September 19, 2013 | 07:25PM PT
The studio and the 'Lone Ranger' producer will not seek to renew a first-look deal when it expires next year
Marc Graser, Senior Writer@marcgraser
Dave McNary, Film Reporter@Varietu
The studio and the 'Lone Ranger' producer will not seek to renew a first-look deal when it expires next year
The Walt Disney Studios and Jerry Bruckheimer have decided not to renew their first-look deal when it expires next year, ending a relationship thats been one of Hollywoods more successful partnerships since the 1990s.
The studio said it will continue to focus on its branded franchise films from the Disney, Pixar, Marvel and now Lucasfilm banners, while Bruckheimer is looking to produce a slate of more mature pics outside the scope of the Disney brand. Translation: there just wasnt room for Bruckheimer in the Mouse House anymore.
Disneys move to make films that are franchise friendly for not only the multiplex but also TV, theme parks and Disneys consumer products division wound up giving Bruckheimer few options for more adult fare that hes been developing for years. Those projects include an adaptation of Lorenzo Carcaterras 1997 novel Apaches, about renegade cops in New York City who take the law into their own hands.
Disney and Bruckheimer will continue working together on various projects including the fifth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean and a third National Treasure.
The film was recently pulled from the summer 2015 release schedule in order to improve the script. A third National Treasure, among other projects are still in development at the studio with Bruckheimers film banner. The Pirates franchise has gone on to earn more than $5.4 billion worldwide for Disney.
The move was announced Thursday evening.
Variety first reported that the prolific producer would meet with Disney beginning next month over whether to renew his current deal. But the decision to end their relationship came sooner than expected. It follows this summers disappointing performance of The Lone Ranger, which is forcing Disney to write off as much as $190 million in losses.
Together, Disney and Bruckheimer produced major tentpoles like the Pirates pics, Pearl Harbor, Armageddon, Con Air and The Rock, which were mostly released through the Touchstone label. Touchstone is now used to distribute DreamWorks live action films. But Bruckheimers films arent as successful as they once were, with Lone Ranger, The Sorcerers Apprentice, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and G-Force all pricey stumbles at the worldwide box office.
Still Bruckheimers films have earned more than $3.4 billion for Disney at the domestic box office, alone.
Jerry is one of the most respected and prolific producers working in the motion picture industry, and we have had an incredibly successful collaboration over the past two decades and he is a friend to many of us here at Disney, said Alan Horn, chairman of the Walt Disney Studios. We will continue to work together in the future, and we look forward to seeing more of the films that have made Jerry Bruckheimer a Hollywood legend.
Bruckheimer already had been setting up several projects elsewhere.
He has another Bad Boys in development at Sony, where he made Black Hawk Down, and Sonys Screen Gems will release his Eric Bana thriller Beware the Night. He also is developing a Top Gun sequel at Paramount and is likely to come aboard the studios next Beverly Hills Cop, the fourth installment in that franchise.
I am very appreciative of the wonderful collaboration and support I have had at the Walt Disney Company for over twenty years and the 27 movies we have made together, Bruckheimer said. The good news is we will continue working together on Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure and other projects we have developed together at the studio. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to work with these amazing people at The Walt Disney Studios, many of whom have become my good friends. As we continue to make adventure films, we look forward to returning to films like Black Hawk Down, Enemy of the State, Beverly Hills Cop, and The Rock.
