NEW YORK (Playbill) – “Partial view" is not a new concept to the theatre. But usually the term refers to seats to the far right or left of a theatre without a complete view of the stage, or chairs whose sightlines are obstructed by a post or pillar. With Disney's Tarzan, however, the view producers are talking about is the one over your head. Four orchestra rows of the Richard Rodgers Theatre, the home of Tarzan, offer a slightly obstructed view of the production. Some of the action in the musical, which is currently in previews and will officially open May 10, occurs high above the stage and is not visible to theatregoers in the last four rows of the orchestra. Ticket buyers are warned that these seats are "partial view" prior to purchase, whether they are buying by phone, on-line or in person at the Richard Rodgers Theatre box office. Chris Boneau, a press representative for the show, said that viewers in the aforementioned four rows are probably missing no more than a few minutes worth of action. Boneau says that the situation is similar to another Disney musical, The Lion King, which plays the New Amsterdam Theatre. "If you see The Lion King from upstairs in the New Amsterdam, you don't see the elephants come in until they get up on the stage."
Thank God we still have the Tarzan Rocks! show at Disney's Animal Kingdom....or not.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Heart Patient on ABC's 'Miracle Workers' Dies
LOS ANGELES (AP) – A woman whose fight against heart failure was chronicled for ABC's reality series "Miracle Workers" died of complications following the last-ditch use of an experimental artificial heart pump. Priscilla "Prissy" Benoit, 56, of Lake Charles, La., whose heart was severely damaged by chemotherapy for breast cancer, received the titanium Jarvik pump last fall. She died March 22 at a Houston hospital after a series of setbacks, including a stroke and pneumonia. Her story will be shown on Monday's episode of "Miracle Workers," with an audience advisory signaling the unusual outcome for a program that typically delivers help and happy endings for the seriously ill. Dr. Billy Cohn, who is regularly featured on the series and already was treating Benoit when she agreed to be filmed, said the pump represented her only chance for survival. Its use for Benoit required U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. She consented to the operation after other treatments either proved ineffective or inappropriate, Cohn said. A heart transplant, for example, was ruled out because of her relatively recent cancer. Her treatment was not altered because of the TV series, Cohn said. The decision to show the episode came after Benoit's husband of 14 years, Jerry Primeaux, gave his approval, ABC and the series' producers said. "I want the episode to air. Prissy would want it to air," Primeaux said in a statement released through the network. "I still have faith in the Jarvik pump. ... It kept my Prissy with me for a little longer. I still have faith in all those doctors." "We knew exactly what we were getting into," Primeaux added. "We knew there could be complications. I would like this episode to be a tribute to Priscilla and her courage and her fight." David Garfinkle and Jay Renfroe, executive producers for the series, said they felt a responsibility to air Benoit's battle. She is last shown at home in early March, appearing to have made significant progress. Her death is explained on-camera by Cohn. The episode marks an unusual step for reality shows that offer help ranging from a makeover to a new house to good health, said Robert Thompson of Syracuse University's Center for the Study of Popular Television. "Miracle Workers" is disproving the idea that "by being tapped by a reality TV show, somehow everything is going to be all better," he said.
Narnia Takes Disney’s Box-Office Record
LONDON (Reuters) – “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" has out-stripped "Toy Story 2" as Disney's biggest UK hit at the box office, Disney Home Video said on Thursday. "Narnia" has grossed £44.4 million in the UK to date, trumping the previous record of £44.3 million held by the 1999 blockbuster "Toy Story 2." "Narnia", which hit the big screen in 2005, follows the adventures of four children who find a portal in the back of a wardrobe to a magical world, where they fight the evil White Witch with the help of a noble lion named Aslan. The film is based on C.S. Lewis's 1950 novel, which remains one of the best-loved children's books. Over 100 million copies of the Narnia book titles have been sold worldwide. Disney said it also expects strong sales of the DVD, due to be released on April 3. "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" has taken $403.5 million (£232 million) to date at the world box-office.
Pixar needs to get with the program and stop making such flops like Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. :)
Pixar needs to get with the program and stop making such flops like Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. :)
Disney Parks to Grow Volume 2-3%
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Walt Disney Co. expects its US theme park volume to rise 2 percent to 3 percent annually even after the end of its 50th anniversary promotion, parks division Chief Financial Officer Jim Hunt told an investor conference on Wednesday. Disney's theme park arm, which accounts for about a quarter of its operating income, expects to realize savings from using more part-time employees and from managing benefits across its 11 parks, Hunt said. Disney's parks and resorts profit rose 51 percent to $375 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2006 as Hong Kong Disneyland posted its first full quarter of operations and the Disneyland 50th anniversary promotion spurred business at U.S. parks. The 18-month global promotion, which began last May, should drive traffic to the parks once the celebration has concluded, Hunt said. "The attractions which (consumers) view during this celebration will be available for guests to enjoy not only during 2005 and 2006 but for many years to come," Hunt said. Parks and resort employees, who account for about 70 percent of Disney's work force, will see a larger number of part-time workers providing more flexibility as attendance varies, Hunt said. "We adjust our mix of full- and part-time hours and, moving forward, expect to increase our part-time labor. While I'm only talking about several percentage points of shifts here, the results are expected to be significant," Hunt said. Labor and benefits initiatives were expected to be "significant contributors to cost productivity over the next several years," he said. Hunt also pledged that domestic capital expenditures at parks and resorts, which totaled $726 million in 2005, would stay below $1 billion in the foreseeable future.
Yeah, I would hope so.
Yeah, I would hope so.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
A Disney Artist on the Future of Animation
(Rocky Mountain News) – After seeing his first animated movie – Disney's "Jungle Book" – at the age of 10, Andreas Deja wrote to the Walt Disney Studios about a job. To his delight, he got a letter back, encouraging him to study and "become an artist in your own right first," Deja recalled. A decade or so later, after completing his art training in his native Germany, Deja went to work as a Disney animator. Deja, 49, led the animation team for the recent DVD release of Disney's "Bambi II." Even after all these years, he said, "I always get a rush when I see my drawings move for the first time." Deja has had a hand in many Disney features over the years, including "The Lion King," "Lilo and Stitch" and the 1988 hybrid animation-live action movie, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," made in the days before computer-generated animation. But while computer animation has become more realistic, he noted, the medium is due for a change. It needs "more of a vision than just realism." He sees the future of animation as a "fusion" of cutting-edge computer animation and classic hand drawing. "I see big possibilities in the blending of the two mediums." Deja's next project is a new Disney feature called "Enchanted." The first 10 minutes are an animated "homage to fairy tales," he said, that will shift to live action for the rest of the movie. Deja is animating the witch character, to be voiced and acted by Susan Sarandon. "Enchanted" is scheduled to debut sometime next year.
I met Andreas a few years ago in Orlando and we talked about the future of animation. He has always maintained that traditional 2-d, hand-drawn animation can go further and his dream was to one day go back to the roots and make a classic animated film from the ground up, using all the old school techniques. I doubt that will ever happen today, but it seems like he is still holding on to the idea that 2-d animation will always have a legitimate place in story telling.
I met Andreas a few years ago in Orlando and we talked about the future of animation. He has always maintained that traditional 2-d, hand-drawn animation can go further and his dream was to one day go back to the roots and make a classic animated film from the ground up, using all the old school techniques. I doubt that will ever happen today, but it seems like he is still holding on to the idea that 2-d animation will always have a legitimate place in story telling.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Disney Sells Some of Its World
No wonder nobody built there before. Disney was holding out.
ORLANDO (Orlando Sentinel) – Walt Disney World is selling off chunks of excess land on the fringes of its empire, allowing developers to pursue their own real-estate magic. Disney recently sold 53 acres on Sherberth Road south of Disney's Animal Kingdom to a developer who wants to build hundreds of vacation town homes and condominium units, and another 47 acres on Reams Road, north of the Magic Kingdom, to a home builder. Another 30 acres is for sale on U.S. Highway 192. And more may be put on the market as soon as the company re-evaluates its vast land holdings in Central Florida, particularly parcels on the far edges. Disney owns 27,000 acres in southwest Orange and northwest Osceola counties, most of it purchased in the 1960s when Walt Disney stealthily assembled his holdings before the public learned of his plans to build Disney World. The new deals may illustrate a shift in thinking for Disney. Andrea Finger, spokeswoman for Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney's park planning division, said the 47-acre deal Disney made in December and the 53-acre deal in February are the first for the company in a while, other than land in the Little Lake Bryan and Celebration planned communities. Disney is not talking about the 30-acre tract, except to say it is in contract. Yet Disney asked its government agency, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, to de-annex the property, which is on U.S. 192, west of the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
ORLANDO (Orlando Sentinel) – Walt Disney World is selling off chunks of excess land on the fringes of its empire, allowing developers to pursue their own real-estate magic. Disney recently sold 53 acres on Sherberth Road south of Disney's Animal Kingdom to a developer who wants to build hundreds of vacation town homes and condominium units, and another 47 acres on Reams Road, north of the Magic Kingdom, to a home builder. Another 30 acres is for sale on U.S. Highway 192. And more may be put on the market as soon as the company re-evaluates its vast land holdings in Central Florida, particularly parcels on the far edges. Disney owns 27,000 acres in southwest Orange and northwest Osceola counties, most of it purchased in the 1960s when Walt Disney stealthily assembled his holdings before the public learned of his plans to build Disney World. The new deals may illustrate a shift in thinking for Disney. Andrea Finger, spokeswoman for Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney's park planning division, said the 47-acre deal Disney made in December and the 53-acre deal in February are the first for the company in a while, other than land in the Little Lake Bryan and Celebration planned communities. Disney is not talking about the 30-acre tract, except to say it is in contract. Yet Disney asked its government agency, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, to de-annex the property, which is on U.S. 192, west of the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Chairman Rules Out Disney Park in Mideast
DUBAI (Khaleej Times Online) – Disney will not be establishing a park in Dubai or, in fact, anywhere in the Middle East anytime soon, said James Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts speaking to Khaleej Times, during the IAA Congress. "When deciding on a location, we have to look at the size of economy and the distribution of income. We are a premium tourism product and we need certain characteristics. I don't see the Middle East today as a market that is quite ready for that, but I never say never," he said. However, India fulfils some of those requirements. He said: "There is a still a fundamental evolution of infrastructure that has to occur so that people can get to a single destination with the footprint that we would like to develop. Today that footprint is not in place." But that will not be the case forever, he added. "If you look at the population and economic realities of India, it is possible one day, but that day is not now." China is a slightly different matter. Although Hong Kong recently opened a Disney Resort, he sees the establishment of a second resort in China as a real possibility. "Someday I imagine that due to the sheer geography of China, a growing economy and population there may be a second destination in China," he said. But not in coming years. "We look with great anticipation to be able to deliver our very special formula and entertainment to all of the markets that can support it," he said.
As one of the world's most global and successful brands, the reason for Disney's success is simple. "The basic principles of global brands come back, not shockingly, to consumer insights," said Rasulo. "If a brand does not speak to consumer need it will not be a global brand. It will simply be a globally distributed local brand." He said companies that have been successful in establishing a global brand speak to universal human values and the need to belong to communities. Rasulo explained that the branding is so consistent and universal that research shows that people all over the world see the Disney brand in the same way, "whether in a living room in Southern China or in California, where they have grown up with Disneyland," he said. He said the words that are consistently used to describe the Disney experience are magical, wonder and imagination, and phrases like: "Where my dreams can come true." "And we have built our brand around this," he said.
As one of the world's most global and successful brands, the reason for Disney's success is simple. "The basic principles of global brands come back, not shockingly, to consumer insights," said Rasulo. "If a brand does not speak to consumer need it will not be a global brand. It will simply be a globally distributed local brand." He said companies that have been successful in establishing a global brand speak to universal human values and the need to belong to communities. Rasulo explained that the branding is so consistent and universal that research shows that people all over the world see the Disney brand in the same way, "whether in a living room in Southern China or in California, where they have grown up with Disneyland," he said. He said the words that are consistently used to describe the Disney experience are magical, wonder and imagination, and phrases like: "Where my dreams can come true." "And we have built our brand around this," he said.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Peace Reigns at Disneyland
Whew!
ANAHEIM (Contact Music) – Ending the threat of a possible strike that could have shut down the Walt Disney Co.'s Disneyland park, the Disneyland Master Services Council of Unions, representing nearly 4,600 "cast members," announced Thursday that it had reached an agreement on a new contract. The union and Disneyland execs had been negotiating under the guidance of a federal mediator since March 15, when the previous contract expired. The union invited members to vote on the new agreement on Saturday in Millionaire Theatre in Disney's California Adventure Park.
ANAHEIM (Contact Music) – Ending the threat of a possible strike that could have shut down the Walt Disney Co.'s Disneyland park, the Disneyland Master Services Council of Unions, representing nearly 4,600 "cast members," announced Thursday that it had reached an agreement on a new contract. The union and Disneyland execs had been negotiating under the guidance of a federal mediator since March 15, when the previous contract expired. The union invited members to vote on the new agreement on Saturday in Millionaire Theatre in Disney's California Adventure Park.
'Toy Story' Creator Lasseter Gears Up for Animated 'Cars'
NEWSFLASH: John Lasseter likes Disney..which is nice, since he's in charge of a lot of it now. He also likes cars, which is also nice, since he just directed a movie about them.
LAS VEGAS (AP) – John Lasseter's latest flick combines his two lifelong loves:
The animated and automotive worlds. The director of the "Toy Story" movies and "A Bug's Life" and a prime creator behind "Monsters, Inc.", "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles," Lasseter returns with "Cars," the animated story of a haughty race car that gets a lesson on life in the slow lane. For Lasseter – who premiered the film Tuesday night at ShoWest, an annual theater owners convention – “Cars" rolled off the assembly line of his childhood. His mom was an art teacher whose work helped forge his early fascination with animation, while his dad ran the parts department at a Chevrolet dealership in Whittier, Calif., where Lasseter worked weekends growing up in the heyday of muscular Camaros and Corvettes. "I've always loved cars," Lasseter, 49, told The Associated Press. "I'm a gear-head and wanted to do a film about cars, like putting the two sides of my life, my two loves, together." "Cars" also is a reflection of the real-life lessons he learned about making time for family and friends amid his professional success. After a hectic run making "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life" and "Toy Story 2," a time when he and his wife also had four sons, Lasseter decided to pull over for a rest stop. Lasseter's wife warned him that if he kept up the work pace, he would wake up one day realizing their boys had all gone off to college and he had missed their childhood. So Lasseter figured it was time for a summer road trip, just him and the family. "We got so close as a family. We loved every single minute of it, and I came back from that journey and I knew what I wanted this movie to be about. It's about a character that learns the journey in life is the reward," said Lasseter, the key creative force behind Pixar Animation, which is being acquired by its longtime distribution partner Disney. "Cars" debuts in theaters June 9. The ShoWest screening also featured a showing of Pixar's Oscar-nominated short film "One Man Band" and a trailer for the company's next computer-animated flick, 2007's "Ratatouille," about a gourmand rat seeking fine eats in Paris.
Once Disney's buyout of Pixar is completed, Lasseter will become chief creative officer for animation at both companies and principal creative adviser for Walt Disney Imagineering, which designs the company's theme-park attractions. Lasseter said he and Ed Catmull, the Pixar executive who will be president of the companies' combined animation studios, plan to split their time between Disney in Burbank and Pixar in Northern California. The change marks a homecoming for Lasseter, who caught the animation bug in his youth from the classic cartoons Walt Disney created. At the California Institute for the Arts, where he earned a film degree, Lasseter studied under former Disney artists and worked as an animator for Disney early in his career. "I've got Disney blood in my veins," Lasseter said. "Walt Disney is the reason I do what I do. I believe so strongly in making what he believed in, which is making family films that are not just for kids. They're for everybody, and that's one of the things I'm so incredibly proud of in the track record at Pixar. We're so proud because all the family loves these things. Even teenagers and young adults who don't have kids love our films. That's the testament, and that's what I believe Walt Disney always believed in, too."
LAS VEGAS (AP) – John Lasseter's latest flick combines his two lifelong loves:
The animated and automotive worlds. The director of the "Toy Story" movies and "A Bug's Life" and a prime creator behind "Monsters, Inc.", "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles," Lasseter returns with "Cars," the animated story of a haughty race car that gets a lesson on life in the slow lane. For Lasseter – who premiered the film Tuesday night at ShoWest, an annual theater owners convention – “Cars" rolled off the assembly line of his childhood. His mom was an art teacher whose work helped forge his early fascination with animation, while his dad ran the parts department at a Chevrolet dealership in Whittier, Calif., where Lasseter worked weekends growing up in the heyday of muscular Camaros and Corvettes. "I've always loved cars," Lasseter, 49, told The Associated Press. "I'm a gear-head and wanted to do a film about cars, like putting the two sides of my life, my two loves, together." "Cars" also is a reflection of the real-life lessons he learned about making time for family and friends amid his professional success. After a hectic run making "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life" and "Toy Story 2," a time when he and his wife also had four sons, Lasseter decided to pull over for a rest stop. Lasseter's wife warned him that if he kept up the work pace, he would wake up one day realizing their boys had all gone off to college and he had missed their childhood. So Lasseter figured it was time for a summer road trip, just him and the family. "We got so close as a family. We loved every single minute of it, and I came back from that journey and I knew what I wanted this movie to be about. It's about a character that learns the journey in life is the reward," said Lasseter, the key creative force behind Pixar Animation, which is being acquired by its longtime distribution partner Disney. "Cars" debuts in theaters June 9. The ShoWest screening also featured a showing of Pixar's Oscar-nominated short film "One Man Band" and a trailer for the company's next computer-animated flick, 2007's "Ratatouille," about a gourmand rat seeking fine eats in Paris.
Once Disney's buyout of Pixar is completed, Lasseter will become chief creative officer for animation at both companies and principal creative adviser for Walt Disney Imagineering, which designs the company's theme-park attractions. Lasseter said he and Ed Catmull, the Pixar executive who will be president of the companies' combined animation studios, plan to split their time between Disney in Burbank and Pixar in Northern California. The change marks a homecoming for Lasseter, who caught the animation bug in his youth from the classic cartoons Walt Disney created. At the California Institute for the Arts, where he earned a film degree, Lasseter studied under former Disney artists and worked as an animator for Disney early in his career. "I've got Disney blood in my veins," Lasseter said. "Walt Disney is the reason I do what I do. I believe so strongly in making what he believed in, which is making family films that are not just for kids. They're for everybody, and that's one of the things I'm so incredibly proud of in the track record at Pixar. We're so proud because all the family loves these things. Even teenagers and young adults who don't have kids love our films. That's the testament, and that's what I believe Walt Disney always believed in, too."
'Toy Story' Creator Lasseter Gears Up for Animated 'Cars'
NEWSFLASH: John Lasseter likes Disney..which is nice, since he's in charge of a lot of it now. He also likes cars, which is also nice, since he just directed a movie about them.
The animated and automotive worlds. The director of the "Toy Story" movies and "A Bug's Life" and a prime creator behind "Monsters, Inc.", "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles," Lasseter returns with "Cars," the animated story of a haughty race car that gets a lesson on life in the slow lane. For Lasseter – who premiered the film Tuesday night at ShoWest, an annual theater owners convention – “Cars" rolled off the assembly line of his childhood. His mom was an art teacher whose work helped forge his early fascination with animation, while his dad ran the parts department at a Chevrolet dealership in Whittier, Calif., where Lasseter worked weekends growing up in the heyday of muscular Camaros and Corvettes. "I've always loved cars," Lasseter, 49, told The Associated Press. "I'm a gear-head and wanted to do a film about cars, like putting the two sides of my life, my two loves, together." "Cars" also is a reflection of the real-life lessons he learned about making time for family and friends amid his professional success. After a hectic run making "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life" and "Toy Story 2," a time when he and his wife also had four sons, Lasseter decided to pull over for a rest stop. Lasseter's wife warned him that if he kept up the work pace, he would wake up one day realizing their boys had all gone off to college and he had missed their childhood. So Lasseter figured it was time for a summer road trip, just him and the family. "We got so close as a family. We loved every single minute of it, and I came back from that journey and I knew what I wanted this movie to be about. It's about a character that learns the journey in life is the reward," said Lasseter, the key creative force behind Pixar Animation, which is being acquired by its longtime distribution partner Disney. "Cars" debuts in theaters June 9. The ShoWest screening also featured a showing of Pixar's Oscar-nominated short film "One Man Band" and a trailer for the company's next computer-animated flick, 2007's "Ratatouille," about a gourmand rat seeking fine eats in Paris.
Once Disney's buyout of Pixar is completed, Lasseter will become chief creative officer for animation at both companies and principal creative adviser for Walt Disney Imagineering, which designs the company's theme-park attractions. Lasseter said he and Ed Catmull, the Pixar executive who will be president of the companies' combined animation studios, plan to split their time between Disney in Burbank and Pixar in Northern California. The change marks a homecoming for Lasseter, who caught the animation bug in his youth from the classic cartoons Walt Disney created. At the California Institute for the Arts, where he earned a film degree, Lasseter studied under former Disney artists and worked as an animator for Disney early in his career. "I've got Disney blood in my veins," Lasseter said. "Walt Disney is the reason I do what I do. I believe so strongly in making what he believed in, which is making family films that are not just for kids. They're for everybody, and that's one of the things I'm so incredibly proud of in the track record at Pixar. We're so proud because all the family loves these things. Even teenagers and young adults who don't have kids love our films. That's the testament, and that's what I believe Walt Disney always believed in, too."
The animated and automotive worlds. The director of the "Toy Story" movies and "A Bug's Life" and a prime creator behind "Monsters, Inc.", "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles," Lasseter returns with "Cars," the animated story of a haughty race car that gets a lesson on life in the slow lane. For Lasseter – who premiered the film Tuesday night at ShoWest, an annual theater owners convention – “Cars" rolled off the assembly line of his childhood. His mom was an art teacher whose work helped forge his early fascination with animation, while his dad ran the parts department at a Chevrolet dealership in Whittier, Calif., where Lasseter worked weekends growing up in the heyday of muscular Camaros and Corvettes. "I've always loved cars," Lasseter, 49, told The Associated Press. "I'm a gear-head and wanted to do a film about cars, like putting the two sides of my life, my two loves, together." "Cars" also is a reflection of the real-life lessons he learned about making time for family and friends amid his professional success. After a hectic run making "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life" and "Toy Story 2," a time when he and his wife also had four sons, Lasseter decided to pull over for a rest stop. Lasseter's wife warned him that if he kept up the work pace, he would wake up one day realizing their boys had all gone off to college and he had missed their childhood. So Lasseter figured it was time for a summer road trip, just him and the family. "We got so close as a family. We loved every single minute of it, and I came back from that journey and I knew what I wanted this movie to be about. It's about a character that learns the journey in life is the reward," said Lasseter, the key creative force behind Pixar Animation, which is being acquired by its longtime distribution partner Disney. "Cars" debuts in theaters June 9. The ShoWest screening also featured a showing of Pixar's Oscar-nominated short film "One Man Band" and a trailer for the company's next computer-animated flick, 2007's "Ratatouille," about a gourmand rat seeking fine eats in Paris.
Once Disney's buyout of Pixar is completed, Lasseter will become chief creative officer for animation at both companies and principal creative adviser for Walt Disney Imagineering, which designs the company's theme-park attractions. Lasseter said he and Ed Catmull, the Pixar executive who will be president of the companies' combined animation studios, plan to split their time between Disney in Burbank and Pixar in Northern California. The change marks a homecoming for Lasseter, who caught the animation bug in his youth from the classic cartoons Walt Disney created. At the California Institute for the Arts, where he earned a film degree, Lasseter studied under former Disney artists and worked as an animator for Disney early in his career. "I've got Disney blood in my veins," Lasseter said. "Walt Disney is the reason I do what I do. I believe so strongly in making what he believed in, which is making family films that are not just for kids. They're for everybody, and that's one of the things I'm so incredibly proud of in the track record at Pixar. We're so proud because all the family loves these things. Even teenagers and young adults who don't have kids love our films. That's the testament, and that's what I believe Walt Disney always believed in, too."
Tarzan to Offer $20 Lottery Tickets
NEW YORK (Playbill) – The upcoming Disney musical Tarzan, which is set to begin performances March 24 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, will offer a limited number of $20 lottery tickets to each performance. Those interested in trying to obtain these tickets will be asked to fill out a lottery form two-and-a-half hours prior to that particular Tarzan performance. Winners for the seats, which are located in the first row of the orchestra, will be chosen two hours before curtain time. There will be a limit of two tickets per person, and tickets must be purchased using cash only. About the lottery system, Disney Theatricals President Thomas Schumacher said in a statement, "As someone who grew up wanting to see as much live theatre as I could, it is such a pleasure to be able to make these reduced price tickets available for Tarzan. The $20 Lottery Ticket Program will allow us to share this theatrical experience with audience members who may not otherwise be able to see Tarzan, and that is invaluable to me.” Tarzan will officially open at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on May 10.
If audiences can't get into the Disney Tarzan show on Broadway, they can always catch another Tarzan show, Tarzan Rocks, at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Fl.
What's that? Oh, it is? Uh, never mind. That amazing show is closed, soon to be replaced by...???? Why shutter a show that has its namesake making a Broadway debut? Are theyhonestly worried about brand confusion, or do the theme parks even call the theatre folks, even on Christmas?
If audiences can't get into the Disney Tarzan show on Broadway, they can always catch another Tarzan show, Tarzan Rocks, at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Fl.
What's that? Oh, it is? Uh, never mind. That amazing show is closed, soon to be replaced by...???? Why shutter a show that has its namesake making a Broadway debut? Are theyhonestly worried about brand confusion, or do the theme parks even call the theatre folks, even on Christmas?
Disney on Track to Unwrap Pixar's ‘Cars’ on May 26th at Lowe's Motor Speedway
PRNewswire
CHARLOTTE, NC (PRNewswire) – Disney-Pixar's new computer-animated feature "Cars" will stage its world premiere on May 26th at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina in one of the most unique and elaborate movie events of all-time. Paul Newman, Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, NASCAR legends Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip, and others from the voice cast of the film will be joined by a host of stars from the racing world and 30,000 guests that are expected to attend the "Cars" World Premiere, taking place at the same location as that weekend's famous Coca Cola 600 NASCAR race. The screening of the film represents the first multi-screen digital cinema premiere ever, with Texas Instruments and its DLP Cinema technology serving as Disney's event technology partner in providing the digital cinema projectors. A series of four giant custom-built outdoor movie screens (115-feet wide and 50-feet tall) will be constructed at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Turn #2 of the track. Each screen will have three DLP Cinema 2K digital projectors dedicated to it. A state-of-the-art sound system is also being created and installed for the event. Academy Award-winning filmmaker John Lasseter, who directed "Cars," will also be attending along with other key players from Pixar Animation Studios and The Walt Disney Studios. Tickets for the premiere will be made available for purchase by the general public starting today. Proceeds will benefit Speedway Children's Charities, and Association of Hole in the Wall Gang Camps. To cap off the weekend, the #96 DLP HDTV car will be wrapped as the film's lead character "Lightning McQueen" for the NEXTEL Cup series race in Charlotte the same weekend.
CHARLOTTE, NC (PRNewswire) – Disney-Pixar's new computer-animated feature "Cars" will stage its world premiere on May 26th at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina in one of the most unique and elaborate movie events of all-time. Paul Newman, Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, NASCAR legends Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip, and others from the voice cast of the film will be joined by a host of stars from the racing world and 30,000 guests that are expected to attend the "Cars" World Premiere, taking place at the same location as that weekend's famous Coca Cola 600 NASCAR race. The screening of the film represents the first multi-screen digital cinema premiere ever, with Texas Instruments and its DLP Cinema technology serving as Disney's event technology partner in providing the digital cinema projectors. A series of four giant custom-built outdoor movie screens (115-feet wide and 50-feet tall) will be constructed at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Turn #2 of the track. Each screen will have three DLP Cinema 2K digital projectors dedicated to it. A state-of-the-art sound system is also being created and installed for the event. Academy Award-winning filmmaker John Lasseter, who directed "Cars," will also be attending along with other key players from Pixar Animation Studios and The Walt Disney Studios. Tickets for the premiere will be made available for purchase by the general public starting today. Proceeds will benefit Speedway Children's Charities, and Association of Hole in the Wall Gang Camps. To cap off the weekend, the #96 DLP HDTV car will be wrapped as the film's lead character "Lightning McQueen" for the NEXTEL Cup series race in Charlotte the same weekend.
Disney on Track to Unwrap Pixar's ‘Cars’ on May 26th at Lowe's Motor Speedway
CHARLOTTE, NC (PRNewswire) – Disney-Pixar's new computer-animated feature "Cars" will stage its world premiere on May 26th at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina in one of the most unique and elaborate movie events of all-time. Paul Newman, Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, NASCAR legends Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip, and others from the voice cast of the film will be joined by a host of stars from the racing world and 30,000 guests that are expected to attend the "Cars" World Premiere, taking place at the same location as that weekend's famous Coca Cola 600 NASCAR race. The screening of the film represents the first multi-screen digital cinema premiere ever, with Texas Instruments and its DLP Cinema technology serving as Disney's event technology partner in providing the digital cinema projectors. A series of four giant custom-built outdoor movie screens (115-feet wide and 50-feet tall) will be constructed at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Turn #2 of the track. Each screen will have three DLP Cinema 2K digital projectors dedicated to it. A state-of-the-art sound system is also being created and installed for the event. Academy Award-winning filmmaker John Lasseter, who directed "Cars," will also be attending along with other key players from Pixar Animation Studios and The Walt Disney Studios. Tickets for the premiere will be made available for purchase by the general public starting today. Proceeds will benefit Speedway Children's Charities, and Association of Hole in the Wall Gang Camps. To cap off the weekend, the #96 DLP HDTV car will be wrapped as the film's lead character "Lightning McQueen" for the NEXTEL Cup series race in Charlotte the same weekend.
Nick Hotel Buyer Eyeing San Diego, Hawaii
(Orlando Business Journal) – Miller Global Properties LLC says it plans to create a chain of Nickelodeon- themed hotels. The Denver developer recently acquired the remaining interest in the 777-room Nickelodeon Family Suites by Holiday Inn resort near Walt Disney World. Jim Miller, Miller Global Properties president, told the Denver Business Journal that he has a site under contract for purchase in San Diego and hopes to begin construction on a second Nickelodeon hotel in early 2007. The Colorado company hopes to have four to six US Nickelodeon properties, and is looking at Hawaii and New York City as potential sites. Terry Whaples, the Orlando creator of the Nickelodeon Family Suites by Holiday Inn concept, calls the expansion a no-brainer idea. Miller partnered with Whaples' company, Orlando-based Family Suites Hotel Holdings LLC, in 2004 to transform the Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort at Lake Buena Vista into the first-ever hotel/resort based on the Nickelodeon TV channel. The $120 million Orlando Nick hotel, which was remodeled and opened in 2005, features two- and three-bedroom KidSuites with children's bedrooms decorated with Nickelodeon characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer and Jimmy Neutron. Suites also include an adult master bedroom, kitchenette and sitting room. In addition, the Nickelodeon resort has two water parks, a 3,000-square-foot arcade, spa, three live shows per night and an after-hours karaoke.I've never been inside this hotel, but it is a remodelled resort on State Road 536, oneof the many roads that leads directly into WDW. It is a very convenient location for the WDW scene.
Suit Says Girl Assaulted on Cruise
ORLANDO (Orlando Sentinel) – The parents of a girl sued Disney Cruise Lines after their daughter was allegedly sexually assaulted by a crew member while on board the Disney Wonder in October, court documents said. The girl and her parents, New York residents, boarded the ship in Port Canaveral on Oct. 2 for a cruise to the Bahamas, the lawsuit said. The suit, which seeks damages in excess of $75,000, alleges the crew member "falsely imprisoned, sexually assaulted, exposed himself to, and intentionally inflicted emotional distress" on the girl. The family was not identified in the lawsuit, which was filed in Orlando's federal court. Disney spokeswoman Rena Langley said Disney Cruise Lines takes the allegation very seriously. She said the cruise line was notified of the allegation in October and contacted the FBI and Bahamian law enforcement. She said the two agencies worked with the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, and no charges have been filed. The crew member no longer works for Disney, she said.
Disney Channel's "High School Musical" is 1st Full-Length Feature on iTunes
(Playbill) – Disney Channel's popular original movie "High School Musical" became the first full length feature film available to Apple iTunes users at the Music Store. Following its successful sales of video singles from the television movie – not to mention how well the soundtrack and singles are doing – the company decided to offer the movie as well. Apple iTunes users can download music videos for 99¢ or the entire film for $9.99. The show is slated to air again on the Disney Channel March 23 at 8 PM (ET). A sequel is already in the works and the debut DVD of the popular original movie will be released May 23 featuring two versions and extra features. Seven weeks following the Disney Channel's "High School Musical" soundtrack debuted, the album moved into the No. 1 slot at the top of the Billboard pop chart. The feat was the first time an original TV movie soundtrack ever charted at No. 1 and the first TV soundtrack to hit the top spot since 1986 (the "Miami Vice" album).
I still don't get it.
I still don't get it.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Disney Closes Unit Devoted to Pixar Sequels
From Pixaren't to Pixisn't...BURBANK (LA Times) – The first casualty of Walt Disney Co.'s acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios came Monday when the Burbank entertainment giant shuttered a computer animation unit created to make sequels to such Pixar hits as "Toy Story" and "Finding Nemo." Thirty-two employees, or nearly 20% of the 168 artists, production managers and support staff, were told they would lose their jobs effective May 26. The remaining 136 will be absorbed into Disney's feature animation division and redeployed to work on such productions as "Meet the Robinsons," "Rapunzel" and "American Dog." In a statement, Dis-ney confirmed Monday's developments with The Times and said it would help laid-off employees find new work. At least half a dozen or more hired to work on "Toy Story 3" were foreigners working in the US on visas. Workers should find themselves in demand, with computer animation enjoying a boom. Studios such as DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., 20th Century Fox and Sony Pictures are poised to release a slew of digitally animated movies this year. Dubbed "Circle 7" after the Glendale street where the unit sits, the sequels operation was quietly set up last year by former Disney Chief Executive Michael Eisner at a time when Disney's lucrative partnership with Pixar was strained and in danger of dissolving. Rivals de-rided the attempt to replicate Pixar's unique creativity, nicknaming the operation "Pixaren't." All of that changed in January, when Disney agreed to buy Pixar for $7.4 billion. Disney CEO Bob Iger and Pixar Chairman Steve Jobs pledged that any Pixar sequels would be produced at Pixar's Emeryville, Calif., headquarters using artists who worked on the originals. Disney declined to comment about the future status of Circle 7 chief Andrew Millstein, who announced the layoffs to his staff at a noon meeting. Also unclear is what will become of the multimillion-dollar computer animation facility in Glendale, although it is likely the company would use it for future productions.
Taking the Magic to Europe
(DCL Release) – On the morning of March 21 at the Walt Disney World Resort, Disney Cruise Line Presi-dent Tom McAlpin announced the newest itinerary for the Disney Magic – 10-night and 11-night Mediter-ranean cruises. First launched in July 1998, the Disney Magic sails mostly throughout the Caribbean from its home port in Port Canaveral, Fla., and also traveled west for several Mexican Riviera cruises in sum-mer 2005. Based on Disney Cruise Line Guest suggestions, Tom said Europe was an obvious choice for a new itinerary. “Our Guests have told us they would love to take a European vacation, but all of the planning and logistics can be daunting,” he said. “These special sailings will offer a hassle-free way to experience the beauty and culture of Europe combined with the fun of a Disney cruise.” The Mediterra-nean voyages will begin in May 2007, based out of the Port of Barcelona in Spain, and will include eight ports of call providing gateways to such famous cities as Florence, Rome, Pisa and Cannes. Additionally, two 14-night trans-Atlantic sailings will be available as the ship repositions itself to Spain in May and back to Florida in August. Bookings for the new itineraries are scheduled to open April 4, 2006.
Monday, March 20, 2006
New Round of Layoffs at Disney Animation and Circle 7
(O-meon.com) – Last week Disney CEO Bob Iger, responding to a shareholder’s question about there being a problem with “too many middle managers” at Walt Disney Feature Animation (WDFA), said he didn’t believe Disney had a problem with middle managers. Nevertheless, o-meon.com has confirmed that even as Disney management was preparing for last Friday’s annual meeting the company was continuing the reorganization of its animation division by laying off an unspecified number of “creative” and “development” executives. A source close to Disney animation said “that layoffs began last week.” The names and number of executives “cleaning out their offices,” according to this source, wasn’t known. An individual from within the Disney Company, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Layoffs will be announced next week, not only of certain WDFA executives but also of some artists and technicians at the Circle 7 facility.” Under previous CEO Michael Eisner, Disney created Circle 7 Animation for the sole purpose of producing sequels to the extremely successful series of computer graphic (CG) animated films it released from production partner Pixar Animation Studios. In January, Iger and Pixar CEO Steve Jobs announced that the Emeryville animation studio had agreed, in principal, to be acquired by Disney. As part of the deal, Disney and Pixar’s animation operations would be rolled into one, new Disney-Pixar studio. Pixar President Ed Catmull will head the new studio, and Pixar’s creative genius John Lasseter will be its chief creative officer. Following the announcement, both Catmull and Lasseter paid a visit to WDFA in Burbank. While there, Lasseter informed staffers that Toy Story 3, then in development at Circle 7, would not be done in Southern California, if at all. Questions then arose about the eventual fate of Circle 7 and its creative and management staff.
During last week’s shareholders’ meeting, Disney CFO Tom Staggs said the Disney- Pixar deal could close as early as April or May. That news was as eagerly greeted by Disney’s shareholders as the announcement by John Lasseter at the meeting that, “I promise you, we will make films that will entertain you from the time the lights go off in the theater.” Iger also drew enthusiastic applause when he said, “To truly live up to our legacy, animation must be great. We must create animated films that raise the standard of the art and become true classics for countless generations.” “Actions speak louder than words,” a Pixar shareholder anxiously awaiting the arrival of his shares in the Walt Disney Company told o-meon.com. “I think he’s (Bob Iger) on the right track. He’s openly acknowledged that Disney lost its way over the past ten years, and he’s cutting the deadweight out of Disney animation. I’m really excited by all of this.” The Walt Disney Company did not respond to repeated requests for information regarding restructuring in its animation division.
During last week’s shareholders’ meeting, Disney CFO Tom Staggs said the Disney- Pixar deal could close as early as April or May. That news was as eagerly greeted by Disney’s shareholders as the announcement by John Lasseter at the meeting that, “I promise you, we will make films that will entertain you from the time the lights go off in the theater.” Iger also drew enthusiastic applause when he said, “To truly live up to our legacy, animation must be great. We must create animated films that raise the standard of the art and become true classics for countless generations.” “Actions speak louder than words,” a Pixar shareholder anxiously awaiting the arrival of his shares in the Walt Disney Company told o-meon.com. “I think he’s (Bob Iger) on the right track. He’s openly acknowledged that Disney lost its way over the past ten years, and he’s cutting the deadweight out of Disney animation. I’m really excited by all of this.” The Walt Disney Company did not respond to repeated requests for information regarding restructuring in its animation division.
“High School Musical” Soundtrack Sells over 1 Million Digital Singles
BURBANK, Calif. (Business Wire) – Sales for the platinum-selling "High School Musical" soundtrack continue to rise with an 8% increase over last week's sales. The 138,035 units scanned for the week of March 8th secured the #3 spot on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Digital sales also were a huge component of the soundtrack's success. This week alone 64,208 single tracks were sold digitally, and to date over 1 million single tracks have been purchased digitally, primarily through Apple Computer's iTunes Music Store. The "High School Musical" soundtrack has generated one platinum single, "Breaking Free," and four gold singles – “What I've Been Looking For," "We're All in This Together," "Start of Something New" and "Get'cha Head in the Game." Additionally, this week "High School Musical" continues its reign at #1 on both the Billboard Soundtrack Chart (a position it has held for five out of the past seven weeks) and the Billboard Kids Chart (where it has topped the chart for eight consecutive weeks). "High School Musical," a contemporary musical comedy, has aired eight times (January 20-March 10) on Disney Channel. In its first six telecasts, it delivered 26.3 unduplicated Total Viewers, 8.4 million Kids 6-11 and 8.7 million Tweens 9-14.
Brace yourself for 10 years of sequels and knockoffs.
Brace yourself for 10 years of sequels and knockoffs.
Disney Venture Can Be Mother-Daughter Trip
(Syndicated Column) – DEAR DR. BROTHERS: I have been waiting for several years to have a child old enough to enjoy going to Disney World, and now that my daughter is 6, I find out that my husband has no intention of going there or anyplace like it for the rest of his life. I was totally shocked. I know he doesn't like crowds and big, commercial extravaganzas (no, he won't be going to Las Vegas, either!), but I feel like a trip to Disney is almost a kid's birthright these days! How can he be so mean and selfish? What do you think of his attitude? – P.C.
DEAR P.C.: Some parents try to take a child-centered approach to everything. As soon as they bring the baby home from the hospital, they drop everything and take on the baby's perspective. Sometimes those types of parents are better able to cope with the huge demands of parenthood because they are now accustomed to putting the child's needs first; sometimes they go overboard and have a hard time distinguishing between the child's needs and the child's wants, and end up with an overindulged youngster. And then there are the parents who enthusiastically join in the "kid stuff" simply because it gives them a chance to be like kids again themselves. Your husband isn't having any of it when it comes to theme parks. You didn't mention how he deals with the kid things otherwise, so I assume he is a good father and an involved one. He isn't going to compromise on this issue, but that doesn't mean you and your daughter can't go to Disney World. I'll bet you wouldn't have any trouble finding another family to double up with, or a favorite youthful aunt or uncle who would have fun in Fantasyland. Just think – now you'll be able to opt out when your husband wants to take the family camping in the wilderness in a few years, or on some other adventure where you'd rather not go. This is a good time for compromise without blame. Have fun!
Dad clearly has his head in the sand. I give this marriage 5 more years tops, unless it's already over and they're on cruise control until the kid graduates from college. That's always healthy.
DEAR P.C.: Some parents try to take a child-centered approach to everything. As soon as they bring the baby home from the hospital, they drop everything and take on the baby's perspective. Sometimes those types of parents are better able to cope with the huge demands of parenthood because they are now accustomed to putting the child's needs first; sometimes they go overboard and have a hard time distinguishing between the child's needs and the child's wants, and end up with an overindulged youngster. And then there are the parents who enthusiastically join in the "kid stuff" simply because it gives them a chance to be like kids again themselves. Your husband isn't having any of it when it comes to theme parks. You didn't mention how he deals with the kid things otherwise, so I assume he is a good father and an involved one. He isn't going to compromise on this issue, but that doesn't mean you and your daughter can't go to Disney World. I'll bet you wouldn't have any trouble finding another family to double up with, or a favorite youthful aunt or uncle who would have fun in Fantasyland. Just think – now you'll be able to opt out when your husband wants to take the family camping in the wilderness in a few years, or on some other adventure where you'd rather not go. This is a good time for compromise without blame. Have fun!
Dad clearly has his head in the sand. I give this marriage 5 more years tops, unless it's already over and they're on cruise control until the kid graduates from college. That's always healthy.
Disney, Cable Industry Shoot Down a la Carte
WASHINGTON (Cox News Service) – The cable industry joined with media giant Walt Disney on Wednesday to call attention to what they described as flaws in a recent federal study that found consumers would be better off paying only for the cable channels they want. Cable operators and Disney said the evidence actually shows that an “a la carte” pricing system would drive up monthly subscription costs and diminish programming choices for most people. They pointed to the experience of the Disney Channel, which originally was sold as a premium channel. Despite its family-friendly programming, the channel struggled financially until cable operators included it in a bundle of channels. “We've been to a la carte; we know it doesn't work,” said Preston Padden, executive vice president for Disney, majority owner of sports network ESPN. At a briefing for reporters, Padden said that as part of an “expanded-basic” package, the Disney Channel now reaches 87 million homes and generates enough advertising revenue to pay for quality programming. Disney released its study, along with a similar report prepared for the National Cable and Telecommunications Association. The reports may increase tensions between the industry and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin, who last month released the report that said a la carte pricing would allow a subscriber to get as many as 20 channels without increasing monthly costs.
Shanghai Asks Govt. to Approve a Disneyland Park
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Shanghai has applied to China's central government to build a Disneyland theme park, a city spokesman said on Thursday, taking a necessary step before such a large-scale project can proceed. "Shanghai has already submitted an application to the central government to bring in a Disneyland theme park," the spokesman said. "Ultimately, attracting a park will depend on getting permission from the State Council," he said, referring to China's cabinet, which must grant approval on large local projects. A spokeswoman for Walt Disney Co. , which opened a Disneyland in Hong Kong last fall, reiterated the company's previous response on the bringing of a park to Shanghai. "The Walt Disney Co. has not reached an agreement with Shanghai to build a second Disney destination resort in China," she said, repeating a previous statement.
Orlando Airport Extends Disney’s Airport Deal for Five Years
ORLANDO (AP) – Walt Disney World's express shuttle that takes visitors directly to the resort from the Orlando International Airport without having to wait for luggage will be around for another five years. Limousine operators, taxi drivers and rental car companies complained that the airport's agreement Wednesday with Disney has caused them to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in business. "This meeting today was a big slap in the face, an insult," said Greater Orlando Limousine Association president Mike McKenzie. "It showed that there was no care given to any other entity other than Disney Magic Express." McKenzie said small transportation businesses had no say in the matter and were not informed of discussions leading up to the decision. But airport executives said Wednesday that the deal provided a "huge benefit" to the airport by bringing in visitors from all over the world. Disney's program also increases the capacity of the busy terminal by reducing the number of passengers who require ticketing and baggage services. As a result, it allows the airport to postpone building a costly new terminal, said Jeffry Fuqua, chairman of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, "We're essentially at break even with this service. They're paying their way and we're getting all the benefits of the intangibles," Fuqua said. Disney's Magical Express lets visitors on domestic flights, staying at Disney hotels, check their luggage at their hometown airports and bypass waiting at the luggage carousel at the Orlando airport. The program has transported more than 1.1 million passengers since it began in May 2005. Under the new terms, the fee that Disney pays the airport per passenger will increase from 50 cents to 75 cents next year, with an option to increase it again in 2010. Magical Express, which has become a national model for moving passengers and luggage, has been well received by Disney visitors, Walt Disney World Resort President Al Weiss said. As a result, more passengers are flying than driving, which brings more business to the Orlando airport. "This is really great for central Florida, really good for the airport and it's doing nothing but bringing more passengers to central Florida," Weiss said.
Wahoo! This is good stuff, as I wrote about last week.
Wahoo! This is good stuff, as I wrote about last week.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Disneyland Link Bids to Lure Visitors to Ireland
(Irish Examiner) – Tourism chiefs are going green this week to attract Disney fans to Ireland. In a promotional first, Tourism Ireland has linked up with the Disneyland Resort in Paris to market holidays during its St Patrick’s Day celebrations. Thousands of international visitors will pass through specially constructed information villages. Tourism Ireland chief executive Paul O’Toole said: “The Disneyland Resort Paris parade and party is an exciting opportunity for us to reach a captive audience of around a quarter of a million people who are, by virtue of the week that’s in it, well-disposed to Ireland and who are also in a holiday mood.” Tourism Ireland hopes to capitalize on the global interest in all things Irish this week by hosting consumer, media and trade events all over the world, from Tokyo to Toronto. A potent mix of sports and St Patrick will be used to promote the island at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia with Northern Ireland fielding a team and Olympic hero, Dame Mary Peters, speaking at the high-profile Irish Chamber of Commerce Breakfast.
Airport to Discuss Disney Shuttles
ORLANDO (Orlando Sentinel) – After a three-month delay, the board that oversees Orlando International Airport on Wednesday will publicly discuss the future of Disney's Magical Express shuttle and baggage service. But the details of the program's future are still being hammered out. Though Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Chairman Jeffry Fuqua would not elaborate on the issues, the free service – which has become a model nationally for moving passengers and luggage – has been controversial because of its impact on rental-car companies and taxi and limo services. Some of those companies say they have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in business, an outcome airport administrators feared even before the service began. On Wednesday, the board expects to hear a presentation from its consultant Michael Brown. It will be the first time the airport will publicly present any information about Magical Express since the board delayed its original meeting to do so in December. Since Magical Express began in May, it has transported more than 1.1 million passengers and their luggage between the Disney resort and the air-port. Rental-car companies and taxi and limo services pay a concession fee to the airport each month based on how much business they do. That means the airport can lose money if those businesses ex-perience a downturn. Disney said in December that the service boosted airport revenue by $1.6 million and has streamlined airport operations so well that it could delay the need for a costly second terminal building. Disney World President Al Weiss met with Fuqua last month on the matter. Threats have loomed for months that Disney could stop the service if the airport makes it too expensive to operate. The 18-month pilot project – recently touted by Disney President and CEO Robert Iger – ends in December.
As early as January 2005 – about four months before Magical Express began – then-Executive Director Bill Jennings and other senior airport staffers expressed concern about the services' anticipated impact. Minutes from a meeting of airport staffers, airline executives and a Disney executive, show that Jennings told the airlines he expected the service to reach 2 million passengers a year and it could harm rental-car companies. As part of the agreement negotiated in 2004, Disney pays the airport 50 cents per passenger. Jennings said he tried to negotiate a clause in the contract that would allow the airport to raise that fee after the first six months of the service, but did not prevail, according to the minutes. The airport's esti-mated lost revenue per passenger was $7.70, according to the minutes of the Jan. 25, 2005, Air-lines/Airport Affairs Committee. That figure was arrived at by a consultant who analyzed rental-car data. Disney paid the airport $589,538 in passenger fees from May to December, according to airport records. Those records show that June was the service's busiest month last year with 168,819 passengers. Its single busiest days came on Oct. 1 and on the day after Christmas, when it carried more than 10,000 people, the records show. On most days, however, 3,000 to 5,000 people use the free service.
This is truly an amazing story. Let's see if I have this straight.
As early as January 2005 – about four months before Magical Express began – then-Executive Director Bill Jennings and other senior airport staffers expressed concern about the services' anticipated impact. Minutes from a meeting of airport staffers, airline executives and a Disney executive, show that Jennings told the airlines he expected the service to reach 2 million passengers a year and it could harm rental-car companies. As part of the agreement negotiated in 2004, Disney pays the airport 50 cents per passenger. Jennings said he tried to negotiate a clause in the contract that would allow the airport to raise that fee after the first six months of the service, but did not prevail, according to the minutes. The airport's esti-mated lost revenue per passenger was $7.70, according to the minutes of the Jan. 25, 2005, Air-lines/Airport Affairs Committee. That figure was arrived at by a consultant who analyzed rental-car data. Disney paid the airport $589,538 in passenger fees from May to December, according to airport records. Those records show that June was the service's busiest month last year with 168,819 passengers. Its single busiest days came on Oct. 1 and on the day after Christmas, when it carried more than 10,000 people, the records show. On most days, however, 3,000 to 5,000 people use the free service.
This is truly an amazing story. Let's see if I have this straight.
- Disney builds a giant resort destination that puts Orlando on the map.
- The airport grows to handle the increased traffic (through taxes and fees collected from businesses who pay for access to their passengers, as well as other means, including airlines)
- Dozens, if not hundreds, of satellite (parasite) companies spring up to take advantage of the new transportation industry in Florida.
- Rental car companies and taxis take cash from the toursists who have come to Orlando to visit Walt Disney World.
So, Disney conducts a massive marketing campaign to attract visitors to their parks. It works and visitors come from far and wide via their favorite airline. Once they get here, Disney decides that they would like to pick them up at the airport for FREE. Suddenly, the 3rd party transportation system begins to collapse, no longer propped up on the bloated fees and earnings it had been munching from the Disney tourists.
It's so efficient that the airport can function without costly expansion. Bottom line, the airport and the transportation companies have a lock on the transportation options available to the Disney tourist. How much does each airline get for delivering each passenger to the airport? Anything? They are bringing a large number of potential airport mall shopppers, yes? The airport should not be a profit center. Most have malls in them already anyway, so what are they doing with all that rental money?
I don't have any sympathy for lost revenue at the airport or transportation companies, whose usefulness has been diminished in the face of a newer and better service. If you provide a service nobody wants or needs anymore, whose fault is that? Did horse washers sue Henry Ford back in the day? Change or die. I can see a day in the future when kids will say "You had to pay for a ride from the airport? That's not fair. They droppped you there in the first place. Why should it cost you to leave?" Anyone ever try to walk home from an airport? Good luck.
Maybe the fee structure is backwards. Airlines should pay to drop people off and so should Disney. It makes about as much sense as paying to pick them up. The airport is saying, "We have an inventory of people who need transportation. Give us $.50 each and you can take them." Where do they get their inventory? Airlines and individuals. eBay takes a cut from the auction lister to list an item AND a cut of the final fee. Is this where the airport is going to go?
I'm sure it's very complicated, but the rental car companies and the taxis need to realize that their business models are now flawed. They are no longer the only game in town to get from A to B.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Comcast in Talks To Buy E!
(Broadcasting & Cable) – Cable giant Comcast Corp. is in talks to buy the remaining stake it doesn’t own in E! Entertainment Television from partner Walt Disney Corp., according to people familiar with the deal. The purchase would bolster Comcast’s growing position in cable programming, which is composed pri-marily of smaller networks outside of Nielsen’s top 30 channels. With 80 million subscribers, E! is the big-gest of Comcast’s holdings, programmed with a fluffy mix of entertainment news, celebrity reality shows and clip shows. Ratings have been mixed lately, but E! President Ted Harbert has pushed them into an upswing in recent weeks, with the average prime time audience up 11% in February. One big driver is the recent acquisition of reruns of Fox reality show The Simple Life, featuring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. A sale probably wouldn’t trigger dramatic changes at E! or sibling channel Style Network, because Com-cast already manages the operation. Since 1997, Comcast and Disney have been in a partnership in which Disney initially put up all the cash but still gave the cable operator authority over day-to-day opera-tions. The partnership – Comcast Entertainment Holdings – owns 79.2% of E! and Style. Comcast owns an additional 20.8% outside of the partnership. The relationship got rocky when Comcast launched an attack to take over Disney, but industry executives say there have been no particular problems between the partners in recent months.
Bird Catches 'Ratatouille' for Pixar Pic
(Hollywood Reporter) – Pixar Animation Studios' Brad Bird will direct "Ratatouille," the computer-animated mouse tale that was developed in-house by the studio's Oscar-winning short-film director Jan Pinkava ("Geri's Game"). The deal was confirmed Friday at the Disney shareholders meeting in Anaheim. The story centers on a skinny rodent who fancies himself a gourmand and lives in a Parisian restaurant. A sneak peek of the film, with fully rendered CG characters, was introduced by John Lasseter and shown to attendees at Friday's meeting. It was expected that Pinkava would direct the project, and Bird was said to be developing a sequel to his 2004 Oscar-winning film "The Incredibles." Execs also confirmed at the meeting that Glen Keane's directorial debut, "Rapunzel," remains in the early stages of production utilizing a combination of 2-D and 3-D processes. "Ratatouille" is the eighth animated feature film produced by Pixar. It is scheduled for release June 29, 2007.
Disney-Pixar Deal to Close by Late April, May
ANAHEIM, Calif. (Reuters) – Walt Disney Co.'s planned purchase of Pixar Animation Studios Inc. likely will close in late April or May, Disney Chief Financial Officer Tom Staggs said on Friday at the company's annual meeting. Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger faced Disney shareholders for the first time since taking his post in October, making the Pixar acquisition the centerpiece of this presentation. Under the transaction, Disney will cede control of its animating studio to Pixar creative chiefs Ed Catmull and John Lasseter. The hands-off management arrangement is akin to the one Disney employed with the ESPN cable sports network, which Disney acquired in 1996. In his remarks at the meeting, Lasseter obliquely touched on the years of rancorous negotiations he, Pixar President Ed Catmull and Pixar Chief Executive Steve Jobs had with former Disney CEO Michael Eisner. "When Bob Iger came to the three of us and said we are interested in acquiring you ... I was worried until I got to know Bob Iger," Lasseter said. "Ladies and gentlemen, you are led by a great man." Lasseter also showed the first sneak previews of the upcoming Pixar films, "Cars," set for its theatrical release in June 2006, and "Ratatouille," scheduled to be released in the summer of 2007. While not revealing any specific plans for Disney animation, Lasseter said that he believed the Imagineering department, to which he will become a creative advisor, should work more closely with animation. "I never understood why you wouldn't start designing a ride when you start making a film so two months after a film comes out you have a ride," Lasseter said. "I promise you we are not only going to make great motion pictures we are going to make great rides."
A preliminary tally of shareholder ballots showed that all 13 board members were reelected by a 94 percent margin, despite a recommendation from shareholder advisory firm Glass Lewis that stockholders withhold their votes from longtime board Chairman George Mitchell. Institutional Shareholder Services recommended that all board members be reelected. Shareholder proposals dealing with anti-takeover strategies and labor standards in the company's Chinese operations were rejected, as recommended by the board. Iger at the meeting also responded to questions from Disneyland workers, who are in the midst of labor talks with the company over contract changes that include raising the minimum number of hours worked weekly to qualify for benefits to 30 from 25. "I know that increasing it from 25 is causing some tension but what we have on the table with the union is not different from what other union members have accepted (at other parks)," he told a Disneyland worker and shareholder. Shares of Disney closed up 7 cents to $28.16 on the New York Stock Exchange. Pixar shares closed up 26 cents at $64.45.
A preliminary tally of shareholder ballots showed that all 13 board members were reelected by a 94 percent margin, despite a recommendation from shareholder advisory firm Glass Lewis that stockholders withhold their votes from longtime board Chairman George Mitchell. Institutional Shareholder Services recommended that all board members be reelected. Shareholder proposals dealing with anti-takeover strategies and labor standards in the company's Chinese operations were rejected, as recommended by the board. Iger at the meeting also responded to questions from Disneyland workers, who are in the midst of labor talks with the company over contract changes that include raising the minimum number of hours worked weekly to qualify for benefits to 30 from 25. "I know that increasing it from 25 is causing some tension but what we have on the table with the union is not different from what other union members have accepted (at other parks)," he told a Disneyland worker and shareholder. Shares of Disney closed up 7 cents to $28.16 on the New York Stock Exchange. Pixar shares closed up 26 cents at $64.45.
Disney CEO to Face Shareholders in Calif.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – After years of bouncing around the country to hold shareholders meetings, The Walt Disney Co. is holding its first annual gathering under the leadership of CEO Robert Iger in the shadow of its flagship theme park, Disneyland. The meeting, held at the Anaheim Pond, is the first time Iger has faced shareholders as chief executive since taking over last October from longtime CEO Michael Eisner. The gathering should be a routine affair, a calm counterpoint to the tumultuous period since a 2004 shareholders revolt in Philadelphia that marked the beginning of the end of Eisner's 21-year reign. Previous meetings have been held in Fort Worth, Texas; Hartford, Conn.; Denver, Minneapolis and Chicago – all places where Disney has had business interests. "It may be appropriate to be coming home to Anaheim for the meeting," said Janna Sampson, director of portfolio management for Oakbrook Investments, which holds Disney shares. "He's trying to get the company back to its roots and he is mending fences" with some people alienated by Eisner, Sampson said. One of those people is former board member Roy E. Disney, who resigned in 2003 to campaign for Eisner's ouster. Roy Disney ended his campaign after Iger's ascension and was named a director emeritus after Iger reached out to him. Disney was scheduled to attend Friday's meeting. Disney still faces challenges, including the crucial choice of a new company chairman. Current Chairman George Mitchell had said 2005 would be his last year but agreed to seek re-election to the board Friday for one more yearlong term to smooth Iger's transition and to help lead the search for his replacement. "They do have to resolve some issues eventually, including who's going to be the chairman and for how long," media analyst Harold Vogel said. "There has to be some kind of indication of what their long-range plans might be with regard to international expansion of theme parks."
Union Workers from Disneyland to Target the Company's Shareholders
ANAHEIM, Calif. (Business Wire) – Employees from the nation's most popular theme park will converge on the Anaheim Pond Friday, March 10 armed with handfuls of leaflets designed to inform The Walt Disney Company shareholders of Disney's latest proposals for a new employment contract covering 4,000 workers at the park. A press conference will be held at 9:30 a.m. featuring several prominent elected representatives who will lend their support to the cast members. Anaheim City Councilmembers Richard Chavez and Lori Galloway will join several Disney employees who will take turns outlining how the company's latest contract proposals will devastate future employees, according to Rick Eiden, president of the Orange County Central Labor Council. The Local VIPs will publicly urge Disney to "back off its efforts to re-define the typical workweek" and to dip into its growing profit margin to improve the lives of its employees, Eiden said. Disney's formal proposal to define a full-time employment at the park as constituting 30 hours of work threatens to slash paychecks and eliminate health benefits for thousands of future employees, Eiden said. Disney has so far refused to give ground in negotiations with the unions that represent its cast members, refusing to discuss how it might share a tiny portion of the $32 billion in revenue and $2.5 billion in profits it posted last year alone. Shareholders will be handed literature that demonstrates how the company's current proposals would create a brand-new underclass in Orange County and encourage other local employers to follow its lead, Eiden said.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Pixar whiz reanimates Disney
USA Today (FIRST) - March 09, 2006 - p D.1, LIFE
By Susan Wloszczyna
EMERYVILLE, Calif. -- John Lasseter is a hugger, not a handshaker. The whimsical whiz behind Pixar, the premier maker of computer-animated family films, greets his guest with outstretched arms and a grin that recalls Toy Story's intrepid space ranger Buzz Lightyear.
Lasseter blames his "formal" attire -- a muted Hawaiian shirt rather than his preferred loud variety, slacks and shoes in place of jeans and sneakers -- on the Oscar-nominee luncheon he had to attend in Los Angeles earlier in the day.
Now he is back on his home turf, a sprawling playground of a 16- acre, $90 million digital fun factory. Its 800 employees are encouraged to swat ping-pong balls and take dips in the pool in between bringing to life such adored 3-D characters as Dory the daffy fish from Finding Nemo and blue-hued fur ball Sulley from Monsters, Inc.
Here, Lasseter, 49 and the father of five boys ages 8 to 26, can relax and be his big-kid self again, not so hard to do when your office looks like an overstocked aisle at Toys R Us.
In such surroundings, it is easy to be distracted from the real purpose behind this visit: Lasseter's first major interview since cartoon fans emitted a collective sigh of relief. The source of their satisfaction was the announcement in late January that as part of Disney's $7.4 billion purchase of Pixar, Lasseter would be in charge of reviving the Magic Kingdom's sadly diminished animation department, whose staff has been slashed from 2,200 to 800.
At last month's Visual Effects Society awards where Lasseter was an honoree, John Ratzenberger of TV's Cheers, a voice actor in every Pixar movie, captured the historic moment perfectly. When the news broke, he told the crowd, "Walt Disney stopped spinning in his grave."
Says Disney chairman Dick Cook, whose studio was at risk of losing what has been a highly lucrative 15-year partnership until CEO Michael Eisner was replaced by a more diplomatic Bob Iger in October, "I was talking to a group of animators when the announcement came out, and they let out a big yell. The reaction has been genuinely huge. John is that rarest of talents. Everything he touches becomes better. He is selfless in his desire to make things great."
If Lasseter feels any pressure by being the chosen one, it doesn't show. For him, work is play, and play is his work.
"Animation is the only thing I ever wanted to do in my whole life," he says. "I have no desire for live-action or anything else."
Peter Docter, director of Monsters, Inc., says his boss wasn't about to say no to such an exciting opportunity. "He is just one of those guys who loves everything life throws at him."
Lasseter is the sort of fellow who thinks nothing of riding the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile to the Academy Awards. Perusing his office toy collection, he cuddles a Casper the Friendly Ghost doll, whose fleecy white body has gone beige with age. Tenderly, he coaxes a gurgle from the pull-string treasure, the inspiration for Woody in Toy Story.
Lasseter is expected to apply similar care to the dulled Disney brand, whose last animated hit of any critical consequence was Lilo & Stitch in 2002. He can't blab too much about the future until all legalities are finalized. But he's clearly delighted to be entrusted with refurbishing the House of Mouse.
"I will basically have the same job as I have at Pixar," he says. "There is such amazing talent at Disney. My job is 100% creative, and I am very excited to creatively lead them. I will spend half the week in Burbank and half here." Andrew Stanton, director of Finding Nemo, will fill in at Pixar as needed.
Disney animated films will have to meet the same sky-high standards as Pixar releases.
"We make the kind of movies we like to watch," Lasseter says. "I love to laugh. I love to be amazed by how beautiful it is.
"But I also love to be moved to tears. There's lots of heart in our films." If tears fell over Disney's last release, the undercooked Chicken Little, it probably was from a feather allergy.
The baby boomer who found his calling while under the influence of Disney's Arthurian tale The Sword in the Stone has been rehearsing for this role since he was a boy. The tenets of Pixar's teamwork philosophy, such as "plussing" -- to make something good even better -- are a direct link to Uncle Walt's era.
These principles became ingrained in Lasseter as a student at the Disney-supported California Institute of the Arts and as a pen-and- pencil animator working at the studio on such films as Mickey's Christmas Carol. Lasseter, who grew up a half-hour away from Disneyland in Whittier, even credits his job as a Jungle Cruise guide at the park for perfecting his comic timing. As Cook puts it, "John bleeds Disney."
Already, change is in the air. Lasseter decries the straight-to- DVD "cheapquels," such as Bambi II, based on revered classics. "Trust me," he says. "Bob Iger cares." Work on Toy Story 3, done without Pixar input, has been halted.
Plus, traditionally animated features could be revived at the studio that pioneered the genre with 1937's Snow White, Cook confirms. "Andrew Stanton always said that 2-D animation became the scapegoat for bad storytelling," Lasseter says. "But you can make just as bad of a movie in 3-D."
A hopeful sign: Enchanted, an animated/live-action mix due next year, is about a cartoon princess (Amy Adams of Junebug) who ends up in present-day New York. The live-action portion will be book-ended by two 15-minute hand-drawn segments.
Lasseter is in more than one driver's seat these days. Down the road is the June 9 release of Cars, his first directorial effort since 1999's Toy Story 2. A full-length trailer will premiere on ABC- owned TV outlets tonight before running with The Shaggy Dog this weekend.
Tuesday, Cars will preview at ShoWest, the yearly Las Vegas convention of theater owners, who are starved for an injection of Pixar fuel to jump-start box-office receipts after last year's attendance decline.
The Capra-esque automotive fantasy about a hot-rod racer who learns how to pull over and smell the exhaust fumes feeds into the filmmaker's interest in NASCAR and appreciation for older models. The son of a parts manager at a Chevy dealership nearly swoons when he mentions his "pride and joy" -- a 1952 Jaguar XK120. "Gorgeous, gorgeous," he says, while caressing his toy version.
The yarn also dips into the history of how the interstate highway system snuffed out small towns that once boomed with tourists who got their kicks on Route 66.
But, like all Pixar movies, Cars carries plenty of personal baggage, too. "John's DNA is in every scene," producer Darla K. Anderson says.
The main source of inspiration was a cross-country road trip he and wife Nancy took with their brood in 2000. He had been working 10 years straight with barely a break when she warned him, "'You'd better be careful because one day you will wake up, and all your boys will be going off to college, and you will have missed it.' I heard her loud and clear," he says.
When he got home, he knew what the story of Cars would be: "A character who relearns that the journey in life is its own reward."
Considering Pixar's 6-for-6 hit record, some predict that a box- office breakdown is inevitable. From the early teasers, "it didn't look as exciting as the character designs of Nemo," animation expert Jerry Beck says. Plus, he says, there was a feeling that Pixar would keep its better ideas up its sleeve in case the Disney divorce went through.
Not to worry, Lasseter says. "Every single Pixar film, at one time or another, has been the worst movie ever put on film. But we know. We trust our process. We don't get scared and say, 'Oh, no, this film isn't working.'"
Like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, sometimes Lasseter seems too good to be true. Too smart. Too good with people. Too successful. Too in touch with his inner child. In the world of animation, Beck says, "He is god-like."
If there is one flaw, Docter says, "it's that he has such good instincts, he is almost always right. It can really (tick) you off."
Even as his professional life speeds up, Lasseter still is dedicated to slowing down regularly to spend time with his sons.
"We were driving around last night, and my boys asked me what kind of car would I be," he says. "I am not sure one exists, but I would probably be a minivan that had at least 600 horsepower. And handled like the finest sports car. One you could take your family in, but when you are driving by yourself, you can have power and speed."
Family-friendly yet fast. Sounds like the perfect Pixar hybrid.
By Susan Wloszczyna
EMERYVILLE, Calif. -- John Lasseter is a hugger, not a handshaker. The whimsical whiz behind Pixar, the premier maker of computer-animated family films, greets his guest with outstretched arms and a grin that recalls Toy Story's intrepid space ranger Buzz Lightyear.
Lasseter blames his "formal" attire -- a muted Hawaiian shirt rather than his preferred loud variety, slacks and shoes in place of jeans and sneakers -- on the Oscar-nominee luncheon he had to attend in Los Angeles earlier in the day.
Now he is back on his home turf, a sprawling playground of a 16- acre, $90 million digital fun factory. Its 800 employees are encouraged to swat ping-pong balls and take dips in the pool in between bringing to life such adored 3-D characters as Dory the daffy fish from Finding Nemo and blue-hued fur ball Sulley from Monsters, Inc.
Here, Lasseter, 49 and the father of five boys ages 8 to 26, can relax and be his big-kid self again, not so hard to do when your office looks like an overstocked aisle at Toys R Us.
In such surroundings, it is easy to be distracted from the real purpose behind this visit: Lasseter's first major interview since cartoon fans emitted a collective sigh of relief. The source of their satisfaction was the announcement in late January that as part of Disney's $7.4 billion purchase of Pixar, Lasseter would be in charge of reviving the Magic Kingdom's sadly diminished animation department, whose staff has been slashed from 2,200 to 800.
At last month's Visual Effects Society awards where Lasseter was an honoree, John Ratzenberger of TV's Cheers, a voice actor in every Pixar movie, captured the historic moment perfectly. When the news broke, he told the crowd, "Walt Disney stopped spinning in his grave."
Says Disney chairman Dick Cook, whose studio was at risk of losing what has been a highly lucrative 15-year partnership until CEO Michael Eisner was replaced by a more diplomatic Bob Iger in October, "I was talking to a group of animators when the announcement came out, and they let out a big yell. The reaction has been genuinely huge. John is that rarest of talents. Everything he touches becomes better. He is selfless in his desire to make things great."
If Lasseter feels any pressure by being the chosen one, it doesn't show. For him, work is play, and play is his work.
"Animation is the only thing I ever wanted to do in my whole life," he says. "I have no desire for live-action or anything else."
Peter Docter, director of Monsters, Inc., says his boss wasn't about to say no to such an exciting opportunity. "He is just one of those guys who loves everything life throws at him."
Lasseter is the sort of fellow who thinks nothing of riding the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile to the Academy Awards. Perusing his office toy collection, he cuddles a Casper the Friendly Ghost doll, whose fleecy white body has gone beige with age. Tenderly, he coaxes a gurgle from the pull-string treasure, the inspiration for Woody in Toy Story.
Lasseter is expected to apply similar care to the dulled Disney brand, whose last animated hit of any critical consequence was Lilo & Stitch in 2002. He can't blab too much about the future until all legalities are finalized. But he's clearly delighted to be entrusted with refurbishing the House of Mouse.
"I will basically have the same job as I have at Pixar," he says. "There is such amazing talent at Disney. My job is 100% creative, and I am very excited to creatively lead them. I will spend half the week in Burbank and half here." Andrew Stanton, director of Finding Nemo, will fill in at Pixar as needed.
Disney animated films will have to meet the same sky-high standards as Pixar releases.
"We make the kind of movies we like to watch," Lasseter says. "I love to laugh. I love to be amazed by how beautiful it is.
"But I also love to be moved to tears. There's lots of heart in our films." If tears fell over Disney's last release, the undercooked Chicken Little, it probably was from a feather allergy.
The baby boomer who found his calling while under the influence of Disney's Arthurian tale The Sword in the Stone has been rehearsing for this role since he was a boy. The tenets of Pixar's teamwork philosophy, such as "plussing" -- to make something good even better -- are a direct link to Uncle Walt's era.
These principles became ingrained in Lasseter as a student at the Disney-supported California Institute of the Arts and as a pen-and- pencil animator working at the studio on such films as Mickey's Christmas Carol. Lasseter, who grew up a half-hour away from Disneyland in Whittier, even credits his job as a Jungle Cruise guide at the park for perfecting his comic timing. As Cook puts it, "John bleeds Disney."
Already, change is in the air. Lasseter decries the straight-to- DVD "cheapquels," such as Bambi II, based on revered classics. "Trust me," he says. "Bob Iger cares." Work on Toy Story 3, done without Pixar input, has been halted.
Plus, traditionally animated features could be revived at the studio that pioneered the genre with 1937's Snow White, Cook confirms. "Andrew Stanton always said that 2-D animation became the scapegoat for bad storytelling," Lasseter says. "But you can make just as bad of a movie in 3-D."
A hopeful sign: Enchanted, an animated/live-action mix due next year, is about a cartoon princess (Amy Adams of Junebug) who ends up in present-day New York. The live-action portion will be book-ended by two 15-minute hand-drawn segments.
Lasseter is in more than one driver's seat these days. Down the road is the June 9 release of Cars, his first directorial effort since 1999's Toy Story 2. A full-length trailer will premiere on ABC- owned TV outlets tonight before running with The Shaggy Dog this weekend.
Tuesday, Cars will preview at ShoWest, the yearly Las Vegas convention of theater owners, who are starved for an injection of Pixar fuel to jump-start box-office receipts after last year's attendance decline.
The Capra-esque automotive fantasy about a hot-rod racer who learns how to pull over and smell the exhaust fumes feeds into the filmmaker's interest in NASCAR and appreciation for older models. The son of a parts manager at a Chevy dealership nearly swoons when he mentions his "pride and joy" -- a 1952 Jaguar XK120. "Gorgeous, gorgeous," he says, while caressing his toy version.
The yarn also dips into the history of how the interstate highway system snuffed out small towns that once boomed with tourists who got their kicks on Route 66.
But, like all Pixar movies, Cars carries plenty of personal baggage, too. "John's DNA is in every scene," producer Darla K. Anderson says.
The main source of inspiration was a cross-country road trip he and wife Nancy took with their brood in 2000. He had been working 10 years straight with barely a break when she warned him, "'You'd better be careful because one day you will wake up, and all your boys will be going off to college, and you will have missed it.' I heard her loud and clear," he says.
When he got home, he knew what the story of Cars would be: "A character who relearns that the journey in life is its own reward."
Considering Pixar's 6-for-6 hit record, some predict that a box- office breakdown is inevitable. From the early teasers, "it didn't look as exciting as the character designs of Nemo," animation expert Jerry Beck says. Plus, he says, there was a feeling that Pixar would keep its better ideas up its sleeve in case the Disney divorce went through.
Not to worry, Lasseter says. "Every single Pixar film, at one time or another, has been the worst movie ever put on film. But we know. We trust our process. We don't get scared and say, 'Oh, no, this film isn't working.'"
Like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, sometimes Lasseter seems too good to be true. Too smart. Too good with people. Too successful. Too in touch with his inner child. In the world of animation, Beck says, "He is god-like."
If there is one flaw, Docter says, "it's that he has such good instincts, he is almost always right. It can really (tick) you off."
Even as his professional life speeds up, Lasseter still is dedicated to slowing down regularly to spend time with his sons.
"We were driving around last night, and my boys asked me what kind of car would I be," he says. "I am not sure one exists, but I would probably be a minivan that had at least 600 horsepower. And handled like the finest sports car. One you could take your family in, but when you are driving by yourself, you can have power and speed."
Family-friendly yet fast. Sounds like the perfect Pixar hybrid.
Lasseter is 1st ShoWest Ani Pioneer
(Hollywood Reporter) – John Lasseter will be presented with the first ShoWest Pioneer of Animation Award at the ShoWest exhibitors' convention, which kicks off Monday in Las Vegas. Lasseter, executive vp creative at Pixar Animation Studios and director of such animated features as "Toy Story" and "A Bug's Life," will unveil his latest film, "Cars," at a screening Tuesday at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel. Buena Vista Pictures releases the film domestically June 9. ShoWest co-managing director Mitch Neuhauser called Lasseter "a pioneer in the advanced evolution of animated feature films." He said, "John not only set a tremendously high standard with the development of Pixar 20 years ago, but he continues to raise the industry standard year after year."
Pixar Q4 Down but Tops Street
(Hollywood Reporter) – Pixar Animation Studios, which Tuesday reported its quarterly earnings probably for the last time before becoming part of the Walt Disney Co., beat its own guidance and the expectations of Wall Street analysts. Leaning heavily on home video and worldwide TV rights to "Finding Nemo" as well as on consumer products and global DVD sales of "The Incredibles," Pixar posted a fourth-quarter profit of $30.9 million on $55.6 million revenue. While down from year-ago results of $55.2 million earned on $108.9 million revenue, analysts had expected Pixar to post earnings of only $20.8 million on $44.7 million in revenue. Library results, driven by the international DVD releases of "Toy Story" and its sequel, amounted to $19.1 million for the quarter. The lower overall quarterly results – when compared with last year – can be traced back to Pixar's decision to move the release of "Cars," originally scheduled for No-vember, to June. In announcing the changed release date late in 2004, Pixar said that its family-friendly, computer-generated films could earn more money by racking up ticket sales during the summer and DVD sales at Christmastime. The fourth quarter capped what CEO Steve Jobs called Pixar's "most profitable year ever." The company earned $152.9 million last year, up from $141.7 million in 2004. Revenue last year was $249.7 million, up from $243.6 million in 2004.
12,000 Pieces of Mickey Mania – What Would You Pay?
(Orlando Sentinel) – Nothing unusual about finding Disney items on eBay. But finding a 12,000-piece col-lection complete with lighted cabinets, a 282-page inventory and an asking price of $399,000? Highly un-usual. Which is why when a Disney collector contacted me about it last week, I wanted to get to the bot-tom of this monster of a sale. I found the owner: He's Jim Hammond of Seattle. He's 59. He's close to retiring. And he doesn't want to lug the stuff around. His all-Mickey collection includes thousands of pins, figurines and plush toys; items made by Armani, Waterford and Swarovski. "In 1955, when Disneyland opened, my grandparents brought me back pennants," he said. Thus began his lifelong – let's call it what it is – obsession. Hammond put his collection on eBay last week and received two bids of $5,000 or less. He rejected both. He intends to put it back online this week, though he told me Friday he'd been exchang-ing e-mails with two prospects in his price range. I'm not sure he'll find a buyer. First, there's the size. Hammond's collection takes up 1,500 square feet. Then, there's the fun factor. A lot of the thrill for collec-tors is the collecting. Buying in bulk kills that. But of course, the major, bang-you-on-the-head-with-a-collector-plate deterrent is the price. "It'll take a special person," Hammond says. I wouldn't want to be the one explaining that entry in the family checkbook.
ABC’s Off-Kilter Family, Making Up the Dialogue as It Goes Along
(NY Times) – “They really let us create the show we wanted to create," Fred Goss was saying about ABC's approach to "Sons & Daughters," the quirky new comedy in which he stars. But he was being only half accurate. The show may have made it to the air with its quirkiness intact, but the original pitch dif-fered from the final product in one glaring way: Mr. Goss wasn't in it. The initial idea was for Mr. Goss to direct episodes of the show, which he created with Nick Holly. But "Sons & Daughters," which has its premiere on Tuesday, is no typical sitcom – the performances and dialogue are largely improvised by the actors, which means casting the series took extra care. Many audition tapes were made, with Mr. Goss's disembodied voice on them, coaching and playing against the auditioners. Gradually it became clear who the lead should be. And so Mr. Goss (who ended up directing some episodes as well) is Cameron, the man at the center of the extended and somewhat fractured family chronicled in the show. The material is not pure improvisation, but much of the dialogue is created by the actors on the spur of the moment. That gives the show a deliberately ragged, hand-held-camera kind of appearance that sets it apart from scripted series. "We have no choice but to make our show look documentary," Mr. Goss said, "because the camera people don't know who's going to talk next." The improvised format also makes for some in-tensive sessions in the editing room. "Basically the show is a puzzle,” Mr. Goss said. “There are a lot of different ways to assemble it, and there is no one right way." "Sons & Daughters" is the accidental prod-uct of an unrelated pitch Mr. Goss and Mr. Holly made to ABC for a project called "The Weekend," which was eventually snapped up by NBC but not produced. It, too, used a partly improvised structure, and Mr. McPherson was intrigued. Mr. Goss's Cameron has children, in-laws, parents, stepparents and practically every other genealogical possibility, and the storylines have a sprawling, freewheeling quality. Adding to the boldness of "Sons & Daughters" are the ages of the improvisational talent. Several of the actors are children – Trevor Einhorn as Cameron's odd teenage son, Henry, for instance, and Eden Sher as his tweener niece, Carrie. But, Mr. Goss noted, role-playing is, literally, child's play. "Kids are the most natural improvisers," he said. "They totally commit."
Cars the Movie from Disney and Pixar
(The Auto Channel) – Get ready for another wonderful animated film from Walt Disney and Pixar, the dynamic partnership responsible for Toy Story (1995), A Bug's Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003) and The Incredibles (2004). This time the project is CARS, obviously a topic near and dear to our hearts. The story takes place along fabled Route 66 and stars race car "Lightning McQueen," who looks like a cross between a 70s’ era Camaro/Charger, with a bit of a Viper and modern Corvette thrown in (no doubt every car guy and journalist will have their own opinion). Owen Wilson provides the voice for McQueen. A fun filled website has been built and can be accessed at www.CarsTheMovie.com, although many website features haven’t been completed as of this date. Other voices include Paul Newman, Larry the Cable Guy, Richard Petty, and Cheech Marin. Scheduled release of the film is June 9th.
Disney’s Shopping ‘Housewives’
(Broadcast & Cable) – Walt Disney Co. is hoping cable networks will be desperate for a bona fide hit. It is asking a rich price for cable rights to ABC hit Desperate Housewives: $1.2 million per episode. Disney unit Buena Vista Television (BVT) is pitching the series to cable networks for fall 2008. Networks won’t have to give up any ad time for Buena Vista to sell, but the syndicator is reserving the right for all-barter weekend runs on broadcast stations. Industry executives say the show is being shopped to Turner Broadcasting and A&E – which are generally bidders for any strong hour-long series that comes off broadcast – plus E!, Oxygen and WE, which gear their programming toward women. Two Disney-owned channels – Lifetime Television (50%-owned) and ABC Family – are also receiving pitches. It’s not clear which might actually bid. Some network executives say they were surprised by Buena Vista’s asking price. Serialized shows tend not to repeat well and so don’t typically attract big prices. A&E paid a rock-bottom $250,000 per episode for Fox’s serialized thriller 24. Cable’s biggest checks go for dramas whose plotlines wrap up in each episode, such as the $1.9 million USA Network and Bravo are paying for NBC’s Law & Order: CI (an all-in-the-corporate-family deal) or the $1.4 million TNT is paying for CBS’ Cold Case. A BVT spokeswoman, citing a policy against commenting on "past or present" negotiations, confirms that "we are currently in the marketplace with Desperate Housewives and it has been very well received." Housewives is the first of a trio of ABC shows BVT is bringing to market. Next up is Lost and Sunday-night star Grey’s Anatomy.
Dining with Dinosaurs at Disney
LAKE BUENA VISTA (Orlando Business Journal) – Plans to build two major themed restaurants at Walt Disney World may offer a peek behind the curtain of silence Disney has imposed on its plans to remake Pleasure Island. T-Rex: A Prehistoric Family Adventure, opening in early 2008, is a 600-seat, dinosaur-themed establishment. It marks the next step in the company's plans for Downtown Disney. Jacob DiPietre, a Disney spokesman, confirms the restaurant, to be located adjacent to Pleasure Island, will be a cornerstone of a makeover but would not elaborate about the project. The T-Rex concept was developed by Steve Schussler, who founded the Rainforest Cafe chain that he sold to Landry's Restaurants for $85 million in 2000. Schussler believes the Pleasure Island makeover is designed to streamline customer flow, extend the amount of time visitors spend shopping, eating and nightclub hopping, and attract more family visits. "The (Disney) makeover project is very huge," says Schussler. "They have some very aggressive plans. The strength of the T-Rex project is one reason for their commitment." Schussler calls the T-Rex restaurant a combination tourist attraction, restaurant and retail store that will appeal to a wide range of customers. Plans call for dramatic lighting and landscaping, combined with an outdoor water feature. The new two-story, 25,000-square-foot building will be located on the fringe of Pleasure Island. Several different themed dining areas, one of which will feature a live shark tank as its centerpiece, connect with seven activity areas. Each space is filled with a junglelike environment, populated with more than a dozen dinosaurs, plus waterfalls and geysers. Unique to Orlando will be the Ice Room, a 20-degree vodka bar with a robotic bartender, working side-by-side with a human counterpart preparing drinks. In addition, Schussler has developed a second concept that Disney is moving on immediately.
Schussler's Asia concept, which combines a 250-seat quick-serve, walk-up restaurant with a 350-seat table service restaurant, is planned for the area adjacent to the new Expedition Everest village in Disney's Animal Kingdom park. Disney has yet to come up with a name for the eateries, but the titles will likely connect with the mythical Himalayan village of Serka Zong, the nonexistent Anandapur Rail Service that carries thrill ride guests up the mountain or one or more imaginary characters such as Norbu and Bob, the misplaced duo that operate the mountain climbing service. Restaurant industry observers say while the ideas are intriguing, and Landry's and Disney make a good team, this doesn't signal the return of the themed restaurant to the industry. "Landry's has a record of success with Rainforest Cafe. They like the themed concepts and do well with them." says Mike Gallo, an analyst from C.L. King & Co. "I can't think of a better place for something like this than Disney."
Schussler's Asia concept, which combines a 250-seat quick-serve, walk-up restaurant with a 350-seat table service restaurant, is planned for the area adjacent to the new Expedition Everest village in Disney's Animal Kingdom park. Disney has yet to come up with a name for the eateries, but the titles will likely connect with the mythical Himalayan village of Serka Zong, the nonexistent Anandapur Rail Service that carries thrill ride guests up the mountain or one or more imaginary characters such as Norbu and Bob, the misplaced duo that operate the mountain climbing service. Restaurant industry observers say while the ideas are intriguing, and Landry's and Disney make a good team, this doesn't signal the return of the themed restaurant to the industry. "Landry's has a record of success with Rainforest Cafe. They like the themed concepts and do well with them." says Mike Gallo, an analyst from C.L. King & Co. "I can't think of a better place for something like this than Disney."
Several Shoes Still to Drop as Disney Seeks Stability
LOS ANGELES (NY Times) – When Robert A. Iger takes the stage at the Walt Disney Company's annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif., this Friday, things will be calmer than they have been for some time. But Mr. Iger, Disney's new chief executive, still has plenty of big issues to grapple with: figuring out the role of Steven P. Jobs in the company; finding a new Disney chairman and reorganizing the movie studio. Investors applauded the announcement that Mr. Jobs, the chief executive of Apple Computer and Pixar Animation Studios, would become a board director once Disney's acquisition of Pixar is completed as soon as this summer. And already Mr. Jobs and John Lasseter, Pixar's chief creative officer, are making their presence felt. They have expressed a desire to become more involved in how Disney sells toys, games and other consumer products related to animated films, according to Disney executives. In recent years, Disney's consumer productions division, which is run by Andrew P. Mooney, has focused more on selling toys that are not tied to movie releases. (One success along those lines has been Disney Princess dresses and tiaras.) This was done in part because retailers were burned when they bought toys based on Disney animated movies that bombed, most notably "Treasure Planet" in 2002. Now Mr. Jobs wants the consumer products division to focus more on marketing toys related to animated films, particularly Pixar's, said the executives. Among those films would be "Ratatouille," the Pixar movie about rats living in a Parisian restaurant, coming in the summer of 2007. Mr. Jobs is known for taking a hands-on approach at companies in which he has a financial stake. When asked in January how he would resist the temptation to tinker at Disney, he said, "I haven't directed the movies" at Pixar. But, he added, "I don't know what I'll be doing at Disney." There has been speculation that Mr. Jobs might be named Disney chairman when George J. Mitchell resigns that post at the end of the year. Two people apprised of the merger talks said Mr. Jobs had said he would not seek the chairman's job. But few on Wall Street expect the new chairman to be chosen from the directors already on Disney's board. A Disney spokeswoman declined to comment on the search for a new chairman. But last December, the board could not decide on who should succeed Mr. Mitchell, and he was asked to remain until the end of 2006. The board could still recruit a new director to be chairman.
Once a chairman is named, Mr. Iger may decide whether to name a Disney president. He has said he is in no hurry to do so. Still, since Mr. Iger was named chief executive, Thomas O. Staggs, Disney's chief financial officer and an Iger loyalist, has seen his influence at the company grow. Not only has he taken on authority over Disney's strategic planning division, but he is integrally involved in overseeing the coordination of Pixar and Disney's animation divisions. "I don't think Bob needs a president at this point," said Michael G. Nathanson, a media analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Company. "But if he did it today, it would probably be Tom." While much has been made of the acquisition of Pixar, Disney's animation division is not the only film unit preparing for an overhaul. Last fall Mr. Iger told Richard W. Cook, chairman of Walt Disney Studios, that the studio had to re-examine its business plan, according to several people told of those discussions. In 2004, Disney's live-action movie division had a string of misses. And in 2005, Disney fell to No. 5 in domestic box-office market share – bringing in $1 billion – down from No. 1 in 2003, when it brought in $1.5 billion. Many within Disney said they believed the company would lay off as many as 100 people in the live-action division last year. But studio executives persuaded Mr. Iger to delay the personnel cuts, they said. Instead the studio is to embark on a reorganization this year as it undergoes a long-term strategic review of its production, home video and marketing units.
Once a chairman is named, Mr. Iger may decide whether to name a Disney president. He has said he is in no hurry to do so. Still, since Mr. Iger was named chief executive, Thomas O. Staggs, Disney's chief financial officer and an Iger loyalist, has seen his influence at the company grow. Not only has he taken on authority over Disney's strategic planning division, but he is integrally involved in overseeing the coordination of Pixar and Disney's animation divisions. "I don't think Bob needs a president at this point," said Michael G. Nathanson, a media analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Company. "But if he did it today, it would probably be Tom." While much has been made of the acquisition of Pixar, Disney's animation division is not the only film unit preparing for an overhaul. Last fall Mr. Iger told Richard W. Cook, chairman of Walt Disney Studios, that the studio had to re-examine its business plan, according to several people told of those discussions. In 2004, Disney's live-action movie division had a string of misses. And in 2005, Disney fell to No. 5 in domestic box-office market share – bringing in $1 billion – down from No. 1 in 2003, when it brought in $1.5 billion. Many within Disney said they believed the company would lay off as many as 100 people in the live-action division last year. But studio executives persuaded Mr. Iger to delay the personnel cuts, they said. Instead the studio is to embark on a reorganization this year as it undergoes a long-term strategic review of its production, home video and marketing units.
Investigators Clear Disney Employees Of Alleged Rape
LAKE BUENA VISTA (WESH) – A woman who accused a group of young men in a Disney foreign employee program of rape appears to have been a willing participant, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported. Orange County sheriff's investigators said that a videotape surfaced showing the woman involved with at least four men at the Gables Commons Apartments. A source has told WESH NewsChannel 2 that one of the men involved in the incident apparently videotaped the encounter, which clearly showed the woman was an active participant. No charges were filed in the case.
D'oh! Next day regrets almost lead to the destruction of 4 lives. Good thing she was a super-ho, and not just the regular kind.
D'oh! Next day regrets almost lead to the destruction of 4 lives. Good thing she was a super-ho, and not just the regular kind.
Tower to Terrorize Tokyo DisneySea Guests
TOKYO (Amusement Business / Laughing Place) – Tokyo DisneySea's new Tower of Terror attraction is set to open Sept. 4, park operator Oriental Land company announced. The attraction, similar to those operating at Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim and the Disney-MGM Studios near Orlando, will be located in the park’s American Waterfront themed port. A gift shop, Tower of Terror Memorabilia, will operate on the first floor of the attraction. The attraction’s story is set in 1912 New York in the old Hotel Hightower. The hotel has been closed for the past decade following the mysterious disappearance of its owner, Harrison Hightower III. Now, however, the landmark hotel has been reopened so that guests can tour the premises and fully appreciate its distinct history and architecture. Guests on the tour are able to enjoy seeing various artifacts from Mr. Hightower’s eclectic collection on display around the premises, such as religious articles from famed, far-away temples and even an Egyptian sarcophagus. The tour makes its way from the hotel’s lavish lobby to Mr. Hightower’s private office, then heads for the owner’s penthouse on the top floor. While riding the service elevator to the upper floors, the guests encounter a mysterious force. They then experience a series of unexpected, paranormal encounters, culminating in the attraction’s spine-tingling climax. The Tower of Terror is sure to become one of Tokyo DisneySea Park’s leading attractions, adding to the lively atmosphere of American Waterfront and increasing the fun of the Park’s 5th Anniversary celebrations.
Hong Kong Parade Clinched Decision to Buy Pixar
(Bloomberg News) – Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger decided to buy Pixar while watching a parade at the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, he said. Disney, home of Mickey Mouse, Snow White and Cinderella, hadn't created any recognizable animated characters in the past decade, Iger said at a Bear Stearns & Co. media conference broadcast on the Internet. The recent animated characters in the parade were from Pixar, Steve Jobs' animation studio, which Iger agreed in January to buy for $7.4 billion. "It really hit me hard that we had had 10 years of failure," Iger said. "Keeping anima-tion strong is incredibly vital." Animation "creates more of a ripple effect" than any other business at Dis-ney, the world's second-largest media company, Iger said Monday at the conference in Palm Beach. Characters from Pixar's Toy Story movies create opportunities for merchandising and theme-park rides, such as the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride at the Hong Kong park, which opened in September. Iger also said he will spend more money to strengthen the Disney, ABC and ESPN brands. Disney will invest in branded content and technology, and alter existing business relationships to provide content delivery methods consumers want, he said. The potential for Disney's theme-park business is "enormous" be-cause the unit represents less than 5 percent of the family vacation market, Iger said. The company is seeking branding agreements for the parks and plans to invest more money in the business, he added.
Burnett Joins 'Desperate Housewives'
(USA Today) – Carol Burnett soon will be reporting to Desperate Housewives' Wisteria Lane as Eleanor Mason, the cold stepmother of Bree Van De Kamp (Marcia Cross). Her arrival is tentatively scheduled to air April 9. Housewives creator Marc Cherry is writing Eleanor as an evil role to differentiate her from Burnett's characters on her 1967-78 variety series. "Eleanor took over after Bree's mother was killed when Bree was a child," Cherry says. "She's a very tightly wound, proper lady for whom appearances mean everything. A lot of what Bree has become came from this woman," and their relationship is "polite but strained." Eleanor comes to town with her husband, Henry, after Bree's son, Andrew, announces his intentions to be emancipated. "Andrew is bringing up all sorts of family secrets, and they want it stopped," Cherry says. So far, Burnett is scheduled to appear in only one episode, but all parties are open to a return visit next season. As Housewives' second season winds down, expect new baby drama for Gabrielle and complications in Susan and Karl's secret platonic marriage. And the two-hour season finale, says Cherry, "will be a mixture of current stories and flashbacks on how all the women came to Wisteria Lane." Dead characters will return. The show also will be giving Alfre Woodard and Mehcad Brooks' characters "a big finale" — allowing next season's mystery to focus on one of the four housewives, who "will end up in a serious relationship with a man who has some pretty dark secrets," Cherry hints.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Thursday, March 02, 2006
"High School Musical" Dual-Version DVD Hits Stores May 23
(Playbill) – Disney Channel's "High School Musical" has announced that the DVD of popular original movie will be released May 23 with two versions and extra features. The network — which is already planning a sequel — will rebroadcast the teen-aimed tuner on March 10 and 23. Walt Disney Home Entertainment will put forth the debut DVD release which will include two versions of the approximately 98-minute film — the original telecast version and a sing-along version, displaying lyrics on screen during musical numbers. The release will also contain the following bonus features: a "Learn the Dance Moves" feature led by director-choreographer Kenny Ortega, an unseen music video for "I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," the music video of "We're All In This Together" and a Behind-The-Scenes feature about the making of the movie. The "High School Musical" soundtrack has done well by the company; released on Jan. 10, the album has already attained Gold status, according to a Disney spokesperson.
Composer Menken Expands Role at Disney
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Composer Alan Menken, an eight-time Oscar winner and one of the driving forces behind "The Little Mermaid," has signed a nonexclusive, multi-picture deal with the company. For his first assignment, Menken will score as well as write five songs for Walt Disney Pictures' romantic musical fantasy, "Enchanted," a combination of live action and 2-D animation from animator James Baxter. It marks a reunion with Tony- and Oscar-winning lyricist Stephen Schwartz, Menken's collaborator on "Pocahontas" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Under the terms of his new arrangement, Menken is expanding his role from within other divisions of Disney.
· For Disney Theatrical Prods., he is in preproduction on the stage version of "The Little Mermaid."
· For Disney Creative Entertainment, Menken is creating a stage musical of "The Snow Queen," set to debut at Tokyo DisneySea with Amon Miyamoto directing and John Weidman as the bookwriter and Glen Slater the lyricist.
· He also is writing music for a Sinbad attraction in Japan for Walt Disney Imagineering.
· Menken also recently completed scoring Disney's upcoming live-action comedy "The Shaggy Dog," due in theaters March 10.
· For Disney Theatrical Prods., he is in preproduction on the stage version of "The Little Mermaid."
· For Disney Creative Entertainment, Menken is creating a stage musical of "The Snow Queen," set to debut at Tokyo DisneySea with Amon Miyamoto directing and John Weidman as the bookwriter and Glen Slater the lyricist.
· He also is writing music for a Sinbad attraction in Japan for Walt Disney Imagineering.
· Menken also recently completed scoring Disney's upcoming live-action comedy "The Shaggy Dog," due in theaters March 10.
Hong Kong Disneyland to Adjust Admissions
HONG KONG (AP) – Hong Kong Disneyland announced Wednesday it has adjusted its admission system to prevent chaos that erupted during the Chinese New Year holiday when hundreds of visitors tried to storm the park after being denied entry. The adjustment involves setting aside 11 extra days – around Easter and China's Labor Day holidays – when only visitors holding date-specific tickets can enter the park, Hong Kong Disneyland Managing Director Bill Ernest said during a telephone conference call. The newly designated "special days" run from April 14-21 and May 4-6. The decision came following consultations with the tickets' wholesalers and travel industry representatives, Disney said. Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened in September, now sells three types of tickets: "regular days," "peak days" and "special days." The first two types are valid for six months but do not guarantee entry on any given day, while only the third type is date-specific for holidays when the greatest number of visitors is expected. On Wednesday, Ernest said he believes the new measure will help prevent such incidents from occurring in future. "We do not want to close the gate again," he said. "That is not an experience we want to repeat." Ernest said July and August are already designated as peak months – when ticket prices are 19 percent higher – and the company has no immediate plan to set aside "special days" during those months.
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