A Bone to Pick...

[cellarhound]

Ok, here is my axe, and I am grinding it...

It starts with this article in the New York Times:

Iger moves quickly as Eisner smoothes transition at Disney

By Laura M. Holson - The New York Times- TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2005

LOS ANGELES Robert Iger does not officially get the keys to the Disney castle for six more weeks, but he is already well along with his restoration plan.

In April, Iger traveled to Northern California to sit down with Steve Jobs, the chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios, whose years of feuding with Eisner had threatened the future of the companies' mutually lucrative movie distribution partnership.

"If anyone had a list of things for Bob to do right away it would be these: figuring out the Roy thing and, at the end of the day, seeing that Pixar and Disney should be partners," said Lawrence Haverty, associate portfolio manager of the Gabelli Global Multimedia Trust and an investor in Disney stock. "What Bob has to do now is execute the obvious, brilliantly."

There is one important thing I would like to point out to everyone here...

Pixar and Disney have yet to announce a distribution agreement... And I don't really expect one to be announced by either party untill next year... (After Valiant and Chicken Little)

So this assessment is a bit premature... At least untill the deal with Pixar is in writing...

I think much hinges on this deal getting done... And with it how the market views Iger...

[sediment]

It won't be nearly as great a deal for Disney as the last one was. Disney shouldn't expect it to be.
What is important is that Disney gets to use the family-friendly future characters in the parks. Mostly for continuity. I don't think it would be good for Pixar (or Disney) to have the current roster of Pixar characters at Disney parks, but have future characters at, say, Universal. That would be confusing to the guests. That's what Disney has going for it. It can guarantee near-eternal life for Pixar's characters. So, when the new platform for movies is introduced (whenever it happens), Pixar characters are still in the public's eye.
We all heard Brad Bird thanking profusely Disney's marketing power. Whether it was a silent thanks for not getting involved in production, or it was a sincere thanks to Disney, or possibly a silent, sarcastic thanks-NOT to the distributor of Iron Giant, we might never know.

Big question is: Can Pixar afford the full effects of a box-office bomb?

[cellarhound]

Originally Posted by sediment

Big question is: Can Pixar afford the full effects of a box-office bomb?

That is something people have asked industry wide... Can (fill in the blank) CG Animation company suffer a bomb? (Like Polar Express) Particularly if they are publicly traded?

[Dustysage]

Good question. That may be one reason why Pixar would like to start making 2 animated features per year instead of just one. One bomb would destroy an entire year's profit.

[sediment]

One bomb is one bomb. Having the Disney muscle for two instead of one makes swallowing one a little easier.

Even better, Disney could go back to doing what it does best instead of taking Pixar on with its own CG pictures.
Next big question: when do Disney's and Pixar's films get released? Surely not on top of each other. That's a sticking point.

Better idea: Sell ABC and Cable networks (to TimeWarner); take money and buy Pixar.

[WRDup]

Originally Posted by sediment

Better idea: Sell ABC and Cable networks (to TimeWarner); take money and buy Pixar.

I second that emotion!

The more i learn about the deal and disney and the network the more i dislike it. and after reading disney war i realized that a majority of time in eisners latter years was spent trying to improve a sucky network, then buying an even suckier one and trying to make that work! I get so frustrated reading about it i can only stand to read so much before i loose my nerves and have to stop. Disney doesnt have to be a growth company especially if the risk of it s stability is too great. eisner himself has said it before, "lets get back to the basics" and do what we used to do best.
we have roots and we should stick to 'em! i know, my bad.

So anyway, yeah... Pixar. Good idea make a deal or buy em (like we should have done in the first place like roy said!!!!!!!)or something