So is Disney rooting for or against 'Nemo'?

[Peter Pirate]

Odd question I know, but Pixar would obviously be in a worse barganing position with Disney if 'Nemo' bombs but of course that means profits lost for te Company.

Any thoughts?

 

[KNWVIKING]

I've often wondered if the car 3 crowd secretly wishes Disney would fail just to get rid of ME.

I think Disney wants a winner. I think a Pixar failure will still reflect poorly on Disney and they don't want that. The profit potential is tremendous and the one thing Disney and ME need right now is cash.

 

[*Robin*]

So is Pixar leaving or renewing? I thought I read here long ago that they were definetly leaving? Am I just living under a rock?

 

[KNWVIKING]

... recent articles indicate maybe the divorce isn't a done deal.

 

[*Robin*]

Thank you Viking!! I'll be crawling out from under that rock now!!

 

[crusader]

Pixar wins no matter what happens. The company is too vital to the industry to have its fate determined by one picture which happens to be great by the way. Disney would fare much better if this picture takes off because it translates into a nice surge of cash. What they do with this money and how they negotiate their future relationship is the real problem.

If it tanks - which it won't - then Pixar would continue to entertain solicitations while working on the remaining two projects currently contracted with Disney.

 

[FriendsOfEeyore]

I think that Disney needs Nemo to be successful. They are promoting more than some of their recent releases. Heck, we were at WDW last week, and the stuffed animals were everywhere for purchase a week before movie release.

 

[Peter Pirate]

I too think Disney would like 'Nemo' to make a bundle (it's their fiscal responsibility isn't it?)...But if Eisner and co. are as devious and unscrupulous as folks around here think it would make sense for them to hope for a bomb for negotiaing purposes because while one bomb wouldn't sink Pixar it certainly wouldn't help their bargaining position.

 

[Fizban257]

Based on the fact that my local Disney Store currently looks like the Finding Nemo Store, I'm guessing Disney is counting on a successful picture.

 

[raidermatt]

For the most part, published articles have never indicated that a Disney/Pixar divorce was a done deal. There are some posters with inside info who have said the chances of a new agreement are slim and/or none. Nothing has really changed with regard to the info coming out, its just that we are getting closer to the day when SOMETHING has to happen.

To answer the original question, there is a big difference between working to make something fail, and seeing the "positive" in that potential failing.

Of course Disney wants the dough from a successful Nemo.

But the reality is that a successful Nemo is going to make a new deal with Pixar more costly to Disney. So even if there is no devious and unscrupulous behavior on Disney's part, there are still financial positives to them if Nemo doesn't become a smash hit. Its just that the positives are less tangible, particularly in the short term.

The reality is, Disney is in a position where things can only get worse for them. If they make a new deal with Pixar, there is no way it will be as financially lucrative for Disney as the current deal. Pixar will demand, and will receive from someone, a bigger cut from both the box office and other revenue streams like merhandising. So continued success from Pixar films will still result in less revenue for Disney.

If a new deal is done, Disney will like reduce the amount of risk it has been assuming for the Pixar films. But that will only help to protect Disney from future failures, and will not improve on past performance.

If Disney and Pixar do split, Disney will find themselves in the position of being a distant #2 in feature animation, with no future profits coming from future Pixar releases.

When compared to the current situation, its a lose-lose for Disney. The only question is how much of a "lose" it will be.

Such is life when you decide to outsource creativity.

 

[crusader]

Geez Matt -

You took all the fun out of the debate. I was just getting ready for my intro............which looked something like this:

But if Eisner and co. are as devious and unscrupulous as folks around here think it would make sense for them to hope for a bomb for negotiaing purposes

Ahhh.............that love/hate relationship. Similar to supporting a candidate to their face while secretly hoping they'd lose.

Can Disney bear to deal with what Pixar will become if Nemo turns to gold?

I'm sure this thought is prevalent on every mind over there.

Care to speculate on how the bargaining table will play out?



Oh well since you answered the last part I guess we can start there.

If Disney and Pixar split - Disney will have suffered a fatal wound so deep they will be ripe for division takeover.

 

[Walt's Frozen Head]

Care to speculate on how the bargaining table will play out?

My continuing conviction that Disney and Pixar are about to part ways is based mostly on my assessment that it is Jobs who's got the marketable product in this scenario, and my suspicion that Jobs might value publicly thumbing his nose at Eisner beyond the measure of mere dollars.

 

[Peter Pirate]

If Disney and Pixar split - Disney will have suffered a fatal wound so deep they will be ripe for division takeover.

That's a mouthful and a bold prediction my friend.

Especially since this woebegone studio produced (the much loved) 'Lilo & Stitch' and (the critically acclaimed / if not financially succesful) 'Treasure Planet' in their last two tries. Not the success of Pixar to be sure but still better than anyone else. Plus the next movie is getting good buzz (the 'Bear' movie).

Most likely the split (which I do NOT believe will happen) will push Disney back into the realm they've been vacating. As Voice always said, in Holywood you're only a good as your last offering ... so Disney's just one flick away from the top again...

 

[KNWVIKING]

I think they will resign but with a much larger percentage of the profit going to Pixar,which I feel they've earned and deserve. I also think Disney will get serious about making CGI movies. They can keep all the profits from their own productions,plus get a percentage of Pixars profit.

 

[crusader]

bold? hmmm...........

All I can say is if Nemo transforms into a whale, Disney better reel in that baby or their animation division will swallow a big gulp of water. Could prove detrimental to their independence.

The options are very delicate here: Pixar could potentially be sitting on a future goldmine ripe with the best talent. Disney can't afford to build this internally with the present demands on its' capital. That leaves a very interesting situation.

 

[raidermatt]

Sorry to be the killjoy, Mr. Crusader!

...it is Jobs who's got the marketable product in this scenario, and my suspicion that Jobs might value publicly thumbing his nose at Eisner beyond the measure of mere dollars.

As far as guessing what will happen, I think the Head has hit the nail pretty close to the, well, head.

Barring some out of the norm offer from another studio (a wild card in all of this), I still believe Disney would be the best choice for Pixar. It just comes down to whether Disney is willing to make the necessary concessions, and how the conflicts between the players are dealt with.

 

[raidermatt]

Especially since this woebegone studio produced (the much loved) 'Lilo & Stitch' and (the critically acclaimed / if not financially succesful) 'Treasure Planet' in their last two tries. Not the success of Pixar to be sure but still better than anyone else.

I think Dreamworks last two films can match the L&S and TP combo...

Crusader is right, in that Disney isn't in a spending mood right now, and they arleady tried once to get into the CGI racket. Disney's name is valuable (though maybe not as valuable as it once was) because of the quality films produced with their name. If they are no longer associated with the top animated films, that's a big problem.

 

[Walt's Frozen Head]

I also think Disney will get serious about making CGI movies. They can keep all the profits from their own productions,plus get a percentage of Pixars profit.

I suppose it's possible you're right there could a 180 switch on the horizon, but Michael Eisner has spent the better part of the last two decades eliminating Disney's production capacity while spreading his Company's name ethereally thin across any ol' percentage that crosses his path.

How much does Disney want to invest in CGI? Ask The Secret Lab that question.

Eisner shuttered what was considered, at the time, a state-of-the-art CGI lab, in a tantrum after Dinosaur ending up being an early form of canine, judging purely by its box office performance.

Instead of investing in his core business, Eisner declared CGI an expensive fad and "saved the company millions of dollars" with the purchase of a few Master padlocks.

He got a bonus for that, if I recall correctly.

You certainly have the right to your opinion, I guess I just don't see whatever it is you must, that makes you think Eisner'll suddenly recant everything he has stood for, and begin reversing all he has effected, at Disney.

Knowing what I do about Eisner's history, I expect we'll see "Throwin' the Book at Tarzan" (early reports are that Eisner wants this changed to "The Great Tarzan and Jungle Book Movie," because he doesn't think Disney fans would "get" the current title) someday soon, but not a new investment in Disney's CGI production capacity.

 

[EUROPA]

AS far as CGI goes, I think the plan is to remake all or some of the Disney classics in shot for shot remakes. That's the current idea being floated around.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=381650

 

[KNWVIKING]

"You certainly have the right to your opinion, I guess I just don't see whatever it is you must, that makes you think Eisner'll suddenly recant everything he has stood for, and begin reversing all he has effected, at Disney."

How about pure greed ? After seeing what Pixar can do with CGI maybe his misguided ego thinks he can be as successful as they are. Regardless of what his motivation is, IF they do it right, then it will be good for Disney and more importantly-me, (me in this case means me,myself and I, not ME).