\\{{link http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117900376?categoryid=13&cs=1 Variety}}\\ reports that Sony Pictures Animation has greenlit \\Open Season\\ as its first film. “\\Open Season\\ tells the story of a 900-pound domesticated grizzly bear named Boog and a scrawny, one-horned mule deer named Elliot who are stranded together in the woods during hunting season. It’s up to the duo to rally all […]

At the {{link http://www.wordplayer.com/forums/movies/index.cgi?read=62799 WordPlayer forums}}, \\Aladdin\\ writers Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio confirm that they were interviewed for the upcoming Platinum Edition of the film. Rossio adds that: Even though \\Aladdin\\ is the 3rd highest selling video of all time (behind \\Titanic\\ and \\Lion King\\) and even though the writers receive zero dimes from […]

The {{link http://empirefanfest.com/empirefanfest/schedule.htm Empire Fan Fest}} has a picture of a newly redesigned \\SharkTale\\ logo. The convention will also air some footage from \\Ghost in the Shell 2\\ at the DreamWorks booth.

{{link http://money.cnn.com/2004/02/17/news/companies/comcast_disney/index.htm CNN}} reports that a source at Comcast says the company is not interested in buying Disney at current prices. Disney’s stock rose to a three year high after Comcast’s offer was announced. However, “the source also said that the Comcast’s offer is not being withdrawn, nor is it dropping its interest in a […]

According to {{link http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/040216/media_disney_2.html Reuters}}, The “Walt Disney Co. on Monday said it rejected an unsolicited takeover offer from cable television company Comcast Corp. Disney’s board said it had full confidence in the business, financial and creative direction of the company under the leadership of Michael Eisner”. The following statement was issued by The Walt […]

{{link http://www.marketwatch.com/news/yhoo/story.asp?source=blq/yhoo&siteid=yhoo&dist=yhoo&guid=%7BA40FD307%2D4CC2%2D4629%2DA751%2DFB16F29A69B8%7D CBS MarketWatch}} believes that no matter what happens with the Comcast deal Eisner’s days at the helm of Disney may be numbered. The article also points out the added drama to Disney’s annual shareholder meeting, scheduled to be held on March 3rd in Philadelphia. It was already expected that Eisner might face an […]

In a brief statement released by the Board of Directors, Disney said it would “evaluate the unsolicited proposal from Comcast”, and reiterated that there is “no action for shareholders to take”. The full press release follows.

Comcast, the biggest cable company in the US, has announced that it has made an offer to acquire The Walt Disney Company for $66 billion, including an assumption of debt, according to {{link http://money.cnn.com/2004/02/11/news/companies/comcast_disney/index.htm?cnn=yes CNN}}. According to Comcast, Disney CEO Michael Eisner has been unwilling to discuss a deal. Comcast CEO Brian L. Roberts, calling […]

Roy Disney and Stanley Gold have responded to The Walt Disney Company board’s {{link http://www.animatedviews.com/wp-content/uploads/archives/0000 recent open letter}} to shareholders. In a message posted to their website {{link http://www.savedisney.com/letters/response_to_board.asp SaveDisney.com}}, they respond to several of the points raised by the board and conclude “it is not we who are trying to protect executive positions or […]

According to an {{link http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82~10834~1946836,00.html AP report}}, The Walt Disney Company board has responded to repeated criticism by former members Roy Disney and Stanley Gold. In letters to shareholders and in full-page newspaper ads the company is touting their recent accomplishments. In a ‘Dear Shareholders’, letter dated Friday, Disney’s 13 board members outlined the ‘real […]

A new trailer for \\Shrek 2\\ will air on TV before hitting the theatres, according to {{link http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=3385 ComingSoon.net}}. The trailer will air on NBC after the original film gets its network television premiere on Sunday, February 15th.

{{link http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=3392 ComingSoon.net}} reports on a {{link http://www.dvdfanatic.com/news.php?id=0402101 DVD Fanatic}} interview with \\The Simpsons\\ producer and writer Mike Reiss. When asked about a possible release date for a movie version of the show, Reiss responded, “I will say two years from this summer. I think it’s going to be Summer 2006 or maybe Christmas 2006. […]

As we {{link http://www.animatedviews.com/wp-content/uploads/archives/00000826.html reported}} last week, \\CBS News Sunday Morning\\ aired a segment on the state of animation. We have some pictures from the piece, including a logo from Disney’s \\Chicken Little\\, the man behind Pixar’s \\Boundin’\\, and some pics that may be from a meeting of computer artists working on Disney’s \\Rapunzel Unbraided\\.

Another \\Tintin\\ may be in the works, according to {{link http://www.moviehole.net/news/3150.html Moviehole}}. Besides the Steven Spielberg adaptation {{link http://www.animatedviews.com/wp-content/uploads/archives/00000644.html in the planning stages now}}, acclaimed, and exiled, director Roman Polanski “is also purportedly interested in trying to bring the European adventurer to the big screen. He’s apparently eyeing \\Tintin in Tibet\\”. Moviehole also reports that […]

{{link http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/7885747.htm ContraCostaTimes.com}} reports that John Hench, “a longtime Disney artist and the official portrait painter of Mickey Mouse”, has died at 95. Hench began at Disney in 1939 as a sketch artist on \\Fantasia\\ and went on to work on many other films (animated and live action) in different capacities. In 1946, Hench worked […]

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 […]