On June 19, 2007, the news traveled around the Disney lot at lightning speed. PAs saw it displayed on their pagers, while executives read all about it on their Blackberrys. Sharon Morrill — the long-time president of DisneyToon Studios — was out.
John Lasseter’s Opinion on Sharon Morrill’s Work at DisneyToon Studios
Morrill — who (it’s said) had made billions of dollars for Mickey in the past 13 years by becoming the driving force behind the company’s direct-to-video division — was out of a job because … Well … Times had changed.
More importantly, because tastes had changed in Disney’s executive suite.
You see, John Lasseter (Who became Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios when the Mouse purchased Pixar in January of 2006) had made it very clear that he wasn’t a big fan of Morrill’s work.
To be specific, he felt that the steady stream of cheaply made video premieres that DisneyToon Studios had produced over the past decade had severely undercut the perceived value of the full-blown animated features that WDAS was producing.
Which is why — almost from the moment that John arrived on the Disney lot — he began using his influence to pull the plug on various DisneyToon projects.
First “The Aristocats 2,” followed by “Chicken Little 2 : The Ugly Duckling Story” and “Meet the Robinsons 2: First Date.”
Lasseter also derailed “Disney’s Dwarfs,” a new direct-to-video franchise that hoped to capture the hearts of the “Lord of the Rings” crowd.
The Tinkerbell Movie
But of all the projects that DisneyToon had in its production pipeline, the one that seemed to upset Lasseter the most was “The Tinkerbell Movie.”
This home premiere (Which was said to be Morrill’s baby, with the DisneyToon president having lots of input on this movie’s storyline) was an awful mess. With this CG film having little if anything to do with the 1953 Disney film that inspired it.
After watching a work-in-progress version of this home premiere, John then reportedly told Bob Iger that “The Tinkerbell Movie” was virtually unwatchable. That — if the Walt Disney Company really wanted to use this direct-to-video release to help move their new “Disney Fairies” franchise out into the mainstream — its story would need a complete overhaul.
Iger then agreed to follow Lasseter’s suggestions. And — as a direct result — some $30 million worth of animation had to be scrapped.
DisneyToon Studios Home Premieres Hurting Animated Features
And at that point … The handwriting was on the wall.
Morrill’s movies (Which had once been celebrated for the huge profits that they generated for the Walt Disney Company) were now viewed as being somewhat problematic. Mostly because the home premieres that DisneyToon Studios was producing were now thought to make the really-for-real animated features that WDAS were making seem that much less special.
If John (With the help of Ed Catmull, Lasseter’s longtime Pixar colleague as the new president for Walt Disney Animation Studios) really was going to turn this situation around, then a break had to be made from the past. And fast.
And since Sharon was pushing to put a “Disney Princess Enchanted Tales” DVD series (Which would feature all-new adventures of classic Disney characters like Aurora from “Sleeping Beauty” and Jasmine from “Aladdin”) into production (Which John & Ed worried might then undercut audience’s interest in “The Princess and the Frog,” that new feature that was supposed to revive traditional animation at the studio) … Clearly a change had to be made at the very top of DisneyToon Studios.
So first Lasseter & Catmull got the “Disney Princess Enchanted Tales” line cancelled. The first — and now only — installment of this new series was “Follow Your Dreams”. Then they got Disney management to remove Morrill herself.
And with that, DisneyToon Studios was now officially out of the sequel business.
Oh, sure. There are still a few high profile productions like “The Little Mermaid 3”.
As well as “The Tinkerbell Movie” (along with that trio of sequels that support the “Disney Fairies” franchise).
But beyond that … According to company insiders that I’ve spoken with, from here on in, DisneyToon Studios will concentrate on creating home premieres that help support various “Playhouse Disney” franchises. So look for this division of the company to now make DVDs that star the characters from “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” “My Pals Tigger & Pooh” and “Handy Manny.”
Future of Sharon Morrill
As for Ms. Morrill … According to a company spokesperson that I exchanged e-mails with late yesterday, Sharon will ” … take on new duties at The Walt Disney Studios.”
For the time being, Ms. Morrill’s old boss, Alan Bergman (I.E. President of The Walt Disney Studios) will oversee day-to-day operations at DisneyToon Studios. With significant input from John Lasseter & Ed Catmull, or so I’m told.
And with that … A controversial era ends at the Walt Disney Company. One where the Mouse made an awful lot of money, while — at the same time — seemed to strip-mine its own creative legacy.
Here’s hoping that Lasseter & Catmull made the right call.
That — by shutting down production of all of these home premieres & direct-to-video sequels — that the new animated features that WDAS will soon be producing will once again seem that much more special to today’s audiences. And — as a direct result of this change — then perform better at the box office and earn higher profits for the corporation.
Is It the Right Move for DisneyToon Studios?
But what do you folks think ? Did John & Ed make the right decision here ? Or was it wrong to force Sharon out ? After all, Ms. Morrill had only been following the orders that she had been given by Mouse House managers. Which was to create a series of low-cost animated features that would then generate huge profits for the company as well as extend many of Disney’s pre-existing brands & franchises ?
Your thoughts ?