Following Disney T and T!!!

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Corporate- The Greatest Franchises

Disney has some great franchises to rely on including Toy Story, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Disney Princesses, but lately it seems that Disney's new franchises are weak and underwhelming. Think about this term for a minute; what is a franchise? A franchise is an idea or concept that the company can bank on. A franchise is never a one hit wonder, it is an idea that starts a trend and easily spawns new ideas and ventures. A franchise should also be able to have successful movie sequels, strong consumer product lines, television shows, video games, and theme park attractions. Don't be mistaken by franchise fakers; as dear as the Haunted Mansion is, it's not a franchise. The Lion King is not a franchise. Cars is not a franchise (though I know Disney is really trying to make it one). A franchise is exciting. The best franchises do not get an attraction at the park, they get a whole park to themselves. Here is a list of the ten best franchises in entertainment

10) Marvel Universe. It's fun to follow and know how the characters interplay.

9) Indiana Jones. The act of discovery is very exciting.

8) The Simpsons. The strength of this franchise is in the large cast of characters.

7) Preacher comic book series. (Potential...why has this not been made a series of movies yet?)

6) Lord of the Rings. Imagine walking around the Shire, Rivendell, or Gondor.

5) Harry Potter series. Wizards of Waverly place was Disney's attempt to capture some of these fans, but the Potter series is so well-written and full of fun ideas and language that it is in a league all its own.

4) Star Wars. Since 1977 this franchise has been leading the charge. The Disney/Lucas cooperation projects only help Disney, but they can do more. Why not a star wars themed land or park? Why not a Soarin style attraction in the millennium falcon? Star Tours is good, but why not create a 3-D environment that actually follows the stories?

3) Batman. He's a superhero without superpowers...making him believeable (to a degree) and addictive. Look at the Christopher Nolan Batman movies, they are amazing. The adventures of Batman are never going away.

2) The Muppets. This is the strongest asset Disney has right now that they can actually work with. They can't mess with Mickey, but the Muppets are those type of characters for adults. They can use adult humor and they can experiment with these characters! I'm glad they re-vitalized the franchise again, but lets hope they made it good.

1) Jurassic Park. What a concept this is, interesting, fun, exciting, and full of imagination. The books are great, the first movie is great, and it hits the inner kid in all of us...but the best part is that IT IS A THEME PARK SO THERE WON'T BE ANY PROBLEM ADAPTING IT. It is a shame that universal has this because they do not know how to properly leverage this asset. The ride they have now is terrible, the little eatery is terrible, and they aren't using it to its full potential. Imagine what Disney could do with this idea. It would demand its own theme park and Disney would really attempt to recreate the feeling of the books/movies. Not just a "dinosaur ride", but imagine a park that had all the elements and layout of the story. That would be exciting.

Obviously, all of these franchises already exist and would cost a lot of money to acquire (if they even could). However, Disney can also grow franchises in-house. Concepts such as Ninjas, Karate, Astronauts/Space, ghosts, Mafia, etc. All these concepts are GENRES in addition to their current Pirates, Princesses, and the recent vampire craze.

Disney Studios- The Triumph of the Disney Theatrical Group

  When people think Disney musical's, most will likely conjure up the eternal movies, but Disney Theatrical Group (DTG) is giving the film studios a run for its money. DTG is a great concept because it brings to life the characters and stories from the films. Their history is short and their movement is slow, but their successes so far are solid.

 Beauty and the Beast (1994)
 The Lion King (1997)
 Aida (2000)
 Mary Poppins (2004)
 Tarzan (2006)
 The Little Mermaid (2008)

Furthermore, Disney was wise enough to really begin expanding their theatrical investment with planned shows of:
   Dumbo
   Aladdin
   The Hunchback of Notre Dame
   The Jungle Book
   Alice in Wonderland (Tim Burton version)

Though I can't say i'm excited about the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland, the rest of the upcoming slate shows lots of promise. Disney has a variety of stories that they can bring to life in front of the audience. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Tramp, etc. would all make potential popular musicals and will help make them popular and relevant again today. Disney must also use these in-production musicals as a test beacon before they attempt a musical based on a Pixar movie. You think Lion King was good, how about Finding Nemo, or Toy Story, or Up, etc. Pixar musicals would bring immediate sensation and make DTG the premier show producer in the country. Disney must be careful to protect and ensure these musicals are produced to their fullest, but need to keep the entity of the musical alive. Their shows are too often out of service; Beauty and the Beast should be traveling around the globe, Lion King will always be popular, Mary Poppins and Little Mermaid were not out long enough to gain the momentum needed. DISNEY MUST DEBUT ON BROADWAY, BUT THEN TRAVEL THE SHOW TO GAIN SUCCESS. THEIR MAIN AUDIENCE WILL NOT BE FOUND ON BROADWAY, BUT IN LARGER CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

   Disney also has a break in the theatrical venue because the audience will not be heavily scrutinizing the characters acting. Disney's main priority must be to ensure the music and the story flow well. If the actor can sing it well then the guest will enjoy, but a good actor who is unable to sing the character's notes like they do in film will cause disappointment and anger in the guest.

DTG has a strong future and I look forward to the future in this endeavor, I just wonder what took the company so long to actually make DTG a priority and realize the potential within it.