Disney Buys Pixar

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MadonnasManOne
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Post by MadonnasManOne »

2099net wrote:I don't like him. Period.


He's not asking you to like him. He could care less if you do. He does his job, and he's done it quite well.

I think a pairing of Disney and Pixar will be a good thing, for both parties. If you can't see that, then you are letting your dislike of Steve Jobs cloud your judgement.
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Jobs to scoop $3.5bn as Pixar board approves Disney takeover
By Andrew Murray-Watson (Filed: 22/01/2006)

The board of Pixar Animation Studios, the digital animations company, is set to meet tomorrow to approve the company's $7bn (£3.9bn) takeover by Disney.

The all-share deal will make Steve Jobs, the chief executive of Apple, around $3.5bn and the single largest shareholder in Disney. Jobs created Pixar in 1986 when he paid $10m for the computer animations division of Lucasfilm, owned by Stars Wars creator George Lucas.

Disney has struggled to compete with its rival's cutting-edge computer animated films, which have become increasingly sophisticated over the past few years.

Disney already has a distribution agreement with Pixar, which is due to expire in June. Pixar's summer blockbuster is a film called Cars, while its previous hits include A Bug's Life, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc, Toy Story and The Incredibles.

Disney's first computer--generated film, Chicken Little, was released in the US in November and currently has worldwide box office sales of $279m.

But the giant entertainment company has failed to produce a hit animated film of its own in years. By contrast, the six films that Pixar and Disney have made together since the 1995 release of Toy Story have grossed more than $3.2bn.

Despite the impending takeover of Pixar, Robert Iger, the chief executive of Disney, pledged in November that "animation is, and will remain, at the heart and soul of Disney".
Well, I really don't think Steve would have the time to be CEO of Disney in addition to Apple, so that most likely isn't happening. I could definitely see him on the board, and would welcome his addition to the company. John Lasseter, well, that's even better. I fear he might be stretched a bit thin, but we'll see. Now the thing I'm wondering about is whether Pixar would remain a separate entity under the Disney Corp. or if it might merge with Feature Animation? I guess we'll find out tomorrow morning.
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Post by PatrickvD »

According to the N.Y. Times, one detail has been worked out: "The new animation division would be overseen by John Lasseter, Pixar's chief creative officer and a former Disney animator, who would work with animators at Pixar's headquarters in Emeryville, Calif., and at Disney in Burbank."

This last bit of news is music to the ears of many who work in animation, especially those still working at what's left of Walt Disney Feature Animation (WDFA). Lasseter's relaxed management style and nurturing of talent is seen as one of the main reasons animation has flourished at Pixar.

By contrast, WDFA is still struggling to emerge from one of the most turbulent periods in its nearly eight-decade history. The past ten years have seen the animation studio built on the success of Snow White, Pinocchio, and Bambi shut down animation operations around the world, lay off hundreds of artists and support staff, and transition from traditional hand-drawn 2D- to computer 3D-animation.

Unlike Pixar, where management interference with story is virtually unheard of, past and present WDFA artists and staff freely talk and complain about "wet behind the ears managers and executives who think they know how to make cartoons."

The N.Y. Times, like fans of animation, Disney, Pixar, and Apple who post their thoughts and feelings on blogs around the Internet, speculate that it is Lasseter, as head of a new animation division, who will be the greatest asset to the newly merged company.
I think Jobs and Iger will be behind the scenes and give Lasseter room to continue running Pixar and make Disney Feature Animation great again. If that is how it plays out... that would be perfect.
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Post by AwallaceUNC »

Still no formal announcement, but the talks were scheduled to continue throughout today. However, a lot of news reports are talking about it as if it's all but a done deal.

Also, it looks like the market will look fondly upon the buy-out: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.a ... eid=google

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MadonnasManOne
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Post by MadonnasManOne »

AwallaceUNC wrote:Still no formal announcement, but the talks were scheduled to continue throughout today. However, a lot of news reports are talking about it as if it's all but a done deal.

Also, it looks like the market will look fondly upon the buy-out: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.a ... eid=google

-Aaron
I'm waiting on pins and needles. I'm excited by the prospect, and I hope the deal goes through!
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Post by Kenai »

Heh you guys, just because they won't bring back 2D doesn't mean it'll change anything. We're getting better and better DTV's and yet everyone continues to complain over and over and over and over, and look, they're 2-D. It changes nothing to be honest.

Plus, with Steve Jobs now on board, there's no way you'll know if they will still bring it back.

The Pixar movies have great stories to go with their animation, and no one complains about that.

As for this whole Disney acquiring Pixar thing. I'm not sure it's a good sign. Although Iger's so far doing a good job of doing this for Disney. I kind of wish Pixar would find another company or even better, why don't they just make their own damn distributing company and do it themselves now that they've made a name and everyone thinks their great.

Love 2-D to death. But for now, I guess it's the DTVs to look forward to.

And hey, BB2 is gonna rock fo shizzle. 8)
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Post by deathie mouse »

latest morsel in the Lord of the Pixels trilogy

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/24/busin ... isney.html
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Post by Luke »

Fascinating stuff. It will be quite interesting if Pixar becomes Disney Feature Animation as we know it. I know a lot of people here would cry foul over that, but it's an exciting possibility at the same time and probably more exciting than having Disney try to emulate Pixar/Dreamworks success with calculated CGI films. Melding Disney's tradition with Pixar's unfailing track record would seem to yield one amazing studio.
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Kenai
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Post by Kenai »

I just thought of something. If this goes through, how will the copyright issues stand? Will Pixar's stuff now be completely ©Disney and no longer ©Disney/Pixar?

I'm not liking the idea of melding Disney Animation with a Pixar thing. But it could prove good....I'm still skeptical....
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Post by AwallaceUNC »

If they completely buy them out, they will probably be able to say just "Disney", though the opening credits and such will of course still say "Disney/Pixar." However, I don't think Disney will be looking to distance themselves from Pixar. They will probably want to encourage the notion that Pixar is just a branch of Disney CGI films, which is what a lot of people seem to think anyways. Still, they may lay off the whole "A Walt Disney Pictures Presentation of a Pixar Film" business, just for sanity's sake.

-------------------

Update:

This is an exciting article, not only because it announced that Disney will announce $7 billion take-over big for Pixar in just a few hours, and that it is expected to go through, but also because of the optimistic view it takes of the buy-out: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/82871/disne ... r-buy.html

CNN Picture: Image

--------------------

Another interesting article that analyzes that $7 billion price tag. The author says it's a fair price and breaks it down in a way that makes sense. He, too, views it as a positive move for both (especially Disney) and I also like that he puts a high price on Disney's perception of quality by the public, something that Disney themselves rarely do.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11005729/

--------------------

The Disney board has approved the offer and authorized Iger to make the offer to Pixar. The Pixar board is expected to confer by phone and possibly reach a decision today (sooner than I thought!). If that happens, Disney could make the announcement of the purchase of Pixar after the market closes today: <B><a href=http://today.reuters.com/investing/fina ... XML">click here!</a></b>

Several of these articles have mentioned that Disney may be hoping to move into the digital movie market via Apple with Jobs on the board.

-Aaron
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Post by Fflewduur »

My #1 reason for hoping the deal happens:

That I may never again buy a Disney DVD with DVD-ROM bonus features I cannot access on my Mac!

I know Lassetter & others at Pixar cut teeth at Disney. I think A Bug's Life is the weakest of Pixar's features & I'd still rank it equal to or better than anything Disney's done since The Lion King (except Fantasia 2000). I've only just begun life as a father, and this deal is at least the shortest route I can see to the third Golden Age of Disney animation I so want to share with my kids.
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Post by AwallaceUNC »

We might just see that golden age you're looking for. It's about time for one, anyways.

Hey, everybody else... biggest Disney news since Eisner stepped down going on over here. :wave:

Here's a report that calls it "official" and "a done deal", though it still says an announcement is expected later today...

My impression is that this means that Iger has officially made the bid and Pixar is reviewing it and about to vote? Does anyone know what time the markets close? My guess is 5 or 6pm eastern time.

http://movies.monstersandcritics.com/ne ... s_up_Pixar

-Aaron
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Post by deathie mouse »

It is done!


$7,400,000,000
Lasseter Chief Creative Officer for Animation!
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I read the news today, oh boy..
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One thousand pixars in Disney's stock
Now they know how many jobs it takes to fill the screeeen,
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Post by yoda_four »

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id ... ue&ad=true
http://news.com.com/2061-10802_3-603059 ... &subj=news
http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/8335/

It's OFFICIAL!
Under the terms of the deal Jobs will take a Disney board seat. Pixar President Ed Catmull will serve as president of the new Pixar and Disney animation studios. Pixar's creative lead, John Lasseter will be chief creative officer of the animation studios, and will also be an adviser in the design of new attractions for Disney theme parks around the world. Lasseter will report directly to Disney CEO Bob Iger.
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Post by AwallaceUNC »

Woohoo! :party:

And Lasseter an adviser for attractions? Very interesting!

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Post by deathie mouse »

Supposedly in a few minutes there will be live TV transmission on CNBC Financial channel with Bob Iger and Steve Jobs
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Post by Paka »

This is a fairly big milestone, but honestly... how many people have to announce the deal is sealed? :roll:
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Post by AwallaceUNC »

Paka wrote:This is a fairly big milestone, but honestly... how many people have to announce the deal is sealed? :roll:
Come on, Paka. You know you want to announce it too. ;)

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