Disney's Strategy

I read an interesting interview in Fortune magazine with Disney's CEO, Bob Iger. I like what he had to say and has made me enthusiastic about the future of the Mouse House. Here are my thoughts on the article:

One of my biggest complaints against Disney in the waning months of former CEO Michael Eisner's tenure was the legion of direct to video/DVD sequels. It all started with Return of Jafar and devolved into Cinderella II and III, Pocahontas II, Lion King 1.5, and even the Fox and the Hound II. Not only was the quality a mere shadow of its respective progenitor, but it also tarnished the original by association and cluttered retail shelves with a bunch of filler.

Unfortunately for me, it made a lot of money for Disney and Eisner clearly was not concerned with the impact on the Disney brand and what it represents. When Walt's brother and financial leader Roy decided to re-release Snow White in theaters to make money on the demand to see the movie again, Walt criticized him for getting into the sequel business. Walt was always looking to the future.

In the Fortune article, Iger echoed my own belief by saying that low quality and too much product is a deadly combination. Last year he pulled the plug on the sequel machine, so Cinderella III thankfully marked the end of that!

However, I do think that an occasional sequel is not a bad thing. I think that Toy Story 2 was superior to the original. It should be noted that Toy Story 2 was originally intended to be a direct to video release but after test screenings and positive response, they decided to release it in theaters instead. The domestic box office for Toy Story 2 was $246 million, 28% more than the original. Toy Story 3 is planned for a 2010 release and I can't wait to see it!

Iger's approach is to treat franchises like Toy Story and Cars as their own brands. Cars 2 is also being planned. It was interesting to note that not every animated film is considered a franchise by Iger. He explicitly named Ratatouille as one such film. It is a great movie, but we won't see Remy-themed attractions at the parks or sequels.

I think one of the biggest challenges is how to manage the Mickey Mouse brand. It is obviously nostalgic for the baby boomer generation, but the younger generations don't have much of a connection to Mickey unless you count the toddlers who love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The other challenge is reviving Disney's own animation unit. In my opinion, the last decent hit was 2002's Lilo & Stitch. Hopefully the fact that a traditionally animated short now precedes major Disney movie releases, such as Ratatouille and National Treasure 2, they can rediscover the magic.

National Treasure 2 is a Gem

Who knows who you should believe? The critics loved Ratatouille but the box office didn't live up to the high standards of a Pixar release. Then along comes National Treasure 2 that was
panned by most critics, and yet it still holds the number one spot in the box office for the third weekend in a row.

Fortunately, I loved both of them. I really liked the original National Treasure too. Think of it as Indiana Jones in America. The movie takes historical facts, mixes them with a few conspiracy theories and a pinch of wishful thinking to make a highly entertaining film. After seeing the sequel (twice in the theaters so far), I hit the Internet when I got home to learn more about particular Confederate generals, the Statue of Liberty, and more. The casting is excellent and you get the feeling they are having as much fun as you are.

Best of all, it is family friendly (at least compared to what else is out there). Although be warned that the beginning shows the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the murder of another character. Fortunately, both scenes are brief and not graphic at all. If you are looking for an adventure flick with plenty of humor thrown in, be sure to check out National Treasure 2!

Oh and be sure to not be late to the show. Just like the old days, there is a cartoon short before the feature. It is a brand new Goofy cartoon about installing a home theater system. The style is the same as those old How To Ride a Horse, and Hot to Play Football cartoons from the 1950s and 1960s. This is a fantastic idea!

Pixar's New Projects

We are finally getting some clues about Pixar's releases after next summer's Wall-E. In 2009 we will see Up, which is an action adventure story starring an 80-year old man. It will be directed by Pete Doctor, who also did my personal favorite Pixar movie, Monsters, Inc.

In 2010 (are you ready for this?), Toy Story 3 will premier. You may have heard that Disney was in pre-production for this second sequel back when they were negotiating a contract with then-independent Pixar. When Lasseter and company merged with the Mouse, they quickly pulled the plug on the "Buzz is recalled" storyline. Lee Unkrich, who co-directed Toy Story 2 with Lasseter, will be the solo director on this project. I'm usually not a fan of sequels, but considering how much better number two was over the original, I expect Toy Story 3 will not disappoint!

Oh, and we also have a release date for Wall-E: June 27, 2008. That will be one weekend before the Fourth of July holiday weekend.