Disney buys Muppets!!!

[shelbyjosh]

http://www.comcast.net/News/BUSINES...ews/aae99b92-38cf-4b1e-8447-89ee2a30b729.html


Here is the link with all the info on the Disney purchase of the Muppets. It said it does not include the Sesame St. line.

 

[King Triton]

Muppet characters do not mix in well with Disney characters!! This is another Michael Eisner bad decision. When I go to the parks, I do not want to see Muppet characters walking around.

Michael Eisner has lost his mind.

 

[Galahad]

I think this is a good move all around. It's a bit late in the game.....they should have been going down this path long ago. And I don't doubt Eisner will botch this up with some mindless exploitation. But in the long run (in the great "after-Mike") I think it's a good fit.

 

[bmoc_ny]

Originally posted by King Triton
Muppet characters do not mix in well with Disney characters!! This is another Michael Eisner bad decision. When I go to the parks, I do not want to see Muppet characters walking around.

Michael Eisner has lost his mind.

What!!!! Muppet Vision 3D is one of the better things to see at MGM.

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by King Triton
Muppet characters do not mix in well with Disney characters!! This is another Michael Eisner bad decision. When I go to the parks, I do not want to see Muppet characters walking around.

Michael Eisner has lost his mind.

Too late! Muppets have been walking around Disney parks for years. MuppetVision 3-D, Bear in the Big Blue House, Muppets in Parades, the old Here Come the Muppets show -- the Muppets have been part of the Studios since opening day.

I don't think we're ever going to see Kermit wandering up Main Street USA with Mickey by his side -- I think that the Muppets will maintain a presence at the Studios and not venture into other park areas.

 

[Kapp]

and was under the impression that Disney already owned them 100%. I agree that you will not seem them "hand in hand" with Mickey and such. They may not even be in the MK. I can see them staying at MGM and maybe even introduced in Epcot or AK. I may be wrong but I do see them still being somewhat independent of one another.

 

[King Triton]

I like the Muppet's 3D movie too but that's as much as I want to see the Muppets at the parks. Disney's characters are from the classic fairy tales of all time (Walt's vision). Muppets are more made for T.V (Jim Hensen's vision). In my opinion, they just don't mix. People go to Disney to see Disney characters. Am I the only one who feels this way?

Muppets fit in better at Legoland - not Disneyworld.

I want to preserve the Disney experience.

 

[mrsbigglesworth]

King Triton, i respectfully DISAGREE!!!! I have been doing my happy dance all day!!!!!

It is high time these two wonderful entities "tied the knot".....

It can only be a good thing! I own all the original Muppet Show DVD's from the 1980's and they are everything a family could want in entertainment....what an asset to the Disney family of characters.....they may never walk down Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom with Mickey....but they are at MGM. and


WOO HOO!!!!!!!! LONG MAY THEY WAVE!!!!!!!


WACKA WACKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Planogirl]

I LOVE the Muppets and think that they more than belong in the Disney parks. Of course, if I had my way someone would finally wrest the excellent Looney Tunes characters away from Warner Brothers and use them well too. (Universal?) Good characters are only as good as they are used IMO.

 

[jordgubben]

Everyone automatically thinks about the muppets in the parks (where they really are already as mentioned above) but what I recall reading was that they would bring back the tv show and movies which frankly is great family entertainment (a show that a whole family can sit down and enjoy together). My husband and father are thrilled at the prospect of the muppets show being back on tv. They definitely have their fingers crossed.

 

[Razor Roman]

I don't think Disney got the Henson TV/Movie catalog though... just the characters.

So we won't be seeing the Muppet Show on the Disney Channel any time soon.

I would love to see what Disney does with the Muppets now though, we've been promised several Muppet "returns" now with not much coming from any of them (though the recent Christmas movie was nice!).

Now if only Disney would pony up a few bucks and buy Speilberg's half of Roger Rabbit and then I would be a happy man!

 

[lodgelady]

I'm glad Mr Eisner has finally done the right thing to see this deal through with the family of the late Jim Henson. Eisner has been stringing them along for years.
NOW to earn his mouse ears back in my book he would also have to do the right thing by the heirs of AA Milne and the childrens hospital in London that JM Barrie left his royalties to.....of course we know by the timing of this Muppet deal that it did not come from a sudden change of heart. ~ He HAD to do something good~

 

[OnWithTheShow]

The deal DOES include rights to the Muppets film and television library.

http://www.forbes.com/business/2004/02/18/cx_da_0218ton.html?partner=yahoo&referrer=

 

[Razor Roman]

Originally posted by OnWithTheShow
The deal DOES include rights to the Muppets film and television library.

http://www.forbes.com/business/2004/02/18/cx_da_0218ton.html?partner=yahoo&referrer=

You are correct. I noticed the saem thing about 10 minutes after I posted.

I love the Muppets... when I worked at the studios I always found myself going to MuppetVision on my days off, buying a Kermit puppet, and working on my Kermit voice.

They always had that obsurd behavior, just like Rocky and Bullwinkle, two other favorites of mine. The Muppets were always hilariously funny, but in a sweet way. There was always heart to it. I'm 25 and I still tear up a little when I watch Muppets take Manhattan (Saying good-bye, why is it sad? Makes us remember the good times we had...)

 

[AprilsZoo]

from: http://www.comcast.net/News/BUSINES...ews/aae99b92-38cf-4b1e-8447-89ee2a30b729.html

The Jim Henson Co. will retain its "Creature Shop," which builds the puppet characters and provides special effects for other studios, as well as the rights to its film and television library, including "Fraggle Rock" and "Farscape," among others.

AND

from: http://www.forbes.com/business/2004/02/18/cx_da_0218ton.html?partner=yahoo&referrer=

 

[AprilsZoo]

from: http://www.comcast.net/News/BUSINES...ews/aae99b92-38cf-4b1e-8447-89ee2a30b729.html

The Jim Henson Co. will retain its "Creature Shop," ... as well as the rights to its film and television library, including "Fraggle Rock" and "Farscape," among others.

AND

from: http://www.forbes.com/business/2004/02/18/cx_da_0218ton.html?partner=yahoo&referrer=

The deal includes the Muppet characters and licensing rights to the Muppet film and television library, as well as all the Bear in the Big Blue House characters, television library, copyrights and trademarks.

So.... which is it?

 

[WDSearcher]

It's both, actually. The TV and copyright rights that Disney gets are related to "Bear." They also receive LICENSING rights to the Muppets and Muppets TV.

Jim Henson retains OWNERSHIP rights to the Muppets TV library.