“The board of Pixar Animation Studios, the digital animations company, is set to meet [Monday] to approve the company’s $7bn (£3.9bn) takeover by Disney,” Andrew Murray-Watson reports for The Telegraph. “The all-share deal will make Steve Jobs, the chief executive of Apple, around $3.5bn and the single largest shareholder in Disney. Jobs created Pixar in 1986 when he paid $10m for the computer animations division of Lucasfilm, owned by Stars Wars creator George Lucas.”
Full article here.
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Incredible(s) !
Even if there are many positives to this deal, it still makes me sick to think about.
The “Disney” name carries an aura of cuteness, cheapness, uncreativeness, desperation, greed, and total cluelessness. There’s too many damn uncreative, cowardly, greedy suits calling ther shots over there and I just feel it’s gonna hurt the pixar name.
I think this is probably great news for Apple though.
This was on http://www.slashdot.com yesterday:
http://apple.slashdot.org/apple/06/01/20/1951204.shtml
I hope Pixar can turn this into a reverse takeover a la Next/Apple and reinvigorate Disney. But I doubt it. Disney is the most formulaic, hackneyed content provider out there. Expect Pixar movies to really go downhill. Oh, and look for Toy Story 3 rushed to market any day now.
Why?
Because we’re running out of ideas. If Disney owns us, nobody will notice.
Don’t like the looks of this.
why would Jobs do this?? for what reason, I just don’t understand
Here comes the computer animated porn
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
[inhale]
[exhale]
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
(repeat if necessary).
This could only mean one thing. Steve feels that the Apple side of things is more interesting.
Let me reiterate:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Watch for Apple to begin to show up at every Disney attraction in both featured status and in on site mini stores selling ipods and accessories, be featured prominently in every Disney film and ABC television show, for more Apple commercials to air on ABC (though not exclusively), and for Apple to leverage it’s ownership position to grow Apple faster than you ever thought possible. Pixar’s influence will be to return Disney to a basic understanding of the importance of STORY to every film, animated or live action…and to restore the spirit of innovation that left when Walt died.
Is Steve Jobs the new Walt Disney. No. He’s actually smarter.
“why would Jobs do this?? for what reason, I just don’t understand”
You’re kidding right? Duuhhh…. It’s the money $tupid!! Jobs, Gates, ect, when they’re at that level, it’s all about money and power. And if you believe anthing else then you’re a fool!
This is very bad for Pixar, which will now be used for all future “Chicken Little” projects. It’s really sad, and it’s the death of the Lucas/Jobs project with created some groundbreaking films. There is nothing better for killing innovation and creativity than getting swallowed by a gigantic corporation like Disney. Oh well…Pixar had a good run and we have some great movies to watch on DVD.
I believe the Disney / Pixar deal is a wonderful thing for Apple because when I think of all the other deals Steve Jobs has made, he uses a very skillfull infiltrate and take over strategy. Look how he sold Next to Apple only to take over and basically regain his kingdom as an outsider. This deal with Disney smells like the same thing to me. Remember, Jobs is getting better at dealing with big companies and getting millions of people to follow his vision. Not only will Jobs have creative control (I hope / He better) but he will have unfettered access to Disney owned distribution of content from:
ABC Television Network
WLS – Chicago
WJRT – Flint
KFSN – Fresno
KTRK – Houston
KABC – Los Angeles
WABC – New York City
WPVI – Philadelphia
WTVD – Raleigh – Durham
KGO – San Francisco
WTVG – Toledo
ABC Family
The Disney Channel
Toon Disney
SoapNet
ESPN Inc. (80% – Hearst Corporation owns the remaining 20%) includes ESPN, ESPN2,
ESPN News, ESPN Now, ESPN Extreme
Classic Sports Network
A&E Television (37.5%, with Hearst and GE)
The History Channel (with Hearst and GE)
Lifetime Television (50%, with Hearst)
Lifetime Movie Network (50% with Hearst)
E! Entertainment (with Comcast and Liberty Media)
International Broadcast
The Disney Channel UK
The Disney Channel Taiwan
The Disney Channel Australia
The Disney Channel Malaysia
The Disney Channel France
The Disney Channel Middle East
The Disney Channel Italy
The Disney Channel Spain
ESPN INC. International Ventures
Sportsvision of Australia (25%)
ESPN Brazil (50%)
ESPN STAR (50%) – sports programming throughout Asia
Net STAR (33%) owners of The Sports Network of Canada
Tele-Munchen – German television production and distribution
RTL-2 – German television production and distribution
Hamster Productions – French television production
TV Sport of France
Tesauro of Spain
Scandinavian Broadcasting System
Japan Sports Channel
Buena Vista Television
Touchstone Television
Walt Disney Television
Walt Disney Television Animation (has three wholly owned production facilities outside the United States – Japan, Australia, Canada)
Movie Production and Distribution
Walt Disney Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Hollywood Pictures
Caravan Pictures
Miramax Films
Buena Vista Home Video
Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Buena Vista International
Not just having direct access to all these platforms on radio, Television, cable, and music, but Jobs will also have access to Disney money.
If you ask me, this deal helps Pixar and Apple much more than it helps Disney. I think Jobs just wants some strong partners to push his dreams without actually using his hard earned apple revenues. Disney wants some new people and fresh ideas, especially since they got rid of Isner a little while ago. Their new CEO and Jobs look pretty happy during those press releases a few months ago…
We will see, but I predict stock prices for both companies going up and Apple products getting very large boosts in content, and distribution, especially movies and possibly the introduction of a whole line of children’s and family style entertainment; hey Steve, where’s my iPhone?
I suspect “Cars” is a dud and the folks at Pixar know it, this is a pre-emptive move to consolidate their position before the crash.
As requested DisneyPorn is here!
http://www.disneypornland.com/
Steve Jobs is wise to sell Pixar, a buisness is a investment and one hopes and dreams of selling it as the ultimate reward symbol of their creation.
It’s like when a artist sells a painting, it’s the closing of a final chapter.
Now that Pixar is gone Steve Jobs can forget about it and concentrate on increasing Macintosh market share.
He has this thing that Bill Gates bested him and it was only done because of John “the judas” Scully’s betrayal.
Steve Jobs should have been at the helm of the largest OS in the world.
The party is over folks.
I agree with MacDude
Pixar is just an animation studio and Disney was the marketing arm for their films. This doesn’t change any of that.
At 50+ I doubt Steve Jobs has the energy to run 2 companies. He can now dedicate 100% of his time to Apple which I need more than to have him run Pixar. He can now have significance influence over Disney w/out having to deal with day to day details.
This is a good thing
Remember, its John Lassetter who is the creative genius behind Pixar. Steve knows when he’s got a good thing with the staff assembled there. I suspect there are really strong reasons for agreeing to the takeover – and its NOT about the money. Steve is trying to take up the gauntlet against Gates again so this is more about leveraging an opportunity for Apple whilst continuing to grow Pixar.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed that things continue to flourish.
Are you guys forgetting that there could also be an Apple theme park with iPod rides ??
Think of the possibilities
I agree with Reginald.
This is a going to work out for apple and pixar. Jobs gets what he wants. The content of everything Disney has. This will make itunes video the king of the hill in video for a long time. Imagine anyone trying to compete without the ABC, ESPN, and Disney Channel shows. Reginald is really good at seeing what Disney owns. I like that research man. You should speak more on these boards. Thats really good knowledge of why this will help pixar and apple. Also the reason this helps pixar is that before this Disney had the rights to make sequels of past movies. This would have hurt the creative value of the characters and the movies of past Pixar success. Pixar probably didn’t want to make a third Toy Story because they wanted to wait till they were out of the 7 picture deal. That would just give Disney a real big hit. But now if Disney buys Pixar, Pixar can now make another Toy Story or Bugs Life movie the way Pixar wants to make it. I think Pixar, because it is in northern Califonia instead of the way Hollywood works down in Southern California Helps. Pixar can basically do what they want. A excutive can come and visit, but once they leave Pixar goes to what they want to do. I for one like this deal if Pixar if they are running out of ideas on movies, can use Past movies to make quality sequels the Pixar way. Just see how Shrek2 did better then Shrek one, same with Toy Story one and toy story 2. Toy Story 3 will do very well. It has been 5 years now, so many kids and even adults want to see Woody and Buzz.
Apple wins big with itunes video store. Can’t wait till they can showcase the whole libarary on itunes. Imagine getting ESPN classic. jeopardy, Compress Monday Night Football ( Now ESPN football), and for females Oprah. Even classic Oprah with special quest appearences. I think both all three Steve Job companies will do very well with this deal. My Take.
The comments in the forum are entirely too negative. The Disney name doesn’t mean greed and uncraetiveness, if that’s even a word. Lately Disney has been in a bad place but through most of it’s history it has made great content, and it could get back to that place in the future. Gaining Pixar could really help that. For years all of the best animators have been going to Pixar, then Dreamworks, then Disney in that order, which is why it has been so hard for disney to bring themselves out of their slump. With Pixar’s talent it could turn them around and with the Jobs connection of content and delivery it could be great for both Disney and Apple.
None of us can be sure that Pixar will save Disney or that Dinsey will ruin Pixar, but my guess is that this will be mostly good for both companies. If it wasn’t a great opportunity Steve wouldn’t do it, he isn’t often wrong. Sometimes, but not often.
ok, off topic.. but hilarious.
I upgraded my virtual PC last July because there are some progs that I have to have that only run on a pc. I bought it with a $30 mail in rebate from Microsoft.
After 6 months, 6 phone calls, and 8 emails, I finally got the stupid 30 bucks…
they have NO IDEA what the meaning of customer service is over there.
MDN word is “road” as in I hope MS is the next decade’s road kill.
Wow, just wow.
I hope this ends up being a promotion for Lasseter and not a dead end into a corporate quagmire.
Pixar left Disney animation in the dust. As said already, their writing is the key. Let’s hope they bring the Disney name back up rather than be subsumed into mediocrity.
The L.A. – Emeryville logistics should be interesting.
again, wow
Quoted post: “The “Disney” name carries an aura of cuteness, cheapness, uncreativeness, desperation, greed, and total cluelessness. There’s too many damn uncreative, cowardly, greedy suits calling ther shots over there”
Agreed. I don’t like this.
But I’m more interested in Apple and I don’t see this hurting them.
Quoted post: “it could get back to that place in the future.”
Also agreed. I doubt it, but maybe Disney will become a responsible, compassionate company again.