Eisner confirms Disney could buy Henson and Muppets soon

[dacp3]

Um... Disney's other two Muppet films were released P&S on DVD! Do we want this company handling Muppet movies again?

 

[Chilly Down]

Disney's two Muppet films WERE released pan-and-scan. But they also have great commentary by Brian Henson. The three classic Muppet films are available in both format on the same disc(s) respectively, but no commentary. It seems like no matter who owns them, there's good and bad involved.

 

[frogboy4]

It is my assumption that technology will eventually integrate widescreen televisions into the norm within the next few years. Disney will undoubtedly release all-new widescreen versions then. The current pan & scan versions do annoy me. It's weird that the Laserdiscs were widescreen. So, have patience.

 

[sidcrowe]

Butch: Great alligator...the price is a steal.

Disney: I think Disney's best days, along with their importance to the industry, are behind them. Wayyy back in the day, they were just about the only ones making lavish cartoon productions with a team of artists that were second to none.

Today, they're just another studio

The current and recent management didn't try to live up to the standards or the head start their past had given them. They decided to make a decent pile of money, easily, making garbage–distributed through their good name and the apathy of video shoppers looking for kiddie vids.

Blockbuster: What to buy? Uh, Disney sounds good. Shopper: Duh, what's available and cheap? Oh, another spinoff from Beauty and the Beast. Duh...okay, I'll get that.
Blockbuster: Oh, it sold. Better order more.

Sure, it's profitable, but just like a McDonald's burger, we all know it's not very good, and we buy it out of convenience and habit more than anything else.

Why risk greatness and a great payoff when you can play it safe with crap and still make decent money? That's Disney today

The other guys make the endless Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen dreck, and Disney brings us Snow Dogs and endless versions of The Mighty Ducks (which was just a hockey ripoff of the Bad News Bears–a GOOD movie).

I'm not expecting anything special from the Muppets after they're absorbed. Disney treats its own jewels (Beauty and the Beast) like crap, and the Muppets are just a few more devices to make crap with. How can we expect anything different? What, do any of you really feel excited, as if we're somehow a part of this purchase? We're not, and what we want from and appreciate about the Muppets won't add up to a **** thing to Disney.

The people who get their mitts on them will care and respect them even LESS than they respected their own projects like Beauty and the Beast. The hard work of the Muppets was already done by Jim Henson. They already have a rich history. Now, Disney gets to milk it by making crap with them.

Still, it's better than having the Muppets die in the street and be picked apart by vultures.

At least there is a CHANCE that with Disney somebody MIGHT, early on, want to return them to their 1970s adult-friendly glory days, but I doubt it

 

[Luke]

Originally posted by Chilly Down
Valentine dropped out a couple of weeks ago; I don't know why people keep talking about him.

I HAVE to believe if Disney is going to pay millions for the Muppets, they're going to want to actually put them in new productions for continued profitability.

Valentine didn't drop out weeks ago - Muppet Central just re-used the Reuters headline and it was a confusing one so people didn't realise that it's that specific deal that dropped out, not the person. Valentine was looking to bid again under different terms and maybe with different people. We've only heard a rumour over the last day or two that he has actually now just dropped out of the bidding himself. I think Valentine would have been the best option overall for the Jim Henson Company - Disney may well be the lesser of many evils and best for the actual 'Muppets' brand and the fans.

There is nothing solid to say that Disney is going to use new Muppet product from the get-go. The main things we have heard from them are 'distribution', 'bloated staff' and 'licensing' and i tend to think that the first year or two of any Disney ownership would be spent building the brand while milking it for cash by putting lots of merchandise out there and distributing the heck out of the exisiting shows. They'd probably then bring in a movie and maybe back it up by a TV show with the other stuff still happening in the background. The question i guess 'Henson' are worried about is if they will be needed while all this happens, seeing as Disney would probably takeover the licensing, distribution and admin from them right from the start. If the creative staff just get the occasional 'gig' is it enough to keep an actual 'Henson Company' alive in all but name ? I guess we don't know so i'm wary about it all - i would imagine it'll all turn out great at the start with a cute press release stating all these great intentions like EMTV had and then we'll see it develop and change over time.

I don't think Disney paying $70 million really means they'll have to make the Muppets work like slaves for the forseeable future - it takes a lot of cash to keep the Henson Company and all it's staff and facilities running just as much when they are out of production as when they are in, and they'll want to get the strategy right - finding some way to cut costs dramatically while slowly building up the Muppets brand again is probably what they'd want to do. If you are on the lookout for a cheap bargain (say like a car) you wouldn't usually add to the overall cost by buying the most expensive add-on's (nice leather seats, the flashiest sound system and the digital speedometer) straight away !

 

[Muppets1985]

........So then..................... what is Disney's hold up on the sale? or EM.TV for that matter??

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Originally posted by Muppets1985
........So then..................... what is Disney's hold up on the sale? or EM.TV for that matter??

They know it's just a bad, bad deal...

*...Just TRYING to start trouble! LOL!!*

 

[Super Scooter]

That article from 1990 was talking about doing that animated Muppet movie. I don't know about any of you, but, I am not looking forward to that at all. I just don't think they should do that unless it's with the Muppet Babies.

 

[AruggeRadio]

Leave for a few months and look all that happens .

Well gang it finally appears to be apron us. Some Concrete Evidence that the Muppets will most likely end up in the hands of the Walt Disney Company. And hey that’s just fine, to be honest I’m growing irritatingly tired with this constant uncertainty among the Jim Henson Company’s Future. The sale to EM-TV has been one of the biggest disasters in the history of the JHC. Now only 3 years later our Beloved Muppets are being sold for a song of there former worth in what appears to be a Fire Sale of mass proportions. So Like I have said many times on this form Before as much as we hate Disney they will probably be the best place for the Company to land. A strong financial Backer that hopefully will keep there hands out of what made the Muppet Brand work.

But now i have a wish list for Disney if they do buy the company. First and Foremost PAY OFF SESAME WORKSHOPS DEBT TO EM-TV. Buy back into the Sesame Street Brand, to me that was EM-TV's biggest mistake of the ownership. Now I’m not saying that Disney should then get there grubby paws into Sesame Street, but at least have the JHC be part owners of the brand as they always have been, you know that even during hard times that then at least the company will make money off of sesame street.

Second Wish List. LET THE JHC RUN BUISNESS LIKE THEY ALWAYS HAVE. In wrestling terms you are the money mark. Don't go into what is a successful formula and say "Now this is how you’re going to do business now and this is how you will create." Just be like here is our full financial recourses do what you do best JHC.

Third. KEEP THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CURRENTLY IN CONTROL OF JHC IN CONTROLE. Charles Rivken may not be everyone’s favorite guy but from talking to him at MuppetFest he seemed to know where the brand need to go to succeed (OH BTW have another Muppet Fest while your at it Disney)

and Finally Forth. USE YOUR FULL RESORCES TO REJUVINATE JHC INTO A VIABLE BRAND NAME ONCE AGAIN. Give JHC The money it will need to revive the brand. The old business adage you must spend money to make money holds ever so true here. I think that was one of EM-TV's biggest mistakes is they spend so much buying the Muppet brand they went broke. Disney figure you will probably have about 3 years of looses while trying to re-educate the Muppet/JHC Brand. Allow them to loose at first so that they can re-jubilate. It won't be even worth your money if you just sit there and go "Hmm we own the Muppets now well I’m sure that alone will keep them in strives." Get the most out of your investment by allowing them to rebuild. Rome wasn't built in a day you know.

Well anyways good to be back and talk to you all soon again.

Christopher Wells Graham
www.fineartsandrefinedtalent.com

 

[Chilly Down]

Good to see you back, Aggure!

I agree with almost everything you said. However, I doubt Disney or any company would want to spend money to buy another company just to say "Do whatever you want." They have the right to exercise some control -- but I hope their approach is "OK, what's been working for you at the moment, and what can we strengthen?" as opposed to "We don't care what you were doing beforehand. It's nothing but direct-to-video Muppet Babies projects from here on out!"

Since I apparently misunderstood something about the Valentine deal, and he's still interested: if his buyout attempt doesn't work, and since he's such good buddies with Disney anyway, I wonder if he'd be willing to accept a position back at Disney guiding the Henson division? That seems to me to be the best scenario. Even if Valentine does manage to scrape together enough money to buy the Muppets, where's he going to get the money to fund any projects after that? We need someone who the Disney folk like and will listen to, that genuinely likes and understands the Muppets himself (that's how Valentine comes off in the PR quotes, anyway). Valentine's expertise with Disney's financial/marketing muscle -- that's what I'd like to see.