Earlier this week, it was revealed that Disney would be removing over 60 titles from Disney+ around the world, as part of a large write-off of $1.8 billion to make the streaming division more profitable.

Most of the originals set to be removed, will do so on May 26th 2023, and include a number of films such as “The One And Only Ivan”, “Magic Camp”, “Cheaper By The Dozen”, “Artemis Fowl”, and both “Stargirl” movies.  Check out the full list here.

During Disney’s latest quarterly investors call, Disney’s CFO Christine McCarthy revealed why they would be removing some content from its streaming services, including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Star+ and Hotstar.

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 charge, which will not be recorded in our segment results, will primarily be recognized in the third quarter as we complete our review and remove the content.

An impairment charge is a term used to account for an asset that is no longer as valuable as it may have once been.

Following the news of the removals, Julia Hart, who is the director of both “Stargirl” and “Hollywood Stargirl”, has taken to social media to respond to the news that her film is being removed from Disney+ on May 26th 2023.

Devastated that the movie I poured my ❤️ & soul into is leaving @disneyplus. Watch while you can! 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.

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.

Also – cause clearly some folks don’t know – the creatives with whom I work directly at the studio have nothing to do with this decision & are as heartbroken as I am to see their work disappear.

Just found out HOLLYWOOD STARGIRL is leaving too. I 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.

And again, this is why artists must focus on process. I had the time of my life, made lifelong friends & 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.

“Stargirl” is a tender and offbeat coming-of-age story based on the critically-acclaimed, New York Times’ best-selling young adult novel about an unassuming high schooler who finds himself inexplicably drawn to the free-spirited new girl, whose unconventional ways change how they see themselves…and their world.

And “Hollywood Stargirl” is about free spirit Stargirl Caraway (Grace VanderWaal), a silver-voiced teenager whose simple acts of kindness work magic in the lives of others, that follows Stargirl’s journey out of Mica, Arizona and into a bigger world of music, dreams and possibilities. When her mother Ana (Judy Greer) is hired as the costume designer on a movie, they relocate to L.A., where Stargirl quickly becomes involved with an eclectic assortment of characters. They include aspiring filmmaking brothers Evan (Elijah Richardson) and Terrell (Tyrel Jackson Williams); Mr. Mitchell (Judd Hirsch), one of Stargirl’s neighbors; and Roxanne Martel (Uma Thurman), a musician Stargirl admires and encounters on her journey.

Both “Stargirl” and “Hollywood Stargirl” are available to stream now on Disney+, though they are set to be removed by May 26th 2023.

What do you think of both “Stargirl” films being removed from Disney+? Let us know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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