Disney's Greed: Anyone Else Worried? (An Essay)

[riczhang]

Surely there are competition laws to prevent total dominance in that fashion.

Exactly. 2 big ones in fact. So really this discussion really is pointless, Disney's never gonna get big enough for what you guys are suggesting to happen.

[DAR]

If mid-budget movies made a lot of money, then big studios would be making them. When Indie films were all the rage, most big studios created Indie labels (except for Disney, which bought Miramax instead). If there is a lack of mid budget movies, and mid budget movies made money, then more big studios would be making them.

To get the movie going audience to go to a movie in this day and age, it takes a huge amount of advertising. Movie studios will only shell out that type of money if they can get a big return on their investment. Mid Budget films will continue to decrease until a smaller Studio like Lionsgate proves that they are worth making. Or, until there are enough big budget flops that the risk is too great and studios return to mid-budget movies.

Disney has historically had terrible live action films from about 1969 until the late 80's. Finally, they started releasing better movies through their Touchstone and Hollywood Studios labels. Now, they have had some live action success and are finding greater success with their big budget film strategy. They finally found something that works for them. Which means that they aren't greedy, but rather, they are sticking to what they do best.

If Disney had a history of making multiple great mid-budget films, then you'd have a point. But, they don't. Your argument against Disney would be better suited for other studios with a better track record for success with mid-budget films.

Surely you jest sir, the Kurt Russell Dexter Riley films? Gus? Superdad? Okay yeah they were bad, but there was something appealing about them, plus they're the Disney films I grew up on.

[baumer]

Lucas was in business with 20th Century Fox. They were helping him finance his Star Wars movies. They weren't just the distributor the way Paramount was for the Marvel movies. Therefore, he did have to answer to Fox and keep them updated on the progress of the movie. He also had to keep costs under control.

That's actually not true. Lucas put the budget up 100% for all of his films after ANH. He didn't want anyone having any stake in any of his films, especially SW.

[baumer]

The big deal is that deep down, you know Lucas as "Creative Consultant" will be the ghost director of this movie further pushing more assinine characters like Jar Jar Binks into the new trilogy for a new audience causing old timers like myself, Baumer and Maverikk to have a heart attack at the mere sight of this... The only and I mean ONLY way this will not happen is if Lucas ends up dying which means his kids will be filthy rich when this happens if they already aren't...

No offense buddy, but Jar Jar didn't bother me. The reason is SW is still for kids just as much as it is for adults and while many people hated Jar Jar, many kids, (and I can attest to this as my 5 year old nephew and 3 year old niece love Jar Jar), love him. So it never bothered me as I don't feel like I'm a SW nerd. I can enjoy them for what they are and not be bothered by the small things. Edited November 2, 2012 by Halloween baumer

[redfirebird2008]

Honestly, I'm more concerned with Disney's monopoly in sports programming than anything they do with film. I wish there were more alternatives to ESPN for sports broadcasts.

[Walt Disney]

That's actually not true. Lucas put the budget up 100% for all of his films after ANH. He didn't want anyone having any stake in any of his films, especially SW.

Thanks Baumer. Bumblebee posted this in another thread so I looked it up, and it is true. The only movie that Fox financed was A New Hope, and somehow Lucas got them to hand over ownership of that movie to him as well.

[Walt Disney]

Honestly, I'm more concerned with Disney's monopoly in sports programming than anything they do with film. I wish there were more alternatives to ESPN for sports broadcasts.

Every big sports league has its own cable network now. So the reason that ESPN is so dominant is because so many people are watching it. There are alternatives out there.

[redfirebird2008]

Every big sports league has its own cable network now. So the reason that ESPN is so dominant is because so many people are watching it. There are alternatives out there.

I'm a college sports fan first and foremost. I cannot stand what ESPN has done to college football. They're the reason for a lot of the realignment fiasco that has happened in recent years. And they damn near destroyed my school's conference. They've also attempted to blackmail my school because we refused to appear on their stupid Longhorn Network.

[Kvikk Lunsj]

College football sucks. Go college Ice Hockey.Too bad people in Texas can't join in the fun of having college Ice Hockey teams.

[Darth Homer]

2004: Muppets2006: Pixar2009: Marvel2012: LucasfilmAnyone want to predict who Disney will buy out next? My guess is something with more girl appeal to balance it out. Maybe Lionsgate so they can reboot Twilight

[DAR]

Vivid video

[BK007]

http://www.joblo.com...vies-every-yearWhat were you saying?Yeah, Disney are a soulless corporate shill. Not even a sliver of integrity left. Fucking number crunching douchebags.Iger for a fiery, bloody comeuppance. Edited November 16, 2012 by BK007

[John Marston]

http://www.joblo.com...vies-every-yearWhat were you saying?Yeah, Disney are a soulless corporate shill. Not even a sliver of integrity left. Fucking number crunching douchebags.Iger for a fiery, bloody comeuppance.

yes,obviously the movies will be about different characters. Don't see the problem

[BK007]

Exactly. 2 big ones in fact. So really this discussion really is pointless, Disney's never gonna get big enough for what you guys are suggesting to happen.

Missing the point.

[BK007]

yes,obviously the movies will be about different characters. Don't see the problem

Star Wars fans, and there are a lot of them, are short-sighted, it seems. If this were Twilight, and they kept creating characters and etc. it still means they are all in the Twilight universe and I'm sure you'd hate that. Or replace Twilight with whatever franchise you don't like. I don't want to see a marketplace dominated with superheroes and Star Wars every fucking month, thank you very much.It may be an unpopular opinion on this board but movies were not only meant for nerd fanboys who could care less about everything else.

[riczhang]

Missing the point.

I'm not. I'm saying that being concerned at all about "Disney Greed" is pointless. "Disney Greed" is only a concern if it gets really big and there's anti-trust legislation to prevent that.

[John Marston]

Star Wars fans, and there are a lot of them, are short-sighted, it seems.If this were Twilight, and they kept creating characters and etc. it still means they are all in the Twilight universe and I'm sure you'd hate that. Or replace Twilight with whatever franchise you don't like.I don't want to see a marketplace dominated with superheroes and Star Wars every fucking month, thank you very much.It may be an unpopular opinion on this board but movies were not only meant for nerd fanboys who could care less about everything else.

nope, I just wouldn;t watch the Twilight movies.I don;t take this idea that the existence of some films stops other films from being made, that idea seems to hold no water

[DAR]

As a Disney shareholder if they want to make more Star Wars films, go right ahead.

[BK007]

Oblivion recently shook loose from Disney, where Kosinski made his feature directorial debut onTron: Legacy. That film just hit the $400 million worldwide gross mark for Disney, and the studio has a Tron sequel and other projects with Kosinski. But the studio let the filmmaker shop it because the post-apocalyptic Oblivion premise didn’t fit the studio’s family film mandate. Attempts to bring it in as a PG film was creatively strangling the project. It will be made as PG-13.

- Deadline

That was last year obviously. But, as I stumbled upon it, further proof for your unbelieving eyes.

That's the future if Disney gets their way and we've already seen dud projects like Tron Legacy, Sorcerer's Apprentice etc.

[Kalo]

One thing I'm glad from this shutdown is that it took Disney down a few notches. and I like alot of thier content, but we do not want them to be a monopoly. which is what they were becoming.