Walt Disney Pictures facts for kids
Logo used since 2011
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The Walt Disney Studios' Riverside Drive property in Burbank, California
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Formerly
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Film |
| Founded | October 16, 1923 |
| Founder | Walt Disney Roy O. Disney |
| Headquarters | 500 South Buena Vista Street,
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U.S.
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Products | Motion pictures |
| Parent | Walt Disney Studios |
| Divisions | Disneynature |
Walt Disney Pictures is a famous American company that makes movies. It's part of the Walt Disney Company, which is a huge entertainment business. This studio is known for creating many live-action movies and also releases animated films from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios. Its main office is located at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.
Disney started making live-action films in the 1950s. In 1983, the live-action part of the company officially became Walt Disney Pictures. This was part of a big change where the company also created Touchstone Pictures to make movies for older audiences. By the end of the 1980s, Walt Disney Pictures, along with Touchstone, helped Disney become one of the biggest movie studios in Hollywood.
Today, Walt Disney Pictures is one of five live-action film studios under the Walt Disney Studios. The others are Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures. The movie Inside Out 2 is the studio's highest-earning film, making over $1.7 billion worldwide. The Pirates of the Caribbean series is its most successful movie group, earning more than $4.5 billion from five films.
Contents
The Story of Walt Disney Pictures
How It All Started
The company that eventually became Walt Disney Pictures began as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in 1923. It was founded by the filmmaker Walt Disney and his brother, Roy.
The creation of Mickey Mouse and popular short films helped the studio grow. In 1926, it changed its name to The Walt Disney Studio. Then, in 1929, it became Walt Disney Productions. The studio had great success in the 1930s, especially with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. This was the first full-length animated movie and it made a lot of money. With these earnings, Walt moved the studio to a new location in Burbank, California.
In the 1940s, Disney started trying out full-length live-action movies. They made films that mixed live actors with animation, like The Reluctant Dragon (1941) and another film in 1946. During this time, the studio also began making nature documentaries, starting with Seal Island (1948). This film won an Academy Award for Best Live-Action Short Film.
Walt Disney Productions released its first fully live-action movie, Treasure Island, in 1950. Disney considers this film the start of what would become Walt Disney Pictures. By 1953, the company decided to distribute its own films instead of using other companies. They created their own distribution company called Buena Vista Distribution.
From the 1980s to the 2000s
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On April 1, 1983, the live-action part of Walt Disney Productions became its own company, called Walt Disney Pictures. This was done to make more types of movies and reach a wider audience. In 1984, Touchstone Films was created. This new label allowed Disney to release movies with more mature ratings, like PG-13 and R.
Over the years, different leaders helped shape Walt Disney Pictures. They focused on making popular films. In 1998, all live-action movie production for Disney, Touchstone, and Hollywood Pictures was brought together under one group.
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A key person, Nina Jacobson, became president of production in 1999. She helped create many successful films for Walt Disney Pictures. These included Pirates of the Caribbean, The Chronicles of Narnia, Bridge to Terabithia, National Treasure, Remember the Titans, and The Princess Diaries. In 2007, Disney's CEO, Bob Iger, made a rule to stop showing smoking in Walt Disney Pictures films.
After making two films based on Disney theme park rides, Walt Disney Pictures decided to make more movies inspired by its attractions. This started with The Country Bears (2002) and The Haunted Mansion (2003). Also in 2003, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was released. This was the first Disney film to get a PG-13 rating. It became a huge hit and started a very successful movie series that has earned over $5.4 billion worldwide.
The 2010s to Today
In 2010, Sean Bailey became the president of live-action production. Under his leadership, Walt Disney Pictures focused on making "tent-pole" films. These are big-budget movies that are expected to be very popular. Starting in 2011, the studio simplified its logo and credits to just say "Disney."
While some big-budget films like John Carter (2012) and The Lone Ranger (2013) didn't do well, the studio found great success with live-action versions of its classic animated movies. Alice in Wonderland (2010) was a huge hit, earning over a billion dollars. This success led to more live-action adaptations, like Maleficent (2014), Cinderella (2015), The Jungle Book (2016), and Beauty and the Beast (2017). In 2015, Disney's CEO expanded the ban on smoking to include all Disney films rated PG-13 and below.
By 2016, Disney announced plans for nearly eighteen new films, including sequels and origin stories. In 2017, The Walt Disney Company decided to create its own streaming service, Disney+. This service would feature new shows and movies from Disney's studios, including Walt Disney Pictures. This meant Walt Disney Pictures could start making smaller-budget films again, specifically for Disney+.
Disney+ launched on November 12, 2019. In its first two months, Walt Disney Pictures released three movies just for Disney+: Lady and the Tramp, Noelle, and Togo. In 2023, Walt Disney Pictures celebrated its 100th anniversary. That same year, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was the studio's first official movie made with Lucasfilm.
In February 2024, David Greenbaum took over as president of Walt Disney Pictures. He also helps lead 20th Century Studios.
The Disney Logo
Before 1983, Disney films usually just showed a title card that said "Walt Disney Presents" or "Walt Disney Productions Presents" at the beginning.
In 1985, Walt Disney Pictures introduced its famous fantasy castle logo. The version with music first appeared with the movie The Black Cauldron. This logo showed a white outline of Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle against a blue background. The studio's name was written in Walt Disney's special handwriting, and the music was "When You Wish Upon a Star".
In 2006, the castle logo was updated. It was made with computer animation and looked more realistic and 3D. This new logo included small details from other Disney movies like Pinocchio and Cinderella. It also showed fireworks and combined parts of different Disney castles. A new version of "When You Wish Upon a Star" was created for this logo. In 2011, the logo was simplified to just say "Disney" instead of "Walt Disney Pictures."
In 2022, a brand new castle logo was introduced to celebrate the studio's 100th anniversary in 2023. This updated logo was also made with computer animation and featured a new musical arrangement of "When You Wish Upon a Star." It added even more references to Disney movies and parks, like Pocahontas, Up, and the Matterhorn ride. This new logo first appeared with the movie Strange World.
Movies from Walt Disney Pictures
The studio's first live-action film was Treasure Island (1950). Walt Disney Pictures also releases animated films made by Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios. Four films released by the studio have been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture: Mary Poppins (1964), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Up (2009), and Toy Story 3 (2010).
Movie Series and Franchises
| Title | Release date | Notes |
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| Davy Crockett | 1955–1956 | Originally from TV mini-series episodes on Disneyland |
| Old Yeller | 1957–1963 | |
| The Shaggy Dog | 1959–2006 | |
| The Absent-Minded Professor | 1961–1997 | |
| The Parent Trap | 1961–present | |
| The Incredible Journey | 1963–1996 | |
| Mary Poppins | 1964–2018 | |
| Herbie | 1969–2005 | |
| Dexter Riley | 1969–1975 | |
| Witch Mountain | 1975–2009 | |
| The Apple Dumpling Gang | 1975–1982 | |
| Freaky Friday | 1976–present | |
| Tron | 1982–present | |
| Honey, I Shrunk the Kids | 1989–present | |
| Turner & Hooch | 1989–present | |
| White Fang | 1991–1994 | |
| The Mighty Ducks | 1992–present | |
| Sister Act | ||
| The Muppets | 1992–1996; 2011–present | |
| Hocus Pocus | 1993–present | |
| The Santa Clause | 1994–present | |
| George of the Jungle | 1997–2003 | |
| Inspector Gadget | 1999–2003 | |
| The Princess Diaries | 2001–present | |
| Pirates of the Caribbean | 2003–present | |
| Haunted Mansion | ||
| National Treasure | 2004–present | |
| The Chronicles of Narnia | 2005–2008 | Third film produced by 20th Century Studios |
| Enchanted | 2007–2022 | |
| Beverly Hills Chihuahua | 2008–2012 | |
| The Last Warrior | 2017–present | |
| Stargirl | 2020–2022 | |
| Jungle Cruise | 2021–present | |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid | Original live-action films produced by 20th Century Studios | |
| Indiana Jones | 2023–present | Original films produced by Paramount Pictures |
Top-Earning Films
Walt Disney Pictures has produced six live-action films that have earned over $1 billion worldwide. These include Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), Beauty and the Beast (2017), Aladdin (2019) and Lilo & Stitch (2025).
The studio has also released ten animated films that reached the $1 billion milestone. These are Toy Story 3 (2010), Frozen (2013), Zootopia (2016), Finding Dory (2016), Incredibles 2 (2018), Toy Story 4 (2019), The Lion King (2019), Frozen II (2019), Inside Out 2 (2024) and Moana 2 (2024).
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Indicates films playing in theatres in the week commencing 8 August 2025.
| Rank | Title | Year | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inside Out 2 | 2024 | $652,980,194 |
| 2 | Incredibles 2 | 2018 | $608,581,744 |
| 3 | The Lion King | 2019 | $543,638,043 |
| 4 | Beauty and the Beast | 2017 | $504,481,165 |
| 5 | Finding Dory | 2016 | $486,131,416 |
| 6 | Frozen II | 2019 | $477,373,578 |
| 7 | Moana 2 | 2024 | $460,072,062 |
| 8 | Toy Story 4 | 2019 | $434,038,008 |
| 9 | The Lion King‡ | 1994 | $424,979,720 |
| 10 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest | 2006 | $423,315,812 |
| 11 | Lilo & Stitch |
2025 | $421,403,609 |
| 12 | Toy Story 3 | 2010 | $415,004,880 |
| 13 | Frozen | 2013 | $400,953,009 |
| 14 | Finding Nemo‡ | 2003 | $380,843,261 |
| 15 | The Jungle Book | 2016 | $364,001,123 |
| 16 | Inside Out | 2015 | $356,002,827 |
| 17 | Aladdin | 2019 | $355,559,216 |
| 18 | Zootopia | 2016 | $342,268,248 |
| 19 | Alice in Wonderland | 2010 | $334,191,110 |
| 20 | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End | 2007 | $309,420,425 |
| 21 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl | 2003 | $305,413,918 |
| 22 | The Little Mermaid | 2023 | $296,908,134 |
| 23 | Up | 2009 | $293,004,164 |
| 24 | The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | 2005 | $291,710,957 |
| 25 | Monsters, Inc.‡ | 2001 | $289,916,256 |
| Rank | Title | Year | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inside Out 2 | 2024 | $1,698,863,816 |
| 2 | The Lion King | 2019 | $1,656,943,394 |
| 3 | Frozen II | $1,450,026,933 | |
| 4 | Frozen | 2013 | $1,306,450,154 |
| 5 | Beauty and the Beast | 2017 | $1,266,115,964 |
| 6 | Incredibles 2 | 2018 | $1,243,805,359 |
| 7 | Toy Story 4 | 2019 | $1,073,394,593 |
| 8 | Toy Story 3 | 2010 | $1,067,171,911 |
| 9 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest | 2006 | $1,066,179,725 |
| 10 | Moana 2 | 2024 | $1,057,727,242 |
| 11 | Aladdin | 2019 | $1,054,304,000 |
| 12 | Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides | 2011 | $1,045,713,802 |
| 13 | Finding Dory | 2016 | $1,028,570,889 |
| 14 | Alice in Wonderland | 2010 | $1,025,467,110 |
| 15 | Lilo & Stitch |
2025 | $1,025,231,858 |
| 16 | Zootopia | 2016 | $1,024,641,447 |
| 17 | The Lion King‡ | 1994 | $979,046,652 |
| 18 | The Jungle Book | 2016 | $966,550,600 |
| 19 | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End | 2007 | $963,420,425 |
| 20 | Finding Nemo‡ | 2003 | $940,335,536 |
| 21 | Inside Out | 2015 | $857,675,046 |
| 22 | Coco | 2017 | $807,139,032 |
| 23 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales | $794,826,541 | |
| 24 | Maleficent | 2014 | $758,410,378 |
| 25 | The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | 2005 | $745,013,115 |
‡—Includes theatrical reissue(s).
See also
In Spanish: Walt Disney Pictures para niños
- Walt Disney Studios (division)
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- Walt Disney Television (production company)
External links
- Official website: https://movies.disney.com
de:The Walt Disney Company#Walt Disney Pictures
