Jim Hill: Mickey plays it smart in last-minute hopes for Henson

[beaker]

Originally posted by Drtooth
I am still pretty confused as to why Sony/ Columbia hasn't been thought of.

Hey, that's what I said!

Btw Luke...I know my take on the suitors was a bit haste, but I was just going on this focus they all seem to have. Anyways, Im done with speculating...Im just waiting for the news! heh

Btw...that Disney aquiring wheel chair news...hmmm, sounds mighty familiar Good to see JHC isnt the only one who is reading my posts ^)^

Finally, I dont know what's up with Jim Hill...is he some bizarro inter nexus time continuum character who is torn between allegience to Disney while dissing on them at every given moment? I swear...he could get wind of Disney execs talking about buying out a small impoverished thrid world company to turn into 'factory land' and Jim Hill would see it as a clear sign of a Mouse buyout of JHC.

 

[murgatoad]

Originally posted by danielromens
If Disney buys the Muppets - think of what they could do with the characters in conjunction with Pixar. Boggles the mind...
____________________________________________________

Actually no it doesn't considering Pixar is leaving Disney in a few films. Personally I can't wait, due to the constant bombing of all of their new projects. They put out too much too fast and thus become the competition for their own characters. Not very smart these folks. Not to mention, Eisner needs a foot up his *****.

I've thought that about Eisner ever since he let Jeffrey Katzenburg go.

 

[frogboy4]

I don't think Disney will let Pixar go. They are going to hold on to that hot property. I don't think Pixar will want to leave either. It's a good partnership. Disney is great at promtion and they really seem to give Pixar a lot of wiggle room.

I swear - if I see another crew member credited as a voice in a Pixar film I'm going to scream. I could pick them out well before the DVD commentary. It's honesty distracting. Disney can get top name stars for scale. Just don't get the need for the inside joke with the voice casting. But it seems that Disney doesn't have a very heavy-handed approach with them and that's a good thing.

I'm not defending Disney here, I just think it's going a bit far to think that Pixar will not remew the Disney deal. They will shell out the cash for Pixar!

 

[sarah_yzma]

i don't think so...

i don't know if pixar has the money to advertise like disney can....they could make the money off one movie for another....but disney artists help the pixar artists, actually pixar uses disney studios for the technology....i learned this during a tour of disneyworld, though you have to be vague with your questions...they don't want to give away ANYTHING!-Sarah

 

[beaker]

Re: i don't think so...

Originally posted by sarah_yzma
i learned this during a tour of disneyworld, though you have to be vague with your questions...they don't want to give away ANYTHING!-Sarah

You're kidding! The black magic kingdom keeping secrets? No!

 

[uncleduke]

While I encourage healthy debate, I can only think of one thing...
A week or so ago I was watching a PBS special called Henson's Place. In it, Jim Henson was lamenting the fact that he had allowed any merchandising to be done with the muppets.

So, what ever is going to be done with our fuzzy friends, it will make some one upset. I have found in that worrying about things you cannot control is simialir to paying intrest on money you haven't borrowed.

 

[sstVideo]

Henson and merchandising

As has been pointed out before, if you read Bernie Brillstein's book "Where did I go Right?" Henson resisted licensing his characters, but his long-time agent Brillstein convinced him that it was the only way he was going to get enough money to be independent of the big studios like Disney.

 

[Luke]

I think the Brillstein comment was more about the Sesame characters but yeah Jim and Jane were against any form of merchandising but Jim needed more money to do things with advanced technology and he also used it to buy back the rights to Dark Crystal and Labarynth.

 

[BoyRaisin2]

Originally posted by Luke
I think the Brillstein comment was more about the Sesame characters but yeah Jim and Jane were against any form of merchandising but Jim needed more money to do things with advanced technology and he also used it to buy back the rights to Dark Crystal and Labarynth.

Ahh, I was wondering how Henson got those movies.

 

[Luke]

Yeah apparently Jim wasn't happy with the treatment the films were being given by the rights holders (or joint holder - not sure what control JHC had) and so he decided to buy them back himself. It was an incredibly bad business move and financially hasn't made them a lot of money but it's just something Jim felt he wanted to do. At least thats what i read in Brillsteins book anyway.