Why Hollywood Studios is being rebuilt

[Wikkler]

Come, come now Sir, don't you realize you and the others are simply here to confound and frustrate the new members? A mass conspiracy, it is....

I have indeed received a fare share of confusion.

 

[Goofyernmost]

So that just leaves Mission: SPACE and small world.

They are combined to produce a virtual 1 - 2 punch...if Mission: Space doesn't kill them the song at Small World will!

 

[pheneix]

WDI has lost all sense of purpose and is devolving into a playground for sociopaths. Somehow, at the end of the day, some work gets done by the quiet people who actually give a damn about the product, but the egos above them make for one of the most oppressive work environments in the industry. The exact opposite of what you need from your in-house creative division. That is why Walt Disney Imagineering does not have one single project of any measure in development for its parks that has not already been discussed on the internet in some detail. No one has respect for the workplace.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

I saw that this morning too. I'd love to know.

Interesting it got pulled. Perhaps after the P&R leaks they are trying to plug the holes?

I saved the text of the blue sky article and slashfilm's report. Disney, please don't break into my house.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 2013

Clear Road Ahead...

The future under The Hat Building is being revealed...

When the schedule was announced a couple of weeks ago, a lot of people were confused as so many of the films coming out from Walt Disney Animation Studios had the same name: "untitled". Well, perhaps it should've just been said unrevealed. Because now we will slowly start to give you a hint as to what lies ahead, and what you can be prepared to see over the next few years.

Other sites have started to get an inkling as to what is ahead, so I've been given permission to reveal a little more of what's ahead by my Bothans. After "Frozen" comes out this year (expect the actual trailer out around "Cloudy 2") we have next year's most unusual animated film yet with the Marvel adaptation of "Big Hero 6" to make an impression on Disney fans like no film before it. WDAS takes a year break before starting back again on 2016 with Byron Howard's (sans Greno who was attached before his own project) "Zootopia" staring a very foxy Jason Bateman. Then Nathan Greno's new twist on fairy tales entitled "Giants" which will show you how much his influence on "Tangled" truly was ends out 2016.

After a short break we'll finally get Ron and John's next feature, "Moana" which will be a Polynesian tale involving the island folk and the idols made famous the world over. It will also mark the directing duo's first computer animated film, or at least computer hybrid animated film (think "Paperman"). Following that, if story issues are worked out Dean Wellin's teenage space race animated film will rush to the screens. Wellin's film is an unusual story that is different from most Disney Animation, just as Big Hero 6 marks a change in perception of what comes from the Mouse.

After that there are a couple projects being developed right now that are way too early to really get into. But as you can see, the list of animated films coming ahead are more than just fairy tales. And John Lasseter is working hard to make sure that the quality and content are focused and entertaining the way that fans expect animated films from Burbank. So to put it in chronological perspective for you here is the schedule:


Frozen (2013)

Big Hero 6 (2014)

Zootopia (2016)

Giants (2016)

Moana (TBA, likely 2018)

Untitled Dean Wellin's animated feature ( TBA, likely 2018)


Just get some animated shorts in front of them...

Disney Animation’s Plans for the Future: Space, Giants, and Jason Bateman
Angie Han


Disney’s near future is filled with films we’ve been watching develop for months or even years, like Planes and Frozen. But around 2016, the picture gets murkier. The studio has several releases lined up for that year and the ones that follow, but right now they’re mostly going by the non-title “Untitled.”

Fortunately, that’s what spies are for. A new report has just hit the web which reveals a bit more about Disney Animation’s plans for the (relatively) far future, and they include giants, Polynesians, outer pace, and Jason Bateman. Hit the jump for the details.

Blue Sky Disney got the intel. They’re not an official Disney outlet, but they’ve had some great scoops in the past. They were among the first to report on Big Hero 6, for example.

Anyway, according to the site, 2016 will mark the release of something called Zootopia, directed by Byron Howard (Tangled) and starring “a very foxy Jason Bateman.” (We knew about that one, just barely.) Meanwhile, Howard’s Tangled co-director Nathan Greno is also making his own movie, a fairy tale called Giants, which will open later in 2016.

The site also reports that we’ll see The Princess and the Frog duo Ron Clements and John Musker re-team in 2018 or so for Moana, described as “a Polynesian tale involving the island folk and the idols made famous the world over.” The film will be either a computer animated film, or a hand-drawn / CG hybrid a la “Paperman.”

Then, sometime after that, writer/animator Dean Wellis (Tangled, The Princess and the Frog) may get to make his directorial debut with the teen-oriented space race film he’s been working on for some time now. The story’s still being worked out, and plot details remain scarce, but Blue Sky says it’ll mark a change of pace for Disney Animation.

Assuming Blue Sky has their details correct, they match up with Box Office Mojo’s listings for Disney Animation between 2016 and 2018. So here’s what the calendar will look like for those years:

March 4, 2016: Zootopia
November 23, 2016: Giants
March 9, 2018: Moana
November 21, 2018: Untitled Dean Wellis’ space movie

2016 and 2018 are so far out that things could change drastically between now and then. Still, it sounds like Disney has some fun stuff ahead, including a few titles that fall far out of their usual fairy tale wheelhouse. What do you think of Disney’s planned projects?

 

[mickeysbrother]

Just a question? With all you die hard fans out here how many of you actually have stocks in the Walt Disney company? To make all this bickering worth while! Lets up the anti!!

 

[cookiee_munster]

Cool. Thank You!

Disappointed that the polynesian movie is yet another CG animated film. I think it would have been a perfect film to reignite traditional animation but sadly that is a lost cause at this point. No wonder Disney corporate is all but giving up on their animation units and putting their cash behind Star Wars and the Marvel Universe.

it said in the article the polynesian film will utilize the same technique used on paperman. ive just watched it, and even though it was created via computer, it still very much has that 2D look about it. which is great!

 

[mickeysbrother]

Let me start it off! I have stocks in this company and my stocks funny enough are still going up steadily. Yes I want Disney to get better fix things and not have universal trample all over them with big new rides! But I sorda see the other side of things. Everyone who goes to Orlando visits Disney first which Is a good thing for Disney because customer relations at uni... Need I say more.

Yes Disney has screwed up things in the past an will continue to screw things up in the future. Human error and running a multi billion dollar company. But as long as there stocks go up they must be doing something right in there eyes! Us fans hardcore or not still have an incredible time at home! We just see things others don't see because we have been to the world since we were little and have kept on going every year. But all in all it's still the most magical place on earth! And what did we all do before Internet and d23? We enjoyed Disney to te fullest everytime we went!

 

[MattM]

Insignificant number, but significant people. This board does have a reputation among newspapers as being a go-to reference when crazy rumors start flying.

Interesting. I wasn't being facetious by asking. I'll agree that shareholder activism can be effective, but you're going to have to get a much bigger pulpit. But it's a start I suppose.

 

[MattM]

Because people with large investments have no desire on researching what is going on with their money.

Interesting. I've not found that to be true.

 

[MattM]

Insignificant number, but significant people. This board does have a reputation among newspapers as being a go-to reference when crazy rumors start flying.

Hey, you never answered my question the other day. You said that no local Orlando residents had any sense of local pride. I asked in which part of Orlando you live?

 

[pheneix]

Interesting. I wasn't being facetious by asking. I'll agree that shareholder activism can be effective, but you're going to have to get a much bigger pulpit. But it's a start I suppose.

No, I'm not really aiming that high with my posts. I'm more or less just here for fun, like anyone else. My interests involved with anything about Disney are purely recreational. I'll leave the bigger pulpit to louder and more spirited folk.

But if newspapers and TV stations CHOOSE to read this message board and the things we post here in our free time and see significance in it, I see no reason why they should just cherry pick the easy stories and leave the real investigative stuff alone.

Disney has been actively telling the outside world for years that it was planning to pull back on capital spending for its theme parks division. That's not necessarily going to be the case anymore. There's a story there. Really, a positive one for Disney because the increased spending means new rides, as opposed to a focus on MyMagic+ and otherwise..... Nothing.

 

[MattM]

Disney has been actively telling the outside world for years that it was planning to pull back on capital spending for its theme parks division. That's not necessarily going to be the case anymore. There's a story there. Really, a positive one for Disney because the increased spending means new rides, as opposed to a focus on MyMagic+ and otherwise..... Nothing.

Yes, they've definitely been telling people that. To which I've said that it has to be put into perspective that they said it when they were building 2 cruise ships, a whole new park in another country, a massive makeover of an existing park, etc. It would be more interesting if they'd put "cutting back" on cap spends into perspective.

 

[Rodan75]

Exactly ...

Or just maybe they should embrace leaks because it "shows" us fans that they are working, it keeps us interested and on the line so to speak, in things they have ZERO intention of ever building. Sort of like a guy/girl who lets slip little filtrations to keep a guy/girl interested because they need the attention, even though they have NO intention of ever dating the other person ...

I agree, but it is a tough then when the world gets to see all of your machinations to create 'magic'. I get why they want to stop/slow leaks, but becoming militant about it just poisons the company.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Yes, they've definitely been telling people that. To which I've said that it has to be put into perspective that they said it when they were building 2 cruise ships, a whole new park in another country, a massive makeover of an existing park, etc. It would be more interesting if they'd put "cutting back" on cap spends into perspective.

I think you are needlessly defending the company. It is very clear that their plans for WDW are evolving with much more investment than they would have intended a year or two ago. And it's a good thing.

 

[Rodan75]

For a company who love to spin social media its kind of funny when the web spills news they can't control.

But they could manage it better, they could have some fun with it.

 

[MattM]

I think you are needlessly defending the company. It is very clear that their plans for WDW are evolving with much more investment than they would have intended a year or two ago. And it's a good thing.

I think you misread my post. I was saying that the company can still spend a substantial amount of money in Orlando and it could still be considered "cutting back" from a year or so ago. There's no defending the company in that post.

 

[ScoutN]

Interesting. I've not found that to be true.

I suggest you get out more. There is a reason the entire economy is glass.

 

[Captain Neo]

WDI has lost all sense of purpose and is devolving into a playground for sociopaths. Somehow, at the end of the day, some work gets done by the quiet people who actually give a damn about the product, but the egos above them make for one of the most oppressive work environments in the industry. The exact opposite of what you need from your in-house creative division. That is why Walt Disney Imagineering does not have one single project of any measure in development for its parks that has not already been discussed on the internet in some detail. No one has respect for the workplace.

Why doesn't Iger just fire all of the big egos. If they threw Baxter out they should throw everyone else out whos causing trouble

Last time I checked it says Walt Disney imagineering on the door not Tom Fitzgerald Imagineering

 

[MattM]

I suggest you get out more. There is a reason the entire economy is glass.

The economy is just fine for those of us with large investments (or at least most of us). And we know where are money is, why it's there, and our exit strategy. It may be a new vs old money thing, but in my neck of the woods, everybody is intimately familiar with the workings of their dollars. Or maybe its just common sense, without needing to get out more

 

[ToTBellHop]

Why doesn't Iger just fire all of the big egos. If they threw Baxter out they should throw everyone else out whos causing trouble

I think Bob Iger has much bigger issues of concern than specific WDI employees. Sometimes we have unreasonable expectations with regard to how much Bob Iger should care about WDP&R.

Would you expect the CEO of Bank of America to personally fire a crappy bank teller you encountered in Des Moines?