Disney Fires Film Production President

[CTXRover]

She got fired while her new baby was being born? How rude!

While certainly it was terrible timing, from the sounds of it Ms. Jacobson unfortunately asked about her job at the wrong time (although in light of a new baby, it was also the right time to know about the security of her job). If what Mr. Cook says in that article was true, he didn't want to tell her over the phone, but she insisted he tell her the status of her job. He really shouldn't be made into the mean, angry boss with no empathy.

I really don't know much about Nina Jacobson. From that article, it sounds like she was a genuinly nice person and executive. She did get a few big franschises going with Pirates and Narnia, but also backed huge flops that were continuously being rolled out of the Touchstone unit, including King Arthur, Dark Water, The Ladykillers and The Alamo, among many others listed in various articles. I don't know if she paid the price for these mistakes and they overlooked the good, but the timing sure was bad.

Anyways, I am very much for the restructuring of the studio, if fewer films means more higher quailty films and less junk. It sounds like Iger once again has the right idea and the appropriate actions are being taken. A strong studio, with a strong animation dept, can have an effect on nearly every other division of the company in the short and long-term. Not one other division that I can think of has as much impact on other sectors as a strong studio division can.

I'd much rather fewer films of higher quality than more films of lesser quality. More than half of the 18+ films WDP and Touchstone release in a year aren't worth seeing. The risk, or worry, with this plan is that it is a sole cost cutting maneuver meaning less films being made, but still churning out movies not worth seeing. As a result, fewer movies being released that may be that one surprise hit to balance out the flops. It doesn't sound like that is the motive behind this restructuring, but it will take a couple years to see if it pays off.

 

[ThreeCircles]

How is this related to WDW Parks News and Rumors?

 

[CTXRover]

It probably didn't help that M. Night Shyamalan chose to not work with Disney Productions anymore because of Nina. He's been a relative cash cow for them.

The Village was a box office disaster. It opened to an incredible $50.0 million based on the reputation Shymalan's previous films had rightfully earned him and fell off the charts incredibly fast, grossing only another 64 million in the rest of its run as incredibly poor word of mouth spread like wildfire. Likewise, I imagine his name had become somewhat tarnished from that film among the general public.

After a box office flop like that, Disney and Nina had the right to question his next work if they felt it wasn't up to par with the rest of his previous work. Apparently they had concerns with The Village, but let him direct it as he believed because of the respect he had earned up to that point.

Given some excerpts from his new book online, he had a huge ego and couldn't take any criticism. Given the 10% approval rating his newest movie Lady in the Water currently has a rottentomatoes.com, it seems like Nina was right not to back the film and that Disney severed ties with him at the right time.

 

[Tim G]

Studio Exec Nina Jacobson was let go by the studio as the 1st casualty in the regrouping of the studios.

http://www.southflorida.com/news/la-fi-disney19jul19,0,5679699.story?coll=sfla-entertainment-headlines

And this is just the beginning... where will it end... :lookaroun :lookaroun :lookaroun

 

[CTXRover]

As a shareholder, I'm worried that this reorganization will limit Disney too much and prevent a sufficient supply of movies from the company. I think that the cuts are way too drastic.

I don't think they are too drastic, only if it means more higher quality films and less lower quality, less marketable films, as I and others have mentioned. Until I looked myself, I couldn't believe how many movies with little marketable value which made very little money at the box office were released this yea by Disney.

These are the following films released by Disney/Touchstone to date in 2006:

Name(not in any order) Box office gross (in millions)
1. Annapolis...................$17.1
2. Eight Below................$81.6
3.Casanova....................$11.3
4. Cars..........................$222.2*
5. POTC: DMC..................$273.7*
6. Glory Road..................$42.6
7.Goal!:The Dream Begins..$4.2
8. The gy Dog...........$61
9. Stay Alive....................$23.1
10. The Wild....................$36.6
11. Stick It......................$26.7

*Still in theaters and counting

Still to come in 2006 (you decide which you think have much chance of making decent $$):
12. Apocalypto
13. Deja Vu
14. The Guardian
15. Sant Clause 3
16. Invincible
17. Step Up
18. The Prestige

Now granted many of the films released thus far that haven't made more than 30 million + cost very little to make and thus MAY have turned a small profit. However, a lot of those films, most from the Touchstone unit, could be cut from the line-up with no big losses. I think that is the idea behind the restructuring. Imagine using the money set aside for Annapolis, Casanova, Glory Road, Stick it and Stay Alive and used it for a single, more marketable movie. Naturally the big risk comes if that movie fails and you don't have 4-5 others to back it up. But the possible benefits of another big hit that can trickle down through all units of the company are that much bigger if you focus more on that one film.

THe restructuring is risky, yet likely more cost-effective. However, Mr. Cook clearly has stated that the yearly production budget will remain exactly the same. That means the same money they spend now will be available to fewer movies...hopefully meaning bigger budget movies that are more marketable with better box office returns. Hopefully it works. I don't see cutting back some of the nonsense Touchstone releases every year for one more potentially good movie will upset many movie-goers.

 

[dopey]

What's with the lack of "Unbreakable" love? I love that movie. Very cool, very low key superhero movie. Of course, people who were expecting the horror chills of "The Sixth Sense" had every right to be disappointed.

I think M. Night's work really went downhill with "Signs", and hit rockbottom with "The Village." He's a great director, but his writing formula became too transparent and even pretentious.

Disney (and Nina J.) were right to cut him loose.

That's why I wrote "AFTER." "Unbreakable" was, indeed, a pretty cool little flick that played the unity of opposites very well.

I totally agree with you on "Signs" -- the ending was just plain silly -- and "The Village" -- which was totally silly. I have no urge to see this "Lady of the Lake" thing. And what's with those TV commercials? Lame. All the same, most writers would give up an appendage to have the success he had with "The Sixth Sense."

 

[PlaneJane]

Wow. I didn't realize men were having babies these days.

It's a thing called life partners, it's a current controversal topic in America, and almost every church, no matter what religion, thinks it's a sin. Basically it is homosexuality, and my person opinion is they can do what they want.

 

[carolina_yankee]

These are the following films released by Disney/Touchstone to date in 2006:

Name(not in any order) Box office gross (in millions)
1. Annapolis...................$17.1
2. Eight Below................$81.6
3.Casanova....................$11.3

Casanove did only 11.3 million? I thought it was supposed to be good/funny? Haven't seen it, though. It's the one with Heath Ledger, right?

Dirk

 

[GothMickey]

And this is just the beginning... where will it end... :lookaroun :lookaroun :lookaroun

Well it started with that bozo Eisner and hopefully it ends with all of his lackeys and brain dead morons gone too....

 

[socalkdg]

The Village was a box office disaster. It opened to an incredible $50.0 million based on the reputation Shymalan's previous films had rightfully earned him and fell off the charts incredibly fast, grossing only another 64 million in the rest of its run as incredibly poor word of mouth spread like wildfire. Likewise, I imagine his name had become somewhat tarnished from that film among the general public.

After a box office flop like that, Disney and Nina had the right to question his next work if they felt it wasn't up to par with the rest of his previous work. Apparently they had concerns with The Village, but let him direct it as he believed because of the respect he had earned up to that point.

Actually the movie made $257 million(worldwide). The days of only counting U.S. totals ended years ago. Even more important is the DVD sales since the studio makes a greater profit from DVD's and those totaled another $120 million. So this box office flop ended up taking in a total of $377 million.

Its the whole reason Cook was overriding Nina and told Shymalan that he could make any movie he wanted for $75 million. Even a flop by Shymalan would take in $200 million by the time all numbers were totaled.

Having said that RottenTomatos has his movie at 10% so far. I could see this only making $50 million domestic, $125 worldwide with only $50 million in the DVD market.

I wonder if the disagreement over this movie played a part in her being let go.

 

[rjamerson]

It's a thing called life partners, it's a current controversal topic in America, and almost every church, no matter what religion, thinks it's a sin. Basically it is homosexuality, and my person opinion is they can do what they want.

My original post was meant to be sarcastic, not that I really don't understand. I agree with everything you said, except my personal opinion is that while people are free to do what they want, it is still a sin. And it's a shame that a baby will be raised thinking that sin is okay, regardless of whatever fine qualities these two sinners may have.

 

[PlaneJane]

My original post was meant to be sarcastic, not that I really don't understand. I agree with everything you said, except my personal opinion is that while people are free to do what they want, it is still a sin. And it's a shame that a baby will be raised thinking that sin is okay, regardless of whatever fine qualities these two sinners may have.

wow you better be glad this was moved to a dead forum section or this quote would get flamed hard! We have very diverse members on this site.

 

[dopey]

wow you better be glad this was moved to a dead forum section or this quote would get flamed hard! We have very diverse members on this site.

Vell, I have to agree. We are diverse members around!