Three more Dis/Pix films
LOS ANGELES, April 21 (Reuters) - The Walt Disney Co. < DIS.N > on Sunday unveiled three new computer animated films in its venture with Pixar Animation Studios Inc. < PIXR.O >, who both combined for 2001 hit "Monsters Inc.," the second-highest grossing animated movie ever with $504 million in global ticket sales.
Pixar, which makes its home in the San Francisco Bay Area and is headed by Apple Computer Inc. < AAPL.O > chief Steven Jobs, makes the movies and Burbank, California-based Disney markets and distributes them.
The plans should soothe recent concern on Wall Street over the ongoing partnership, which started with 1995's "Toy Story" and has raked in $1.7 billion in global ticket sales through three subsequent films, "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2" and last November's "Monsters."
The most recent movie, a family film about a pair of ghastly-looking but fun-loving fellows who scare humans for a living, has amassed $253 million in domestic box office and $251 in international ticket sales after setting records in Japan, England, Mexico and Spain.
"(It) has been an extraordinary success all over the world, and we are extremely proud it has become the second most popular animated film of all time," said ________ Cook, the recently appointed chairman of Walt Disney Studios.
"Monsters" is second in box office to another Disney animated hit "The Lion King," which generated $767 million in worldwide ticket sales following its release in 1994.
First up on the slate of new Disney/Pixar films is "Finding Nemo," an underwater adventure set for release next summer. It is being written and directed by Andrew Stanton, who was co-director and co-screenwriter of the 1998's "Bug's Life" and co-screenwriter on the "Toy Story" films.
In the 2004 holiday season, audiences will see "The Incredibles," an action-adventure comedy from director Brad Bird ("The Iron Giant"). It centers on a family of superheroes who save the world while living a quiet suburban life.
Finally for the holidays in 2005, Pixar's two-time Academy Award-winning director John Lasseter will direct "Cars," a comedy featuring an assortment of cars as characters who get their kicks on the famous old Route 66.
Franchise movies like "Lion King" and what the Disney/Pixar films are becoming, earn untold millions of dollars in profits for media conglomerates like Disney. The Lion King spawned sales of toys, home videos and other merchandise. It brings people to Disney's theme parks, generates advertising revenues for Disney-owned TV networks, and it even spawned a Broadway play.
But "Lion King" and many Disney movies like it are in old-style, hand-painted animation, whereas the new computer animated films like those of the Disney/Pixar collaboration and 20th Century Fox's current hit, "Ice Age" are in the digital form that newer, younger audiences find highly appealing.
Disney made its own computer-animated movie, "Dinosaur" in 2000. It had a successful run at box offices, but was nowhere near the size of the Disney/Pixar films. So, Disney investors are anxious to see the collaboration continue.
Back in January, confusion arose among some investors over the length of the two companies' venture, prompting Jobs to issue a statement saying the two would combine for three more movies under their current working relationship, which is a straightforward 50/50 venture.
Sunday's announcement merely outlines the three new movies under the existing deal, and Disney executives declined to discuss any plans beyond the three. But until Sunday, details on the collaboration were sketchy.
LOS ANGELES, April 21 (Reuters) - The Walt Disney Co. < DIS.N > on Sunday unveiled three new computer animated films in its venture with Pixar Animation Studios Inc. < PIXR.O >, who both combined for 2001 hit "Monsters Inc.," the second-highest grossing animated movie ever with $504 million in global ticket sales.
Pixar, which makes its home in the San Francisco Bay Area and is headed by Apple Computer Inc. < AAPL.O > chief Steven Jobs, makes the movies and Burbank, California-based Disney markets and distributes them.
The plans should soothe recent concern on Wall Street over the ongoing partnership, which started with 1995's "Toy Story" and has raked in $1.7 billion in global ticket sales through three subsequent films, "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2" and last November's "Monsters."
The most recent movie, a family film about a pair of ghastly-looking but fun-loving fellows who scare humans for a living, has amassed $253 million in domestic box office and $251 in international ticket sales after setting records in Japan, England, Mexico and Spain.
"(It) has been an extraordinary success all over the world, and we are extremely proud it has become the second most popular animated film of all time," said ________ Cook, the recently appointed chairman of Walt Disney Studios.
"Monsters" is second in box office to another Disney animated hit "The Lion King," which generated $767 million in worldwide ticket sales following its release in 1994.
First up on the slate of new Disney/Pixar films is "Finding Nemo," an underwater adventure set for release next summer. It is being written and directed by Andrew Stanton, who was co-director and co-screenwriter of the 1998's "Bug's Life" and co-screenwriter on the "Toy Story" films.
In the 2004 holiday season, audiences will see "The Incredibles," an action-adventure comedy from director Brad Bird ("The Iron Giant"). It centers on a family of superheroes who save the world while living a quiet suburban life.
Finally for the holidays in 2005, Pixar's two-time Academy Award-winning director John Lasseter will direct "Cars," a comedy featuring an assortment of cars as characters who get their kicks on the famous old Route 66.
Franchise movies like "Lion King" and what the Disney/Pixar films are becoming, earn untold millions of dollars in profits for media conglomerates like Disney. The Lion King spawned sales of toys, home videos and other merchandise. It brings people to Disney's theme parks, generates advertising revenues for Disney-owned TV networks, and it even spawned a Broadway play.
But "Lion King" and many Disney movies like it are in old-style, hand-painted animation, whereas the new computer animated films like those of the Disney/Pixar collaboration and 20th Century Fox's current hit, "Ice Age" are in the digital form that newer, younger audiences find highly appealing.
Disney made its own computer-animated movie, "Dinosaur" in 2000. It had a successful run at box offices, but was nowhere near the size of the Disney/Pixar films. So, Disney investors are anxious to see the collaboration continue.
Back in January, confusion arose among some investors over the length of the two companies' venture, prompting Jobs to issue a statement saying the two would combine for three more movies under their current working relationship, which is a straightforward 50/50 venture.
Sunday's announcement merely outlines the three new movies under the existing deal, and Disney executives declined to discuss any plans beyond the three. But until Sunday, details on the collaboration were sketchy.
