Pixar dumps Disney

[Waluigi]

Source

Pixar dumps Disney
Studio headed by Steve Jobs says it will seek other distributors for its films starting in 2006.
January 29, 2004: 4:45 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. Officials at Disney were not immediately available for 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

--Waluigi

[patrick0brien]

-Waluigi

Oooooo.

Nicely done. Thanks.

[TEG]

Hey, This is related, and yet strange...

Pixar Dropping Disney as Distributor

Note calling Steve Jobs the former Apple exec.

TEG

[srobert]

Good news.

Disney was raking all the money while Pixar did all the hard work.

[virividox]

oh well i hope they are able to continue making great films regardless of who distributes it

[MacBytes]

Category: News and Press Releases
Link: Pixar Ends Relationship with Disney

Posted on MacBytes.com

Approved by Mudbug

[Nermal]

We're finally rid of Disney's ridiculously slow international releases!

Example: Finding Nemo's release dates.

[machinehien]

I hope they saved their best ideas for themselves.

[3rdpath]

i've never minced words about my absolute hatred for disney and their business "tactics"...they are pond-scum. so this is wonderful news to me...not to mention, i think it is the best thing for pixar. once you have a reputation and track record like pixar, distribution is not nearly as large of an issue.

disney has a long history of siphoning profit off of other's creative juices...then dumping them.

karma is a wonderful thing, ain't it....

eisner, your time's about up.

[eazyway]

Originally posted by machinehien
I hope they saved their best ideas for themselves.

Pixar got 37% of the profits from the DVD's (Disney took 50%) and the movie income was fairly light. Pixar owns the rights to all of the films unless the do not want to do a follow up with Disney and they likely will not since they want a sweeter deal.

I feal Disney is making a huge mistake here especially if other big production houses step up to the plate.

[ITR 81]

I guess ME didn't give SJ that CEO position or SJ refused it.

I can see them going with WB now or maybe something to do with GL again and 20th Century Fox.

I thought the Incredibles was the last Pixar film for them...I guess I was wrong..

I wonder what Car is about???

[Nermal]

For some reason, I thought they'd go with Universal. I guess the old "Apple buying Universal Music" rumours are going to rear their heads again now, and are going to include Universal's movie studio too

[ITR 81]

Originally posted by Nermal
For some reason, I thought they'd go with Universal. I guess the old "Apple buying Universal Music" rumours are going to rear their heads again now, and are going to include Universal's movie studio too

Maybe but when I think Universal I think Monster movies..like King Kong and such.

I see WB or Fox picking them up since they both have kid and young adult type movies.

[RandomDeadHead]

Originally posted by 3rdpath

eisner, your time's about up.

It's been up!

[jrv3034]

Originally posted by virividox
oh well i hope they are able to continue making great films regardless of who distributes it

My thoughts exactly. I hope the lack of the Disney brand name won't mean a loss of box-office for Pixar. As bad as they might be, the name Disney is instantly recognized by everyone as "family entertainment".

Good luck, Pixar!

[johnnyjibbs]

About time. Disney needs Pixar a lot more than Pixar needs Disney. Pixar, no doubt you'll keep making great films, so continue doing that and get a better deal out of it.

[Billicus]

Pixar will do better with Disney out of the way. Major distributors will be lining up to take on Pixar as an Animating Studio. Look at the success they had with Finding Nemo. Disney is ludacris not to continue their deal. It has to have been finacially lucrative for them. Oh well...

[Vector]

Originally posted by TEG
Hey, This is related, and yet strange...

Pixar Dropping Disney as Distributor

Note calling Steve Jobs the former Apple exec.

TEG

I don't see this anywhere. It says top apple executive.

Its about time pixar dumped disney. That being said they still have to distribute two more movies with them and apparently disney has the rights to make sequels without pixar's involvment.

[Mr. Anderson]

Well this is good news - especially with Disney closing down its traditional 2D animation shop. This will only further sink Disney...

It will be fun to watch what they do, they still have their 3D animation studio - and I can't see them going head to head with Pixar there.

That, and Pixar is looking to start up a 2D animation group....is it coincidence?

D

[Photorun]

Holy cats! This should be page one, it's huge.

Good riddance Disney. I bet they thought they could do whatever they wanted as it's always been their way. I'm miffed but not surprised that Pixar took a stock hit, clueless investors/the street probably think they were the same company.

[Frohickey]

Now if only Renderman were ported to the PowerMac G5, I bet Pixar can make gobs of movies.

[TEG]

Originally posted by Vector
I don't see this anywhere. It says top apple executive.

Its about time pixar dumped disney. That being said they still have to distribute two more movies with them and apparently disney has the rights to make sequels without pixar's involvment.

Looks like they changed it. It did say...

---
...the movie-animation studio led by former Apple (AAPL:Nasdaq - news - research) exec Steve Jobs...
---

TEG

[Thanatoast]

i dunno. i worry, because i had a discussion with a guy the other day about disney. he said they were the best, and i asked him to name one good film they've put out in 5 years. he said, "finding nemo". i said that's pixar, disney just distributes it. "toy story" pixar, not disney. he didn't see the difference. some people really don't know that it's pixar making these films. they think it's disney, and might drop them after the castle logo disappears.

[jiggie2g]

WOW DISNEY HAS REALLY GOT THIER HEADS UP THIER ASSES TO BLOW THIS ONE , I HONESTLY BELIEVE THEY ARE FINISHED WITHOUT PIXAR , deserving for them i hate greedy pig corporations like them, they are every bit as bad as Microsloth and Mcdonalds, maybe worse thier programming sucks on ABC , they had to make half ass sequals of thier old classic cartoons just to make some extra money , i mean cum'on u can only milk a franchise so much really, i mean Lion King 1 1/2 (that's reallty being creative..lol). Disney is going the way of Enron with in the next 7-10yrs if they don't get rid of Michael Eisner. this guy is a complete idiot he called Steve Jobs and Pixar a bunch of "Shiite Muslims" saying Jobs has extremeist views. maybe it's cuz Jobs is aware of Disneys shady business tactics and is tired of getting JOBBED..lol when it comes to thier movie profits. Let's see Pixar comes up with all the Ideas , does all the work and all Disney has to do is Slap thier name all over it and put it in theaters. Let's not talk about the killing they make just on the Toys , T-Shirts and other junk they make for those movies...screw them. So i say good for you Pixar they now that thier rid of those losers they will have Studio's lined up in Bidding wars over them.

[pinto32]

Does anyone have the link to the site started by Roy Disney and the other dude? I'm curious to see what thier reaction to this is......