Walt Disney Company — What The FOX ?!?

I know I've seemed to be away for awhile now, but truthfully there just hasn't been much going on. Which I'm sure has to do with D23 being right around the corner. I’m going to do a show alone to cover all that comes form there. Until then however, this has happened. Variety reports Disney making huge changes at 20th Century Fox. With Kevin Feige inheriting all things hero, & axing the majority of things in development for the studio, refocusing output. CEO Bob Iger also told Wall Street analysts in addition, the company’s streaming platform Disney Plus will get four big brands from Fox, the Macaulay Culkin holiday franchise Home Alone, the historical action romp Night at the Museum, the family comedy Cheaper by the Dozen and the live-action The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Disney chief financial officer Christine McCarthy revealed Fox film was at an operating loss of $170 million for the quarter. Citing the horrible performance of Dark Phoenix barely breaking even, & marketing costs for upcoming films such as FORD v FERRARI. The only complete FOX film Iger seems to really have faith in. Determined to keep 20th Century Fox it’s own thing, Iger said it would probably take a year or two to have an impact on the films on production. The future slate past this year seems all up in the air though. With James Cameron’s sequels to Avatar, as well as a continuation of the Planet of the Apes to proceed, Iger also said indie label Fox Searchlight will continue on its current trajectory and also make movies for Disney+. Fox's film division will have to pare back its number of releases. I don’t get how this is to big of a surprise. Considering FOX wasn't putting out quality stuff. They were just souring what properties they did own the rights to. I was very surprised when Disney announced as many FOX films as they did. Dark Phoenix should have proved all these films probably need some hard looks at & retooling before deciding on whether they deserve major or minor releases growing forward. The question is will this level of change affect the type of material coming out of FOX altogether. FOX does some weird shit in some of their films, taking major chances with at times edgy material. The House of Mouse is gonna have to jump in running it looks like, as opposed to the gradual pace they had looked like they accepted. Curious to see where 20th Century Fox is in the next 5 years. What do y'all think? Y’all hear this. Can Disney jump in right now 100% & FOX still keep the identity we've always known form FOX? Put it in the comments, like, & share.

Jun 18, 2019

Michelle Rejwan Now Senior VP Live Action Development And Production For Lucasfilm

Hollywood Reporter reports Michelle Rejwan is now the Senior VP of Live Action Development & Production. She will oversee new feature films as well Disney+ series while still producing with president Kathleen Kennedy. That seems like a hefty responsibility to drop on someone who's previous credits at Lucasfilm are producing The Force Awakens & The Rise of Skywalker. Kennedy really sees something in her though, having “seen first-hand her skills collaborating with writers and directors, and I've been incredibly impressed with her creative skills and her ability to manage the complexity surrounding these massive projects.” Can she be the Feige of Star Wars? Time will tell. After the hate Kennedy got from the last installment, which I loved by the way, one could think this is just to give her a scapegoat if things don't go as well over the next few projects. Curious to see how much influence this winds up having as a whole. What do y'all think? Trust in Kennedy? Or do you think maybe a more vetted choice would have been better? Put it in the comments, like, & share.

May 21, 2019

Disney Reveals Name of Tokyo DisneySea's 8th Port

After breaking ground in what is to become Tokyo DisneySea's 8th port, we now have its official name. Fantasy Springs will be the title, but that's not all Dismey released on the subject. They also released some beautiful day & night concept art depicting the look of the new lands. Oriental land is investing 250 Billion Yen on this project that will feature lands themed to Frozen, Tangled, & Peter Pan. Frozen's land of post film Arendelle will feature an attraction that tells the story of Elsa and her beloved sister, Anna. Sounding like the familiar Epcot ride, suests will board boats and experience the sisters’ heartfelt journey, enjoying songs from the film, and encountering surprising thrills. There will also be a restaurant set inside the beautiful Arendelle Castle. Tangled's land will naturally feature Rapunzel’s tower rising above the forest. It will also include an boat attraction where guests will board gondolas for a romantic boat tour of Rapunzel’s “Best Day Ever” as she journeys with Flynn to the lantern festival. Flickering lanterns illuminate the attraction’s climactic scene while Rapunzel and Flynn sing an iconic song from the film. The pand will also feature a restaurant, inspired by the hideout of the band of thugs who appeared in the film in the "I've Got A Dream" sequence. Neverland will also be home to two attractions and a restaurant. Featuring landmarks including verdant mountains, Captain Hook’s pirate ship and Skull Rock. One attraction will fly over the jungles of Neverland into a battle with Captain Hook and his crew of pirates to rescue Wendy’s younger brother, John, who has been kidnapped by Captain Hook and his pirates. You'll board boats and follow the Lost Boys down a river until Tinker Bell sprinkles the boats with pixie dust, & you take off flying through Neverland on an adventure that featuring iconic music and dynamic 3D imagery of the characters from the film. The second attraction immerses us in the oversized world of Pixie Hollow, while the restaurant is inspired by the Lost Boys and their hideout. There will also be a new Disney Hllyel in the park. Themed to Disney fantasy, it will rise above and around the magical springs that serve as the core of the new themed port’s story. Offering 475 deluxe-type and luxury-type guest rooms, this park facing hotel will also feature a merchandise shop that helps share the story of the magical springs. One day I'll make it out here to see all the amazingly beautiful things TokyoSea has to offer. Luckily, I have one more reason to postpone that adventure until this amazing new addition is done.