Disney Studios- A proper film slate formula

Disney films come in several forms based upon the business entity that created it. Obviously, Disney owns many franchises including Marvel, Lucasfilm, the Muppets, Pixar, etc. These are of course in addition to all of Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney animation studios, Touchstone, and other Disney companies. Each year seems a little different in what the film slate represents, but in general I believe Disney is at its strongest with a mix of the following.

Each year should encompass at least

- 1 Tentpole film. This is a large blockbuster film, typically made by Walt Disney Pictures. Budgets for this one should be at least $100,000,000 and should be released somewhere between May-July each year. Examples of these include Pirates of the Caribbean, Alice in Wonderland, Oz the Great and Powerful, etc.

- 1 Walt Disney Animation studios film. These are the classic Disney cartoons today. The revenue is not always ideal, but the tradition continues and quality remains high. These are respectable films. Examples include Frozen, Wreck it Ralph, Tangled, Princess and the Frog, etc.

- 2 or 3 Small live action films. These are the economical movies that Eisner called the "Singles and doubles" strategy. These will not make lots of revenue, but they can be made for fairly cheap and they tell a compelling story that is family friendly. These are low risk, medium reward. Examples include Million Dollar Arm, Alexander the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, McFarland USA, etc.

- 1 Lucasfilm movie per year. I am going to limit this to be Star Wars related. The current line up has a switching off between the Skywalker storyline versus anthology films. Disney has a large library of books it can draw from for its anthology films that there are a lot of options here, including character origin stories or side stories.

- 1-2 Pixar movies per year. Pixar is the ultra quality animated films that seek to entertain. These films come in two forms, original films and sequels. If Disney makes two films per year then one should always be original whereas the other can be a sequel. However, if only one film occurs per year then it should be original.

- 2-3 Marvel movies per year. Marvel movies are the best action movies of the year and should continue at a growing frenetic pace. The MCU can continue to grow and should be thought of in that way. There are still many smaller characters that Marvel can introduce and compelling comic storylines they can utilize. If Disney can negotiate with Fox and Sony, then Disney can utilize the restricted characters.

- 1 Live action remake. These are a more recent phenomenon and have included Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Jungle Book. There are about 15 planned remakes currently. I applaud the drive to make these, they will bring in substantial revenue if done well, but these must be distinct and separate from the tentpole film as stated above.

1- Disneynature film. These documentaries don't make a lot of money, but they can be made economically and play an important role in film.

Additional- I believe a Muppet movie could be supported every 3 years, Indiana Jones every 3 years,
Winnie the Pooh every 5 or so, etc. Thoughts?

Disney Studios- 2016 Year in Review

The film slate has gotten progressively better under the leadership of Alan Horn (remember the disastrous 2011 film slate) and Disney should be proud of the year they had, but there is still significant room for improvement. The film slate was fairly predictable with few surprises or risks taken...they're playing it safe, which is fine to a point, but is not a optimal long term strategy. The film slate was as follows

The Finest Hours- I admit I never saw this one, no interest. Chris Pine on a boat... It did not get stellar reviews, did not make much money, however it was a January release so what should we really expect. I commend Disney for pushing these smaller movies, echoing back to Eisner's single and doubles strategy should be a part of each year's film slate. This one just looked terrible.

Zootopia- This is a solid film, worthy of praise, but it is not fun. Nobody will be taking home a Judy Hopps doll. I applaud the fact that Disney strayed away from the Musical genre for this one, instead choosing film noir. The potential franchising opportunities of pitch of this film were outstanding; can you imagine a film city full of animals as a more perfect place than Animal Kingdom? Alas, the slow and serious tone make it less of a kid's film than previously expected. Grade- B

The Jungle Book- Fun, technological, and forgettable. The best part of this film was the casting and the graphics. This is a GREAT way to really jump start the "Disney live action remake genre" (After Cinderella). Grade- A-

Captain America: Civil War- A surprise announcement for Phase 3, this film skewered the comic book storyline, but still managed to pit the heroes against each other. Action, plot, and acting were all excellent. Grade- A

Alice Through the Looking Glass- Did you see this one? Most people didn't, it wasn't in theaters very long. Entirely forgettable and nonsensical (Not in the good Lewis Carroll way). This seems like a bloated waste of money that SHOULD have been made, but needed better execution. The first Alice in Wonderland was too heavy, this one was heavy and boring. Grade- F

Finding Dory- A sequel to Finding Nemo...a beloved Pixar classic. The stakes were high. How do you follow near perfection? That is a tough task. Did Pixar meet the same mark, alas no, but Finding Dory is enjoyable and has some very heartwarming moments. Ed Oneil's octopus is a welcome addition and fun character to prod the storyline along. Grade B

The BFG- Read the book as a kid, thought it was ok, however no real interest in seeing this today, so I admit I never did. Reviews were mixed, Spielberg directing...eh i'll move on.

Pete's Dragon- This is the epitome of an unnecessary remake with no purpose that nobody was clamoring for. See, in 2010, Disney made a sequel to Tron...at least it advanced the storyline. Here this is an alternative remake...reviews were fairly positive, but still...I didn't see it. No interest.

Doctor Strange- Moving the MCU along now we get a magical hero, pretty excited about this one. Casting was good with Cumberbatch, The main plot line was constrained because they had to incorporate the time gem into it. Side characters were totally useless. Grade- B

Moana- Haven't seen it yet, but it looks underwhelming, Dwayne Johnson appears to be annoying, Disney marketing did not push it that much so that makes me think they had low confidence in it.

Rogue One- Haven't seen it yet, but I hear it's pretty good. Time will tell how these anthology films will fare. Will they be able to stand on their own after 2019's Episode 9?

Overall, grade- B

Disney Studios- DC's faults are Marvel's gains

As we all know, Disney has brought the Marvel MCU to the forefront of culture as a linear film narrative, which we all love. The first few years of Marvel movies since the acquisition in 2009 were not stellar (known as phase I). There were some duds (Captain America, Iron Man 2, etc.) However, more important than the movies themselves was the creation of the foundation for a long term universe. Marvel ingeniously had easter eggs and post-credit sequences to provide a preview of future  characters and storylines. Secondly, Marvel's selection of characters for use has been strong and enduring. They introduce characters periodically, but more importantly, they introduce well-known storylines that fans want to see on screen (Civil war, infinity war, etc.). How long can Disney keep this up? It is unclear, but we know that Phase III will likely be their strongest phase yet and I can't wait to see what Phase IV looks like. With successes such as these though, there are bound to be copycats lurking.

Enter the Hasbro universe...I won't go into this in this post.

Enter the DC Universe. The DC universe announcement was a foregone conclusion and was a long time coming. After the Dark knight trilogy, you'd think DC would have been making at least two movies a year. They didn't. They restarted the franchise and gave us one singular movie.

Man of steel- This 2013 movie was not horrible, but it was not enjoyable either. A darker take with too much action (rare to say that for an action movie) which just did not work. This was a poor way to kick off the DCU.

You'd think DC would then start making the movies regularly, but then they delayed. Then wavered and we waited, and waited, and waited. Then they gave us a glimmer of hope. They came out with a schedule that looked way into the future (2020). The first movie out of this plan was not an origin story, but instead a new take on the clash of characters.

Batman V. Superman- This movie was supposed to be awe inspiring as our two favorite characters take up the big screen. The premise was good, the execution was terrible. First off, the characterization is all wrong, it's as if Mr. Snyder is not familiar with Batman or Superman. Batman doesn't use guns and he doesn't kill, Superman also doesn't kill, Lex author was annoying, the desert fighting scene made no sense, the Martha similarity scene did not play well, the addition of Wonder woman served little purpose in the plot, and You ruined Doomsday. Good job DC. The most important element in these movies is that they must be fun to watch, they should not be squarely focused on earthly grounded themes of morality. Lastly, Aquaman, Flash, and Cyborg looked terrible in my opinion.

Suicide Squad- I admit i have not yet seen this one. I am hesitant to wade into the waters again. The reviews I read were lackluster, but I can already tell that it is Will Smith focused, which should not be the focus. I do commend DC for making a film on a smaller property like suicide squad, because after all, DC has a smaller canon on characters and they will be used up soon enough

Now, where does this leave us? DC's attempts at creating the universe of their own have been shaky at best (though they are making money with suicide squad). Who gains from this shakiness? Marvel does. Comic book movies bring fans out to watch them and DC fans will go to Marvel movies. However, BAD comic book movies will still continue to benefit Marvel more than anyone else because it makes their pictures look that much better.

It is often said that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. So true. As we move forward I am genuinely excited about Marvel's prospects into the future.

Doctor Strange
Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2
Spiderman Homecoming
Thor Ragnarock
Black Panther
Ant-man and the Wasp
Avengers Infinity War
Captain Marvel

What do you think?

Disney Studios- 2013 Year in Review

Television:
   It seems to really be going downhill lately. Ever since Wizards of Waverly Place ended and Good Luck Charlie has run out of ideas we've been left with some pretty bad table scraps...Dog with a Blog is terrible and the rest are tired. Phineas and the rest of the animated films are boring and the live action needs a good new idea.


Parks:
   The new Fantasyland at WDW is a great start and it looks great. I think the highlight of the expansion will be the mine train. The rest is more spectacle and visual than it is imaginative or entertaining. WDW needs a real ride, a real experience. What would be a good attraction idea? I suggest they use the same model as Universal's Islands of adventure. A hulk type roller coaster...a 3d adventure like Spiderman. Maybe even a freefall simulator like Doctor Doom. Why should they do this? A new fastpass attraction that utilizes Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar, etc. Even better though is that it will take away the buzz from the Marvel attractions. Avatarland is not going to generate a lot of buzz.
  What's going on at Disneyland? Nothing really new and nothing noteworthy. It's time to make a statement again.


Movies:
  A So-So year for movies. Some good movies, but nothing to really franchise on.

Oz the great and powerful- Grade F
Iron Man 3- Grade C
Monsters University- Grade A-
Lone Ranger- Grade D
Planes- Grade F
Thor- Grade B-
Saving Mr. Banks- Grade A

2014 Isn't looking to be much better. Delaying the Good Dinosaur? Maleficent?  Captain America? However, we should all be excited about Guardians of the Galaxy...

Parks and Resorts- Starbucks inside Disney Parks...Yes Please!

Recently it was announced that Disneyland and Walt Disney World would be receiving Starbucks locations, both inside and outside the parks. Some might say that this is just simple price gouging, but I would argue that this is a blessing. As we all know, Disney is the master of many things, but not everything. A good cup of coffee has eluded Disney for decades. The parks' coffee is trite and embittered, giving it a reheated quality to it. Let Disney focus on the important stuff and contract out with Starbucks, they are coffee professionals. Disney should only continue to make their own coffee if they can invest in it heavily and make it a priority, which they won't do.
   Adding Starbucks adds points throughout the park and resort where the guest can take a few moments and unwind. It provides a sense of home and comfort along with the strong kick of caffeine. The Starbucks brand is strong, so Disney should use it sparingly, but this arrangement can create long term partnerships that would be beneficial to all. Imagine if Disney brand coffee was sold in every Starbucks location...it could easily happen. Imagine if you can drink your coffee through a Mickey Mouse ceramic coffee cup...it does happen.
   The point here is that Disney and Starbucks are two strong brands that can use one another to better and grow their own companies. Disney cannot master every business and other aspects of the business suffer when it tries to. Coffee is a niche business, let the masters do it. If the terms aren't adequate, then find their closest competitors. There are a lot of coffee companies, but there's only one Disney.
 

Disney Studios- Disney Live Action: A Balanced Scorecard

What do you think of Disney's live action film slate? Have you been happy with it over the last few years or do you think it has consistently lacked? The numbers are misleading; the positive revenue the company is taking in does not tell the whole story of the film slate because some movies (i.e. Avengers) has been so significant to make up for others. Here's my take: Walt Disney Pictures has had some major flops recently (think John Carter), but more importantly the ideas are stagnant. OZ the great and powerful was boring. The fact that they have already decided on sequels tells me that they see the ability to leverage the franchise rather than a great story.

 Of course it will make a lot of money because it's Disney and it's visually stunning, but the story is a snoozer. Last year's Odd life of Timothy Green was boring, Frankenweenie was a refurbishment of an old Tim Burton film, etc. G-Force? And enough with the Beverly Hills Chihuahua/Santa Paws movies...we don't need another endless streak of Herbie movies. What has happened to the live action slate? It is ok for the company to play small ball; some of their biggest hits have been from small original movies (what former CEO Michael Eisner described as Singles and Doubles).
   The only thing saving the live action film slate recently are Disney's recent acquisitions. Obviously Marvel's film slate, the recent conclusion of Phase I and the upcoming start of Phase II, has been their saving grace. How is it possible that Disney has been making the best superhero movies in the world, yet has been making mediocre family friendly fare? Another winner has been the Muppets franchise. The 2011 film was creative and made lots of revenue and the sequel is expected to make even more. Disney's been lucky that these franchises have saved them from becoming a laughingstock.

What does Disney's future film slate look like? Not much better, but there is hope.

   Looking good:
Saving Mr. Banks- this film about how Walt Disney was able to acquire the rights to Mary Poppins looks like a good story with superior acting.

 Tomorrowland- Don't know much about this one, but we're excited.

Marvel movies- Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and Captain America 2 should be entertaining as usual. These sequels will likely make as much money as their previous movies, but should push the franchises along. I'm much more excited about Guardians of the Galaxy, Dr. Strange, and Ant-man; it's time for Marvel to create new franchises as well. Also, let's not forget that Disney recently re-acquired the film rights to Daredevil; it's time to reboot!

Muppets Again- Who doesn't love the Muppets? Fun for both kids and adults.

Star Wars- The beginning of Disney's Star Wars films should be a great kick-starter to the company. Good news is that these movies should be epic, bad news is that they will be spaced several years apart, so they'll be few and far between unlike Marvel's film slates. The off-shoot movies could be good, but we'll see. All of these movies are several years away.

Bears- This one from Disneynature is rumored to come out in April 2014. I hope Disneynature keeps cranking these out!

Animated
  Walt Disney Animated Studios- After Last year's Wreck-it-Ralph this studio has big shoes to fill. Frozen comes out in 2013, so here's hoping!

  Planes- This looks terrible, is a knock off sequel that should never have been made. It was clearly meant for straight to video, but they wanted to milk it for a little more money. Bad decision!

  Pixar: Monsters University- This should be fun, but don't look for a deep film that moves you. The upcoming slate all sound interesting, but we'll see. There's The good dinosaur in 2014, Finding Dory in 2015, and rumors about a Dia de los Muertos film and a movie inside the human brain.

    It'll be an interesting mix. It sure seems like Disney's diversification is paying off, but don't forget your roots! And where's that Haunted Mansion reboot???

Disney Studios- 2012 Year in Review

2012 was a great year for the Walt Disney Company. The hits were big, the investments were sound, and the misses were rare.

Disney Studios
   The big highlights of the studios must start with The Avengers movie. Wow, I know I saw it, and millions of others did too, making earn over $1 Billion! Although the movie sure to make a lot of money, it was also very well done. The story was solid and the movie was entertaining, which is actually a very rare quality for comic movies. Kudos to Joss Whedon, Disney, and Paramount for brining this together. They saw the potential and each ceded some control. This was a great culmination of Phase 1 in the Marvel plan.

Pixar released Brave. Brave was not great, I think we all agree on that, but that's only comparing it to other Pixar films. Brave is a solid movie that can hold on its own. The character Merida is enduring and Pixar should be proud of the work they've done.

Disney animation is back with a vengeance! The biggest surprise for Disney of 2012 must be Wreck-it-Ralph, a fun adventure through video games lore. Can you foresee a sequel yet, it's almost guaranteed!

A solid film worth recognition is Chimpanzee. The newest documentary from Disneynature, which follows Oscar the chimpanzee through his adventures. I applaud Disney for continuing with these documentaries even if they're not making lots of money. Documentaries like these make Disney a company positive for schools and showcases the drama of nature.

Although it wasn't a Disney movie, Disney distributed Lincoln (which will likely win Best Picture), which is STILL in theaters! A great movie.

Misses
John Carter- This one clearly missed the mark and should never have been made, but especially not for that much money.

Frankenweenie- This one actually made some money, but this is simply a re-release of a Tim Burton film. This film is terrible, plain and simple.

Parks and Resorts

What a year of expansions! Fantasyland in Walt Disney World, Carsland in California Adventure, and expansions at Hong Kong Disney...not to mention continued construction at Disney Shanghai. Few new rides...but land expansion is long term thinking.

Flops
Although the news broke last year, I'm still not sold on a land based on Avatar in Animal Kingdom. The movie is mediocre and years old. The sequels may be planned, but James Cameron is notorious for slow development of films, and it sounds pretty boring. Expedition Everest was a great addition, Avatar land just sounds weak.

Disney's other areas all had significant additions and milestones as well. New technology, consumer products is consistently making newer and fresher products, and ESPN/ABC are doing very well in the ratings.

The biggest milestone though? Simple- The deal of the year occurred when they purchased Lucasfilm. This is a sure thing. Film ideas are already in the works, but what can this open up? A Star Wars land is possible at the theme parks, but an entire Star Wars park is also possible. Star Wars tv shows and more. Disney makes very smart acquisitions. Pixar has paid off in full, Marvel has paid off with movies, and Lucasfilm will do the same!