According to {{link http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/02/04/financial1931EST0360.DTL&type=printable SFGate.com}}, Pixar CEO Steve Jobs recently talked with analysts about what led to their break with Disney. Jobs said he offered Disney better terms than he knew he could get from a rival studio during their negotiations, but said Disney balked at allowing Pixar to fold the last two movies due […]

{{link http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?siteid=mktw&guid=%7B6C7718A8%2DEBE1%2D48B5%2DAAFE%2D326237A63079%7D& CBS Marketwatch}} reports that Roy Disney has made a Securities and Exchange Commission filing outlining what he believes are the mistakes of the Walt Disney Company over the past decade. “Roy Disney looks at the time period from when Eisner assumed the lion’s share of day-to-day operations at Disney in 1994, when President […]

{{link http://www.forbes.com/markets/newswire/2004/02/03/rtr1238996.html Reuters}} reports that \\The New York Post\\ sources say DreamWorks is “ramping up efforts to spin off its animation unit”. The \\Post\\ sources say that “a spin-off would allow it to raise cash while keeping a production agreement” and that the company is also considering “a possible initial public offering of the animation […]

\\{{link http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=2062 Animation Magazine}}\\ reports that \\The Triplets of Belleville\\ director Sylvain Chomet asked the mag to post a letter he wrote to Pixar’s creative head John Lasseter. The letter begins with Chomet speaking how he has followed Lasseter and Pixar over the years and praises thier work. It then turns into a not-so-subtle dig […]

In {{link http://www.animatedviews.com/wp-content/uploads/archives/00000785.html yesterday’s news}}, we reported that a site had what we thought might be a first pic from Disney’s upcoming \\Chicken Little\\. Our friends at {{link http://www.dlp.info/ DLP.info}} have let us know this picture is actually “taken from the {{link http://disney.go.com/corporate/investors/financials/annual.html 2003 Annual Report of TWDC}} where it can be found in MUCH […]

{{link http://money.cnn.com/2004/01/30/technology/apple/ CNN}} has a semi-serious article on the merits, pitfalls, and feasibility of Apple Computer (CEO Steve Jobs) buying Pixar (CEO Steve Jobs). “Apple, with its huge success in the online music arena, is beginning to look more and more like a content company, as opposed to a pure hardware firm. Plus, Apple is […]

An {{link http://www.animationnation.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=007545 Animation Nation}} post points out a link to {{link http://207.44.182.109/photo/1/showgallery.php/cat/1022/password/ Figures.com}}, a website with pictures from the 2004 UK Toy Fair with pictures of some of Hasbro’s \\The Incredibles\\ toys.

{{link http://www.animagic.hpg.ig.com.br/producao.htm Animagic}} has what appears to be the first picture from Disney upcoming (and first all-CG) film \\Chicken Little\\. The article, entitled “What’s next for Disney”, is in Portuguese. Check out the link for the full picture, and check out {{link http://babelfish.altavista.com/ Babelfish}} if you’re in need of (a basic) translation.

{{link http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?siteid=mktw&guid=%7B800A8073%2D730D%2D49A5%2D8ED8%2D88412C14616E%7D& CBSMarketWatch}} has it right when they say that “Disney’s shareholder meeting, scheduled for March 3, just got a little more interesting”. They believe that Roy Disney’s calls for “Chief Executive Michael Eisner to step down could be heard by more shareholders as they wonder where the Disney chief is leading the company”, and […]

According to {{link http://www.quicken.com/investments/news_center/story/?story=NewsStory/dowJones/20040129/ON200401291955001877.var&column=P0DFP Dow Jones Newswire}}, Warner Brothers may be the most natural fit for Pixar “based on their domestic and international film-distribution strengths”. If a Time Warner/Pixar deal occurs, the Dow Jones analyst thinks the “giant entertainment company might try to strike a deal with Disney to buy the two movies left under […]

According to {{link http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/jan2004/nf20040130_5999.htm Business Week}} “like everyone in Hollywood, Disney execs learned about Pixar’s surprise move from the press release”. Even Disney’s studio chief Dick Cook, “who enjoyed a stronger rapport with Jobs than Eisner did, was caught off guard by Pixar’s announcement. No phone call. No heads-up… Cook, who called Jobs after hearing […]

\\Roy Disney and Stanley Gold Dismayed, But Not Surprised by Loss of Walt Disney Company’s Relationship With Pixar\\ As significant shareholders of The Walt Disney Company, we are extremely dismayed, but not surprised by the loss of Disney’s Pixar relationship. More than a year ago, we warned the Disney Board that we believed Michael Eisner […]

\\Disney and Pixar End Talks\\ Pixar has elected to conclude its discussions to extend a successful long-term partnership with The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) following the delivery of two more animated features, \\The Incredibles\\ expected in 2004 and \\Cars\\ expected in 2005. “We have had a fantastic partnership with Pixar and wish Steve Jobs and […]

\\Pixar to End Talks with Disney\\ Emeryville, CA – January 29, 2004 – Pixar today said that it is ending its discussions with The Walt Disney Company to extend their existing five-picture deal, and will begin discussions with other studios to distribute its films beginning in 2006. After completing the final two films under the […]

{{link http://money.cnn.com/2004/01/29/news/companies/pixar_disney/ CNN}} reports that {{link http://www.pixar.com/ Pixar Animation Studios}} has announced it has ended talks with {{link http://www.disney.com/ The Walt Disney Company}} over extending their five-picture deal. “After ten months of trying to strike a deal with Disney, we’re moving on,” Pixar CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement. “We’ve had a great run […]

\\Variety\\ reports (this time via {{link http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=101053 Toon Zone}}) that \\Shrek 2\\ will make its debut during the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. The film will be screened on Saturday, May 15, and open in theaters on May 21.

{{link http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=3204 ComingSoon.net}} reports on a \\Variety\\ story about Jean Giraud’s sci-fi fantasy film \\Thru the Moebius Strip\\. Senator International will handle worldwide sales rights of this CG feature written by Jim Cox and Paul Gertz. Currently in post-production, \\Moebius\\ will be completed this year. The film features the voice talents of Mark Hamill, Chris […]

{{link http://www.playbill.com/news/article/84041.html Playbill}} quotes a \\Variety\\ report about Laura Michelle Kelly, the 23 year old actress who has landed the title role in the upcoming stage musical \\Mary Poppins\\. Kelly, who says she saw the film version as a child, won’t be watching it again anytime soon. “I won’t see it again until I’ve finished […]

{{link http://www.moviepoopshoot.com/elsewhere/index.html Movie Poop Shoot’s}} Jeffrey Wells shows off the \\Shark Tale\\ mailer he recently received from DreamWorks. “I got this toy shark delivered to me the other day. It’s supposed to promote DreamWorks’ \\Shark Tale\\… Ever since he arrived this little guy has been sitting on my kitchen counter, grinning and trying to help […]

The \\{{link http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/7809095.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp Miami Herald}}\\ reports that Roy Disney and Stanley Gold are calling on stockholders “to vote against the election of four directors, including Disney chairman and chief executive Michael Eisner, at Disney’s March 3 annual meeting”. Disney and Gold sent out a letter to stockholders saying that this action would send a message […]

The nominations for the 76th Academy Awards were {{link http://www.oscar.com/nominees/index.html announced}} on Tuesday. \\Finding Nemo\\ leads animated films with 4 nominations, including the third ever screenplay nomination and the fourth ever sound editing nomination for an animated film (no animated film has won either category). Best Animated Feature: \\Brother Bear\\, \\Finding Nemo\\, \\The Triplets of […]

{{link http://filmforce.ign.com Filmforce}} has a {{link http://ffmedia.ign.com/filmforce/image/SB-Monster_1_happy.jpg promotional shot}} from the upcoming \\SpongeBob Squarepants\\ movie. (I wasn’t able to find the story this pic goes with. If anyone finds it please email me and I’ll link to it.) A {{link http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/spongebobsquarepantsmovie/ teaser trailer}} was released last month. The film is slated to open November 19th, […]

The {{link http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=493&ncid=790&e=2&u=/ap/20040125/ap_en_mo/brf_disney_roger_rabbit AP reports}} that a lawsuit against Disney brought by Gary K. Wolf, the author of the novel on which the \\Who Framed Roger Rabbit\\ was based, has been reinstated by an appeals court after being dismissed by a lower court. Wolf claims he is owed millions of dollars in royalties from merchandising […]

Twenty years ago today, a much younger Steve Jobs introduced the world to the Macintosh and changed the course of computer and animation history. The Mac brought us the first computer “for the rest of us” and started the boom of computer use by the masses. And two years later, with money earned at Apple […]

{{link http://www.nynewsday.com/ny-kangaroo0123,0,1776938.story?coll=nyc-topheadlines-left NY Newsday}} reports that Bob Keeshan, TV’s Captain Kangaroo, has died at the age of 76. \\Captain Kangaroo\\ “premiered on CBS in 1955 and ran for 30 years before moving to public television for six more. It was wildly popular among children and won six Emmy Awards, three Gabriels and three Peabody Awards”. […]

{{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/legacy/index.htm?../articles/01232004.1.htm~contentFrame Jim Hill}} looks back at the careers of two of Disney’s best directors, John Musker and Ron Clements, on their last day working for Disney. The pair kickstarted the second Golden Age of Animation in the late 1980’s with \\The Great Mouse Detective\\ and \\The Little Mermaid\\. They went on to direct \\Aladdin\\, […]

\\Variety\\ reports (via {{link http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=3133 ComingSoon.net}}) that DreamWorks is already fast-tracking production of \\Shrek 3\\ and \\Shark Tale 2\\, months before the first \\Shrek\\ sequel is released and more than half a year before the release of the first \\Shark Tale\\! In \\Shrek 3\\ the “green ogre will tackle the legend of King Arthur and […]

According to Central Florida’s local CBS affiliate {{link http://www.local6.com/news/2782804/detail.html Local6}}, Disney has sold the town center of Celebration – a city they created. The sale ends “the entertainment giant’s most visible connection to an experiment with urban planning”. The town center, which encompasses “18 acres containing 16 retail shops, six full-service restaurants, more than 94,000 […]

{{link http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/books/01/22/obit.woodbridge.ap/index.html CNN}} reports that \\Mad\\ magazine illustrator George Woodbridge has died of emphysema at 73. Woodbridge worked at the mag for nearly 50 years and his “exquisitely detailed pen-and-ink drawings were featured in nearly every issue”. \\Mad\\ Editor John Ficarra said that “he had a tremendous eye for detail that showed up in his […]

{{link http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/20/serkis.gollum/index.html CNN}} has an interesting report on Andy Serkis, his new book, and the creation of Gollum for \\The Lord of the Rings\\. The book is called \\Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic\\ and contains Serkis’ point of view of the character’s creation from the beginning (his agent told him this job would consist […]