“The sky wasn’t falling at Disney Monday after Chicken Little posted a strong opening weekend at the box office,” Jonathan Berr reports for TheStreet.com. “The tale of the scrawny chicken who thinks the world is coming to an end took in $40 million, according to Boxofficemojo.com. That made it the weekend’s top movie and the second-biggest opening in terms of unadjusted grosses for a Disney-made feature, behind The Lion King.”
“Chicken Little’s performance, which came despite lukewarm reviews, may ease concerns on the part of some investors that the Burbank, Calif.-based media giant is too dependent on its partner Pixar for hit animated films,” Berr reports. “The film certainly wasn’t a critical favorite. A.O. Scott of The New York Times called it ‘a terrible movie.’ Entertainment Weekly’s Lisa Schwarzbaum called the film ‘simplistic.’ Even the Boston Globe’s Ty Burr, who said Chicken Little was ‘shiny and peppy, with some solid laughs and dandy vocal performances,’ added that ‘it doesn’t come close to the genius of Pixar.'”
“Pixar Chief Executive Steve Jobs may sell the company to Disney if the two can agree on a price, according to a report in The New York Times. Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger hasn’t made a formal offer, the paper said. Shares of Pixar, whose The Incredibles opened last year with a box office of $70.5 million, fell $1.42 to $52.69. Before Monday the shares had zoomed 26%.”
Full article here.
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Selling Pixar doesn’t seem plausible for Jobs. He seems to like running Pixar and Jobs certainly isn’t hurting for cash. Being the head of a major film studio is too important right now for Jobs’ other role as Apple CEO, especially as Apple moves to add more video content to the iTunes Store. Although Apple and Pixar are totally separate companies, the fact that Jobs is CEO of both helps both. Perhaps Jobs will sell Pixar to Apple?
Related articles:
Analyst: Disney’s ‘Chicken Little’ has huge implications for Steve Jobs’ Pixar – November 04, 2005
Disney’s ‘Chicken Little’ crammed with snarky pop culture references, lacks qualities of Pixar films – November 04, 2005
Report: Steve Jobs would consider selling Pixar – October 31, 2005
The man behind Apple and Pixar: Steve Jobs – October 29, 2005
Apple to buy Pixar? – January 30, 2004
isnt this a mac website? i realize that jobs is a ‘god’ to everyone here, but i dont see how this relates to apple. If this were stevejobsdailynews.com id understand. BUT ITS NOT!!!. same goes with porn posts
perhaps jobs doesn’t have the time to worry about pixar anymore, he’s too busy telling apple folks what a shitty job they’re doing on an incredibly huge array of upcoming apple products so that they will meet apple’s standard when released.
But, if Steve Jobs sells Pixar, that means Apple will have to pay him more than a dollar per year.
I know that this stuff isn’t mac related. But anyway. .
I saw Chicken Little last night, the theater was packed with children. The film wasn’t that funny and nobody laughed. After the film the kids just wanted to go home. In contrary to films like the Emperors New Groove where the children left laughing (yes I did see this film too), or the Incredible where all the children left wanting to become super heros. The animation of Chicken Little wasn’t ‘Pixar’ quality at all, it was okay, it has it’s own style. Bottom line I think this film would have suited better for a TV show, rather than a feature film. It had the feeling of something like Jimmy Neutron, only this film was a little more carefully done. That was just my feeling.
If you don’t like the story don’t read it. Steve is a big part of Apple. For you to fail to see the connection is ridiculous.
jesusfreak — WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with the jesusfreak. I am an unabashed Jesus lover and its okay to say so and stand for morality.
mw ‘basic’-i was just at a b.a.s.i.c. retreat this wkend!!
again, i’m with iCrystal
I love Jesus, guns, and Wal•Mart’s everyday low prices.
iCrystal
“I agree with the jesusfreak. I am an unabashed Jesus lover and its okay to say so and stand for morality.”
Swaggard (to name one of many) is a prime example the two don’t always go together. So don’t get too sanctimonious on us.
Mw = center
as in, religion ain’t the center of my universe.
Awwww… Jesus H. Christ!
I f*cked Jesus. I loves me that moral sex.
I think iCrystal needs to get laid seriously. Everytime i see your comments your pushing the catholic church manifested fictitious son of god on us. Please go on to some christian lover website to push your religion, but get it the hell out of here please.
People complaining that pixar has nothing to do with macdailynews, well it has alot more to do with it than jesusdailynews.
“Pixar Chief Executive Steve Jobs may sell the company to Disney if the two can agree on a price, ACCORDING TO A REPORT [emphasis mine] in The New York Times.”
Bullcrap.
Steve Jobs is a dreamer who aspires to greatness. Selling Pixar to Disney would run counter to SJ’s vision of what Pixar is/could/will be. Plus, he found it difficult to stomach Eisner.
Disney hasn’t done anything original or creative in years. Adding Pixar to their stable wouldn’t change any of that. Pixar would simply be assimilated and disappear into Disney’s current pool of mediocrity.
There was a time when Disney Studios was the ‘Gold Standard’ by which all other animation studios were compared. Today, it’s better that Disney simply remain a distribution channel for studios like Pixar and Studio Ghibli.
MaWo: ‘under’. As in, “Six feet under. That’s where Eisner needs to be before Disney Studios could possibly return to the vision and creativity of its founder: Walt Disney.”
APPLE is not in any way shape or form a competetor, a collaborator, or involved with walt disney motion pictures. This website, i believe, exists to post articles about apple or companies who apple is somehow involved with, either as a competetor or otherwise. WALT DISNEY PICTURES IS NOT ONE OF THEM. i do not see how this is should be news here at MDN