Just heard it on Fox News, but it seems that Disney and Gold’s uprising didn’t fall on deaf ears. Eisner is now just the CEO of the company. More on this later, but could this spell a change for the House of Mouse?

Those with high-speed and broadband internet connections can catch a two-minute {{link http://news.bbc.co.uk/broadband/console/news/newsid_3530000/3530923.stm BBC NEWS}} clip on today’s shareholder meeting. Click on “World” and the “Disney Boss Faces Shareholder Revolt” headline to play. The clip requires RealPlayer.

{{link http://www.forbes.com/markets/newswire/2004/03/03/rtr1285218.html Forbes.com}} is saying that “Top U.S. public pension fund Calpers has called for the resignation of Walt Disney Company Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Eisner after more than 40 percent of shareholder votes cast at Disney’s annual meeting were withheld on Eisner’s re-election”. The number is far beyond Roy Disney’s hoped for 15-20%, […]

Follow the “More” link to read the text of an e-mail to subscribers of Variety on the recent events regarding the Disney shareholder meeting. The UK’s {{link http://media.guardian.co.uk/city/story/0,7497,1161679,00.html Media Guardian}} has more, including a full report on the meeting.

At 3:00pm central time, Fox News Channel’s Your World With Neil Cavuto will be talking about the rumblings at the Disney stockholders meeting. With 771,691,297 votes (preliminary figure from Fox News report) or 44% of all stockholders withholding Eisner votes, this could prove to be interesting. So if you are a fan of CNN or […]

The {{link http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=4490585&section=news Reuters News Agency}} is first out of the gate with a report on the just-finished Disney shareholders meeting. The article notes that “Mike Jenneman, who voted to re-elect Eisner, said: ‘If a year from now things aren’t different, my vote is going to be different’.”

Taking the stage to talk at the Disney shareholders meeting, Studio head Dick Cook played up the upcoming releases from Walt Disney Pictures, including such tent-pole pictures as Hildago, The Ladykillers, Home On The Range, The Alamo, King Arthur, M Night Shyamalan’s The Village, The Princess Diaries II and, of course, The Incredibles, to which […]

At the Disney shareholders meeting, Studio president Bob Iger announced plans to build on various Disney franchises, including Lilo And Stitch and Pirates Of The Caribbean, making references to the two theatrical Pirates features in development, as well as a proposed, and as yet unannounced, television series. More news on that as we get it.

At the Disney shareholders meeting today (March 3), Roy Disney and Stanley Gold were welcomed by a warm and rapturous applause as they took the stand for their 15 minutes allotted to them by the board to put their views across. While Gold spoke for exactly the 15 minute time allowed, Roy Disney spoke for […]

MLive’s {{link http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/business/index.ssf?/newsflash/get_story.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?f0037_BC_WSJ–Disney-Fans&&news&newsflash-financial Business News Flash}} has a great little story on the kinds of Disney fans who are standing up to help Roy Disney’s fight against the current Disney board, including self-described “Disney dweeb” Jim Hill!

{{link http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/index.jsp?epi-content=GENERIC&newsId=20040302005957&newsLang=en&beanID=202776713&viewID=news_view Business Wire}} reports that Bob Iger, The Walt Disney Company’s president and COO, will appear at the Bear Stearns 17th Annual Media, Entertainment and Information Conference at 12:45 p.m. EST on Tuesday, March 9, 2004. His remarks will be available live via webcast at the {{link http://disney.go.com/corporate/investors/events/presentations.html Investor Relations}} page at Disney’s official […]

As with many sequels nowadays, there is talk of a {{link http://superherohype.com/spider-man/index.php?id=951 third Spider-Man}} film being put on the development fast-track even as part 2 is being finished and prepped for release on July 2. All this comes in a report from Superhero Hype (via {{link http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=104237 ToonZone}}) in which Marvel Comics Studio’s Avi Arad […]

AnimationHQ will welcome back animator/storyboard director Chris Headrick for his second chat session to be held this Saturday, March 6th, at 7pm EST in the {{link http://AnimationHQ.net/v2/features/events.htm AnimationHQ IRC chatroom}}. Chris says he is “looking forward to discussing and revisiting in greater detail such issues as the recent Looney Tunes feature film, the Pixar-Disney split, […]

We’ve just heard a rumor from a good source within the animation industry that a later, as yet unannounced Canadian DVD version of Sylvain Chomet’s The Triplets Of Belleville may be the disc release to wait for. The American issue, due May 4th, does not contain the original French-language version of the film, and drops […]

Early word has it that we should be seeing the teaser trailer for John Lasseter’s next Pixar effort (and the last to be distributed by Disney), Cars, attached to prints of this November’s The Incredibles, directed by Brad Bird. “The script has been recorded and the animation is almost done [for the teaser]”, our source […]

The annual shareholders’ meeting of The Walt Disney Company will be available live via webcast, beginning at 10:00 a.m. EST today, March 3. A re-play will be provided through Wednesday March 10 2004 at 5:00 p.m. PST, on the {{link http://disney.go.com/corporate/investors/events/presentations.html Investor Relations}} page at Disney’s official site.

The Big Cartoon DataBase has the scoop on a new Paul McCartney tune accompanying the new animated film Tropic Island Hum, to be released worldwide on April 19 as part of the Paul McCartney: The Music and Animation Collection DVD.

After striking gold with last year’s Pirates Of The Caribbean and the prospect of two blockbuster sequels to that film, Disney is {{link http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=filmNews&storyID=4484884&section=news reported}} to have bought an untitled Viking action-adventure pitch from writers Damian Shannon and Mark Swift (Freddy Vs. Jason) for high-six figures. The new film will center on “a washed-up seafaring […]

The Walt Disney Company is urging a Los Angeles judge to throw out the well-publicized lawsuit brought about by Stephen Slesinger Inc. over revenue which could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars from Winnie The Pooh merchandise. The Slesinger family acquired Pooh rights from British author A.A. Milne in 1930, claim that they have […]

{{link http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/8086635.htm Philly.com}} reports again this morning on Roy Disney’s plans to oust Michael Eisner from the hot seat of The Walt Disney Company, and the press conference held in Philadelphia the day before the Disney Company’s annual shareholders’ meeting. “We’re not going away until Michael Eisner is gone,” said Stanley Gold, Roy’s partner in […]

Hop on over to Roy Disney’s {{link http://www.savedisney.com/ Save Disney}} site for new photos from today’s press conference, as well as a new video appeal from Roy, and a list of {{link http://www.savedisney.com/news/page2.asp new articles}} on the battle for the House Of Mouse. Also, at {{link http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/8065731.htm Philly.com}}, there’s a look ahead to tomorrow (Wednesday’s) […]

{{link http://www.darkhorizons.com/news04/040302c.php Dark Horizons}} has some post-Oscar bash talk, which covers everything from what the Lord Of The Rings guys are up to next, to talk of the Police Academy series gearing up again. Most interesting, though, is this: “Miramax boy Harvey Weinstein is talking to the Aussie filmmaker behind the Oscar winning [animated short] […]

Animators Tom Bancroft (Mushu in Mulan, among others) and Rob Corley are following in the footsteps of other Disney Florida animators by setting up their own company, Funnypages Productions, which “will join their already existing subsidiary comic book publishing company, Funnypages Press”, according to their press release, which can be read in full here:

Just minutes after posting the profile link below comes news of Triplets Of Belleville director Sylvain Chomet’s next project, the feature-length Barbacoa. Chomet is assembling a team and creating a new studio in Scotland to tell the story, which will take place during the repression of Paris in 1871. Its main character will be a […]

DVD Toons has an early look at {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/news/527 the menus}} for Disney’s upcoming release of Kim Possible: A Stitch In Time, her first feature length (well, 66-minutes, including a no doubt 6-or-7-minute credit scroll) movie. The DVD is scheduled for release on March 16.

Now available in a wider DVD release, {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/reviews/275 Walt: The Man Behind The Myth}} takes an intimate look at the life of one of animation’s pioneers and innovators. Despite the film being part-produced by the Disney family, specifically Walt’s daughter {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/features/64 Diane Disney-Miller}}, we are allowed his foibles to be seen as well […]

Both {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/reviews/276 DVD Toons}} and a new review piece up at the {{link http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=104089 Toon Zone}} site suggest that Joe Dante’s recent Looney Tunes movie is well worth catching on disc. “Warner Bros. has a lot riding on the release. Bigger movies with more hype dropped an anvil on Back In Action‘s [theatrical] sales […]

Film critic Roger Eberts’ publisher {{link http://www.suntimes.com/output/movies/sho-sunday-triplets29.html The Chicago Sun Times}} profiles the director of The Triplets Of Belleville, the man who was an even favorite to take home the Best Animated Feature Oscar right up until Andrew Stanton’s name was announced. In addition, animation historian {{link http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Commentary/Belleville/Belleville.htm Michael Barrier writes}} about Belleville and its […]

{{link http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4409729/ Newsweek}} takes a look at the escalating pressure on Disney CEO Michael Eisner to deliver at this week’s shareholder’s meeting, just as new rumors come in of a revised and improved Comcast bid, possibly due to land in Eisner’s lap the morning of the Wednesday meeting, coincidentally enough in Comcast’s home town of […]

‘MusicFan’ in tha {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=1509#post1509 AN Forums}} has pointed to The Futon Critic, which announces a new animated comedy. “In its continued commitment to developing original animated programs for men, Spike TV debuts a topical series, This Just In, following real-life current events as they happen. Created by Steve Marmel, stand-up comic and producer/head writer […]