Disney killing Nemo?

[raidermatt]

Sure Eisner wants to make money, but whatever Nemo makes or doesn't make will be a lot more important to Pixar than it is to Disney.

And to a super inflated ego, tearing down a competitor could mean a benefit for the ego's own product, whatever that maybe.

No, it doesn't really make logical sense, but neither do many other Eisner decisions, so we have to look beyond the most logical explanations. The pattern is there, and its gotten pretty easy to see...

I think Larry put it best when he said:

Neither may be true, but both are believable.

Then there's this from our beloved Pirate:

Some of us don't believe every word of any poster, including those we generally side with...Some buy in hook line and sinker to the guru du jour.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Please re-read my comments, and consider them en totale.

I am not saying it IS true. I am just saying there is no justification for discounting it, and there is a pattern that makes it very possible. If that did not come through in my posts, my apologies.

Rather than casting dispursions, tell me where I am off-base.

NOTE added in edit: In fact, no dispursions were cast my way. I mis-interpreted an earlier post. Rather than delete portions of my comments, I thought I'd just add this footnote...

 

[Another Voice]

Wow, guru du jour. I think I had that once in fusion Thai-French restaurant. At least being called that is a little more flattering than a lot of names people throw my way.

Are rumors being spread about low test scores on ‘Nemo.’?
Yes, I’ve heard them well outside of this Internet discussion boards. In town, you hear rumors about every movie -- finished, in production or even thought of. And the rumors about ‘Nemo’ are nothing compared to what’s being said about ‘Superman’, ‘Matrix 2’ or others. Pixar should consider themselves lucky.

Are the scores true?
I don’t know, but I have no reason to doubt the rumors. The point of test screening an unfinished movie and asking what’s wrong is to find the problems. People are critical when you ask those kinds of questions. Most movies get low scores at this stage and I’m highly suspicious of any movie that gets high scores.

Is this part of an orchestrated campaign to ruin Pixar?
I very much doubt it. Disney is never that subtle and, much to the glee of Mr. Katzenberg’s investment bankers, when Eisner smears someone he tends to do it in public.

Then why is this happening?
Because it’s standard Hollywood jealousy and envy. Pixar is known as the best and most successful animation studio in the world right now. The joke at Disney (from people inside the company) is that to find the newest direct-to-video release at a Blockbuster, all you have to do is to follow your nose - the stench will lead you right there. Rumors about ‘Nemo’ are exactly then same as when our friend Pirate gloats over trash at Six Flags. Knocking a competitor down a few pegs makes one feel better. While a lot of Mr. Hill's columns are factually true, he often lacks the background or knowledge to put things in context. Seeing the ‘Nemo’ rumors as part of big conspiracy is, in my opinion, another one of those cases.

But do campaigns like this happen?
All the time and over even smaller matters than this. Look at last year’s Oscar campaign; there was a massive effort undertaken to discredit ‘A Beautiful Mind’. The campaign included “leaked” reports about anti-Semitism, homophobia, race baiting, bribery and other activities. A Best Picture or Best Actor Oscar adds tens of millions to the box office and video revenues of a film. There are some people that will murder for a few thousand dollars; you’ll find a lot more people willing to twist the truth for a few million.

But this is Disney, they’d never do such a thing!
Riiigggghhhtttt. The only way to get ahead in Hollywood – say jumping from being a junior executive at Paramount up to the CEO and third largest stockholder in Disney – that the only way to do that is to be the gosh darnest most swell people and everyone’s best bud. And of course everyone from the owners of Winnie the Pooh to Robin Williams to Orlando city council members have nothing but kind words and praise for the ethics and gentle business practices of the mouse. I mean, if they gloat over a few bad rumors it’s not they’re destroying legal documents in violation of a court order or anything.

As some one else said – get real folks.


P.S. Would Disney get on the Internet to influence public opinion? Well, when the President of Attractions states in numerous published interviews that Internet gossip “ruined” his multi-million dollar ‘Light Magic’ show at Disneyland and is the prime reason why attendance at California Adventure is “low”, you don’t think that someone would try to do something about it? Especially when big bucks are at stake: DCA, central to all of Disney’s plans for expansion in Anaheim and when more and more vacationers turn to the Internet for info about the Mouse.

 

[Peter Pirate]

Voice, I really thought you'd like that characterization...

But...

Rumors about Nemo are exactly then the same as when our friend Pirate gloats over trash at Six Flags...

Well you'd better get your facts straight mister (he says with a grin). Neither Captain nor myself have ever been to a Six Flags before so perhaps you're disparaging the wrong lackey?

I've been to Sea World and US (a while ago) and they were nicely kept, but I have heard reports of their less than Disney Park cleanliness these days, but I certainly take no glee in this news though as not being their guest I don't really care.

Although, I believe it to be in my best interest for competetor parks to be as good as possible, it can't posibbly hurt my personal experience any, in fact it can only help (i.e. Disney keeps up or another park does better and gets my business).

So in closing, Mr. Voice Hollywood is strange, I've never been to a Six Flags and Eisner isn't to be trusted. Good summation?

 

[Sarangel]

The discussion previously found here regarding Disney's attendance figures vs. those of other tourist destinations is now in a thread of it's own called "DEBATEL: Disney vs. Vegas," in an effort to have the conversations reflect the topic on the board.

Thanks.

Sarangel