The Extended Universe: How Disney Killed the Movies and Took Over the World

A sweeping history of Disney’s rise to cultural dominance that pulls all the skeletons from the corporate closet and playfully decodes the hidden political messages in all of your favorite childhood movies.


In The Extended Universe , Vicky Osterweil takes us on a quest to discover the black magic by which Disney has successfully made its image synonymous with not only youthful splendor, but pop culture itself. Their “imagineers” have made it impossible to reflect on the wonders of growing up without immediately thinking of Disney's movies, Disney's amusement parks, and various other bits and bobs of related Disney merchandising. What Osterweil unearths are reactionary political commitments and maleficent legal maneuvers—from fighting to protect the patent on the COVID vaccine, to breaking early efforts at an animator’s union—so cartoonishly evil they would make one of Walt's own animated villains blush.


Along the way, Osterweil braids together Disney's corporate history, an economic accounting of capitalism's dependency on IP, and deeply engaging (and not entirely unsympathetic) analysis of some of Disney's most famous movies, including Snow White , The Lion King (animated and live action!), Black Panther , and more. The result is an entertainingly woven and convincing case that Disney's entire business model has been built upon a ruthless and fanatical defense of intellectual property rights—from Steamboat Willie to Infinity Wars and beyond! View Less