PB Watermelon
Well-Known Member
Cameron was a huge fan of Costner's Dances With Wolves, which was an out-of-nowhere smash in 1990. That's where Avatar comes from, not Pocahontas (Disney took note of DWW, too...)
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So Comcast was the highest bidder for FOX, but FOX picked Disney instead...
- Thread starter Darkbeer1
- Start date
Cameron was a huge fan of Costner's Dances With Wolves, which was an out-of-nowhere smash in 1990. That's where Avatar comes from, not Pocahontas (Disney took note of DWW, too...)
Robbiem
Well-Known Member
I always thought avatar was a cross between dances with wolves and princess mononoke
PB Watermelon
Well-Known Member
I can see that, never heard Cameron talk about Mononoke, but as he's an anime fan, it wouldn't surprise me (Ghost in the Shell, too, for that matter).
George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
Avatar feels inspired by Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes where the Federation would spy on alien cultures and try to relocate them.
truecoat
Well-Known Member
And Dances with Wolves was pretty much a Man Called Horse. This idea has been used a thousand times but Cameron pulled it off in an alien setting.
PB Watermelon
Well-Known Member
And Tom Cruise in 1860's Japan (The Last Samurai). Shoot, Brigadoon and Lost Horizon share that theme of a man/men encountering a new culture and deciding to join it.
D
Deleted member 107043
This bidding war strikes me as very petty and incredibly risky for Comcast. I wouldn't be surprised if Disney bails.
Comcast will become one of the world's most indebted companies if it buys Fox
Comcast's aggressive strategy shows how badly CEO Brian Roberts, a longtime rival of Disney (DIS) CEO Bob Iger, wants 21st Century Fox's film studio and cable networks. The two are bitter enemies, dating back more than a decade to when Comcast attempted a hostile takeover of Disney.
I wonder what the mood is amongst Comcast investors and stockholders.
Comcast will become one of the world's most indebted companies if it buys Fox
Comcast's aggressive strategy shows how badly CEO Brian Roberts, a longtime rival of Disney (DIS) CEO Bob Iger, wants 21st Century Fox's film studio and cable networks. The two are bitter enemies, dating back more than a decade to when Comcast attempted a hostile takeover of Disney.
I wonder what the mood is amongst Comcast investors and stockholders.
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Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Is that “pretty”...or “petty”?
Disney Irish
Premium Member
The question isn't what the mood is, but rather how much is their appetite to leverage to the hilt to win both Sky and Fox. Comcast was down almost 4%, which is almost double what Disney was down today. If that continues the value of Comcast is going to erode big time, whereas Disney's value will be fine.
By the way, this is another reason why Murdoch chose Disney over Comcast. Murdoch knew Comcast would have to take on a lot of debt in order to make the offer. I think I even mentioned this months ago in one of these threads.
D
Deleted member 107043
Corrected.
BrianLo
Well-Known Member
I think this brings an end to this. Comcast needs to make a significantly larger bid than Disney with the Murdoch's preferentially gravitating to the stock bid along with the ongoing requirement to pay off Disney. They need to bid roughly 10 billion more (their last was ~12 billion more) than Disney for there to be adequate value behind it.
Disney didn't just match the offer they reasonably blew past it, while still letting the Murdoch's walk away with the 20% bonus from taking stock. Smartly getting ahead of Comcast's offer so they wouldn't be on the hook to also pay Comcast's breakup fee.
Can Comcast actually afford to increase their previous offer by nearly 20 billion? I don't think they will honestly. I also don't think they are demonstrating a position of power, they've been in this game nearly the entire time and in the 11th hour finally ponied up. Only for Iger to respond quite decisively in a week.
I fear though that neither Roberts or Iger can let this go, meaning if it does somehow go on one company will be saddled with a total mess. Comcast did successfully cost Disney 20 billion, so there's certainly that...
Disney didn't just match the offer they reasonably blew past it, while still letting the Murdoch's walk away with the 20% bonus from taking stock. Smartly getting ahead of Comcast's offer so they wouldn't be on the hook to also pay Comcast's breakup fee.
Can Comcast actually afford to increase their previous offer by nearly 20 billion? I don't think they will honestly. I also don't think they are demonstrating a position of power, they've been in this game nearly the entire time and in the 11th hour finally ponied up. Only for Iger to respond quite decisively in a week.
I fear though that neither Roberts or Iger can let this go, meaning if it does somehow go on one company will be saddled with a total mess. Comcast did successfully cost Disney 20 billion, so there's certainly that...
D
Deleted member 107043
After Disney's new offer, Fox executive chairman Rupert Murdoch -- who along with sons Lachlan and James control Fox -- said in a statement: "We are extremely proud of the businesses we have built at 21st Century Fox, and firmly believe that this combination with Disney will unlock even more value for shareholders as the new Disney continues to set the pace at a dynamic time for our industry."
https://usat.ly/2yqjok3
PB Watermelon
Well-Known Member
Go, Mouse, Go! Tired of Univeral screwing around with Disney, they've been jacking with Disney since 1928 (yes, I know it's Comcast, not Universal, Universal is just a subsidiary).
Hatbox Ghostbuster
Well-Known Member
Wasn't their initial bid only stock though??
Still...it's pretty soul-crushing to realize how much money these men are willing to just throw around willy nilly.
D
Deleted member 107043
Seriously.
Disney Irish
Premium Member
Yes their initial bid was all stock, now its a combination of stock and cash, whereas Comcast's bid was only cash. Murdoch wants a stock bid because of the tax implications that come with cash. As Fox's largest shareholder it would be like the largest capital gains tax bill in history if an all cash offer was accepted.
Also this is not willy nilly, there is purpose behind this purchase. The digital media landscape is changing, and Iger is trying to make sure Disney has enough content to make a real shot at competing with the Netflix's and others of the new digital media. Comcast is trying to do the same.
The theme parks have very little if anything at all to do with this deal from either the Disney or Comcast side.
Hatbox Ghostbuster
Well-Known Member
If Iger is so worried about having enough content he could...oh, I don't know...hire people who can create Disney's own vs. being an acquisition machine. But maybe that's just old-fashioned thinking.
Also, I realize this isn't a parks-minded purchase, but given how many of the recent parks developments have seen budget cuts en route to completion, it's sure strange that Iger can casually wave around $35 billion in cash at this purchase.