Disney/Pixar break off talks
01-29-04, 04:58 PM
#1
DVD Talk Special Edition
Thread Starter
Disney/Pixar break off talks AND now a new player
According to AP, Pixar broke off talks with Disney essentially ending their relationship.
READ HERE
And as an extra added bonus a picture of our man JB:
READ HERE
And as an extra added bonus a picture of our man JB:
Last edited by grip; 02-11-04 at 12:19 PM.
01-29-04, 05:04 PM
#2
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Plano, TX
Posts: 23,226
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oy.. 
Well.. let's see how they survive without each other. Pixar will no doubt continue to make great movies so let's hope they can find somebody that will give them the push that Disney can.
Well.. let's see how they survive without each other. Pixar will no doubt continue to make great movies so let's hope they can find somebody that will give them the push that Disney can.
01-29-04, 05:07 PM
#3
DVD Talk Reviewer
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: WAS looking for My Own Private Stuckeyville, but stuck in Liberty City (while missing Vice City)
Posts: 15,094
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I especially like that last paragraph [bolded for your convenience]
Exactly when is that shareholders meeting taking place..?
Exactly when is that shareholders meeting taking place..?
Pixar ends talks with Disney to seek deal with other studio
By GARY GENTILE
AP Business Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Pixar Animation Studios is ending talks aimed at continuing its relationship with The Walt Disney Co. and will seek a deal with another studio, Pixar chief executive Steve Jobs said Thursday.
Pixar, which co-produced last year's top-box office draw, "Finding Nemo," said it will look for an agreement that allows it to retain ownership of future movies.
Under Pixar's current deal with Disney, the two companies share box office receipts and licensing revenues while Disney retains the right to make sequels to movies such as "Toy Story" and "Monsters Inc."
"After 10 months of trying to strike a deal with Disney, we're moving on," Jobs said in a prepared statement. "We've had a great run together - one of the most successful in Hollywood history- and it's a shame that Disney won't be participating in Pixar's future successes."
Disney did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Pixar has two movies yet to deliver under its current Disney deal, including "The Incredibles," due in theaters in November, and "Cars," which will be released next year.
Shares of Disney, which had risen 78 cents, or 3 percent earlier in the day, fell $1.48, or 6 percent in after hours trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Shares of Pixar, which were halted late in the day on the announcement, rose $1.55, or 2.4 percent in after hours trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market after rising 1.6 percent in regular trading.
Last August, Jobs said Pixar had talked briefly with rival studios such as Warner Bros. and Fox, but would remain in exclusive talks with Disney until those talks failed.
"We have talked to many of these studios and we know we can get the deal we want," Jobs said during a conference call with analysts last August. "We have time. The right deal is more important than a quick deal."
Disney said in the past it was willing to make a new deal with Pixar that makes financial sense and had expressed optimism about ongoing talks.
But Disney chief executive Michael Eisner also made it clear that Disney had its own computer-animation expertise and had struck deals with other potential partners to make similar computer-animated movies.
By GARY GENTILE
AP Business Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Pixar Animation Studios is ending talks aimed at continuing its relationship with The Walt Disney Co. and will seek a deal with another studio, Pixar chief executive Steve Jobs said Thursday.
Pixar, which co-produced last year's top-box office draw, "Finding Nemo," said it will look for an agreement that allows it to retain ownership of future movies.
Under Pixar's current deal with Disney, the two companies share box office receipts and licensing revenues while Disney retains the right to make sequels to movies such as "Toy Story" and "Monsters Inc."
"After 10 months of trying to strike a deal with Disney, we're moving on," Jobs said in a prepared statement. "We've had a great run together - one of the most successful in Hollywood history- and it's a shame that Disney won't be participating in Pixar's future successes."
Disney did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Pixar has two movies yet to deliver under its current Disney deal, including "The Incredibles," due in theaters in November, and "Cars," which will be released next year.
Shares of Disney, which had risen 78 cents, or 3 percent earlier in the day, fell $1.48, or 6 percent in after hours trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Shares of Pixar, which were halted late in the day on the announcement, rose $1.55, or 2.4 percent in after hours trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market after rising 1.6 percent in regular trading.
Last August, Jobs said Pixar had talked briefly with rival studios such as Warner Bros. and Fox, but would remain in exclusive talks with Disney until those talks failed.
"We have talked to many of these studios and we know we can get the deal we want," Jobs said during a conference call with analysts last August. "We have time. The right deal is more important than a quick deal."
Disney said in the past it was willing to make a new deal with Pixar that makes financial sense and had expressed optimism about ongoing talks.
But Disney chief executive Michael Eisner also made it clear that Disney had its own computer-animation expertise and had struck deals with other potential partners to make similar computer-animated movies.
01-29-04, 05:15 PM
#5
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Fascination Street
Posts: 6,521
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Excuse me:
I give Eisner another 2 years, tops. They just want to hit bottom real bad, don't they?
Pixar is going to do just fine without Disney, don't worry about them.
I give Eisner another 2 years, tops. They just want to hit bottom real bad, don't they?
Pixar is going to do just fine without Disney, don't worry about them.
01-29-04, 06:20 PM
#12
DVD Talk Reviewer
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: WAS looking for My Own Private Stuckeyville, but stuck in Liberty City (while missing Vice City)
Posts: 15,094
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally posted by gcribbs
actually can disney make sequels without Pixar agreeing to them?
actually can disney make sequels without Pixar agreeing to them?
Under Pixar's current deal with Disney, the two companies share box office receipts and licensing revenues while Disney retains the right to make sequels to movies such as "Toy Story" and "Monsters Inc."
01-29-04, 06:38 PM
#14
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Sacramento,Ca,USA member #2634
Posts: 11,973
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
so would Pixar get revenues from the sequels?
If so then Disney might slowly ruin the franchises with Pixar getting some additional money to help them. Sounds like Pixar would still win.
If so then Disney might slowly ruin the franchises with Pixar getting some additional money to help them. Sounds like Pixar would still win.
01-29-04, 06:45 PM
#15
DVD Talk Reviewer
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: WAS looking for My Own Private Stuckeyville, but stuck in Liberty City (while missing Vice City)
Posts: 15,094
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
More nuggets from Eisner:
•••••••••••••
The split also offers a further hurdle for Eisner as he tries to steer his struggling media conglomerate into a full turnaround. Eisner is already dealing with uncertain economics in the TV and theme parks businesses, along with a pair of dissident shareholders seeking to portray the executive as overpaid and unresponsive to shareholder needs.
[[snip]]
Asked earlier this month about negotiations with Pixar, Eisner was highly complimentary of the Pixar organization, particularly creative executive Lasseter. Eisner also made reference to Disney's in-house development of computer animation technology -- behind the forthcoming all-computer-animated Chicken Little -- though he mentioned a need for having "clones of John Lasseter."
The split also offers a further hurdle for Eisner as he tries to steer his struggling media conglomerate into a full turnaround. Eisner is already dealing with uncertain economics in the TV and theme parks businesses, along with a pair of dissident shareholders seeking to portray the executive as overpaid and unresponsive to shareholder needs.
[[snip]]
Asked earlier this month about negotiations with Pixar, Eisner was highly complimentary of the Pixar organization, particularly creative executive Lasseter. Eisner also made reference to Disney's in-house development of computer animation technology -- behind the forthcoming all-computer-animated Chicken Little -- though he mentioned a need for having "clones of John Lasseter."
•••••••••••••
Mr Eisner has recently embarked on a campaign to rebuild shareholder confidence in the company and the independence of its board. In October he told an investment conference in Phoenix, that strong results from the studio and cable television businesses would contribute to anticipated earnings per share growth of at least 30 per cent in the current financial year.
"I firmly believe that the performance turnaround at our company is now under way," he said.
Mr Eisner has recently embarked on a campaign to rebuild shareholder confidence in the company and the independence of its board. In October he told an investment conference in Phoenix, that strong results from the studio and cable television businesses would contribute to anticipated earnings per share growth of at least 30 per cent in the current financial year.
"I firmly believe that the performance turnaround at our company is now under way," he said.
01-29-04, 07:09 PM
#17
DVD Talk Legend
Originally posted by PixyJunket
Eisner is not long for this world.. this is just more proof of what a moran he is.
Eisner is not long for this world.. this is just more proof of what a moran he is.
Seriously! What the hell is going on in that head of his!??
01-29-04, 08:21 PM
#21
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Pixar is going to do just fine without Disney, don't worry about them.
01-29-04, 08:31 PM
#22
I'm sure that Pixar will do well at the box office and home video sales, but licensing revenues and merchandise sales will be hurt - in the short term at least. Hopefully, keeping a larger chuck of movie related money will make up for lossing the merchandise sales from Disney.
BTW: I wonder if they have been building a warchest these last few years in case a movie does bomb.
BTW: I wonder if they have been building a warchest these last few years in case a movie does bomb.
Last edited by Kdogg; 01-29-04 at 08:34 PM.
01-29-04, 09:39 PM
#23
Senior Member
If not for Pirates of the Carribbean, I wouldn't have expected Eisner to survive out the year. Since it was indeed a huge live-action hit for Disney in 2003, he probably bought himself breathing room through summer 2005. If the ship flounders over the next 18-20 months though, he may not see 2006.
And as for Pixar themselves, congratulations! You will certainly get the deal YOU want from another studio (instead of Disney's staunch terms) and, let's face it, you've earned it.
And as for Pixar themselves, congratulations! You will certainly get the deal YOU want from another studio (instead of Disney's staunch terms) and, let's face it, you've earned it.
01-30-04, 12:09 AM
#25
Originally posted by Trigger
I don't even think Eisner will last 2 years... I say he's out in less than one.
I don't even think Eisner will last 2 years... I say he's out in less than one.
I have this feeling that Eisner will finally see the light and announce he will retire at the shareholders' meeting, taking all the cronies of Eisner along with him. It's either that or he will be pushed out by the shareholders.
After Eisner and his cronies are gone, expect Disney to extensively revamp itself. You may see Miramax sold off, and Disney may extensively revamp its cable TV operations, too. I wouldn't be surprised to see Roy E. Disney become the new head of the corporation, complete with "grooming" another Disney family member to eventually take over the company down the road. We might even see Steve Jobs become a Disney board member, too.
I also would not be surprised if Feature Animation is revived under more hands off management, probably now headed by someone who has worked for a long time in that department (I vote for Don Hahn to head Feature Animation!
).
