Al Weiss Retirement

[docandsix]

I think people give Lasseter way too much credit. I don't think there is any comparison between his role at pixar to the role of Walt in the 20s-40s. And then in the 50s and 60s when he shifted over to the park instead of the studio.. his ability to pick the team and guide them has been unmatched since. Lasseter looks like a one trick pony in Walt's shadow. JL could have been one of Walt's best story guys.. or maybe a guy like Ben Sharpsteen.. Walt's mule.

JL may be PIXAR's Walt.. but he's not like Walt was to the world or Disney.

It's bizarre how much anti-Lasseter antagonism this thread has generated. I don't think that anyone is arguing that he has accomplished what Walt Disney accomplished or that he could ever mean as much to the company or to the entertainment industry as Disney did. Suggesting that he could never fill those shoes is setting up a straw man and knocking it down.

The argument, as I see it, is that the company currently has no other executive who demonstrates the creativity and commitment to the ideals that Walt himself instilled into the company like Lasseter does. No one else in the current management seems to share Lasseter's obvious passion for the perfection and quality of show and maintainence in the parks. His decisions may not always be perfect, but his motivations, involving things other than profit margin, seem ideal to me.

Yes, Walt is gone and he won't be coming back. Given that fact, whom would you suggest assumes Weiss's role to lead the parks into the future and if not Lasseter, then why not?

 

[ToTBellHop]

It's bizarre how much anti-Lasseter antagonism this thread had generated. I don't think that anyone is arguing that he has accomplished what Walt Disney accomplished or that he could ever mean as much to the company or to the entertainment industry as Disney did. Suggesting that he could never fill those shoes is setting up a straw man and knocking it down.

The argument, as I see it, is that the company currently has no other executive who demonstrates the creativity and commitment to the ideals that Walt himself instilled into the company like Lasseter does. No one else in the current management seems to share Lasseter's obvious passion for the perfection and quality of show and maintainence in the parks. His decisions may not always be perfect, but his motivations, involving things other than profit margin, seem ideal to me.

Yes, Walt is gone and he won't be coming back. Given that fact, whom would you suggest assumes Weiss's role to lead the parks into the future and if not Lasseter, then why not?

If you see Cars 2 this weekend, the consensus seems to be that you may question Lasseter's passion for perfection............it supposedly is a dud!

 

[Krack]

Yes, Walt is gone and he won't be coming back. Given that fact, whom would you suggest assumes Weiss's role to lead the parks into the future and if not Lasseter, then why not?

I know your question wasn't directed at me, but if I could choose anyone famous, I'd pick Steve Martin.

 

[docandsix]

I'm not here to defend Lasseter against all accusations, but...

If you see Cars 2 this weekend, the consensus seems to be that you may question Lasseter's passion for perfection............it supposedly is a dud!

1. I'll judge the movie myself after having seen it. It's actually received some very positive reviews, despite the overall reception. Roger Ebert gave it three and a half stars. My guess is that some of the negativity results from the expectations of critics toward a sequel to the original film, which I also didn't love on first viewing. It really grew on me with time, but I suspect that most of the critics never gave it a second chance or another look.
2. An occasional misstep or error in judgment does not call into question a person's commitment to quality, which should be measured at some level by intentions as well as results.

 

[RunnerEd]

I'm not going to get into an anti-Lasseter discussion, mainly because I like the guy. However, for Parks, I really think it would be a good thing to give an Imagineer a shot at the top job instead of an ops guy. Tony Baxter's name comes immediately to mind.

 

[Ignohippo]

If you see Cars 2 this weekend, the consensus seems to be that you may question Lasseter's passion for perfection............it supposedly is a dud!

Yes, heaven for bid Pixar come out with a movie that's just a fun summer popcorn flick! Not every movie needs to have emotional weight or have tear-jerking moments. None of the reviews I've read actually say it's a bad movie, they only say it's not up to Pixar's amazing story-telling standards. Why does it have to be?

I want to take my son and have a good time at the movies. I don't need a Cars movie to be weighted down by overly-emotional content or to make some kind of political statement. I just want it to be a fun ride.

 

[Ignohippo]

It's bizarre how much anti-Lasseter antagonism this thread had generated. I don't think that anyone is arguing that he has accomplished what Walt Disney accomplished or that he could ever mean as much to the company or to the entertainment industry as Disney did. Suggesting that he could never fill those shoes is setting up a straw man and knocking it down.

The argument, as I see it, is that the company currently has no other executive who demonstrates the creativity and commitment to the ideals that Walt himself instilled into the company like Lasseter does. No one else in the current management seems to share Lasseter's obvious passion for the perfection and quality of show and maintainence in the parks. His decisions may not always be perfect, but his motivations, involving things other than profit margin, seem ideal to me.

Yes, Walt is gone and he won't be coming back. Given that fact, whom would you suggest assumes Weiss's role to lead the parks into the future and if not Lasseter, then why not?

Perfectly said.

I wouldn't want Lasseter to be head of Parks, though. I believe his role is and should be actually above that. He seems to have his hands in just about everything with the Disney company and that's how it should remain.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

The anti-Lasseter sentiment puzzles me, too. But then again, the comparisons to walt puzzle me, too. Why can't John Lasseter just be John Lasseter? Why do we have to compare him to Walt? Walt's dead and there's never going to be another Walt. I think people (and this goes for executives in the company, too) need to stop waiting for "the next Walt" to appear. Short of Walt melting the block of ice and strolling out of Cinderella Castle saying, "I'm back!", it's not gonna happen.

Back on topic, I'd prefer Lasseter not get put into a role where his considerable creativity is stifled. I'd rather him remain in a post like he currently is, where he gets to consult with many different departments.

I'm encouraged by the fact that Staggs seems to "get it" and I can only hope that Meg inoverherhead Crofton will decide she wants to "retire" as well.

 

[Ignohippo]

http://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2010/2/15/love-hate-and-john-lasseter.html

Very interesing article...Pixarland...welcome to the future?

Did you actually read the article? It seems to point that Lasseter himself would rather see rides like the Western River Expedition than more Pixar but that the climate at Dis prevents him from doing the more adventurous things. How could you turn that into a negative about Lasseter?

Look, this is a business and Pixar is a huge, huge draw. Lasseter won't have any opportunity to do the things he wants to do if the parks aren't successful. Like it or not, adding attractions based on Pixar characters is one of the best ways to ensure the parks success. It's my belief that the more success the parks have, the more Lasseter will be able to add the classic attractions even he wants.

It's funny to me as well that people would moan that Lasseter is championing new Pixar attractions and ignoring classic Disney when the major expansion at WDW is attractions based on classics like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Dumbo. From all of the evidence, Lasseter was a major player in this (and insisting it be done while WDW execs objected). Let's also not forget the plussing of the queues for classic rides like Pooh, Peter Pan and Haunted Mansion as well as the return of the original Tiki Room.

If you want to berate Lasseter for the addition of Pixar attractions then you also have to give him credit for the upgrades to the classics as well.

 

[ryanduggers]

At least Lasseter is trying. Can any of his naysayers come up with anyone in the company who is trying harder? Give the man a break....

 

[RSoxNo1]

Did you actually read the article? It seems to point that Lasseter himself would rather see rides like the Western River Expedition than more Pixar but that the climate at Dis prevents him from doing the more adventurous things. How could you turn that into a negative about Lasseter?

Look, this is a business and Pixar is a huge, huge draw. Lasseter won't have any opportunity to do the things he wants to do if the parks aren't successful. Like it or not, adding attractions based on Pixar characters is one of the best ways to ensure the parks success. It's my belief that the more success the parks have, the more Lasseter will be able to add the classic attractions even he wants.

It's funny to me as well that people would moan that Lasseter is championing new Pixar attractions and ignoring classic Disney when the major expansion at WDW is attractions based on classics like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Dumbo. From all of the evidence, Lasseter was a major player in this (and insisting it be done while WDW execs objected). Let's also not forget the plussing of the queues for classic rides like Pooh, Peter Pan and Haunted Mansion as well as the return of the original Tiki Room.

If you want to berate Lasseter for the addition of Pixar attractions then you also have to give him credit for the upgrades to the classics as well.

We've had Mitch (the author of this post) on our show a few times. What happens here is that the creative people in imagineering come up with a bunch of concepts and through layers of management the projects get weeded out so that the ones they think Lasseter would like get funnelled up the system. That's a big reason why Carsland is happening.

 

[SleepingMonk]

If you want to berate Lasseter for the addition of Pixar attractions then you also have to give him credit for the upgrades to the classics as well.

I asked earlier what attractions he's had direct input on, in an attempt to do just that.

So far no answer on that.

 

[SleepingMonk]

At least Lasseter is trying. Can any of his naysayers come up with anyone in the company who is trying harder? Give the man a break....

He did some work with ILM on Young Sherlock Holmes.

Nice job!

That's about the best thing I have to say about him.

 

[WDWTrojan]

John Lasseter is great at what he does - managing the creative side of animated films and some of the creativity within the parks. However, he has absolutely no operational experience and that is what Al's role was. He already has a job as Chief Creative Officer, which he's much more qualified for.

As I mentioned previously, it looks like the role will not be replaced as it added an extra layer of operational confusion to the division.

 

[hauntdmansion79]

So it seems the position will not be replaced, but re-defined. I agree that it would be great to give an Imagineer a shot at overseeing the parks. I'm for Tony Baxter as well. I think that people like Lasseter would really back someone like Baxter. It could be the driving force we need, a strong partnership between Lasseter and Baxter spearheading the future of the parks.

 

[MichWolv]

If you see Cars 2 this weekend, the consensus seems to be that you may question Lasseter's passion for perfection............it supposedly is a dud!

Saw it last night. I wouldn't call it a dud, but it is a distinct departure from what Pixar usually does. This is an action-comedy using some familiar characters, but in tone, heart, storyline and everything else, not really a sequel to Cars at all. The tone is James Bond, Jackie Chan, etc. The center of the story is not friendship, love, family, embracing life or anything else we've come to expect from Pixar. Instead, the action and comedy is the center of the story.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Saw it last night. I wouldn't call it a dud, but it is a distinct departure from what Pixar usually does. This is an action-comedy using some familiar characters, but in tone, heart, storyline and everything else, not really a sequel to Cars at all. The tone is James Bond, Jackie Chan, etc. The center of the story is not friendship, love, family, embracing life or anything else we've come to expect from Pixar. Instead, the action and comedy is the center of the story.

Having just seen it myself, here is my feeling:

Pixar is in the business of making films. This is their first movie. It is surprising coming from Pixar and I don't really think Larry the Cable Guy warrants a movie. Compared to the profound complexity of Wall-E, Up, or even Finding Nemo, Cars 2 is a dud and not a particularly respectable addition to the Pixar canon. It will make some money but I think most people will find it forgettable.

I also don't think Lasseter would want Weiss' job. He'd have to give up on the films altogether. Despite the Cars 2 speed bump, Lasseter still seems to have a passion for film-making.

 

[Lee]

Weiss' job is being eliminated. Nobody will be filling that role, since it won't exist.
Skipper John is not an operations guy, and never will be. He neither wants, nor is he being considered for such a position.
The job (if it were not being eliminated) requires no creativity or imagination, really. It was bureaucratic position, that would not be suited for anyone from WDI, past or present.

 

[DisneyNut2007]

Having just seen it myself, here is my feeling:

Pixar is in the business of making films. This is their first movie. It is surprising coming from Pixar and I don't really think Larry the Cable Guy warrants a movie. Compared to the profound complexity of Wall-E, Up, or even Finding Nemo, Cars 2 is a dud and not a particularly respectable addition to the Pixar canon. It will make some money but I think most people will find it forgettable.

I also disagree. I thought it was great and better than the original.

 

[Ignohippo]

I asked earlier what attractions he's had direct input on, in an attempt to do just that.

So far no answer on that.

Actually I listed them in great detail in my previous post. Arguing with you is completely futile. You read what you want to read, regardless of what it actually says.