Jim Hill another Muppet/Disney B.S. Story

[Muppets1985]

i just think its a B.S. Story from Mr. Jim Hill IF u ask me, here see for your self.

No Disney Home for the Muppets?
According to Jim Hill, Disney is becoming increasingly reluctant to pay more money to acquire the Jim Henson Company: "with all of the long term outside licensing and merchandising deals the Henson organization and EM.TV already have in place for Kermit & Co., it now appears that it could be years before the Walt Disney Company could actively begin to cash in on the Muppet characters. There is the very real possibility that this deal could fall through... again."

 

[JamieDenny]

Did I not warn you weeks ago that your virtual victory dance was a tad premature.
Just think about all the Licences that JHC have right now, Pallisades, Time-Life Sony to mention a few.

 

[Luke]

I think there is an element of truth to this one actually, although it is a straightforward rumor that's just been published rather than the usual thing. I said a while back how i thought Disney would have to wait for the licenses to come back under Henson control to actually be of any use to them in the way they want or they would have had to buy the contracts out or 'liquidate' them - costing them more money. I guess Disney really want just the Muppets cheap and the power to do what they like with their characters. Unlikely they'll be able to get that though without spending upwards of $100 Million and Eisner publicly was against that. Interesting how Jim talks about the sale of JHC though when last week he insisted it was the Muppets only.

Any victory dance is definitely very premature - i'd hate to see EMTV go down holding onto the Muppets.

 

[Luke]

OK, time to cringe - I actually bothered to look at the Jim Hill site and there is a heap load more (in fact, i think enough for a screenplay) on the Disney/Henson thing - you can find it at :-

http://www.jimhillmedia.com/nav4/index.htm?../articles/04112003.1.htm~contentFrame

Basically it's the usual stuff - seems like Jim has cottoned onto the rumor about the sale plans going badly, and that the licensing may get in the way and mean that Disney would not immediately be able to do everything they would want with the Muppet brand (although IMO thats not to say it's the ultimate reason why Disney would back out). Other than that we go into realms of fantasy such as secret phone calls with Disney execs, Eisners alleged obsession with Jim Henson, Mosad, the cancellation of the Miss Piggy Superstar Limo Ride (surprise surprise !) and a rather suspicious story about vultures being shot by Disney around the time of the original Henson negotiations which is spookily not disimilar to the news story from last year about pigeons or something getting splattered in one of the Disney parks. Should this man be walking the streets without medication ? - i'll leave that one up to you guys !

What i do find quite funny is that ol' Jim Hill has a Amazon payment button on his site where you can donate cash to keep him writing. I laughed my butt off at the words 'Fully Refundable' - i know i'd be wanting my money back !!!

 

[BoyRaisin2]

Thank you, Luke, you actually made me feel better.

What I find "odd" is Hill's friend's claim is that Disney cannot put forward the money to have the Muppets on TV on a weekly basis and put them in theme park rides (which you ain't got to do right away). As for the licensing, though it might be true, he also daid this was a problem in the 1989 merger in his "When You Wish Upon A Frog" articles.

Of course, though "business" is serious, and these could be real, Jim Hill's been wrong before, like he was in December.

 

[matleo]

Originally posted by Luke


What i do find quite funny is that ol' Jim Hill has a Amazon payment button on his site where you can donate cash to keep him writing. I laughed my butt off at the words 'Fully Refundable' - i know i'd be wanting my money back !!!

Hmmm... Can we donate cash to have keep him FROM writing?? Really, we'd be doing the media world a great favor. Look let's forget about 'fan trying to buy Henson" Let's buy Jim Hill's retirement. I know I'd be happier.

--Matt

 

[Bean Bunny]

Jim Hill also wrote in the same artilce keep referring to the new Disney's Animal Kingdom attraction as a Disney's Califorina Adventure. This is further proof, to not believe Jim Hill. Sometime I think that he made it all of up and just to get some cash.

 

[ZootandDingo]

Originally posted by Luke
OK, time to cringe - I actually bothered to look at the Jim Hill site and there is a heap load more (in fact, i think enough for a screenplay) on the Disney/Henson thing - you can find it at......

(The rest was snipped for space.)

Would an AOL-esque "Me too!" be out of line for a reply?

Luke pretty much articulated exactly how I feel about Mr. Hill and his "insider" knowledge.

He knows these things, how? Phone calls with people no longer with the company? Supposed merger conversations that are doubtful he would have known about? Talking with the college interns who staff the theme parks? Sheesh...I have less access and I know things that would blow him away.

Sorry, I don't buy it. If Disney felt this guy was any credible leak, they would have shut him up long ago.

 

[BoyRaisin2]

Here's my thing: I like Jim Hill's writing just for the pure talk of Disney and Henson. I now realize that it could be full of crap, or close to the truth or not that close. I don't know who these "sources" are and who this "Mr. Downer" guy was, or that stuff about the turkey vultures, but whatever.

I just love the Disney-Henson crap that comes out of his mouth. Don't know if I buy it now, but I got nothing else to read.

 

[radionate]

Originally posted by matleo
Hmmm... Can we donate cash to have keep him FROM writing?? Really, we'd be doing the media world a great favor. Look let's forget about 'fan trying to buy Henson" Let's buy Jim Hill's retirement. I know I'd be happier.

I'd be more then happy to donate to that cause Matt. I was blown away by this piece of "literature" he's written. I hope this sale ends to so (as someone else on another fan site said) Hill can quit shaking his Magic 8 Ball and using the answers to write an article.