Walt Disney Co. — The Mouse & The Desklamp

For awhile now 21st Century Fox has been in talks to sell off most of it's assets. Everything except Fox Broadcasting network & stations, Fox News, Fox Business, FS1, FS2, & Big Ten Network was to go with the deal. That deal is now over & done with Disney acquiring 21st Century Fox, including the Film & Television studios, along with cable & international TV businesses, for $52.4 billion in stock (subject to adjust). Bob Iger, who as of now was retiring next year, will now remain Chairman & CEO through 2021. Disney's stake in HULU is now a controlling interest. Some of the properties this includes are super exciting. Avatar, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Deadpool, The Simpsons , & more will now be under the Disney umbrella. Along with extensive international properties including the likes of Star in India & Fox's 39% ownership of Sky. Throw in National Geographic Partners among other things & you've got one huge transaction. This is amazing! Marvel is becoming more complete, & Disney is one step closer to owning all of our entertainment. I'm So excited for this. Disney has handled Marvel & Lucasfilm so well I can't help but think they will do the same for these Fox acquisitions as well. Obviously for me, the main three things to come out of this are X-Men & Fantastic Four coming back to Marvel, as well as the acquisition of Avatar. This puts it right at home with the amazing park addition to Animal Kingdom that bears it's name. The third thing is more of a question. With controlling interest in HULU how will this affect Disney wanting to get into streaming? Will they just try to absorb HULU? Or would they create their own competition? I can't wait to see how more of this pans out. What do y'all think of this new addition to the Disney Company though? Put it in the comments, like, & share.

CEO of Walt Disney Co. Bob Iger, while speaking at Vanity Fair's New Establishment Summit, announced that he is planning to step down from his position sometime, mid-2019. Pushed back from 2016 to 2018, & then extended until this new 2019 date while having trouble finding a successor, this will be the third attempt made by Iger to leave his position as CEO. This time however he says, "This time I mean it." He's leaving some really big shoes behind to fill. I mean, this guy is responsible for Disney's acquisition of Pixar, Marvel, & Lucasfilm. Those almost seeming small achievements compared to all the amazing feats that have occurred while under Iger guidance. I would almost go as far to say no one has done this much for the Disney Company since Walt himself. I wish Bob Iger well in his future endeavors, & my only hope is they can find someone who can really step up to the task. Is this even possible? What do y'all think now that it's finally coming to that time? 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.