Ei$ner Kills Lilo 2 Disk DVD Release

[Sarangel]

Well, actually it's a rumor to that effect from Jim Hill. Normally I'd link to this, but it's in the middle of the column, so I'll quote it instead:

Next, Spot writes to ask:


Jim,

So I get home last night, sit down on the couch to relax and watch some TiVo, when my kids ask if they can watch "The Wiggles" that we recorded that morning. Being the nice guy I am (Well, really. "The Wiggles" puts me to sleep faster than drinking a bottle of Nyquil), I put it on for them. I'm a half hour into my late afternoon nap when they wake me to restart the recording. Well before I do that I happen to tune into 5 min commercial after all the Playhouse Disney shows. You know the one where they have the little boy and girl pimping out the newest Disney merchandise. Well, last night they were talking about the new "Lilo & Stitch" DVD that will be available Dec 3. Well, this is the first time I heard about it. So I go online to see what nifty special features are going to be included. Well, from what I can tell it's just going to be a standard DVD (No Special Edition 2 disk set), with some minimal features. So hears where it gets tricky. I have been burned by Disney and other company before buy buying the regular DVD, and then a couple months later a new and improved Special Edition 2 disk set with all sorts of features to make a Disney Dweeb drool at the mouth. So -- Finally -- here is my question ... Is this the only Lilo & Stitch DVD on the drawing boards right now, or is there a Special Edition just around the corner with all sorts of great goodies included? And if you know what the goodies are please bring us into the Loop!

Thanks a lot Jim,

Spot


Well, like a lot of you folks out there, I was under the impression that the release of the extra special collector's edition of "Lilo & Stitch" (the one with the directors' commentaries along with the infamous "Jet flying through downtown Honolulu" sequence that was cut from the picture after 9/11) would be released to stores sometime late next month. A couple of times, I've even heard a specific release date being mentioned for the deluxe "Lilo & Stitch" DVD ... which was Tuesday, January 28th.

So imagine my surprise earlier this week when I received an e-mail from someone who works deep inside the Mouse House who insists that Michael Eisner himself earlier this year pulled the plug on the 2-disc deluxe collector's edition of "Lilo & Stitch." And worse than that, the Walt Disney Company is supposedly toying with completely abandoning the 2-disc collector's edition format for all of its future animated titles.

Why for? Well, here's a real surprise: These proposed cutbacks of any additional features to be included in future animated releases from Buena Vista Home Entertainment are coming because the Mouse is trying once again to economize. According to Disney's own market research, only 8% of the DVD buyers out there are interested in adult-aimed features (I.E. Extras such as directors' commentaries, character design galleries, deleted scenes, etc. ) on their discs. The other 92% of DVD buyers are kids and parents who just want the movie. Who are perfectly happy with a DVD that just shows the film and nothing more.

Disney's cost savings -- should Buena Vista Home Entertainment actually opt to go forward with adopting just the single disc format for all the future DVD releases of the company's animated classics -- could be considerable. Reportedly saving the company as much as $7 million in worldwide production costs per title.

But what about the cost to all us animation fans? My heart actually aches when I think about all the great stuff that was supposedly deliberately left off of the plain Jane version of the "Lilo & Stitch" DVD that hit store shelves earlier this week. Almost 75% of the additional features that had been created specifically for "Lilo"'s DVD release ended up on the cutting room floor. Cool extras like:


- a 20 minute tour of the Florida animation studio (led by "Lilo & Stitch" directors
Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois)

- 7 long deleted scenes from the film, including one with Stitch's gang (from an
abandoned plotline of the film) as well as the infamous 747 rescue scene that was
cut after 9/11

- full galleries with watercolor backgrounds, storyboards, art layouts, etc.

- a 45 minute long "On Location with the Directors" featurette.


Plus the now obligatory director's commentary. From all accounts, the deluxe collector's edition 2-disc DVD of "Lilo & Stitch" would have been absolutely killer. But -- in spite of the fact that Buena Vista Home Entertainment has had the master tapes for all these extras in hand since May 2002, a full month before "Lilo & Stitch" actually rolled into theaters -- it now seems unlikely that much of this great archival material (which had deliberately been created for the deluxe "Stitch" DVD) will ever see the light of day.

Which begs the question: What's the deal with the limited number of extras that actually DID end up on the single disc version of "Lilo & Stitch"? Well, as it turns out, those features were actually culled from the master tapes for the 2-disc set. And these extras were deliberately picked for their kid-friendly-ness. (Which explains that A*Teens "I Can't Help Falling in Love" music video as well as the hula lesson.)

Would a public outcry on this subject ultimately help get the deluxe 2-disc collector's edition of "Lilo & Stitch" released? To be honest, I'm not sure. Over the past few years, the Walt Disney Company has obviously made making a profit a higher corporate priority than pleasing its customers. Besides, if 92% of all potential Disney DVD buyers seem perfectly happy with buying a single disc version of one of the company's classic animated films that has limited additional features, then what's the point of busting your butt to try and please that whiny, *****y, hard-to-please other 8%?

Still, once this news gets out about this, I would imagine that the Walt Disney Company is going to be looking for some sort of graceful way out of this extremely awkward situation. Some way that they can appease all of those angry Disney DVD buyers who only collect the deluxe 2-disc DVD version of the corporation's animated films. Who are now furious that Disney deliberately turned their back on them (and the 2-disc format).

May I suggest (as a face saving gesture for the Mouse): In mid-2003, Buena Vista Home Entertainment will be rolling out a direct-to-video follow-up to "Lilo & Stitch" called "Stitch! The Movie." This video and DVD release is - of course - really just a tease for the REAL money maker, which is: "Stitch! The Animated Series, " the daily cartoon show that Walt Disney Television Animation will debuting in the Fall of 2003.

So rather than admit that they screwed up and that they never intended to release a 2-disc version of "Lilo & Stitch," wouldn't it be smart of the folks from Buena Vista Home Entertainment to now say that they were holding the deluxe collectors edition of this film back 'til the late Summer / early Fall of 2003? So they'd have another title that they could use to help promote "Stitch! The Animated Series"?

But to deliberately NOT go forward with releasing the deluxe 2-disc set of "Lilo & Stitch" -- particularly after all the hours and artistry that Disney staffers have already poured into this project -- just to save a couple of bucks. That would be (there's just no other way to describe this, folks) a stupid waste.

And isn't it high time that the Walt Disney Company stopped being so wasteful and/or stupid in the way it manages its assets?

Don't even get me started if this is true.

Sarangel

 

[Testtrack321]

This might call for a first: Testtrack321 actually writing to Disney to compane!!! Do you have any tips Landbaron?

 

[raidermatt]

Ok, this makes me question even more the whole excuse that Disney simply didn't have time to put together the "Collector's Edition". If Hill is right, the features are done and "in the can", and have been for months.

If they wanted to release them both on 12/3, they could have.

So either they have canceled the CE, or they really do want us to buy both. I'm not particularly happy with either.


(Incidentally, the A-Teens video doesn't even include the entire song. I'm pretty sure they removed an entire verse, as well as a few other parts)

 

[Another Voice]

Well, I too have heard the rumors that the 2-disk version was in danger for the last couple of months. I would not be surprised at all if the release is cancelled all together.

First, Eisner has been calling ‘Lilo’ a disappointment since its theatrical release. He disliked the movie and he disliked the corporate politics that surrounded the film (basically it was the traditional “Disney” people that backed ‘Lilo’ while the direct to video people were backing ‘Treasure Planet’ – Eisner backed the video people). It’s also well rumored that Eisner firmly believes that traditional animation is dead and he’s committed the company to “loose as little money as possible” on the medium.

Then there’s the whole personal animosity level in this affair as well. The two creators of the movie (Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois) got very tired of all the corporate idiocy and flat out disrespect that they and Feature Animation were receiving. So shortly after the release of ‘Lilo’, they left Disney to form their own company and signed a deal with Disney that will net them much more money and control than if they had stayed to man the lifeboats in Orlando. THAT really frosted Eisner. Needless to say, he was not really interested in putting out a two-disk DVD packed with features that showed how wonderful his new ex-animators were (and I always figured that the temptation to stick it to S&D would be too great for Eisner to resist). A lot of this might seem petty and spiteful, but that’s Hollywood.

The sales issue really isn’t about the 2-disk verses 1-disk format at all. Sales figures for ‘Snow White’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ have been very disappointing for Burbank. In fact, the low pre-orders for ‘Beauty’ is rumored to be the reason why the release date for ‘Lilo’ was moved up. But the low sales are probably the result of so many people already owning a copy of those movies. The exact same issue has been found in movies from classics like 'Gone With the Wind' to rereleases like 'Die Hard' and even the special editions of the 'Star Trek' movies.

Since Eisner is convinced that ‘Lion King’ sized revenues are his birthright, but are no longer possible from animation he’s focusing on cutting costs as the only way of increasing earnings. Given the very, very low sales for ‘Return to Neverland’, it’s rumored he’s even calling the direct-to-video sequels expensive. Further cuts are on the way.

In the end, the problem isn’t that 2-disk collections don’t sell well. It’s that they don’t sell enough for Eisner’s expectations.

 

[Cricket2]

Next thing you know, they will be selling open character voice slots to animated features not unlike the Ruskies are doing with their space program.

I can just see the next SONY commercial for a progressive DVD player.....

"When the kids ask where the money went, show them the movie where you did the voice of "Sneezy"

JC

 

[Cricket2]

Off topic:

I think the SONY commercial that inspired my last reply is one of the best commercials I have seen in years.

The music, images and idea in general was a grand-slam home run in my book!

JC

 

[OnWithTheShow]

Yeah...and Eisner was the one to hire me. Lets cut the guy some slack. He DOES NOT make every decision in the company. Certainly not something like what DVD's to release. Don't you think he has better things to do...

 

[d-r]

I have some thoughts and opinions about this.

First, let me say that personally it makes me pretty sick, and I think that this is an attitude that is cutting across a lot of the decisions at this company, from not having any adult stuff at the disney store to taking off the vault disney programs to adding spinner rides and fliks fun fair, to cutting the number of beers that they have at big river Ok, maybe not the last one, but my point is that in the last 2-3 years the attitude seems to have been people only want this company to focus on stuff for little kids, and the small minority of adults who actually like this stuff for themselves rather than suffering through it for their kids are just disney freaks and they will stick around whatever we decide to do.

Second, let me think about the 2-dvds. There is only one non "platinum" of the animated featuers that has not been released yest as a "gold" or "annivesary edition" or something like that. That is the Rescuers. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong (of course I am not including Victory through Air Power, or the partial live actions (Let's see, P'sD, MP, B&B, have been released, SotS, SDTMH have not). I'm talking of the animated features that we would expect to be released as DVD. I think that the Rescuers are the only one that isn't out. Wait, Sleeping Beauty isn't a platinum either and hasn't came out yet.

Of the dvd releases so far, there was that initial release of the "Limited Edition" dvds that were pretty awful. The transfers were the same old crappy ones that were used on tape, for example the jungle book dvd doesn't have complete opening credits, there are no extras, you have to sit through all the previews each time you watch, etc. They were pretty awful.

They came up with a new strategy; the "gold" movies would be released for ever, the "platinum" would be released for a limited time then back in the vault. What has happened is, the two platinum releases have been double dvd's, snow white and beauty and the beast. There wasn't a single dvd version of these.

The other movies released as two dvd limited release collector type sets are bugs life, toy story 2 (three cd with toy story), monster's inc (all new and all pixar), Tarzan (a new release), Dinosaur (new), Emporer's New Groove (new), Fantasia (a 3 cd set with Fantasia and Fantasia 2000, so new), Atlantis (new). All of these were films were initially released after the point in time when all films were released on both vhs and dvd (the exception is ts1, which was released on the three disc with ts2, and fantasia released with fantasia 2k). All of these, every one of them, were released as both a single dvd and a double dvd collectors edition.

So there are two different strategies there. I really don't expect that the dvds released as "gold" or "anniversary" (dumbo, peter pan) will be re-worked as collector's editions anyway. Did anyone? And I don't expect that when Rescuer's comes out it will be a two disc treatment anyway. This is only bad for a few of the dvds as far as I'm concerned, most of them probably have about as good a treatment as we can reasonably expect them to get. Mulan, Hercules, and Pocohontus are a shame b/c they weren't anthropomorphic, and Pinochio is a real shame, they really should re-do the Pinochio release it is a crime really. But beyond that, I don't think that we would have gotten a re-release of those dvds anyway (sure, I might like to watch a special edition of Robin Hood or Sword and the Stone or Ichobod and Mr. Toad or Fox and Hound, but come on, do you really think that those were coming out)? There have been some pretty nice single dvd collections, dumbo comes to mind. I think that the dvd's that are out are pretty much all they will be for a long time.

So, to me, this concerns really only the platinum dvds that have not came out yet, let's see that is Lion King, Aladin, Jungle Book, Cinderella, 101 Dalmations, Lady and the Tramp, and Bambi, and then also Sleeping Beauty. I'd like to see two-dvd sets for all of these of course, but the most important thing is that the quality of the movie itself be as good as possible. If the jungle book platinum release uses the same transfer as the jungle book limited edition, it may be a bigger crime against humanity than the jungle book 2 is. The strategy for the first 2 has been a two-dvd release only, and it seems like this is the strategy that Jim Hill is talking about - that 90% of people just want kiddie eye candy for anyway so why bother trying. I hope that these are two dvd sets (for example, the L&tT could include the world of disney television show about animation and sound, which was put together to promote the film), but even a nicer one dvd set (think Dumbo) would probably be OK - BUT, a dvd like Pinochio would be a travesty. I have to think that they have learned this lesson by now. Honestly, the second disk on Snow White and B&tB seemed a little forced to me anyway.

The other thing is new movies - Treasure Planet, Finding Nemo and etc. into the future, starting here with our beloved Lilo and Stitch. Here this doesn't make as much sense to me anyway. By my reckoning (which may be wrong so please correct me) all of the newer films have been released as both a single and a collectors edition, except Monsters Inc. It seems like the sales of the collectors edition would either pay for itself or not. This is a different strategy to me than releasing only a 2-dvd set. I wouldn't be surprised if the collector editions of Atlantis, Dinosaur, and Emporer didn't sell that well (though I have all of them), but I would guess that Tarzan, Toy Story, Bug's Life, Fantasia probably did really well. Maybe the point is how well received the movie was in general and how anticipated the dvd is makes a difference here. Also, the Pixar multi-dvds are always amazing, some of the best dvds that exist period.

Lately there has been the perception that ANY new dvd that was released would be a 2-dvd set. I was told that by disney store cms. Think about it - Snow White, B&tB, Monster's Inc were all two discs released in a roll, and they thought that L&S was going to be, too. This perception was that there would only be a two-disc version of the movie. I am not surprised that this will not be the case, however, I will be surprised if there will be no two-dvd sets in the future, especially of very successful new films or the platinum releases.

Anyway, that's what I think about it. Sorry for the run-on ideas and incorrect spellings, going off the top of my head in a hurry.

DR

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

I thought we’d pretty much settled this issue a long time ago. But I guess it won’t hurt to go over it again…

He DOES NOT make every decision in the company.

Well…. Of course he doesn’t do EVERYTHING. But he sets the philosophy, the agenda and more importantly the tone by which EVERY decision within the company is made. He hired those who hired those who hired those who hired you! Don’t you get that? He sets the direction for the company. His underlings and subordinates spend their time trying to please him. And if ‘making the boss happy’ means higher profits and less spending, then that is what they do. If, on the other hand, the top guy is pleased with creativity, artistry and doesn’t really care about costs, then that is what they will try to do. Either way, the big cheese sets the tone for the company.

Mr. Show, it really is that simple.

Lets cut the guy some slack.

Nope! Not with me. He doesn’t deserve any!!

 

[Sarangel]

Before we go off on a tangent of Ei$ner bashing, let me say that my disappointment with this particular quashing of a product really irritates me because, if Mr. Hill is to be believed, they've ALREADY spent the money & time filming the extras & getting them organized. I can't really believe that the tiny incrimental cost of actually pressing (or whatever) them into DVDs, Packaging them & shipping and selling them wouldn't be covered by the extra sales from us die-hard-Disney-Nuts. I'm not saying the entire cost would be covered, but at least the loss would be mitigated a little, especially since they used some of the footage from the solicited 2 Disk set for the 1 Disk release.

Maybe it's just my inner accountant, but it seems to me that you save money if you a) cut costs, or b) increase revenue, or c) maximize the profit off of each set of expenses. If you've already spent the money, then that removes option "a" from the possibilities.

Finally, I believe AV when he says that Ei$ner is petty enough to kill the 2 Disk set of Lilo & Stitch just to get back at the directors. He may not make every decision in the company, but he is capable of finding nits to pick at...

Sarangel

 

[hopemax]

There is a poster over on the Laughing Place Boards who is friends with the higher-ups over at Buena Vista Home Entertainment. His friend told him on Monday that the L&S is still a go. But he's going to check in again. This person is also in the industry himself and basically says that ALL THE OTHER STUDIOS are all over the DVD extras, it's one of the hottest growing sub-industries in Hollywood. With the game of one-upmanship that infects Hollywood, Disney can't scrap them. Not without hearing it from everyone else, and that loud, obnoxious 8% of the audience.

 

[eeyore0062]

To be honest, the stats are correct. When given the option of buying the regular DVD, vs the Deluxe set for $10 more, about 95% of the guests will opt for the less expensive version, stating that no one ever watches that other DVD anyway. Of course when it is included, they get both, and set the 2nd disc aside to collect dust... a waste of money for the Disney corporation in producing a 2 disc set.

Perhaps, what needs to happen is a compulation DVD of all extras from Disney's movies for the collectors of Disney memoribilia. The DVD sets with the Mickey and Goofy shorts, as well as the Studios DVD have been flying off of the shelves at our local Disney Store... so there definitely is a market for this type of media, but it isn't being packaged in a way to appeal to the audience to which it was intended. Make it a collectors item, and package it in a silver container, and watch the sales soar!

 

[Another Voice]

The comments I’m hearing from all the other studios are that the extras are driving the sales of DVD’s. People who want to buy the movie want all the extras, people who don’t want to buy simply rent the film. It’s standard now for hit movies to be released as a two-disk set (even a turkey like ‘Minority Report’ is getting better treatment than ‘Lilo’).

The strategy that hasn’t worked is the re-release with bonus – a movie comes out plain vanilla and then later a “collector’s edition” with all the toys follows later. All of the studios tried that both as a way please both crowds and to squeeze more revenue out of older films. All the studios except for Disney have dropped that scheme, opting instead for a loaded DVD release.

Disney’s problem is one of expectations and their very simplistic view of the world. Their concern with the ‘Lilo’ DVD is rumored to come from the low sales for the extended DVD of ‘Pearl Harbor’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’. To any outsider the real answer seems obvious – no one wanted to own the shorter version of ‘Pearl’ in the first place, why would anyone want another heaping of dung. And ‘Beauty’ has been out so long and in so many different forms that few people feel the need to buy another copy of it.

But the Gnomes still few that anything with a Disney® sticker has a natural right to sell no matter what. So low sales and Eisner’s basic hostility toward feature animation lead to a decree that the problem was with the market and not with their offerings. So ‘Snow White’ fell short because people don’t want extras on the DVD (not because I already own three different versions of the film) and ‘Peter Pan 2’ failed because no one wants feature length films (not because it was a rotten movie).

Naturally when you hold up the sales figures for the two-disk, all-you-can-eat versions of ‘Monsters, Inc.’ or ‘Shrek’ you get nothing but blank stares back. Canceling the two-disk version (which I can’t find on any release schedule anymore) is simply a cost cutting move they are trying to justify with some marketing spin. It’s also a nice poke in the eye at Roy Disney and Feature Animation too. If Disney really did do everything based on the true market they’d be doing a lot better than they are right now.

 

[hopemax]

And ‘Beauty’ has been out so long and in so many different forms that few people feel the need to buy another copy of it.

Now, AV, I love you, but what were these other forms of Beauty and the Beast?

As far as I know, the movie was released on VHS in 1992 (as a plain vanilla and a collector's box set) and hadn't been available since. Except if you wanted to spend a bunch of money on Ebay. I spent about 4 years looking for a copy I didn't have to spend $50 for. I finally found a VHS copy about 2 days before the re-release was finally announced.

 

[Bob O]

I would agree with AV(except for his comments on Minority Report!!!) and DVC!!!
Eisner if he doesnt make all decisions has his people in power who are making decisions they believe he wants them to make as he sets the tone.
And considering eisners pettiness over his troubles with katzenberg i could easily see him not put out a 2 disk set to spite the people who have left, he has shown he is spitfull in the past.
And i think the sale of LOTR shows people will buy both the initial release and the upgraded versions if they believe the quality/creativity is their which has been lacking at disney as of late!!

 

[wdw4us2]

Say it ain't so!

How many more bad decisions will Disney/Eisner make before they drive away even their hard-core fanatics?

I have made it a point to only purchase the special edition DVD's and not the regular ones. They are far superior, especially if you're hung up on learning more details behind the scenes of the films.

 

[raidermatt]

Does anyone have a link to DVD sales info similar to the box office info we can get on theatrical releases? Sales figures, all-time sales rankings, that kind of stuff?

Thanks...

Is Beauty and the Beast doing that poorly? I saw on one chart it was still #5 for the week (behind Monsters by the way...).