Disney-MGM Studios to Change in January 2008

[hollywood1939]

Originally Posted by WSVR

Newsflash. Years and years after the fact, people still don't know that Columbus did not prove the world was round. That's a yarn. It was well known by the Greeks that the world was roughly shaped like a sphere. That fact appears in the writings of Aristotle. By the time of Columbus, it was widely accepted the world was round. The debate was over the distance between the Spice Islands of Asia and Europe via the route proposed. Columbus believed it to be 5,000 miles, within range of the ships of the day. Others believed that distance to be out of range. They were right by the way and Columbus was wrong. They were indeed well out of range. Lucky for Columbus, he found the West Indies.

And Columbus wasn't the first one to find the Americas either.

I don't know, I like the name but I think it could have been more creative.

[Club33orBust]

It's necessary and proper that Disney moves on.

Coming from a guy who actually works for MGM Studios, the company is not what it used to be.

Disney and Warners are at the top of the heap in this town.

Disney can hold its own in terms of branding.

But I say, I will miss the old name.

[Monkey joe]

Originally Posted by Club33orBust

It's necessary and proper that Disney moves on.

Coming from a guy who actually works for MGM Studios, the company is not what it used to be.

Disney and Warners are at the top of the heap in this town.

Disney can hold its own in terms of branding.

But I say, I will miss the old name.

How about the Disney-Warner Brothers Studios instead then?

[Werner Weiss]

Originally Posted by riklik1968

Does anyone know if the studios plan on changing out any of "The Great Movie Ride" due to conflicts with the MGM contract?

The name change to Disney's Hollywood Studios and the end of the licensing contract with MGM do not mean that Disney has lost the rights to most scenes in the Great Movie Ride.

The scenes in the Great Movie Ride are licensed from a various different owners of rights. For example, if I remember correctly, Indiana Jones is owned by Lucafilm; Alien is owned by Twentieth Century-Fox; and The Wizard of Oz is owned by Warner Bros. (even though it was originally an MGM movie).

If any of the contracts are 20-year contracts, and if Disney is unable to reach new agreements with the owners of the rights, then Disney will need to change out any affected scenes when such contracts are up.

However, it's also possible all contracts could be renewed—even those involving MGM.

[Barbossa]

Since Hollywood is not in Orlando, would't it be better off called Disney's Touchstone Studios? That way they could develop a number of attractions off their Touchstone properties.

[BigPigletFan]

Originally Posted by Werner Weiss

The name change to Disney's Hollywood Studios and the end of the licensing contract with MGM do not mean that Disney has lost the rights to most scenes in the Great Movie Ride.

The scenes in the Great Movie Ride are licensed from a various different owners of rights. For example, if I remember correctly, Indiana Jones is owned by Lucafilm; Alien is owned by Twentieth Century-Fox; and The Wizard of Oz is owned by Warner Bros. (even though it was originally an MGM movie).

If any of the contracts are 20-year contracts, and if Disney is unable to reach new agreements with the owners of the rights, then Disney will need to change out any affected scenes when such contracts are up.

However, it's also possible all contracts could be renewed—even those involving MGM.

That is correct. And if GMR does get some work done in the upcoming years it may or may not reflect any of those contracts but instead just the concept of updating the ride and possibly where the funding will come from will lead to new scenes/scene changes, etc.

Originally Posted by Barbossa

Since Hollywood is not in Orlando, would't it be better off called Disney's Touchstone Studios? That way they could develop a number of attractions off their Touchstone properties.

Yes, that would make sense; however, the Hollywood name goes more with the original and now current theme of the park - The Hollywood that never was and now the Hollywood that it is today.

[Doopey1]

^^ The average tourist would have no clue what Touchstone is. The reason they used the MGM name was because it has some brand recognition as one of the classic hollywood studios.

The new DHS name is broad enough to cover attractions for virtually any property, whether its television (ex: Playhouse Disney and High School Musical), Pixar, Walt Disney Pictures, or outside partners like Lucasfilm.