Disney (Miramax) signs new animation agreement

[speck76]

Disney said its Miramax movie studio had signed a deal for its Dimension unit to co-finance and distribute computer animated films from San Francisco-based Wild Brain Inc., starting with a picture about comic strip penguin Opus, the hero of "Bloom County."

Disney is hoping the deal will bolster its animation output as a lucrative agreement with Pixar Animation Studios Inc.(NasdaqNMIXR - News), whose hits include "Toy Story" and "Finding Nemo," ends next year.

 

[Legacy]

Disney said its Miramax movie studio had signed a deal for its Dimension unit to co-finance and distribute computer animated films from San Francisco-based Wild Brain Inc., starting with a picture about comic strip penguin Opus, the hero of "Bloom County."

Disney is hoping the deal will bolster its animation output as a lucrative agreement with Pixar Animation Studios Inc.(NasdaqNMIXR - News), whose hits include "Toy Story" and "Finding Nemo," ends next year.

Considering what Disney is losing in Pixar, I can't say I see a lot of potential in film being distributed by Dimension. I would imagine the film would be much darker than what Disney is probably use to.

 

[speck76]

http://www.wildbrain.com/

Info on the company

 

[speck76]

More Information

Disney's Dimension Films unit to start making 3-D animated films

LOS ANGELES -- Miramax Films will co-finance and distribute computer-animated family films starting with ``Opus,'' adapted from the popular ``Bloom County'' comic strip, the company said Thursday.

Miramax will release some of the films under its Dimension banner and produce them in conjunction with Wild Brain Inc., a San Francisco-based animated film company perhaps best known for creating the nasty toe fungus in commercials for the prescription drug Lamisil.

The multiyear deal also gives Miramax and Dimension the opportunity to distribute direct-to-video productions fully financed by Wild Brain, the companies said.

The deal envisions lower budget feature films consistent with Miramax's independent studio status. Films will cost about half of the bigger budget movies produced by Pixar Animation Studios or DreamWorks SKG.

``What you spend doesn't necessarily reflect on how good the movie is,'' said Jim Miller, Wild Brain chairman.

The announcement comes as The Walt Disney Co., which owns Miramax, is gearing up its own computer-animated film production to replace Pixar's films. Disney's deal with Pixar expires after the delivery of next year's film ``Cars.''

Disney will release its first computer-animated film ``Chicken Little'' next year.

The Miramax-Wild Brain collaboration will probably produce one film every 18 months or even longer, with the first effort targeted for late 2006 or early 2007.

The choice of subject for the first film reflects Miramax's eclectic tastes and could prove to be a hard sell, especially to younger audiences.

The character of Opus is a rotund penguin with a cynical world view -- far from the heartwarming characters at the center of such films as ``Finding Nemo.''

``We agree that it's a challenge,'' Miller said. ``How do you take the essence of those characters, who are a little cynical, and move them into a story that can reach adults at the 'Bloom County' level and children at their level? We think we have a terrific story.''

The challenge has been given to screenwriter Craig Mazin, whose credits include ``Scary Movie 3.'' ``Bloom County'' is written by Berkeley Breathed.

Dimension has been working on the ``Opus'' project for a year. Wild Brain's participation in the deal is being financed by European private equity firm Syntek Capital AG.

Wild Brain also produces the preschool television series ``Higglytown Heroes'' on the Disney Channel, as well as commercials for Coca-Cola and Nike.

 

[jrriddle]

Forget Potter! How great would some sort of Bloom County Attraction at MGM be? No idea what it would be, but I loved that comic!

 

[CrackerJack]

Bloom County was a classic. Along with Far Side, Dilbert, and Calvin & Hobbes.

But the new Opus comic is pretty weak - not near the quality of Bloom County. I hope that the Opus movie heralds back to the old Bloom County days, but I'm not holding my breath for anything spectacular.

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

"What you spend doesn't necessarily reflect on how good the movie is''

Disney has found it's sweetheart.

I'm finding this story difficult to follow but it doesn't sound too good....