Iger rumored to extend his term as CEO

[Laketravis]

Up was Pixar.

But was distributed by Disney. Kinda my point, although poorly presented on my part.

 

[RobidaFlats]

But was distributed by Disney. Kinda my point, although poorly presented on my part.

I could be mistaken, but I believe that poster intended to present a list of "in-house" movies.

 

[jt04]

PBwatermelon has made me obsolete on such matters. Yay.

I would just add that I thought Iger would run for mayor of NYC. And he would win. Apparently somebody else wants the job.

Disney is the big winner ultimately. Nobody else is ready and Kathleen is needed 100% on Star Wars.

 

[Laketravis]

I could be mistaken, but I believe that poster intended to present a list of "in-house" movies.

You're not mistaken, I'm pecking away on a phone and brevity stole my point - that Iger has led Disney into many more external relationships than (I believe) any CEO before him and it's helped to dilute the brand.

 

[L.C. Clench]

I agree. I think I just want the next CEO to have a true visible passion for Disney AND be business savvy. I would also hope they adhere to the parks original mission statements when thinking about improvements and not just implementing synergy for the sake of synergy.

I'm not sure you can find that in one person. The best times of the company is when they had two guys in power that brought different things to the table. Walt and Roy then Eisner and Wells.

 

[Earl Sweatpants]

I'm not sure you can find that in one person. The best times of the company is when they had two guys in power that brought different things to the table. Walt and Roy then Eisner and Wells.

I often wonder what the Eisner tenure would have ended up looking like had Wells not tragically died. Maybe what Iger needs most is simply a dedicated right-hand man to take some of the stress and pressure off.

 

[PB Watermelon]

I often wonder what the Eisner tenure would have ended up looking like had Wells not tragically died. Maybe what Iger needs most is simply a dedicated right-hand man to take some of the stress and pressure off.

Another reason he tends to stay hands-off -- I give him credit for approving people that can do their job so he doesn't have to. Biggest kerfuffle was the spat between Feige and Perlmutter, and Kevin was going to walk and Iger had to step in and give Kevin duties over the feature Marvel films, leaving Ike to television, preventing Ike from interfering with Marvel's theatrical output. I think it was Age of Ultron that brought all that to a boiling point, leaving Joss Whedon frustrated and constrained, with Joss saying he wouldn't be returning for any future Marvel films. Don't really know the detailed truth, just the broad strokes you catch here and there.

 

[jt04]

I often wonder what the Eisner tenure would have ended up looking like had Wells not tragically died. Maybe what Iger needs most is simply a dedicated right-hand man to take some of the stress and pressure off.

He has many helpers. From Lasseter to Kennedy to Rhode. And that is just the creative side of it. TWDC has become way to complex for only two leaders. IMO.

 

[doctornick]

I see your point and in a sense I agree...but that begs the bigger question, why are the current in house people not good enough and what's wrong thats holding them back? Again, I'm willing to eat humble pie here and say that the Lassester situation is one that Iger actually made a good call with. So, let's move on ya?

Sure. And I wasn't just directing it at you, but at the all too frequent comments about how Disney/Iger is just "buying stuff" as opposed to developing in house. It has always struck me as an absurd complaint, especially when it comes to getting talented people in the fold. Recognizing talented folks and getting them to work for your company is the kind of thing that should be commended, not criticized.

 

[Earl Sweatpants]

Sure. And I wasn't just directing it at you, but at the all too frequent comments about how Disney/Iger is just "buying stuff" as opposed to developing in house. It has always struck me as an absurd complaint, especially when it comes to getting talented people in the fold. Recognizing talented folks and getting them to work for your company is the kind of thing that should be commended, not criticized.

You're right. I just selfishly wish there was more balance to the "acquisition v. original" train. That's all.

 

[Rich T]

I believe Iger has brought incredible expansion and success to the company, but at the cost of its original identity--to the point where many fans (especially older lifetimers like me) are realizing that the Disney they grew up loving doesn't really exist anymore. But money talks, and that's what makes the world go 'round. At least Disney remains the one entertainment giant still commanding any kind of perceivable studio identity at all, and a soulless money-gobbling corporate octopus is preferable to the company being sold off piece by piece... I *guess* . Still, great things still emerge from the company, fun is still had and the younger generation seems happy with the changes in the parks. Iger has made many decisions that drive me crazy, but...the next CEO could be worse. Oh, so much worse...

 

[UpAllNight]

Iger has proved his legacy with a golden generation of classic Disney animated films, a strong lineup of Pixar greats and amazingly successful purchases of Marvel and Lucas...both handled with increadible expertise. Seriously...Disneys hit rate at the moment is ridiculous.

He's got his marque project abroad....he now needs to make up some serious lost time in his domestic parks. What he does now, if its big, will be what he's remembered by in the history books.

 

[PB Watermelon]

The downside is that with all these film units producing product, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep one division from stepping on the other's toes. The BFG was a charming film, but Finding Dory was raking it in, had only been out two or three weeks, and The BFG got crushed, and The Secret Life of Pets the following week put the nail in the coffin. It's not like the other studios take their ball and go home, they compete, too. So you have Disney's in-house animation, Disney's live-action films (which had a terrific year in terms of quality), Pixar, Marvel, LucasFilm, the other studios...I don't know if the company could take another creative acquisition for theatrical releases without eating their own slate.

 

[PB Watermelon]

Oh...forgot The Finest Hours...buried by The Force Awakens phenomenon. So that's two films that ran into the problem of Disney competing with themselves, to say nothing of other studios...The BFG and The Finest Hours. Both good films, The BFG very good. Don't have it on Blu-Ray yet, holding out hope for a 3D release, but even then, I think it's going to lose something in translation to home screens. That film was amazing in theaters, Spielberg's use of scale was masterful, but I'm not sure home viewing can do it justice.

 

[HMF]

Meanwhile, the last truly successful thing Disney created on its own was the first Pirates of the Caribbean in 2003.

There is some question about that.
http://disneylawsuit.com/

 

[Earl Sweatpants]

There is some question about that.
http://disneylawsuit.com/

Interesting. Will have to read later.

 

[FigmentJedi]

There is some question about that.
http://disneylawsuit.com/

Don't know about that guy's unfilmed script, but Pirates owes a serious debt to the Monkey Island video games and the novel On Stranger Tides. In fact, Elliott and Russio actually wrote scripts for an unproduced Monkey Island movie, so you can definitely make a case that much of Curse of the Black Pearl was the result of grafting the basic bones of Monkey Island's story of a young blonde swordsman that becomes a pirate to help a beautiful governess escape the clutches of an undead pirate to the skeleton caves of the ride.

Of course, Disney owns Monkey Island now, but they'll never do anything with it...

 

[Curious Constance]

 

[VJ]

Don't know about that guy's unfilmed script, but Pirates owes a serious debt to the Monkey Island video games and the novel On Stranger Tides. In fact, Elliott and Russio actually wrote scripts for an unproduced Monkey Island movie, so you can definitely make a case that much of Curse of the Black Pearl was the result of grafting the basic bones of Monkey Island's story of a young blonde swordsman that becomes a pirate to help a beautiful governess escape the clutches of an undead pirate to the skeleton caves of the ride.

Of course, Disney owns Monkey Island now, but they'll never do anything with it...

Maybe they'll do what they did with On Stranger Tides and have Pirates of the Caribbean 6: The Curse of Monkey Island

 

[RobbinsDad]

I believe Iger has brought incredible expansion and success to the company, but at the cost of its original identity--to the point where many fans (especially older lifetimers like me) are realizing that the Disney they grew up loving doesn't really exist anymore. But money talks, and that's what makes the world go 'round. At least Disney remains the one entertainment giant still commanding any kind of perceivable studio identity at all, and a soulless money-gobbling corporate octopus is preferable to the company being sold off piece by piece... I *guess* . Still, great things still emerge from the company, fun is still had and the younger generation seems happy with the changes in the parks. Iger has made many decisions that drive me crazy, but...the next CEO could be worse. Oh, so much worse...

Well said.