Once the public face of squeaky-clean, harmless family entertainment, the Walt Disney Corporation has evolved into a widespread conglomerate known as much for the properties it controls as the films it produces. With subsidiaries including Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, National Geographic, A&E, 20th Century Fox, ESPN, Hulu, and Pixar, Disney has a commanding control of some of the world’s most lucrative franchises, plus an extensive library of film and TV classics. Its streaming service Disney+ signals a new interest in controlling its own online distribution, setting aside decades of licensing partnerships. Follow along with The Verge as we look at Disney’s new films and shows, and its strategies for dominating the box office and the streaming dollar.
And at the very least can we make the prices less confusing? We discuss why the numbers keep going up, plus why Apple should and shouldn’t buy Disney. Then we make sense of the backlash to Zoom’s AI policies, dig into Slack’s redesign, and spend a lot of time talking about fart apps. Because to get to the future, you gotta start with fart apps.
An analyst asked on yesterday’s earnings call, and Iger swore, “It’s just, it’s not something that we obsess about.”
And yet, he did have one hesitation worth sharing:
Obviously, anyone who wanted to speculate about these things would have to immediately consider the global regulatory environment.
“I’ll say no more than that,” Iger added.
Disney just worked out a licensing deal for ESPN and gambling, bringing in a couple of billion over the next ten years (and sending Barstool Sports back into control of Dave Portnoy for $1 and some non-compete agreements).
Now, while announcing streaming price hikes, account sharing crackdowns, and acknowledging the ongoing Hollywood strikes, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the following about ESPN:
Taking our ESPN flagship channels direct to consumer is not a matter of if, but when,” Iger said. “And the team is hard at work looking at all components of this decision, including pricing and timing... overall, we’re considering potential strategic partnerships for ESPN, looking at distribution, technology, marketing, and content opportunities where we retain control of ESPN
[The Walt Disney Company]
When the Screen Actors Guild joined the Writers Guild of America in striking against the AMPTP last month, Disney CEO Bob Iger called workers’ demands for better pay and a cut of streaming profits “disturbing” and unrealistic.
During Disney’s quarterly earnings call this week, though, Iger sang a rather different tune insisting that he has “deep respect” for the striking workers, and that “it is my fervent hope that we quickly find solutions to the issues that have kept us apart these past few months.”
Sure, Bob.
[The Hollywood Reporter]
This rumor — that Apple might acquire Disney — has been around forever, and there’s nothing in this Hollywood Reporter story that makes me think it’s real this time. But the story does lay out a fascinating case for how it might work:
While it may be very true that Apple doesn’t want to buy a studio, maybe it would want to buy this studio —the one that, despite the challenges of the moment, has a vault full of priceless IP and remains the most valuable brand in entertainment.
[The Hollywood Reporter]
The entertainment giant is looking into ways it can apply AI across its entire business, according to a report from Reuters. A source tells the outlet that Disney could use AI to lower the costs of its movie and TV productions, while also enhancing experiences at its parks.
We might hear more about this from Disney CEO Bob Iger on Wednesday, as that’s when Disney is supposed to report its quarter three earnings results.
In a move highlighted by Hollywood’s ongoing strikes and reports of unsustainable working conditions during the production of Across the Spider-Verse, a supermajority of the more than 50 people in Marvel Studios’ visual effects crews signed cards saying they want to be represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).
Vulture reports they’re seeking an election as soon as August 21st.
For almost half a century, workers in the visual effects industry have been denied the same protections and benefits their coworkers and crewmates have relied upon since the beginning of the Hollywood film industry. This is a historic first step for VFX workers coming together with a collective voice demanding respect for the work we do.
Mike White, who Disney appointed last year to oversee its metaverse ambitions, has left the company, according to a report from The Ankler.
While White was reportedly supposed to assume a new role at Disney after the company broke up its metaverse division in March, it appears that never came to fruition.
[theankler.com]
The Wall Street Journal reports FanDuel and Fox are winding down Fox Bet, an app launched in 2019 that only ever was available in a few states.
When we wrote about it in 2021, the integration of gambling looked like a sure thing to broadcasters and streamers, but since then, FuboTV’s gambling ambitions flamed out, and Disney’s old-new CEO Bob Iger sounds a lot less enthusiastic about gambling as he seeks to sell off some or all of ESPN.
CNBC’s Alex Sherman reported on Disney’s discussions with the NBA and NFL about becoming partners in ESPN as it moves from cable into the streaming future.
On the Front Office Sports podcast (starting at about 4 minutes 55 seconds), he went a little more in-depth, saying he sees the talks as “throwing ideas at the wall” while discussing some of the potential complications we mentioned previously, as well as the idea that Disney, which will apparently need to find a replacement for CEO Bob Iger eventually, might become an acquisition target itself.
Ahead of its release on November 10th, Disney has dropped a new trailer for its third Marvel movie of the year. But don’t expect this frantic release pace to keep up for long. The twinned SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes mean production has paused on two of Disney’s planned 2024 releases; Deadpool 3 and Thunderbolts.
Disney Plus’ new anthology series is a wonderful showcase of the African animation industry’s brilliance.
Two out of the big three Hollywood labor unions are on strike, citing streaming and AI as major issues, and actors are starting to picket offices for companies like Warner Bros., Netflix, and Amazon. This screengrab from CNBC captures the initial reaction of Wall Street.
In an interview with CNBC, the Disney CEO called the ongoing writers’ strike “disruptive,” and says it’s not helping the industry recover from the covid pandemic:
There’s a level of expectation that they have, that is just not realistic. And they are adding to the set of the challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive.
Hollywood writers have been on strike for over two months now, and they could soon be joined by actors across the industry as negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP falter.
The newest Indiana Jones movie isn’t trying to reinvent the classic Lucasfilm formula, but it is trying to make you think about what it really means to obsess about the past.
Secret Invasion’s AI-generated opening credits aren’t Marvel’s best, but they do feel like a very telling sign of where the studio and the larger entertainment industry are at right now.
Elemental co-writers Kat Likkel and John Hoberg set out to tell a story about romantic and familial love — not just one about watery racism and fiery bigotry.
Looking at Ryan Murphy’s track record at Netflix, the streaming giant probably has some regrets about signing him to a nine-figure production deal in 2018 that led to hits like Dahmer, and quite a few more projects that never really popped off.
But now that his Netflix deal has come to a close, Murphy’s reportedly looking to jump ship and head over to Disney — a move one could easily imagine having been his plan all along.
Pixar’s latest animated feature from director Peter Sohn doesn’t want to be another Zootopia, and yet...
Samuel L. Jackson and Olivia Colman shine in Marvel’s new Disney Plus show, which feels more like a souped-up Agents of SHIELD TV event than a proper spy thriller.
