Disney has reportedly canceled the overseas release of one of its biggest 2025 flops, Ella McCay. The film, helmed by James L. Brooks and starring Sex Education’s Emma Mackey, was pulled from release in France two weeks before its debut there. The film premiered at the El Capitan Theatre on December 9, 2025, before being theatrically released on December 12, 2025. Following its theatrical debut, the film received largely negative reviews and bombed at the box office.
Ella McCay’s France release canceled by Disney
Disney has reportedly pulled one of its biggest flops, Ella McCay, from its scheduled January 7, 2026, theatrical release in France, according to World of Reel. It’s unclear why Disney canceled the film’s French release, as the outlet has not revealed the exact reason. However, negative reviews and poor box office performance are likely the major reasons behind the canceled release.
Ella McCay opened to an estimated $2,020,541. It has currently grossed $4 million worldwide against a production budget of $35 million. Meanwhile, the film has made $499,231 at the international box office.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an incredibly low rotten score of 24% and an audience score of 54%. Meanwhile, on Metacritic, the Emma Mackey starrer has a metascore of 39 — indicating “generally unfavorable” reviews — and a user score of 4.1, which points to “mixed or average” reviews.
The film has received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics. Keith Garlington of Keith and the Movies gave the film a 1.5 out of 5 stars and called it “a glaring misfire and a far cry from the significantly better films that have defined James L. Brooks’ career.”
Meanwhile, Peter Travers of The Travers Take said that the film was “a low point in the career of James L. Brooks.” He added that the film’s cast seemed to be “in a fit of group amnesia” and had “forgotten how to act.”
On the other hand, the film garnered some positive reviews. Nell Minow of Roger Ebert said, “The film’s optimism is so refreshing.” She added, “It’s dialogue so bright, and its characters and performances so endearing, it well rewards a watch.”
Ella McCay marks James L. Brooks’ return to directing 15 years after his last film, How Do You Know. Besides writing the film, Brooks also wrote its screenplay.
Apart from Emma Mackey, the film also stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Lowden, Kumail Nanjiani, Ayo Edebiri, and Woody Harrelson, among others.
Originally reported by Abdul Azim Naushad on ComingSoon.net.
