Disney and Pixar Call It Quits?

[CookieS]

When Pixar Animation Studios Inc. stock shares slumped 6% last week, Disney reconsidered a future with the company. Pixar and Disney stuck a three-feature deal back in 1991 that brought about some of the biggest hits in computer animation, mainly "Toy Story", "A Bug's Life" and "Monsters Inc.". The contract was renewed in 1997 to secure three more collaborative features, including next year's "Finding Nemo", and the subsequent features, "The Incredibles" (2004) and "Cars" (2005). When Pixar was granted the three additional pictures in 1997, it gained a larger portion from the films' profits, as opposed to taking the minority porition from the profits of "Toy Story". Insiders speculate the company is looking for new partners in order to gain a majority of the income from feature films.

While the success of the films was a boom for both companies, it has been noted that Pixar will be avalible to look for other companies to team with as their exclusive deal ends with Disney in Feburary 2003. Eyebrows have been raised as Disney has already inked multi-picture a deal with Vanguard Films, a production company set up by a producer from DreamWorks's hit film "Shrek". The first Disney-Vanguard featre will be titled "Valiant", and followed up by two additional films.

Although Pixar's stock has fallen, it has not officially called it quits with Disney. Pixar chief Steve Jobs, has said that while the company is looking for other connections to Hollywood, their relationship with the Walt Disney Co. was still good. Walt Disney chariman Dick Cook, also commented that relations between the two companies were "great".

Pixar and Disney are currently releasing "Monsters Inc." on VHS and DVD on September 17. It will include a special short "Mike's New Car" along with other additional features.

[Source: Reuters]

Jonathan Kavalos
Toon Zone News

[oranthal]

why does Pixar have to partner with another company? i think it has the strength to stand on its own legs. people should know the company "Pixar" by now with hits like toy story, monsters inc, and bug's life.

[zimbach]

Originally posted by oranthal
why does Pixar have to partner with another company? i think it has the strength to stand on its own legs. people should know the company "Pixar" by now with hits like toy story, monsters inc, and bug's life.

Pixar is an animation production studio. Distributing a film is a completely different business category from making a film. There is no really strong reason why Pixar couldn't be it's own distributor, but it would mean hiring on a full time sales staff of a kind that you just can't find in Emeryville.

[LightAngel]

Pixar by no means needs to lean on Disney for support. It could very well stand on its own financially, and definently creatively. If not financially, there are plenty of other companies that will recognize Pixar's talent.

[John Miles]

I would like nothing better than to see Pixar leave Disney for not paying them enough of the profits. It's time for Disney to wake up and start valuing their animators.

[Mad Monkey 7]

If Pixar decide go on their own, there one problem. Pixar will only release one film per year or every two years thrus they would not make much profit. Then they have to worry about where to put on video and DVD.

I say, Pixar should stay with Disney. Disney has the resources and Pixar has the products. A good relationship for the both of them. I do agree that Pixar should get more of shares of the profit.

[Zero Angel]

i dont think it is simply a matter of Disney searching for a new company to work with. i think there are some major differences between the two besides contracts.

a year or so back when the Studio Ghibli material had its contract ending with Buena Vista, Pixar made a bid for the material. Disney counter bidded to keep the Ghibli films. now if this type of buisness has been going on for a while to keep Pixar from expanding then they very well may be looking for partners that would allow such things...

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

One other thing to consider in these talks is that the Disney corporation is on really shaky financial footing (mostly because ABC's ratings went straight down the toilet after they bet the farm on Who Wants to be a Millionaire). These days, I think they're trying to cut costs wherever they can, and I'm sure the profit-sharing Pixar demands is getting a good hard look by the shareholders and the Disney bean-counters.

I'm sure Pixar will end up on its feet if the deal with Disney goes sour. I'm sure there are plenty of studios out there in need of hits and willing to pay for them, and Pixar's track record speaks for itself. In fact, it might even be better for Pixar to be free of the Disney shackles, and could theoretically begin to branch beyond the kid's market.


-- Ed/Ace

[Mad Monkey 7]

http://dvd.ign.com/articles/371/371028p2.html

Pixar has a monkey. Yes, a real monkey in their office. Who needs Disney, when you have a monkey.

[meatwads_friend]

whens toy story 3 coming out.

[loyalheart]

if they brake off i dont think their would be a third one would there?

but what if that guy from Pixar was offered Eisner's job at disney?

would he leave or work with both?

i doubt it would happen but its just a question...

[Joe Wagner]

Right now there is no Toy Story 3 - Pixar isn't interested in doing endless sequels to a movie just for the sake of the having a sequel - all of their films are story driven and would be the deciding factor of making a third Toy Story film.

As for the potential split between Pixar and the Mouse House - I honestly think that Pixar could sign a far more lucrative contract with another company that wants to become engrained in the animated business. While Disney is recognized as being one of the most family friendly businesses in the world their rules have severely restricted the type of stuff that Pixar could do. With the amazing work they have put together so far I am really looking forward to some of the features they are already preparing for after their Disney contract has expired, mainly the Brad Bird project about a superhero family.

Overall I think that Pixar will remain successful regardless of their contract with Disney, or lack there of. However I do think that Disney would feel the pain of seeing one of their biggest money makers over the past couple of years leave their company.

-Joe!

[loyalheart]

i thought pixar DID want 3 toy story movies?

[RZetlin]

Originally posted by KimPossibleFan
i thought pixar DID want 3 toy story movies?

No, Pixar doesn't want to produce another Toy Story 3 just for the sake of it.

It's Disney who desperately want that Toy Story sequel from Pixar.

Pixar is not like Disney where they produce endless of cheap sequels.

Pixar strength has always been in quality.

[Vin]

I think Pixar does want to make "Toy Story 3," but they want it to be included in the five picture deal with Disney. The current contract excludes sequels as part of the five picture deal. Thus, Pixar would rather finish the deal with Disney first, before even considering making a sequel.

[loyalheart]

i didn't say just for the sake. i menti thought they had one planned out all along.. because thats what i read before.

but i guess there was alot of TS3 and pixar rumors...

[zimbach]

Originally posted by KimPossibleFan
if they brake off i dont think their would be a third one would there?

but what if that guy from Pixar was offered Eisner's job at disney?

Who? Steve Jobs?

would he leave or work with both?

i doubt it would happen but its just a question...

Jobs is already CEO at both Pixar and Apple Computer (though he only gets paid $1 plus perks from Apple). I doubt he'd have time to take a third job, especially for such a huge, confusing mess as Disney. Maybe Woz would do it.
(Though there have been rumors in the past about an Apple/Disney merger, nothing much ever came of those.)

[Mad Monkey 7]

The Pixar crew hang out with Eisner's replacement.

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

Just to try and clarify some of the stuff that seems to have gotten garbled over the Internet:

Originally, Pixar didn't intend to do Toy Story 2, since (as someone else mentioned) they don't do sequels for their own sake. However, they started tweaking around the ideas they had from the first movie (i.e., the toy collector, and the concept that toys want to be played with) and came up with TS2. Originally, I think it was supposed to be a direct-to-video, but it turned into another theatrical release. I think all this information is on the supplements disc of the Toy Story 3-DVD set.

The five-picture deal thing did involve a spat between Disney and Pixar, but the spat was over Toy Story 2, not 3. Pixar wanted TS2 to count towards the 5-picture deal, and Disney didn't. I think the disputing point was over the term "original movie," which Pixar took to include sequels and which Disney didn't.

To my knowledge, they are not working on Toy Story 3 and have no intention of doing so unless a killer concept comes along. They're barely connected to the Buzz Lightyear cartoon.

Eisner is also being threatened to turn Disney's fortunes around or he's getting the boot. I'll bet a nickel that the Disney-Pixar deal will die, Pixar will sign with another studio (not Dreamworks, though) and continue making excellent, moneymaking movies, and Disney will still continue its slow descent down the toilet again.

-- Ed/Ace

[robert]

I say the Mouse House needs to give Pixar all the respect they can give them- I mean, who else is gonna give them zillions of bucks with their CGI films when, before Lilo and Stitch, none of their movies for the last several years that weren't produced by Pixar made a lot of money. And they certainly can't do CGI by themselves as the movie "Dinosaur" proved, a movie where, if it had a ounce of Pixar's storytelling talent and ability to create clever, original situations and characters to go along with technical wizardy, I couldn't find it. So unless they got really good outside ideas, they should patch things up with Pixar if for no other reason than for money- but if they force them against their will to do a shoddy Toy Story 3, I will never forgive them.