The Integration of Fox into the Disney Corporate Family: Parks, Movies, IPs, Studios

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Original Poster
Emma Watts out from 20th Century Studios.

Apparently, she resigned because she couldn't adjust to the changing culture there. Kinda saw it coming once Horn and Bergman started taking more direct roles in greenlighting 20th's movies.

That article highlighted all the successful Fox movies.

And didn't mention all the bombs. Lots of bombs. Very recent bombs.

If Disney was being more 'hands on,' it was because of those bombs.

Since the beginning of 2018, here are Fox's wide releases which had issues...


Made money, critically panned:
  • Maze Runner 3

Lost money, critically panned:
  • Red Sparrow
  • The Darkest Minds
  • The Predator
  • Dark Phoenix
  • The Art of Racing in the Rain
  • Underwater

Lost money, mixed reviews:
  • Bad Times at the El Royale
  • The Kid Who Would Be King
  • Alita Battle Angel
  • Stuber
  • Ad Astra
  • Terminator
  • Spies in Disguise

Lost money, good reviews:
  • The Hate U Give
  • Widows
  • Ford v Ferrari


Not to mention that part of Disney's "hands on" is giving the directive to make a lot of stuff for D+.
 

Darkprime

Well-Known Member
Emma Watts out from 20th Century Studios.

Apparently, she resigned because she couldn't adjust to the changing culture there. Kinda saw it coming once Horn and Bergman started taking more direct roles in greenlighting 20th's movies.

Dropping the Fox name essentially nullified her contract. The studio she signed up to run didn't exist anymore. Which would have made it easier to quit. Seems like an oversight on Disneys part. I would have thought she would have stayed at least to see the release of Avatar 2 tho.
 
Last edited:

It Is What It Is

Active Member
That article highlighted all the successful Fox movies.

And didn't mention all the bombs. Lots of bombs. Very recent bombs.

If Disney was being more 'hands on,' it was because of those bombs.

Since the beginning of 2018, here are Fox's wide releases which had issues...


Made money, critically panned:
  • Maze Runner 3

Lost money, critically panned:
  • Red Sparrow
  • The Darkest Minds
  • The Predator
  • Dark Phoenix
  • The Art of Racing in the Rain
  • Underwater

Lost money, mixed reviews:
  • Bad Times at the El Royale
  • The Kid Who Would Be King
  • Alita Battle Angel
  • Stuber
  • Ad Astra
  • Terminator
  • Spies in Disguise

Lost money, good reviews:
  • The Hate U Give
  • Widows
  • Ford v Ferrari


Not to mention that part of Disney's "hands on" is giving the directive to make a lot of stuff for D+.
Mr Penguin, is this right? Example, Ford vs Ferrari had around a 100 million budget if what I read online is correct. Box Office Mojo shows it grossing around 220 million worldwide. What source does your info come from?
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Original Poster
Mr Penguin, is this right? Example, Ford vs Ferrari had around a 100 million budget if what I read online is correct. Box Office Mojo shows it grossing around 220 million worldwide. What source does your info come from?

In general, as a rule of thumb (and Deadline uses this metric), you take the film's budget and add 50% for marketing and studio administration for the real cost of the movie.

Then with the Box Office receipts, you cut that in half as the studio and theater share in the B.O.

So, FvF's real budget was $150M. And the B.O. take for Fox/Disney was only $110M. So, a $40M deficit.

Now, that's just the theatrical window. FvF, which got fairly good reviews and is the quintessential 'Dad Movie', will have a life in the post-theatrical market: PPV in hotels, premium movie channels (HBO, Netflix), DVD, broadcast TV, and eventually being part of either Hulu's or D+'s library. The post-theatrical market could turn a movie that wasn't profitable theatrical into a net positive in the end.
 

It Is What It Is

Active Member
In general, as a rule of thumb (and Deadline uses this metric), you take the film's budget and add 50% for marketing and studio administration for the real cost of the movie.

Then with the Box Office receipts, you cut that in half as the studio and theater share in the B.O.

So, FvF's real budget was $150M. And the B.O. take for Fox/Disney was only $110M. So, a $40M deficit.

Now, that's just the theatrical window. FvF, which got fairly good reviews and is the quintessential 'Dad Movie', will have a life in the post-theatrical market: PPV in hotels, premium movie channels (HBO, Netflix), DVD, broadcast TV, and eventually being part of either Hulu's or D+'s library. The post-theatrical market could turn a movie that wasn't profitable theatrical into a net positive in the end.
Thank you for the education, I'll keep that formula in mind looking at box office numbers going forward.
 

seascape

Well-Known Member
In general, as a rule of thumb (and Deadline uses this metric), you take the film's budget and add 50% for marketing and studio administration for the real cost of the movie.

Then with the Box Office receipts, you cut that in half as the studio and theater share in the B.O.

So, FvF's real budget was $150M. And the B.O. take for Fox/Disney was only $110M. So, a $40M deficit.

Now, that's just the theatrical window. FvF, which got fairly good reviews and is the quintessential 'Dad Movie', will have a life in the post-theatrical market: PPV in hotels, premium movie channels (HBO, Netflix), DVD, broadcast TV, and eventually being part of either Hulu's or D+'s library. The post-theatrical market could turn a movie that wasn't profitable theatrical into a net positive in the end.
Disney gets the larger share than any other studio. You should use 60% as a reference.
 

tcool123

Well-Known Member
Was at my local Disney Store and noticed some merchandise for Spies in Disguise. Seems like Disney has begun to bring in more merch from 20th Century now.

5A4F2731-6161-4913-B7B3-16F24032C95E.jpeg


Guess the question is will merchandise be limited to new films, or do we think that eventually classic 20th Century films will get merchandise similar to how classic Disney films do?
 

Slpy3270

Well-Known Member
So...has the coronavirus outbreak thrown Disney's Fox integration plans out the window or what? I can't see how they'll continue to perform business as usual after losing potentially billions of dollars this quarter.
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Original Poster
So...has the coronavirus outbreak thrown Disney's Fox integration plans out the window or what? I can't see how they'll continue to perform business as usual after losing potentially billions of dollars this quarter.

What would be slowed down or halted?

The pandemic will run its course in a year. Disney has the resource to keep doing what it's doing during any slump.
 

Slpy3270

Well-Known Member
What would be slowed down or halted?

The pandemic will run its course in a year. Disney has the resource to keep doing what it's doing during any slump.

The stock went down 9.5% today. Investors could call for asset sales just to ease concerns about debt load and falling stock price, which is expected to get lower as the pandemic gets much worse.
 

Disney Irish

Premium Member
The stock went down 9.5% today. Investors could call for asset sales just to ease concerns about debt load and falling stock price, which is expected to get lower as the pandemic gets much worse.
Disney has plenty of alternatives long before having to sell assets. For example they have plenty of ways of cost cutting across all their business units (something that is likely going on now) that will boost cash. Not only that but compared to their peers they still have a lower debt load. So they could issue bonds and do stock buybacks to sure up the stock if needed.

Selling assets would be the last thing they would do. At this point there is no unraveling the Fox integration.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom