While the business press continues to focus on the handful of decisions that Disney CEO-to-be Robert Iger has made to date (I.E. The dismantling of the corporation’s Strategic Planning department, the four ABC television series that Iger has already chosen to renew, etc.) … Inside the Mouse House, longtime Disney employees are wondering what the future holds.
As in: Which of the numerous projects that Michael Eisner personally put into production will Iger eventually decide to pull the plug on? So that Disney’s new big cheese can send a clear signal to the entertainment industry as well as the investment community that “the bad old bad days” of Eisner’s reign are finally coming to an end.
Mind you, no one in Burbank seriously expects Bob to have the brass to kill off any of Michael’s babies until Eisner actually exits the Mouse House on September 30th. But — that said — company insiders are whispering that Iger has reportedly already put together a list of projects that he’s thinking of spiking once Uncle Mike has left the building. These supposedly include:
- The “Hunchback of Notre Dame” TV movie: For several years now, Eisner has been pushing for ABC to produce a live action version of this 1996 Disney animated feature. And — late last year — it looked like this new musical-for-television might really be a go. As Craig Zadan & Neil Meron (AKA the guys behind Storyline Entertainment. The production company that brought us the Academy Award winning version of “Chicago” as well as those well received TV musicals, “Annie” and “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella”) hired Jason Moore (I.E. The director of the Tony Award winning musical, “Avenue Q”) to helm the TV version of “Hunchback.”
The only problem is … The only person within Disney’s walls who’s actually eager to see a new TV movie version of “Hunchback” is Michael Eisner. I’m told that — out of all the animated features that WDFA has produced during Eisner’s 20 year tenure — “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” remains Michael’s favorite. That there’s something about this Kirk Wise & Gary Trousdale film that really speaks to Disney’s outgoing CEO.
Now I’m sure that all of you armchair psychologists out there will enjoy pointing out the parallels between Quasimodo (I.E. The mis-shapen monster that hides away in his bell tower, who is feared & reviled by the public but is actually be a good & kind creature) and Michael Eisner (I.E. The embattled CEO who hides away in the Team Disney Burbank building, who is feared & reviled by many members of the entertainment community but prefers to think of himself as a much beloved corporate figure). But I’m told that the real reason that Michael loves “Hunchback” so much is that he really enjoyed reading the Victor Hugo novel back when he was in school. That — and Eisner supposedly thinks that Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz’s score for this animated feature contains some of the best songs ever written for a Disney film.
Speaking of songs … Menken & Schwartz have already reportedly written at least one new number for the “Hunchback” TV movie. But with Eisner’s upcoming exit (As well as ABC’s waning enthusiasm for these television musicals. Witness the network’s recent decision to push back the airing of its new production of “Once Upon a Mattress” from May to November), one wonders when (if ever) we’ll be able to hear Quasi warble this new tune.
Speaking of tunes … I mean toons … The next item that’s reportedly on Iger’s drop-like-a-hot-rock list is:
- The Sequel Lab: As in: That off-the-lot CG production facility that the Walt Disney Company is reportedly planning on building in Glendale. The new studio where Mickey will supposedly produce sequels to popular Pixar projects like “Toy Story” and “Monsters, Inc.”
If you had attended Disney’s annual meeting in Minneapolis back in February, you would have heard Bob Iger himself talking up the two Pixar-related sequels that Disney Feature Animation reportedly already has in development, “Toy Story III” and “Monsters, Inc. II.” And — if you’d been reading the trades back in March — you’d have seen where Brad Raymond (I.E. The director of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame II” and “The Lion King 1 1/2”) had been tapped to helm “Toy Story III” and Jim Herzfeld (I.E. The screenwriter of “Meet the Fockers”) had been hired to rewrite Jared Stern’s script for the sequel (Which reportedly has Buzz being recalled. Which means that the space ranger now has to be shipped back to the factory that he originally came from. Which is supposedly located in Tawain!)
But now it’s April. And given that one of the very first e-mails that Bob received after Disney revealed that Iger would be the company’s new CEO was a congratulatory note from Pixar CEO Steve Jobs … The current corporate scuttlebutt is that — on October 1st (I.E. The day Mr. Iger officially takes control of the Mouse House) — Disney will officially re-open negotiations with Pixar. With the hope that the two companies can then come to a new distribution agreement.
So even though Disney continues to talk a good game about “Toy Story III” (As in: According to studio head *** Cook, this still-in-development sequel has already been slotted for theatrical release in November of 2008. And Roy Conli — the producer of “Treasure Planet” & “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” — has recently been hired to shepherd this project through the production process), the smart money right now is Disney agreeing to pull the plug on the Sequel Lab. Provided — of course — that Pixar agrees to a new distribution & production deal that doesn’t actually ask the Mouse for both the sun & the moon. Just the sun.
And — finally (And this is the piece of news that I’m sure is going to p*ss off all of you Henson fans out there) there’s a concern that Iger (as a way of indicating to the entertainment community that he really is his own man) may cut back on the Disney company’s investment in:
- The Muppets: Even as Disney is in the middle of launching a big-time promotion push for “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz,” there are already rumors flying around the company that — if this new TV movie doesn’t pull in huge ratings when it finally airs on ABC in May — that the Mouse may opt to cut & run with Kermit & Co.
As in: Rather than continue to churn out new Muppet-related product, Disney will just concentrate on making the most of the movies & TV series that the Jim Henson Company had already produced. Using the might of the Mouse’s marketing department to turn these previously existing properties into significant moneymakers for the Disney corporation.
One man who’s said to be particularly concerned about Iger’s imminent ascension in the Walt Disney Company is Chris Curtin, general manager & Vice president of the Muppet Holding Company LLC (I.E. The arm of the Walt Disney Company that actually plans out what’s to be done with Miss Piggy & pals). Curtin was hand-picked by Eisner to run the Muppet Holding Company. And — given that Chris was Michael’s special assistant for a number of years — Curtin thought that he could count on Michael’s support for a number of years as he slowly grew the Muppets into a viable brand for the Disney corporation.
But now that Eisner is exiting the Walt Disney Company in September … Chris can no longer count on Michael being in his corner. Or — more importantly — having a number of years to turn these characters into a viable franchise. Which could curtail Curtin’s plans for a big-time Muppet revival. With Kermit & Co. appearing in new theatrical releases, ambitious theme park attractions, even starring in their very own Muppet Broadway musical.
Which is why it’s now all the more crucial that “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz” do great in the ratings when it airs on ABC on Friday, May 20th. Otherwise … Bob may use this TV movie’s underwhelming performance as an excuse to scale back Disney’s current plans for Miss Piggy & pals. Sooo … If you want new Muppet stuff (as opposed to watching the same old movies & TV shows over and over and over again …), be sure to tell your friends & family to tune in next month when Ashanti goes over the rainbow.
Anyway … Those are three of the projects that may get cut once Eisner actually exits the Mouse House in September. So what do you think? Is it wise for Iger to ax these projects immediately in order to prove that he’s his own man. Or would it better for Bob to take a while, think things through, before he actually kills off any of Uncle Michael’s darlings?
Your thoughts?