JohnD
Well-Known Member
He’s only two letters away from “Disney”!
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News Chapek FIRED, Iger New CEO
- Thread starter Chef Mickey
- Start date
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
That’s true…
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
It's not a new insight, but the problem with Eisner was that he couldn't recognise when he lost his spark. I also don't think his instincts ultimately proved that good in the post-Wells era. Few on here have the business training, but I honestly wonder how much worse the creative instincts of most people on here would have been from Eisner's during the last 5-10 years. Working in the field I do, though, I can understand how difficult it is for people to leave a position when job and identity become so intertwined.
Iger in that respect was quite clever. He left while the company was doing quite well and, whatever happens next, it won't be his legacy. As you say, he is also very attuned to the importance of shaping the narrative...
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
The difference is that Eisner would take some gambles creatively…before he flamed out.
iger did nothing of the sort. He got lucky with marvel, drained Pixar and almost crashed lucasfilm. None of those are sorted out as if stands.
his park moves went from “timid” to non-existent…zero innovation.
the other media record is timid as well.
the foundation was greatly expanded under evil Mike…not so under timid Bob.
im more than happy to accept history’s future judgement on my opinion here.
999th Happy Haunt
Well-Known Member
Serious question, why was Eisner so despised for a while?
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure I entirely agree with that.
Eisner liquidated hand drawn animation in order to make poor knock-offs of DreamWorks CGI films like Chicken Little. When it looked like they would loose their contract with Pixar, he bought cut-rate films like The Wild and slapped Disney's name on it. Disney was even a bad animation studio by the end of Eisner's term. Eisner's brag was not that he trusted creativity, but that he'd rather win a Bank of America award than an Academy Award, and Disney's creative output reflected that mentality by the end of his tenure. This was such common knowledge they made a joke on The Simpsons about how bad Disney's California Adventure was.
At least Iger understood he was not just purchasing back catalogues and IPs, but creative people who could be trusted to manage the creative side of their divisions. He could also get on with people, which Eisner famously couldn't leading to Disney alienating a lot of top talent. Iger did also turn Disney from a sputtering target for takeover into the undisputed king of the entertainment industry. That is not nothing. Eisner struggled to understand DVDs were a thing.
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Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Because the grass is always greener. Especially when you’re talking about something with an impassioned fan/customer following.
Eisner did need to go. That was mostly roy…but it was the dynamic at the time.
now Iger did do some sound - but fairly obvious - moves to stabilize that Wall Street (in a new era) loved. So he had no heat on him for the majority of his time.
but his tenure will be viewed as “hollow” as time passes.
like or hate Eisner…no one ever accuses him of not throwing the kitchen sink at his years. They went from small studio/park operator to one of the largest media conglomerates on earth in 20 years. That happened.
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Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Eisner’s later years were bad. I can only agree with you so many ways.
Iger bought Marvel and left it alone. Great move
bought Pixar and started a sequel factory…remade every Disney animation cartoon with Live actors…bought Star Wars and took it down an obvious counterintuitive and incorrect path…rode espn into the ground…not great moves
but he did have more effective modern Hollywood people skills.
they’re both mixed bags. Judge as you wish.
brb1006
Well-Known Member
And the short-lived Quibi "Streaming Service"
Notes from Neverland
Well-Known Member
Q4 earnings call is November 10, but it's definitely going to be an interesting one.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
I watch them…or read the transcripts because the ceo is an embarrassment now…every time.
but I no longer believe them. There seems to be more twist/misdirection on the figures each time. And of course you have to expect that going in.
I think the Q&A by Wall Street to Chapek during the conference call should be tougher to get a better viewpoint on state of company so Wall Street can recommend a buy, sell or hold on the company stock with more analysis.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
But bread and circuses for everyone…
its easier to make quick cash on “speculation” than concrete production. And that is the echo chamber these days
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
Indeed. I think the first decade or so of Eisner is better than anything from the Iger years, but the last decade or so was worse.
In terms of the parks, Iger is a harder sell. However, with the IP mandate and all, he at least returned to the idea that Disney Parks should provide a high-quality experience. Eisner had abandoned that by the end for the "if it's good enough for Six Flags..." mantra. People can debate now whether Universal or Disney is better, but by the end of Eisner's term Disney seemed pretty bad both at animation and theme parks. A Bug's Land and an inferior clone of ToT was how Eisner's Disney responded to DCA's poor reception, for example.
In terms of Iger's remake of Disney classics, I don't watch or like them. However, they make billions of dollars so someone does. Eisner, for his part, was churning out cheap direct to video sequels like Bambi 2 that are (thankfully) kind of a forgotten chapter of Disney history.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
Those made a ton of money too, though, or at least some of them did. I think Return of Jafar turned something like a $295 million profit.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
But they were cheap and low quality which, at least in my mind, completely undermined Disney's reputation for high quality in animation.
The live action films are disposable entertainment that aren't to my taste, but at least they are produced to the level of a blockbuster.
FantasiaMickey2000
Well-Known Member
I know someone else already posted that Q4 earnings call is November 10, but as an accountant the sheer thought of having the books in a good enough spot to be able to have a quarterly earnings call on the 5th business day of the next quarter makes me think of a magical paradise.
el_super
Well-Known Member
Because change is hard.