MGM bidding for USF

[Goofster]

Hey, I was just on coasterbuzz.com and I saw an article listing probable bidders for the Universal theme parks. Well, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. was listed as a bidder. What would happen to Disney-MGM Studios if MGM bought Universal Studios? Would it finally mean the end of the Disney - MGM relationship?
:drevil:

 

[Nineinchnailsmk]

I wouldn't be surprised if they dropped the MGM name, considereing during the Vacation Planning videos there is no mention of MGM, and if you look closely, they air brushed the MGM out of the one "gate" and the Mouse ear tower.

I'm sure Disney could get another sponsor if they really wanted one for the Studios.

Did MGM sign on just to help with the cost of building the park?
:veryconfu

 

[WDW1971]

Originally posted by Nineinchnailsmk
I wouldn't be surprised if they dropped the MGM name, considereing during the Vacation Planning videos there is no mention of MGM, and if you look closely, they air brushed the MGM out of the one "gate" and the Mouse ear tower.

I noticed that!

Why not the "Disney-Touchstone Studios" or "Disney-Hollywood Studios"...they're both Disney-owned companies. Why does Disney need MGM? Unless some of the things in the park would disappear becuase of licensing agreements. Heck, Twilight Zone is owned by CBS and Disney owns ABC. Evidently, money talks.

 

[imagineersrock]

i wouldnt be remotely suprised to see mgm completley out of the picture within as soon as a year or so, its obvious that disney is slowly starting to remove the mgm references one by one -like those previously mentioned in the video.... i dont really think it would hurt the studios though, theres really no need for mgm right..? -i think we'll be fine.

 

[DarkMeasures]

I think Disney should buy Universal.

Think about 6 wonderful parks.

And I am sure Disney can fix the 2 studio park thing.

 

[CTXRover]

Originally posted by Nineinchnailsmk

I'm sure Disney could get another sponsor if they really wanted one for the Studios.

Did MGM sign on just to help with the cost of building the park?
:veryconfu

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure MGM was added to the park because at the time of its construction the Disney company didn't have much of a library of movies to base a park around. Sure they had some great films, but they didn't have any "classic" type films. Beyond the GMR, MGM is practically non existent in the park today. If MGM were to want out, we would lose the GMR, but they could now easily fill it up with Disney owned movies (from either Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax Pictures, Artisan Entertainment, Walt Disney Pictures, and there might be one more).

 

[NakedMickey]

From what I've learned one of the reasons that Disney got invovled with MGM to build the park was because MGM had rights to many memorable movies such as the Wizard of Oz, which is why they are in the great movie ride. Not to say that Disney hasn't had many memorable movies, but I guess they felt they needed something other than just animated films to fill their park and there was MGM.

 

[General Grizz]

Originally posted by DarkMeasures
I think Disney should buy Universal.

Think about 6 wonderful parks.

And I am sure Disney can fix the 2 studio park thing.

I'm not sure that's feasible. Disney and Universal are two totally separate entities...and I really don't think that they could mix well at all.

 

[Hochmania]

The Disney-MGM relationship ends in 2004 and I haven't heard anything about it being renewed.

As to why the relationship in the firstplace, it's because MGM has a plethora of classic films in its collection. Disney needed it for the park, which can mostly be seen in The Great Movie Ride, Backlot Tour & a few other places. Disney also has agreements with LucasFilm(Star Tours, Indiana Jones) and Jim Henson Company(MuppetVision). Recently though, it has been utilizing it's internal companies more, mostly ABC.

Heck, Twilight Zone is owned by CBS and Disney owns ABC. Evidently, money talks.

Then how did Disney make that low-budget Made-for-TV movie with Steve Guttenberg? At least, I thought Disney made it....

 

[ISTCrew20]

I really hope MGM leaves Disney. I think they could do alot more with the parks with just Disney movies, and without it looking like they needed help. Also, is Starwars MGM, or Lucas film? I have no idea, im clueless on SW

 

[TrevEG]

Originally posted by DarkMeasures
I think Disney should buy Universal.

Think about 6 wonderful parks.

And I am sure Disney can fix the 2 studio park thing.

While they're at it they could buy out all of International Dr. Then, before you know it, we won't even have an Orlando, Fl anymore. It'll just be Disney, Fl. :lol: And, btw, Starwars is deffinately Lucas Film ltd... right?

 

[BigNorm]

I hope MGM and Disney don't renew their partnership. I've always been in favour of changing the name of the Studios to simply Walt Disney Studios, like in Paris.

Originally posted by TrevEG
And, btw, Starwars is deffinately Lucas Film ltd... right?

I think Star Wars is owned by Lucas Film, but it is distributed by 20th Century Fox.

Originally posted by WDW1971
Heck, Twilight Zone is owned by CBS and Disney owns ABC. Evidently, money talks.

And btw, isn't Indiana Jones distributed by Paramount Pictures? I believe it is, so why is it so heavily featured at so many Disney parks world-wide? Maybe money does indeed talk.

 

[TrevEG]

Actually, from what Ive obtained from the Lucas Films website it would appear that both star wars and Indian jones are owned by Lucas Films. No other film companies are mentioned or credited to. But then again, it is lucasfilm.com and not lucasfilmandabunchofotherfilmcompanies.com

 

[Steamboat_Kevin]

I wouldn't be too unhappy or surprised if MGM left Disney, as long as the park stayed the same

 

[McArcDes]

As I recall when Disney and MGM first partnered on Disney MGM Studios the deal was totally in favor of Disney. Now if I am remembering correctly it cost the people at MGM their jobs because it gave Disney unlimited rights to use all the MGM property in the agreement with very little compensation going back to MGM and the Head of MGM Studios was very unhappy. If that deal ends next year then I would suspect that we will see the MGM Logo off the Studios all together. What the park will then be called is a good question. My guess is that it would be called Walt Disney Studios Florida.

If anyone can shed any more light on my above info I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[TrevEG]

Actually I had a friend who was a cast member through the college program about a year or so ago. And even back then I remember her telling me about Disney slowly fading out the MGM name and just calling it the Disney Studios. Some of the merchandise already shows the name without the mgm logo. So I would guess this has all been just a slow fade-out period and by the time that deal is up, MGM will be all but forgotten.

 

[BigNorm]

Originally posted by TrevEG
Actually, from what Ive obtained from the Lucas Films website it would appear that both star wars and Indian jones are owned by Lucas Films. No other film companies are mentioned or credited to. But then again, it is lucasfilm.com and not lucasfilmandabunchofotherfilmcompanies.com

Yes Lucas Film owns the movie franchises, I didn't say they didn't, I said they did. What I did say was they were distributed by 20th Century Fox and Paramount respectively meaning those are the companies that put the movies in your local theaters, while Lucas Film is the company which creates the movies.

 

[WDW1971]

Originally posted by Hochmania
Then how did Disney make that low-budget Made-for-TV movie with Steve Guttenberg? At least, I thought Disney made it....

Yes, Disney did make it. But the Twilight Zone is owned by CBS. The "Tower of Terror" didn't make any reference to The Twilight Zone whatsoever. It just happened to be based on the story behind the ride at the Studios. If you'll check on the items that Disney sells in the shop at the ride, you'll find copyrights for CBS.

 

[Lee]

Disney has substantial financial deals with Lucas for Star Wars and Indy, and with CBS for ToT. These deals allow for their copyrighted material to be used by Disney in a variety of ways (rides, shows, merchandise, etc.).

I have heard that the deal with MGM did not allow for certain types of promotion, such as computer media or home video.
Who knows...

 

[PhotoDave219]

Originally posted by ISTCrew20
I really hope MGM leaves Disney. I think they could do alot more with the parks with just Disney movies, and without it looking like they needed help. Also, is Starwars MGM, or Lucas film? I have no idea, im clueless on SW

Lucasfilm / 20th century fox. MGM never had anything to do with star wars.