Steve Jobs and Pixar vs. Disney

Started by Jeremy Blackman, February 10, 2003, 05:56:32 PM

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Jeremy Blackman

This NY Times article talks about the animation war, but this is one part I found particularily interesting.

Pixar's chief executive, Steven P. Jobs, has clashed with Mr. Eisner, and the two men now rarely speak. Mr. Jobs deals largely with Mr. Cook. And it may have been mainly a negotiating ploy, but Mr. Jobs said in a conference call with analysts last week that he was meeting with other studios in the event that Disney did not agree to a pact more favorable to Pixar in the future.

Since Steve Jobs is the co-founder and CEO of Apple, and Pixar is poised to usurp Disney's animation market, I ask, is the world a good place after all?  :)

Pixar's contract with Disney runs out in 2 years...

Duck Sauce

From my understanding is that Pixar and Disney agreed to do a certain ammount of movies together, Eisner says a sequel doesnt count as an additional movie, Pixar does. Im siding with Pixar. I think they have all the talent and Disney is lucky to have them. Look at Disney's current animation dept. I also hear that Disney is threatening to do a Toy Story 3 with or without pixar since they own the character rights. Hopefully everything gets resolved before Disney ruins something else, but it would be great to have Pixar get more for their hard work and also up their output.

Jeremy Blackman

Quote from: Duck SauceEisner says a sequel doesnt count as an additional movie

Try telling that to the people who made the sequel.

MacGuffin

Pixar Looking For A New Deal

Pixar's deal with Disney is up after Finding Nemo and they're looking for a new financial arrangement with a studio. Reuters reports:

The studio is free to sign a new deal once after it delivers "Finding Nemo," an underwater adventure, due out in theaters on May 30.

Investors have been waiting for signs of a new accord, since Pixar said in February it had held informal talks with a number of studios, including Disney.

But in a presentation by chief financial officer Ann Mather at a conference hosted by A.G. Edwards on Wednesday, Pixar said it was not under pressure to sign a new distribution deal before 2004, allowing about two years to ready the first movie under the new deal and prepare for its marketing.

Pixar held up as a possible model the deal made by George Lucas with the 20th Century Fox studio. The deal with the "Star Wars" creator is one of the richest for a film maker.

Lucas pays a reported 7 percent of film gross to Fox for distribution, while Pixar currently pays Disney a fee within a range of 10 to 15 percent of gross and then splits profits.

Lucas also generally pays for theatrical and video distribution only, meaning that he retains the rights for toys and other consumer spin-offs, and has the sole right to make sequels, Pixar said.

By contrast, Disney has the right to make sequels to the films produced under its current deal with Pixar, including the popular "Toy Story" series.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Gold Trumpet

Its an interesting to see where Pixar, clearly the company making the smarter and better entertainment movies than Disney, will end up. Hopefully Pixar can find indepedence and a chance to grow and make more movies with more freedom. Though it seems unlikely they will ever compete with the artistry of master Hayao Miyazaki ever, they can make some great entertainment movies.

~rougerum

MacGuffin

Pixar's 2006 Project is Ratatouille
Source: Los Angeles Times

A new Los Angeles Times article has revealed the name of the new Pixar film scheduled for 2006. The article discusses the ongoing talks between Disney and Pixar about a new distribution deal.

After delivering "Finding Nemo" to Disney this spring, Jobs was contractually free to enter into a new distribution arrangement with another studio, although any new deal wouldn't take effect until after the release of "Cars" in 2005. The huge success of "Nemo" -- it has taken in $334 million at the U.S. box office and become the highest-grossing animated film in history -- only boosted a bargaining position that was already strong.

Flush with cash, Pixar last February approved production on what is intended to become the first movie outside the existing Disney deal. Jobs has tried to keep details of this so-called "Project 2006" under wraps, though details have leaked in various news reports.

The new film has been said to be about a rat named "Ratatouille," who lives in a fancy Parisian restaurant. The picture is being directed by Jan Pinkava, who made Pixar's 1998 Oscar-winning short, "Geri's Game."

Pixar will be sole owner of "Ratatouille," and which studio serves it to the marketplace remains to be seen.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Find Your Magali

So, is this right?

2004 -- The Incredibles
2005 -- Cars
2006 -- Ratatouille

Nothing else in the works? (Not that that's not a juicy lineup...)

modage

Pixar to End Talks with Disney
Source: Pixar Animation Studios Thursday, January 29, 2004

Pixar today said that it is ending its discussions with The Walt Disney Company to extend their existing five-picture deal, and will begin discussions with other studios to distribute its films beginning in 2006. After completing the final two films under the current agreement with Disney, The Incredibles in 2004 and Cars in 2005, Pixar intends to retain full ownership of its future productions.

"After ten months of trying to strike a deal with Disney, we're moving on," said Pixar CEO Steve Jobs. "We've had a great run together -- one of the most successful in Hollywood history -- and it's a shame that Disney won't be participating in Pixar's future successes."

Under the terms of the existing agreement, Disney will retain the rights to distribute Pixar's first seven films, with Pixar continuing to receive its current share of the profits in perpetuity; and Disney will have the rights to solely finance and produce sequels to the films if Pixar declines to co-finance and produce them under the terms of the current agreement.

To date, Pixar's five films have earned more than $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office and sold over 150 million DVDs and videos.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

A Matter Of Chance

Pixar Dumps Disney
Studio headed by Steve Jobs says it will seek other distributors for its films starting in 2006.
January 29, 2004: 5:01 PM EST


NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Pixar Animation Studios Inc. said Thursday it ended talks with Walt Disney Co. to extend a five-picture deal for Disney to distribute Pixar films.



Pixar said it would begin talks with other companies to distribute its films starting in 2006.

"After ten months of trying to strike a deal with Disney, we're moving on," Pixar CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement. "We've had a great run together -- one of the most successful in Hollywood history -- and it's a shame that Disney won't be participating in Pixar's future successes."


The move was a clear setback to Disney, which reaped a financial and critical bonanza from the partnership and has struggled with its own strategy for animation.

Disney said it could not accept Pixar's final offer for a new deal, which would have cost Disney hundreds of millions of dollars, Reuters reported. Officials at Disney were not immediately available for further comment.

Pixar (PIXR: Research, Estimates) stock jumped in after-hours trading, according to Reuters, while Disney (DIS: Research, Estimates) stock sank more than 4 percent.

Pixar said its five films so far -- including "Toy Story", "Monsters Inc." and "Finding Nemo" -- have taken in $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office and sold more than 150 million DVDs and videos.

Disney can distribute two additional films under the existing pact, with Pixar getting its share of the profits. Disney also has the right to finance and produce sequels to the films if Pixar declines to co-finance and produce them under the current agreement.

Satcho9

Awesome. Fuck Eisner. Let Pixar thrive somewhere else where it will be appreciated.

Disney gave up on 2d animation. Now they are losing the 3d....can you say "fucked"?


Raikus

Quote from: A Matter Of ChanceDisney said it could not accept Pixar's final offer for a new deal, which would have cost Disney hundreds of millions of dollars
Bwahaha! Are they serious? That's like three days of ticket sales at Disney World.

It seems that Eisner's Scroogy way of protecting his coffers has finally let to his demise.
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free, silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands, with all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves, let me forget about today until tomorrow.

Duck Sauce

2 comments


1. Steve Jobs is fucking illmatic

2. Prepare for inferior Toy Story 3

MacGuffin

Quote from: Duck Sauce2. Prepare for inferior Toy Story 3

"Disney to push ahead with Toy Story 3 without Pixar?"

Following Steve Jobs' announcement, Disney.com's Corporate Press released a statement, which has ended up on the Animation Nation boards. The first half of the statement features the quotes we're reading in other stories, but towards the end, Disney reminds us (and Pixar) that they own all rights to the existing Pixar films, as well as the right to explore them through merchandise and sequel potential. The statement continues to play up Disney's own move into 3D CGI pictures, with mentions of Vanguard's Valiant and Core's The Wild as well as WDFA's upcoming features. Each gets a quick mention and a line of info, except for the last one, which is simply titled Toy Story 3. Read this section of the statement here:

"Tom Staggs, Disney senior executive vice president and chief financial officer, said Disney management could not accept Pixar's final offer because it would have cost Disney hundreds of millions of dollars it is already entitled to under the existing agreement, while not providing sufficient incremental returns on new collaborations to justify the changes to the existing deal.

In addition to Pixar's delivery of two more feature films, under the current agreement, Disney maintains the rights to develop and produce sequels to all films created through this partnership, including direct to video presentations, television series and specials; and to exploit all characters and content throughout Disney's theme park and consumer products units, thereby allowing Disney to continue to nurture and grow these successful franchises while benefiting Disney shareholders into the foreseeable future. Disney also owns the entire Disney/Pixar film library, which includes Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo, in addition to the two pictures yet to be completed."

In addition to Pixar, the Walt Disney Studios has relationships with other emerging animation producing partners including Vanguard Films, currently producing Valiant, and San Francisco-based Complete Pandemonium, producing The Wild in conjunction with CORE Technologies of Toronto.

Walt Disney Feature Animation will release Home on the Range on April 2, featuring songs performed by Tim McGraw, Bonnie Raitt and k.d. lang. Currently in production is Chicken Little, the Studio's first all-CG effort, which is scheduled for release in Summer 2005. For Summer 2006 and beyond, Walt Disney Feature Animation is producing a series of 3D motion pictures: A Day With Wilbur Robinson, based on the beloved William Joyce book; American Dog, directed by Chris Sanders (Lilo and Stitch); Rapunzel Unbraided, directed by legendary Disney animator Glen Keane; and Toy Story 3. These movies are all anticipated to break new ground in CG movie-making. The Studio has an additional 20 animated features in active development".
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

modage

Quote from: MacGuffinIn addition to Pixar's delivery of two more feature films, under the current agreement, Disney maintains the rights to develop and produce sequels to all films created through this partnership, including direct to video presentations, television series and specials; and to exploit all characters and content throughout Disney's theme park and consumer products units, thereby allowing Disney to continue to nurture and grow these successful franchises while benefiting Disney shareholders into the foreseeable future. Disney also owns the entire Disney/Pixar film library, which includes Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo, in addition to the two pictures yet to be completed."
the key word being exploit.  i hope that hanks and allen dont go along with this.  i can already see it now, the scores of straight to video badly animated TERRIBLY written 'sequels' disney will start pumping out.  i think i ban TS3, i hope allen/hanks do too.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.