Walt Disney Company Aquires Pixar

[linklewtt]

So my dad, who works at Disneyland, heard that Disney is in talks with PIXAR and is thinking of perhaps buying part of the company. So, if that happens, then all you who grumble how PIXAR is taking over DCA and whatnot will have next to nothing to complain about cuz really it'll be Disney movies that are taking over.

[Cavemandon]

Since this is what your father "heard" and it's not a fact yet, then we shall move to the Rumor Mill for the duration...

[PeoplemoverMatt]

You have to wonder how many who work for Pixar now will stay on when/if they did get bought by Disney.

-- PMM :cool:

[disneyguy]

I wonder if they will finially loose the "A Walt Disney Pictures presentation of a Pixar Film". I think it's lame!

[Mousekiteer]

"According to the Los Angeles Times, through the San Francisco Business Times, two sources close to the talks between Disney and Pixar are reporting that negotiations between the studios are leaning toward Disney acquiring either all or part of Pixar. Shoud such occur, Steve Jobs of Pixar would likely become a major Disney shareholder, with the possibility of his being made the company's chairman present as well. Thus far, Disney and Pixar have yet to respond to the report."

Linkage: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2006/01/02/daily40.html?from_rss=1

I'm crossing my fingers for this one.

[PeoplemoverMatt]

Steve Jobs Chairman of Disney Co.? Whoa.

-- PMM :cool:

[TimmyII]

Would quite possibly raise the price of Walt Disney Co. stock!

[linklewtt]

^^no, actually it lowers the stock

[ShrunkenNed]

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0120disney20.html

This one says Jobs would be the largest shareholder, not just a major one.

[Disneyland Fan]

Looks like it's a go...

Disney to Formally Weigh Purchase of Pixar Studios

A deal could be reached as early as Monday once the price and other details are worked out.

By Kim Christensen and Richard Verrier, Times Staff Writers

Walt Disney Co. directors plan Monday to formally consider buying Pixar Animation Studios, whose success with such films as "Toy Story" and "The Incredibles" has redefined the animation genre Disney once dominated.

Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger and Pixar CEO Steve Jobs have been talking for months about extending their long-term distribution pact, which is due to end when Disney releases the computer animation studio's "Cars" in June.

The Times reported Jan. 5, however, that recent negotiations had expanded to include the possibility of Disney's acquiring part or all of Pixar, with Jobs taking a seat on the Burbank company's board and becoming a major shareholder.

A report in Thursday's Wall Street Journal that the talks had intensified further fueled speculation that a deal was imminent, sending Disney's stock higher, up $1.04 to $26.24. Pixar shares rose $1.61 to $58.87.

People familiar with the negotiations cautioned that key details remained to be worked out, including Pixar's price tag. Nonetheless, the two sides are widely expected to reach an agreement, possibly as early as Monday, because the deal is seen as benefiting both parties.

Disney would probably pay a premium to the Emeryville, Calif.-based company's current market value of nearly $7 billion.

The acquisition would be a major coup for Iger, who took over as Disney's chief in October and immediately turned his attention to repairing the company's fractious relationship with Pixar.

The companies had broken off negotiations in 2004 when Jobs clashed with Iger's predecessor, Michael Eisner. But shortly after Iger took over, he signaled a thaw in the relationship by appearing with Jobs to announce that television programs from Disney-owned ABC would be offered for downloading on Apple Computer Inc.'s video iPod.

By acquiring industry leader Pixar, Disney would immediately resume its perch at the top of an industry it pioneered with "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in 1937 and dominated in the 1990s with such hits as "The Lion King" and "Beauty and the Beast."

Disney faltered in recent years with such duds as "Treasure Planet" and "Atlantis: The Lost Empire." Its latest release, "Chicken Little," has been a success, but its box-office performance has paled in comparison with "Monsters, Inc.", "Finding Nemo" and other Pixar hits.

For Jobs, selling Pixar could allow him to focus more on running Apple, which is enjoying the huge popularity of its iPod products. It also would make him even more of a media power player.

Some analysts have questioned how easily the companies' very different corporate cultures would mesh. Pixar is known for giving artists a wide degree of creative freedom that big Hollywood studios rarely grant.

Analysts also caution that a full acquisition could dilute the combined company's market value because Disney's shares sell at a much lower price-to-earnings ratio than Pixar's.

However, Pali Capital Inc. media analyst Richard Greenfield said in a research note Thursday that Jobs' becoming a major Disney shareholder and director "is likely to be viewed positively by the Disney faithful," mitigating the effect of such dilution.

"Investors may hope that Mr. Jobs' successful track record at Pixar and Apple will rub off more broadly on Disney," Greenfield said.

Standard & Poor's Equity Research downgraded shares of Pixar from "buy" to "hold." Its stock has risen more than 40% in the last four months, S&P said.

"We now see an inherent and potentially sizable takeover premium against the company's relatively small film library," S&P said. "We are also wary of a potentially negative investor reaction on the outcome of ongoing talks."

*

Times staff writer Claudia Eller contributed to this report

http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-pixar18jan20,1,4986831.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-business&ctrack=1&cset=true

~Disneyland Fan~

[ShrunkenNed]

Why am I suddenly picturing all these iTunes Disney exclusives???

[malibudaniel]

Hello all. Just to inform you all. PIXAR and Steve Jobs will not be selling anytime soon. In fact, its just recently that Steve Jobs (PiXAR) has decided to release the license to Disney so that they will return and market/release Pixar films. As we all saw this last year PIXAR doesn't need Disney for anything, but Steve Jobs (founder of Apple/iPOD/ImAC/new intel G5 Pixar etc) doesn't need Disney, but a continued joint venture is highly likely. Daniel malibu (animator)

[ShrunkenNed]

Hello all. Just to inform you all. PIXAR and Steve Jobs will not be selling anytime soon. In fact, its just recently that Steve Jobs (PiXAR) has decided to release the license to Disney so that they will return and market/release Pixar films. As we all saw this last year PIXAR doesn't need Disney for anything, but Steve Jobs (founder of Apple/iPOD/ImAC/new intel G5 Pixar etc) doesn't need Disney, but a continued joint venture is highly likely. Daniel malibu (animator)

May I ask for reliable information on this? Or is this opinion? Since Disney officially plans to announce its iquiry on buying Pixar this coming Monday (1/23), I don't see how this can be solid fact.

Although I have been wrong before....

[barfownz]

From The Wall Street Journal:

Heard on the Street: Pixar, Disney keep investors on the edge of their seats

Thursday, December 15, 2005
By Nick Wingfield and Merissa Marr, The Wall Street Journal



As the courtship between Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Co. drags on, some investors and analysts have started wondering whether a future partnership could be deeper than a straightforward distribution deal for Pixar's movies.
For months, the companies have been in talks about continuing one of the most successful partnerships in the entertainment industry, which dates back to 1995's "Toy Story," the pioneering computer-animated movie that was the first of six major hits created by Pixar. Under the current deal that expires with next June's "Cars," Disney co-finances Pixar's movies, and the companies equally split film profits after Disney takes a distribution fee and is compensated for marketing and other costs.
Having established a stellar track record, Pixar has been seeking a more lucrative deal that would involve Pixar picking up all the production costs of its movies and simply paying Disney a distribution fee.
There is another, more fanciful, theory buoying Pixar's share price, though: Disney could buy Pixar and make it, in effect, Disney's animated-film division. That idea has been floated in recent research reports, including several by Credit Suisse First Boston analyst William Drewry, who doesn't own any Pixar shares and has an outperform rating on the stock. Mr. Drewry further speculated that Pixar's chief executive, Steve Jobs, could become a member of the Disney board and a significant shareholder in the media giant. CSFB has provided investment-banking services to Pixar of Emeryville, Calif.
According to people familiar with the talks, Pixar and Disney of Burbank, Calif., are still toying with a broad range of options. For instance, these people say, one idea that has been kicked around by the companies is that Pixar could sell Disney a minority stake or give Disney a participation in the performance of its movies in exchange for sequel rights to Pixar's existing library of films, including "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles." It has long irked Mr. Jobs that Disney controls the sequel rights to his movies. However, such an option would be complex to pull off.
A Pixar spokesman and a Disney spokeswoman declined to comment.
In a recent interview, Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger said that "I've concluded that for the company to be successful long-term creatively, it must get animation right. That does guide a bit of what we end up doing with Pixar but it's not fully determinate. ... The nature of the deal is what is most important, it's not whether there is a deal or not."
Messrs. Jobs and Iger have sidestepped questions about a possible acquisition in recent conference calls with investors and analysts, further fueling chatter about such an option. Analysts estimate such talk has boosted Pixar's stock by several dollars -- a so-called takeover premium that could evaporate if the two end up not tying the knot. Pixar's shares rose 8 percent the day after CSFB's Mr. Drewry issued a report Oct. 6 titled "What if Disney Buys Pixar?" and the company's shares are up more than 22 percent since that date.
In 4 p.m. composite trading Wednesday on the Nasdaq Stock Market, Pixar's shares were down 62 cents to $54.72, giving the company a market capitalization of about $6.5 billion. On the New York Stock Exchange, Disney, with a market value of about $51 billion, fell 13 cents to $25.
In a research report following Disney's recent fourth-quarter earnings, Prudential Equity Group analyst Katherine Styponias noted that Mr. Iger said Disney's top priority is animation. "Although very little color and commentary was given on the Pixar discussions, we felt that the potential for an outright purchase of Pixar is not out of the realm of possibilities based on management's tone and comments," Ms. Styponias said in her report. She has an overweight rating on Pixar and doesn't own any Pixar stock. Prudential doesn't do any business with the animation company.
Such an outcome seems like a long shot to some investors. "I think they feel their process is very different from Disney's and they wouldn't want to risk losing control over that," says Anthony Valencia, a media and entertainment analyst for the TCW Group Inc., an investment firm with $118 billion under management that is the second-largest shareholder in Pixar, after Mr. Jobs. Mr. Valencia, who doesn't have ratings on any stocks, doubts that an acquisition of Pixar makes sense, but adds: "Obviously, Jobs has some duty to shareholders -- there might be some price he couldn't turn down."
Kevin Landis, chief investment officer at Firsthand Funds in San Jose, Calif., with about $700 million in assets, echoed the view that Mr. Jobs is unlikely to relinquish the autonomy that has helped Pixar thrive. From its perch in the San Francisco Bay area, hundreds of miles from Hollywood, Pixar has stuck to the leisurely pace of releasing a new film about every 18 months, while competitors are pumping out multiple computer-animated movies a year. Pixar has said it aims to step up its production to one movie a year. But investors believe any change in ownership could force Pixar to speed up its creative output even more.
"In buying it, there's the risk you destroy what makes it special," says Mr. Landis, who estimates the fund holds about 200,000 Pixar shares. "There's no one there who needs to cash out."
Price, too, is another big potential stumbling block. Pixar shares, adjusted for a 2-for-1 stock split in April, are up 28 percent for the year, and the company's market value is prohibitively high for Disney, some analysts think.
Indeed, the gap between the market value of Pixar and its nearest rival, DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., has reached a high. DreamWorks has a market value of about $2.6 billion. Part of the difference can be attributed to factors such as DreamWorks's recent problems with its "Shrek 2" DVD, but the contrast is still striking when considering that DreamWorks's two-movies-a-year release schedule gave it revenue last year of more than $1 billion, almost four times that of Pixar. The price-to-earnings ratio of Pixar, based on projected earnings for this year, is 46, considerably richer than the P/E multiple of 30 for DreamWorks, according to Thomson Financial.
Mr. Jobs began negotiating a new deal with Disney's former CEO Michael Eisner nearly two years ago, but the talks between the two executives, who had a rancorous relationship, collapsed after Mr. Jobs publicly halted the negotiations early last year.
When Mr. Eisner handed the CEO reins to his more conciliatory deputy, Mr. Iger, this year, many saw an opportunity to revive the discussions. Indeed, one of Mr. Iger's first moves as CEO was to reach out to Mr. Jobs, and the two companies have been in talks since. The two executives even struck a deal for Mr. Jobs's other company, Apple Computer Inc., to sell Disney-produced television shows, such as "Desperate Housewives," over the Internet. Yet the Pixar-Disney discussions are taking longer than both sides expected. In a recent conference call with analysts, Mr. Jobs said he would like to reach an agreement with Disney by year end, but he said the conversations are taking longer than expected. People familiar with the talks say the two sides are still some distance apart on any agreement, and there is a strong chance the negotiations will push into next year.

[RU42]

Duplicate threads merged

RU

[linklewtt]

true, Pixar films are very very good, but you have to give Disney credit for the large amount of marketing it does for these films.

[barfownz]

Duplicate threads merged

RU

Thank you. I had a feeling that there was naother thread of this around. :)

[Disneytwins]

Wouldn't this put Jobs in a position where he(Apple) could buy Disney? Is Disney in risk of being bought by apple?

[linklewtt]

no, not at all...Pixar is the one at risk of being bought

[Disneytwins]

Ya, but once pixar is bought, Steve Jobs will own most of Disney and may even get a place on our board of directors. Does anyone else thinks that this sounds sort of like a Hostile Takeover?

[ShrunkenNed]

Ya, but once pixar is bought, Steve Jobs will own most of Disney and may even get a place on our board of directors. Does anyone else thinks that this sounds sort of like a Hostile Takeover?

Steve Jobs will NOT own most of Disney. He will own the single MOST shares, not the majority. This is only about 6 or 7 percent if I remember correctly. Methinks it would take more than that for a hostile takeover.

[TimmyII]

I'm sure most of you have heard by now that Disney is in talks to acquire PIXAR animation studios. Decisions are said to be made possibly by the end of this week.

Anyone excited? I am, as a shareholder it will add a LOT to our company!

[indysoarin]

Yahoo News has just posted an article saying Bob Iger has been given the OK by the Disney board to offer to buy Pixar for roughly $58 a share, putting the total cost of the purchase at just under $7 billion. Godd news or bad news for Disney? What do you think? The article link is listed below.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060124/media_nm/media_pixar_disney_dc

indysoarin
First post on VF

[ShrunkenNed]

Yeah, this is currently being discussed in the rumor thread, but it's pretty close to becoming fact now, isn't it?

http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5668

[PeoplemoverMatt]

Rumors of Disney buying Pixar are currently being discussed here: http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5668

-- PMM :cool:

[linklewtt]

it's official: it was announced today that Disney will buy PIXAR for something like $7 mil (or bil?). YES!

[arrowfanman]

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=1536674&page=1

...Its done. Disney has purchased Pixar. I am sketchy on this. However, despite being absorbed into Disney, Pixar seems to now be in charge of the Disney Studios, rather than the other way around.

The best thing though: More Pixar movies! :cool:

[RU42]

2 identical threads merged with this one.....

Before you post something 'hot' please check the current topics and make sure you are not repeating something under discussion. - - Thank You

RU

[Loneknight]

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=1536674&page=1&ad=true&ad=true

I don't think this falls under a rumor any longer.

As much as I love both of these companies, I have to admit I got a bad feeling about this.

So if Pixar merges with the Mouse, will they lose their name? And will Pixar's current employment structure bleed over into the current animation department?

Pixar is THE leader in digital computer animation, so what's to stop Disney from getting Pixar to do all of their movies from now on? If they own the company, it could be a situation that Pixar may be milked for all their worth. I hate to see it this way, because (and I hate to say it) the last good movie that i heard of Disney making was Lilo and Stitch (or the Lion King). Since then, it's been nothing but box-office blunders. Pixar has great talent, but if Disney uses that to an extreme, there will be nothing left.

I dunno....I'm not trying to make Disney look like the bad guy, but considering the recent flicks the Mouse has cranked out lately, it just seems like a chain of dominos is getting ready to be tipped over.

Ugh.....starteth your flameth (What?)

[linklewtt]

^^i doubt they will lose the name. The name PIXAR is already well known. Probably the movies that are made by the 2 companies will have this as the studio:

Disney * PIXAR (you know, just like it is above BLAB, except with a star in between)

Disney will probably keep the Pixar name in there because of its fame.

[arrowfanman]

John Lasseter got a spot in WDI! That cheater! :icon_lol:

-Jahan "I wish I could get into WDI by trade agreement!" Makanvand

[ShrunkenNed]

John Lasseter got a spot in WDI! That cheater! :icon_lol:

-Jahan "I wish I could get into WDI by trade agreement!" Makanvand

Yeah. "Principal Creative Advisor." Whatever that means. He also got close to the same title for the animation dept.

PMM, guess this means more Pixar based rides, eh?

[RU42]

Moving this out of Rumor to Off Topic since it discusses Disney on a whole and not specifically one of the DLR Parks.

RU

[Disneytwins]

BTW Disney and Steve Jobs did agree today, I just saw it on the news so this is pretty much a done deal.

[Where'sYourLaughinPlace?]

Yeah, the sale price is aound 7.4 BILLION!!!! I mean......wow.....

[barfownz]

Walt Disney (DIS, news, msgs) said Tuesday it would acquire Steve Jobs' Pixar Animation Studios (PIXR, news, msgs), the creative force behind such animated hits as "Toy Story," "Monsters, Inc.," "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles," in a deal valued at $7.4 billion.

Under the terms of the proposed deal, Disney will issue 2.3 shares of common stock for each of Pixar's shares. Jobs himself will become a Disney director as well as Disney's largest single shareholder with about 7.2% of the common stock -- worth $3.6 billion, based on Disney's $25.99 New York Stock Exchange closing price.

The deal has been in the works for weeks and came after Disney's board of directors cleared the way for CEO Robert Iger to make an offer to buy Pixar. Disney shares climbed 1.84% during the trading day and Pixar shares fell 1.25%. But Wall Street got a chance to vote after the deal was announced. So far, the Street thinks the deal is a winner. Pixar was up 2.5%; Disney was off slightly.

The deal represents a Pixar takeover of Disney's animation business. Pixar President Ed Catmull will serve as President of the new Pixar and Disney animation studios. Pixar Executive Vice President John Lasseter will be Chief Creative Officer of the animation studios, as well as Principal Creative Advisor at Walt Disney Imagineering. Disney said Lasseter, who earlier in his career left Disney for Pixar, will "provide his expertise in the design of new attractions for Disney theme parks around the world." He will also report directly to Iger.

Walt Disney

The deal is a triumph for Iger, who found a way to bring an unhappy Jobs back to Disney after the distribution partnership between the companies had nearly fallen apart. That rift was blamed on former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, and Iger has been credited with repaired the relationship soon after being named CEO.

Jobs originally invested $10 million to buy Pixar, which had been the computer graphics division of Lucasfilm Ltd. Jobs' gain so far: 35,766%. Lucasfilm is the production company of George Lucas, who created the "Star Wars" film series.

Pixar shares tumbled last summer after the company lower second-quarter guidance. It bottomed at $41.25 and is up nearly 40% since.

[k_peek_2000]

YES. this was my favorate line from that whole thing.. "The deal represents a Pixar takeover of Disney's animation business" YES!

[sorcerormickey]

Wow Cool Disney Now Owns Pixar Good Job Bob Iger. You Deserve a pat on the back for a job well done.

[barfownz]

4.7 Billion! What has Disney got in to!

[Disneyland Fan]

I combined barfownz previous thread on this topic since it is already being discussed at length here.
Threads merged.

~Disneyland Fan~

[dctrdez]

SCORE!

Pixar President Ed Catmull will serve as President of the new Pixar and Disney animation studios. Pixar Executive Vice President John Lasseter will be Chief Creative Officer of the animation studios, as well as Principal Creative Advisor at Walt Disney Imagineering.

SCORE!

Disney said Lasseter, who earlier in his career left Disney for Pixar, will "provide his expertise in the design of new attractions for Disney theme parks around the world." He will also report directly to Iger.

SCORE! SCORE! SCORE!

*Pops corks, hands out cigars* TO THE NEXT 50 YEARS! They should have a fireworks show just for this announcement...:biggrin:

[Robert Fuller]

Great, all future Disney animated movies and theme park attractions will be Pixar. We are witnessing the death of Disney, my friends.

[RollingBoulder]

^ That's jumping to conclusions quite a bit. Who's to say what will happen? I have a hard time believing every attraction will be based on a Pixar movie, just because John Lasseter will have a position in WDI. And honestly, with the quality of Disney movies lately, I wouldn't mind if the movies were all Pixar-like.

[TsWade2]

WHEE! Pixar and Disney are back together again! And that makes me want...to sing!

WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY TIME.
WELCOME TO OUR BROTHERLY TIME.
WE?RE HAPPY GIVING AND TAKING
TO THE FRIENDS WE?RE MAKING
THERE?S NOTHING WE WON?T DO.
WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY TIME.
WELCOME TO OUR HAPPY TO BE TIME.
THIS IS A FESTIVAL.
YOU KNOW, AND BEST OF ALL
WE?RE HERE TO SHARE IT ALL.

[barfownz]

I combined barfownz previous thread on this topic since it is already being discussed at length here.
Threads merged.

~Disneyland Fan~

Thanks a lot. :)

[TsWade2]

We love you, Pixar
Oh yes we do.
We love you, Pixar
And we'll be true.
If your not with Disney
We're blue.
Oh, Pixar we love you.

[dctrdez]

^^^nice Bye Bye reference, lolll...

I think it's a good thing; Pixar's product quality is beyond Disney's at this point (and that says something about Pixar, 'cause Disney ain't to shabby). Steve Jobs and John Lasseter are what the company needs right now. Albeit, Jobs wants to direct more of his attention to Apple, but his presence on the board makes me optimistic.

I don't think we're seeing death, we are seeing rebirth; the post-Walt/Eisner era has ended, and we're ushering in a new golden age with fresh ideas, new directions, and a creative management.

Yes, I'm a little optimistic.

2+2=4, Disney+Pixar=:smile:

[disneyguy]

I hope this meas that they can finally get rid of the "A Walt Disney Pictures Presentation of a Pixar Animation Studio's Film." It is rather long and unnessisary!

[PeoplemoverMatt]

Pixar films will be included in the Animation Bldg.'s lobby in 3....2....1......

-- PMM :cool:

[barfownz]

Thats amazing how Disney bought out a huge company!

[Disneyland_Wolf]

Hooray.....now Disney bought Pixar.

What's next?

EA games buying Ubi Soft and Valve Corporation?

That's why I don't like about American businesses. Let Pixar be a Independent Company!!!! God****it! (sorry, I really have to say this...but I really don't like it at all).:mad:

[PeoplemoverMatt]

What's next?

John Lasseter was named Chief Creative Officer at WDI as part of this deal. So what's next? Well I see one of two futures - either a total & complete exploitation of Disney movies in rides, or (and this is the one I'm really hoping for) there's going to be some freaking originality again! :cool:

-- Peoplemover "I raise my tone of voice when the occasion calls for it *pop*" Matt

[dctrdez]

^^^Yes, exactly...

[Disneyland_Wolf]

Thanks Matt! Now I do like it. Time for new, creativity, and originatly again! Disney you can do better this time!

[DisneyResurrection]

Was it 7 1/2 billion or million?

[PeoplemoverMatt]

^ That would be Billion with a B. B is for "if you can't Beat 'em, Buy 'em!"

-- PMM :cool:

[Robert Fuller]

^ That's jumping to conclusions quite a bit. Who's to say what will happen? I have a hard time believing every attraction will be based on a Pixar movie, just because John Lasseter will have a position in WDI. And honestly, with the quality of Disney movies lately, I wouldn't mind if the movies were all Pixar-like.
Well, I was exaggerating, but not by much. We've already seen a virtual Pixar takeover of new ride developments, and after reading this:

The deal represents a Pixar takeover of Disney's animation business.

and this:

Pixar Disney said Lasseter, who earlier in his career left Disney for Pixar, will "provide his expertise in the design of new attractions for Disney theme parks around the world." He will also report directly to Iger.

I don't think I jumped very far to that conclusion. In fact, these two quotes sound suspiciously like what I said, only worded differently.

Personally, I've never been impressed with Pixar, which is why this development scares me. The only Pixar movie that I really liked a lot was Toy Story 2. The first Toy Story and Finding Nemo were enjoyable, too, but nothing special. I was bored by A Bug's Life and The Incredibles, and wasn't interested enough in Monsters Inc. to even bother seeing it. I generally don't find their smarmy, anthropomorphic humor to be funny (The Emperor's New Groove, on the other hand, is hilarious).

Pixar just can't compare to the hand-drawn Disney films, either in terms of the look of the animation (computer animation looks sterile and soulless compared to the beauty that hand-drawn animation is capable of) or the quality of the actual movies. Home on the Range was a bit of a misstep, but the hits definitely outweigh the misses. Now if only they would stop making inane direct-to-video sequels and pointless remakes of their own films and get on with making quality product again.

[RollingBoulder]

Well, I was exaggerating, but not by much. We've already seen a virtual Pixar takeover of new ride developments, and after reading this:

The deal represents a Pixar takeover of Disney's animation business.

and this:

Pixar Disney said Lasseter, who earlier in his career left Disney for Pixar, will "provide his expertise in the design of new attractions for Disney theme parks around the world." He will also report directly to Iger.

I don't think I jumped very far to that conclusion. In fact, these two quotes sound suspiciously like what I said, only worded differently.

The first quote, I can understand where you are coming from. That's really all about whether you like Pixar movies or not.

But the second one still seems like it leaves quite a bit to interpretation. To me, it just basically says he worked for Disney earlier, so he has some experience working on Disney attractions. Not necessarily that he's going to go and throw in a bunch of Pixar themed rides to his heart's content.

[brerbear8]

I am actually excited about this move. I love the Disney/Pixar movies and I hope some new creativity/ non-movie based rides come out of it! I guess we can all only hope for the best!

[Ezra]

Now if we can just get the Disney suits who micromanage projects to death to just take a step back and allow the creative people do what they do... Pixar's CGI expertise and story smarts will be a real help on the upcoming Rapunzel Unbraided... and maybe Fraidy Cat will be dusted off and put back into production. That'd be cool.

[mousecrazy]

Well everyone, looks like we have a new BOSS!!! Whoa....

[Ezra]

Well everyone, looks like we have a new BOSS!!! Whoa.... Yeah I bet the people who work at Disney's Circle 7 are quaking in their boots right now!

[Chris]

Actually the Rumor is that Circle 7 will remain... for now.

[Jen-Ness]

I hope Disney won't give up hand drawing movies. I prefer that to computer animation.

[ryguy222]

^^they are buying pixar which means that they get the big bulding with all the animation computers.

[k_peek_2000]

Okay yeah you guys are jumping to conclusions. First of All. NOT EVERY RIDE AT DISNEYLAND IS BASED ON A MOVIE!!!!!!!! Just because they merged doesnt mean anything........ They will still release new origional rides. Plus this is a good thing for disneyland. Seeing it is sleeping bueaty castle in the begining of every disney/pixar movie.

[barfownz]

I was at school and my teachers had the radio on and they were talking about disney buying pixar for 7.4 BILLION!

[Disneylandrocks1955]

This is the greatest thing that's happend to Disney since Pixar made them Toy Story. Disney NEEDED a change, badly. With Jon Lasseter at the head of the new DisneyPixar animation studio (and working for WDI) nothing can go wrong.

[Ezra]

This is the greatest thing that's happend to Disney since Pixar made them Toy Story. Disney NEEDED a change, badly. With Jon Lasseter at the head of the new DisneyPixar animation studio (and working for WDI) nothing can go wrong. That's what they always say in the horror movies! :eek: Jinx! :eek:

[Chris]

It was announced during a meeting today at WDFA (Walt Disney Feature Animation) that the Toy Story 3 project has stopped (This was a project that Circle 7 was working on).

This is good news! (May not be such good news for the people at Circle 7, but nothing was announced about it's future).

[barfownz]

I wanted to see Toy Story 3! Why did they stop it?

[AlexLoup]

Okay this is going to seem stupid... what is the Circle 7?

[PeoplemoverMatt]

I'm going to laugh if this forum never gets more than 1 thread. :tongue:

-- PMM :cool:

[Chris]

Circle 7 (Named after the Street it's on, truly original) was a small computer animation team set up to start making Pixar sequals. Some say it was set up to be a bargaining chip in negotiations with Pixar (i.e. 'If you don't sign up with us, we have this studio ready to start producing Pixar sequals) and others say it was legitimately set up to actually do these sequals and other projects. The secret was poorly kept.

However, now that things have changed, and Toy Story 3 is officially dead in the water (at least from Circle 7, Pixar may one day do their own version), it's tough to say what the future holds for animators at Circle 7 now that they essentially have nothing to work on.

-Chris

[DisneyResurrection]

^ That would be Billion with a B. B is for "if you can't Beat 'em, Buy 'em!"

-- PMM :cool:
lol Thanks. I just caught it on the news and thought it had to be billion but wasn't sure what I heard.

[Chris]

An article in the LA Times says Iger and Jobs have implied that Circle 7 Studios will be no more...

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-pixarent26jan26,1,6907794.story?coll=la-headlines-business

(Registration is required to read the LA Times online, with the amount of material coming out about the changes at Disney, I highly recommend registering).

[dreamscometrue555]

toy story 3 is computer animated again!

EDIT:

whats this?

" wanted to see Toy Story 3! Why did they stop it?"

...speechless...
wahts going on???

[Ezra]

"wanted to see Toy Story 3! Why did they stop it?"...speechless...whats going on??? The feeling is that the folks at Pixar who did the first two should do Toy Story 3. I'm sure there will be a TS3 but it will be created by the Pixar team instead of Circle 7

[Disneyland_Wolf]

*ahem* Speaking of which, when did Disney bought Pixar?

[dreamscometrue555]

i think yesterday
or maybe it was official yesterday

[disneyguy]

*ahem* Speaking of which, when did Disney bought Pixar?See Here (http://www.mickeynews.com/News/DisplayPressRelease.asp_Q_id_E_1246Offic ial)

[Where'sYourLaughinPlace?]

I think that this is great for Disney. As jobs is the largest shareholder, he will have some influence. Steve Jobs is a very smart business wise, and likes to push the envelope of what can be done. I think this is a VERY, VERY good move on Disney's part.

[Executioner]

I think that this is great for Disney. As jobs is the largest shareholder, he will have some influence. Steve Jobs is a very smart business wise, and likes to push the envelope of what can be done. I think this is a VERY, VERY good move on Disney's part.

Let us only hope and pray. I am having reservations on this purchase. Personlly, Disney could have spent that money (which is quite a large sum) and used it to rebuild it's own animation department back up to it's former glory. But it is cheaper to buy something that is already up to speed and doing quite well then to rebuild and restructure something broken.

[Chris]

The money would have bought desks, computers, office space, but to fill that office space with talented and committed employees, you need talent (and respect) at the very top, which is where John comes in, along with a group of directors (like Andrew Stanton and Brad Bird) who 'get it'.

Imagine if Pixar went with another studio, or decided to try out the theme park business themselves? I think this was probably the best decision for both studios.

[dc8781]

Jobs cuts jobs......at the happiest place on earth

[disneyguy]

Jobs cuts jobs?????

[dc8781]

im just thinkin down the road...and i think hes gonna have a bigger hand than we all think...

[Where'sYourLaughinPlace?]

The only reason Apple did those layoffs in 97 is because they were struggling severely. As far as we know, Disney does not need to drop $400 million just to turn a profit. Which was the circumstance for apple in 97. I do not think there is anything to worry about.

[dc8781]

shouldve just let him have stock in tomorrowland....hop aboard your IPOD..lets go back into the future .....

[RollingBoulder]

Maybe I just missed it, but was the purchase of Pixar effective immediately? Because on my stock tracker, it still shows the Pixar stock prices changing everyday.

[Chris]

The merger is going to take up to six months to become final. I imagine you will be notified by mail when your stock changes from Pixar to Disney.