2019 documentary about lyricist Howard Ashman, a gay man, stuck out to many as an egregious choice for removal.
Ashman’s work with Alan Menken on the Disney Renaissance films Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Little Mermaid is largely credited with saving Walt Disney Animation.
A Poorly Timed Decision
Many online were quick to point out the poor timing in Howard‘s removal, with the live-action The Little Mermaid also set to be released on May 26 and LGBTQ+ Pride Month set to kick off in June.
Well, one day after sparking the backlash, Disney announced that Howard will not be leaving the streaming service.
“The list of titles coming off of Hulu and Disney+ next week is still being finalized,” a rep for the company said, indicating that there could be additional changes.
A Shift In Streaming Strategy
The decision to remove content from Disney+ marks a shift in strategy for Disney, which had previously looked to flood its streaming services with as much content as possible.
Bob Iger announced that Disney would be culling content at the company’s Q2 earnings call. Subsequently, Disney CFO Christine McCarthy echoed his remarks.
The list of shows leaving Disney’s flagship streaming service were largely short-lived original series, and direct-to-streaming movies and specials.
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