Iger Tries to Avoid Responsibility for Messages Over Story in Recent Disney Movies

 by Ray Keating

Analysis/Commentary

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 30, 2023

 

Between board news and Bob Iger interviews, there’s a good deal of Disney news to sort through over the past couple of days. So, what are some key takeaways? Well, one is that Bob Iger is trying to avoid taking responsibility for many of his own decisions.

Before we get to that, however, let’s look at Disney board matters. In a November 30 statement, the company reiterated CEO Bob Iger’s point that Disney “is moving from a period of fixing to a new era of building, as the entire media sector navigates the crosscurrents of the competitive landscape for streaming.” And it continued: “We are executing on four key building opportunities that will be central to our success: achieving significant and sustained profitability in our streaming business; building ESPN into the preeminent digital sports platform; improving the output and economics of our film studios; and turbocharging growth in our Experiences business.”

 

The statement was issued in response to Nelson Peltz’s Trian Fund Management announcing that it would seek to place new members on the Disney board. The Trian challenge was announced after Disney chose former Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman and former Sky CEO Jeremy Darroch as new board members.

 

Regarding Trian and Peltz, the company stated: 

 

“Mr. Peltz, in partnership with Isaac Perlmutter, a former Disney executive, intends to take its case to shareholders. Mr. Perlmutter owns 78% of the shares that Mr. Peltz claims beneficial ownership of, or more than 25 million of the 33 million shares. This dynamic is relevant to assessing Mr. Peltz and any other nominees he may put forth as directors, as Mr. Perlmutter was terminated from his employment by Disney earlier this year and has voiced his longstanding personal agenda against Disney’s CEO, Robert A. Iger, which may be different than that of all other shareholders.”

 

When including former Marvel Entertainment Chairman Isaac “Ike” Perlmutter’s shares, Trian controls roughly 1.8 percent of Disney’s shares, according to The Wall Street Journal. So, Disney seems headed for a proxy fight.

 

Meanwhile, as CNBC reported, Iger had some interesting things to say on Wednesday at the DealBook Summit in New York. For example, he declared, “Creators lost sight of what their No. 1 objective needed to be. We have to entertain first. It’s not about messages.” He also was quoted: “We have entertained with values and with having a positive impact on the world in many different ways. ‘Black Panther’ is a great example of that. I like being able to entertain if you can infuse it with positive messages and have a good impact on the world. Fantastic. But that should not be the objective. When I came back, what I have really tried to do is to return to our roots.”

 

Iger’s assessment is on target, but note that last sentence about the company getting back to its roots now that he’s back. You might get the impression that the guy was gone for 11 years rather than 11 months. 

 

Consider the following from the story: “Iger said Disney’s prioritization of messaging over storytelling peaked ‘while [he] was gone’ in 2022, alluding to the 11 months he left his job as Disney’s executive chairman. Iger had been in charge of ‘creative endeavors’ in 2020 and 2021, even while Bob Chapek ran the company as CEO.”

 

“Peaked”? Okay, maybe. But who was long at the helm as the company climbed the messaging-over-story mountain? It obviously was Iger. This is called “passing the buck.” The notion that Iger wasn’t on board with messaging over storytelling is absurd. That agenda was his baby.

 

Indeed, poor storytelling recently has hit Disney hard at the box office, with a mixed record on the Disney+ streaming front as well. Iger went on about storytelling over messaging: “I’ve worked hard since I’ve been back to reminding the creative community who are our partners and our employees that that’s the objective. And I don’t really want to tolerate the opposite.” 

 

This shift in attitude certainly is a welcome development, and is smart on Iger’s part. However, failing to accept responsibility for taking the company in the wrong direction in the first place is transparently ridiculous. Just admit that you made mistakes, and are now working to correct them.

 

Hmmm, someone once wrote: “In your work, in your life, you’ll be more respected and trusted by the people around you if you honestly own up to your mistakes. It’s impossible not to make them; but it is possible to acknowledge them, learn from them, and set an example that it’s okay to get things wrong sometimes.” The author? Bob Iger penned that in his book The Ride of a Lifetime.

 

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Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, the Alliance of Saint Michael novels, and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Support the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating Podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1724143. Subscribe at the $8 or $10 level, and get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. Remain a supporter and you'll get a FREE BOOK by Ray Keating every six months going forward. Thanks!

 

The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more.

 

Consider other books by Ray Keating, including…

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. There are 18 books in the series now.

 

• Order The Weekly Economist II: 52 More Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Kindle editions and paperbacks via Amazon here and signed books here. And don’t forget the first book in this growing series, i.e., The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel is at Amazon. 

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Signed editions of Ray’s books are at www.RayKeatingOnline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Disney’s Interesting Market Risk Acknowledgment

 by Ray Keating

Commentary

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 23, 2023

 

The story about the political battle between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has dragged on for some time now, with neither side behaving well. Quite simply, Disney dove into controversial political issues that had nothing to do with the company’s business; and in reaction, DeSantis wielded, i.e., abused, the power of government to attack an entity espousing a political position with which he disagreed.

So, why am I possibly bringing this up again? Well, I just came across an interesting op-ed at TheHill.com written by Jonathan Turley, a professor of public interest law at the George Washington University Law School. It caught my attention because Turley brought up Adam Smith, the father of modern-day economics and author of An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776), and Disney. For a free market economist who edits and publishes DisneyBizJournal, this amounted to required reading. 

 

Turley’s basic point is that Adam Smith noted “how the ‘invisible hand’ of the market worked as people exercised their choices between certain products. It can shape economies and challenge whole governments. One company in particular appears to be learning that lesson.” That “one company” is Disney. Now, Turley’s subsequent points can be debated, but the most interesting aspect of his piece is what he reported from Disney’s own report to the SEC:

 

In its annual SEC report, Disney acknowledges that “we face risks relating to misalignment with public and consumer tastes and preferences for entertainment, travel and consumer products.” In an implied nod to Smith, the company observes that “the success of our businesses depends on our ability to consistently create compelling content,” and that “Generally, our revenues and profitability are adversely impacted when our entertainment offerings and products, as well as our methods to make our offerings and products available to consumers, do not achieve sufficient consumer acceptance. Further, consumers’ perceptions of our position on matters of public interest, including our efforts to achieve certain of our environmental and social goals, often differ widely and present risks to our reputation and brands.” (Emphasis added)

 

Wow. Interesting. Again, let the debate rage, but that is a fascinating acknowledgment on the part of Disney.

 

By the way, while Turley went to economist Adam Smith to make his point about the market and consumer choice (and understandably so), I previously noted economist Milton Friedman’s points from a classic 1970 New York Times Magazine article on “social responsibility” of business that directly addressed the matter of corporations and social activism. Check that out here.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, the Alliance of Saint Michael novels, and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Support the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating Podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1724143. Subscribe at the $8 or $10 level, and get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. Remain a supporter and you'll get a FREE BOOK by Ray Keating every six months going forward. Thanks!

 

The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more.

 

Consider other books by Ray Keating, including…

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. There are 18 books in the series now.

 

• Order The Weekly Economist II: 52 More Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Kindle editions and paperbacks via Amazon here and signed books here. And don’t forget the first book in this growing series, i.e., The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel is at Amazon. 

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Signed editions of Ray’s books are at www.RayKeatingOnline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Finding Santa Around Disney World

 by Beth Keating

Lifestyle

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 25, 2023

 

Santa is an elusive persona this time of the year.  Ever wonder how he gets to all those kiddos’ houses in ONE NIGHT on Christmas Eve?  It’s the same kind of magic he uses to flit his way around the Disney parks, meeting and greeting hundreds (thousands?) of guests a day during the holiday season.  If your family is looking to get a little facetime with the Big Guy this year, here are a few of the places he’s been known to hang out at Disney World.

 

Of course, the most magical place to visit Santa is in the Magic Kingdom, where the man of the hour gets special treatment with his own float in the “Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime parade” at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party, all while snow is falling on Main Street.  It’s a specially-ticketed event, so not everyone gets a peek at the parade, but some years, Disney runs the parade for daytime guests during Christmas week as well. 

 

If you’ll be in Magic Kingdom from December 23-31 this year, you can catch “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. each day as part of your regular theme park entrance – no specially-ticketed event needed.  (Hey, we’re from New York… seeing Santa at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was always a big deal! Maybe you’ll feel the same about seeing him in his sleigh at the end of Mickey’s parade for those few days.)

 

For the past few years, Santa has also appeared in the motorcade at Hollywood Studios, but this year, he’ll be back in Hollywood in his own location, meeting and greeting fans off of the Muppets’ courtyard in a newly redecorated “It’s A Wonderful Shop” on Grand Avenue.  (The shop had been closed for a good long while.) You can sign up for a text alert for a meet-and-greet time there.  Just check in with cast members at the red sign. He’s meeting from 10 a.m. until park closing (which varies).

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

If you would be intrigued by seeing Santa in more international attire, you might want to seek him out in EPCOT’s World Showcase.   There, he’ll be appearing in various pavilions, sharing tales from regions around the globe, dressed in the garb more familiar to children in those countries.

   
In the Norway pavilion, a mischievous Barn Santa tells traditional stories.  In France, Père Noël shares a child’s Christmas letter, while Father Christmas makes a stop in the United Kingdom pavilion.

 
But if you want a one-on-one conversation with Santa while at EPCOT, turn to the Odyssey Pavilion from November 24 through December 24, and hand him your Christmas list while posing for the perfect holiday photo. Santa will be there at 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

You’ll have to be quick to catch a glimpse of the Jolly Red Suit at Animal Kingdom, because Santa will be floating down the Discovery River in the “Santa Claus Festive Flotilla,” through December 24. The Flotilla occurs several times throughout the day.

In Disney Springs, a virtual queue will help you schedule some quality time with Santa at “Once Upon a Toy.” Santa meets there right up until Christmas Eve. Virtual queues open on the My Disney Experience app at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. (No standby queues are available, so make sure you know ahead of time how to access the virtual queues on your MDE app.) You have to be in Disney Springs before trying to access this queue.

Looking to share a meal with the Jolly Old Elf himself?  Maria & Enzo’s in Disney Springs will be offering a “Breakfast with Santa” on a dozen select dates from November 24 through Christmas Eve.  Seatings are at 9:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m., and 10 a.m.  The family-style breakfast includes a family photo, visits with Santa and his elves, entertainment, and special activities and takeaways.  Check the Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante site for tickets and more details. (Tickets start at $69.00 for adults and $45 for kids, but will vary based on seating categories).

If you don’t mind your “Breakfast with Santa” a little noisier, Rainforest Café at Disney Springs is also welcoming Santa with eggs and bacon.  On December 16 and 17, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be bringing the party to the Rainforest for $34.99 for adults, and $19.99 for kids.  Reserve at (407) WDW-DINE, because limited seating is available for the 9:00 a.m., 9:15 a.m., and 9:30 a.m. visits.  There’ll be photos, goodie bags, and activities included.

These are just a few of the spots you might want to check out for a sighting of everyone’s favorite Christmas elf. Keep your eyes peeled… this time of year, you never know when Santa is going to pop in for a visit to check on whether you are being naughty or nice.  Last year in Magic Kingdom, we unexpectedly came across a Photopass site with Santa tucked away behind “Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe” off Liberty Square. Santa had commandeered the gazebo behind the shop, giving him a charming spot to spend time snapping photos with guests. And while we haven’t seen this location pop up on park schedules yet, you just never know where the Christmas (or Disney) magic is going to happen!

 

__________

 

Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Support the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1724143. Subscribe at the $8 or $10 level, and get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. Remain a supporter and you'll get a FREE BOOK by Ray Keating every six months going forward. Thanks!

BoardWalk’s Gingerbread “Deli” Now on Display Through December 27

 by Beth Keating

Lifestyle

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 24, 2023

 

Depending on how you count them, there are more than half a dozen gingerbread displays around the Disney World parks this year, from a room-sized gingerbread house selling tasty holiday goodies from one of its windows over at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, to a brand new gingerbread rendition of the Crescent Lake lighthouse at the Yacht Club Resort. Really unique displays have also popped up, including the life-sized baby gingerbread giraffe and zebra at Animal Kingdom Lodge. 

 

At Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, their intricately detailed gingerbread will be on display through December 27, and it is set up in the main lobby by the registration area, alongside tons of sparkling holiday decorations. The tabletop creation by Pastry Chef Alex Vacher and his team is a miniature replica of the BoardWalk Deli. The real deli is just outside the Resort’s sweeping lawn, along the boardwalk promenade.    

Taking a peek in the windows of the tiny gingerbread deli, you’ll see a 7-inch tall Mickey and Minnie hard-at-work in their kitchen, along with shelves of supplies to create their itty-bitty magical treats (Some of them are Mickey shaped! You’ll even recognize the Mickey dome cakes you can order for your own celebrations in the Resort’s actual restaurants.) Minnie is baking her own scaled gingerbread house, and diminutive rolling pins and oven mitts are scattered about. The windows of the shop flicker with lights and shadows – even the “oven” appears to be dancing with light.

Red-and-white-striped awnings adorn the building, and petite trees, fully decorated with edible bakery goodies, complement the exterior of the display. A purple and white decorated tree gives a nod to the Disney100 celebration.  Don’t forget to look for the 100 hidden Mickeys in the décor honoring the 100th anniversary of Disney this year, and you’ll also find the shadows of a few other members of the Fab 5 hanging about. There’s a working clock on the top of the façade as well!

The BoardWalk’s Gingerbread display is no lightweight when it comes to ingredients – it took more than 210 hours of decorating by Disney’s bakery elves.  Reportedly, there’s also 184 pounds each of whole rye flour and light rye flour, 170 pounds of bread flour, 168 eggs (!), 142 pounds of granulated sugar, 42 pounds of powdered sugar, 22 gallons of honey, 6 pounds of Ammonium Carbonate, 11 pounds of Lebkuchen, 4 gallons of egg whites, 1 pound of Cream of Tartar, 30 pounds of fondant, a heaping spoonful of magic, and a sprinkling of pixie dust!

  
If it’s not enough to just visit the gingerbread, and you suddenly feel the need to munch on the spicy delights as well, the BoardWalk can accommodate those cravings. During the afternoon, the BoardWalk Inn has a number of offerings for sale, including Mickey and Minnie Sugar Cookies ($4.79); Mickey Caramel Corn Cookies ($6.49); Christmas Tree Pops ($4.49); Peppermint Bark ($7.99); and regular Gingerbread Shingles ($4.99) and Gluten/ Wheat-Friendly and Plant-based Gingerbread Shingles ($4.49) versions that look just like the ones on the gingerbread building itself.  Add on a cup of warm drinking chocolate for $5.79 if you’d like.

The BoardWalk Inn is a Deluxe level Resort, and is located on Crescent Lake between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.  Friendship boats traverse the lakefront, ferrying guests back and forth between the Resorts and parks.

The BoardWalk’s whimsical, turn-of-the-century Atlantic City theme especially comes alive at night, when carnival games, streetmosphere entertainment, jugglers and more light up the area to entertain guests along the Coney Island-style boardwalk.  Christmas decorations, including brightly lit trees, are also on display both inside and outside the Resort, making it a festive place to visit for the holidays.

 

__________

 

Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Support the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1724143. Subscribe at the $8 or $10 level, and get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. Remain a supporter and you'll get a FREE BOOK by Ray Keating every six months going forward. Thanks!

Thanksgiving Week: Disney and Thanks

 by Ray Keating

Podcast

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 23, 2023

 

All this week on the “Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating” podcast, Ray is touching on the mix of Disney, thanks and Thanksgiving. Tune in, and Happy Thanksgiving!

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, the Alliance of Saint Michael novels, and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Support the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating Podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1724143. Subscribe at the $8 or $10 level, and get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. Remain a supporter and you'll get a FREE BOOK by Ray Keating every six months going forward. Thanks!

 

Consider books by Ray Keating, including…

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. There are 18 books in the series now.

 

• Order The Weekly Economist II: 52 More Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Kindle editions and paperbacks via Amazon here and signed books here. And don’t forget the first book in this growing series, i.e., The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel is at Amazon. 

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Signed editions of Ray’s books are at www.RayKeatingOnline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Disney Shares Schedule for 2023 Holiday Specials

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 22, 2023

 

Disney fans will have two separate holiday specials to watch in coming weeks – one for Thanksgiving, and one for Christmas morning.

For Thanksgiving weekend,  “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration” will air on ABC on Sunday, November 26, from 8:00-10:00 p.m. (EST), but if you miss it with all the family celebrations going on, it will also begin streaming the next day on Hulu and Disney+.

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

Siblings Derek and Julianne Hough will be returning to host “The Magical Holiday Celebration,” and among the featured performances on the Thanksgiving special will be:

 

• Derek Hough and Julianne Hough – “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” “What Christmas Means to Me,” “Dance to the Music” medley

• Michael Bolton & Mickey Guyton – “Christmas Isn’t Christmas”

• Andra Day and Adam Blackstone – “Someday at Christmas” and an Adam Blackstone original song “Legacy Christmastime”

• Ariana DeBose– “This Wish” from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Wish

• Mickey Guyton – “Jingle Bell Rock”

• Chris Janson – “Holiday Road”

• Tori Kelly – “This Christmas” and “Winter Wonderland”

• Chrissy Metz – “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”

• The Smashing Pumpkins – “Silver Bells”

• Robin Thicke – “Let it Snow” and “Perfect Holiday”

• Iam Tongi – “White Christmas”

 

There will also be a special look back at Mariah Carey’s 2016 version of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

 

And while you may be watching the Christmas morning parade from Disney with your family after opening your stockings and gifts, you’ll be forgiven for assuming it’s live from the parks – the parade already filmed last week.  If you weren’t in the parks to see it in person, you can catch the 40th anniversary airing of the “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade” on ABC on Monday, December 25, from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (EST) or 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. (PST).  It will also stream the next day on Hulu and Disney+.

 

Derek Hough and Julianne Hough will again host the Christmas Day festivities, along with co-hosts country music star Mickey Guyton and “The Golden Bachelor” host Jesse Palmer.  In addition to the parade (that’s what you’re really waiting for, right?), there will be musical performances from:

 

• Derek Hough and Julianne Hough – “Good Morning” and “Deck the Halls” Medley

• Chrissy Metz – “Silver Bells”

• The Smashing Pumpkins – “Evergreen” (A new, original holiday song)

• Iam Tongi – “Mele Kalikimaka”

• The Broadway and North American Tour Cast of Disney’s “Aladdin” – “Friend Like Me”

• Meg Donnelly – “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)”

 

The holiday specials were filmed at a variety of Disney locations, including Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disneyland Resort in California, Aulani in Hawai‘I, Disneyland in Paris, and on board the Disney Cruise Line.

 

__________

 

Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Support the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1724143. Subscribe at the $8 or $10 level, and get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. Remain a supporter and you'll get a FREE BOOK by Ray Keating every six months going forward. Thanks!

Have the Prayers of Star Wars Fans Been Answered?

 by Ray Keating

News/Analysis/Commentary

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 21, 2023

 

Star Wars fans haven’t exactly been pleased with the results since Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012. Is that about to change?

 

The three sequel films – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) – were particularly bad for so many reasons. And then there was the incredibly disappointing Disney+ live-action series Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022), along with the muddled The Book of Boba Fett (2021).

There, of course, have been middling-to-pretty-good efforts, such as Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) in theaters – although I’ll get some debate on those points in Star Wars circles.

 

And on Disney+, The Mandalorian (2019), Andor (2022), and Ahsoka (2023) have been excellent.

 

Overall, Disney’s Star Wars record has been terribly disappointing. But now comes news via Vanity Fair that Dave Filoni has been promoted. 

 

According to the report, Filoni said, “Now I’m what’s called chief creative officer of Lucasfilm.” This “places him into the development process much earlier and in a much more expansive capacity than his previous advisory duties. ‘In the past, in a lot of projects I would be brought into it, I would see it after it had already developed a good ways.’ Filoni will now work more directly with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and alongside Carrie Beck, a veteran producer turned head of development, to originate and shepherd the next generation of Star Wars shows and movies.”

 

Vanity Fair also reported: “‘I’m not telling people what to do,’ Filoni says. ‘But I do feel I’m trying to help them tell the best story that they want to tell. I need to be a help across the galaxy here, like a part of a Jedi Council almost.’ He described his responsibilities as understanding the intent of the filmmakers and being a resource to them, based on his mentorship under Lucas himself, and his years spent steering The Clone Wars, Rebels, and Ahsoka.” And later: “Filoni will continue developing his film, as well as exploring a possible second season of Ahsoka, while serving in his new position.”

 

It also was noted: “As president of Lucasfilm, Kennedy will continue leading the overall company, and Beck’s role will involve recruiting other storytellers into the Star Wars fold, while Filoni weighs in on a narrative level.”

 

The inevitable question that arises from Filoni’s promotion is this: Will Filoni eventually succeed Kennedy to helm all of Lucasfilm, or perhaps co-run the Disney-owned studio with someone else more plugged in to the business side of things? That would be the answer to Star Wars fans' prayers. After all, Kennedy has taken the brunt of the criticism for the under-performance of Star Wars, and she hasn’t helped her own case over the years with some comments that were out of touch with Star Wars material and fans, along with the greenlighting of an assortment of Star Wars movies that then quietly disappeared.

 

In the end, at the very least, Filoni’s promotion is good news for those who seek storytelling that makes more sense in terms of the characters and overall Star Wars universe and themes.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, the Alliance of Saint Michael novels, and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Support the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating Podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1724143. Subscribe at the $8 or $10 level, and get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. Remain a supporter and you'll get a FREE BOOK by Ray Keating every six months going forward. Thanks!

 

Consider books by Ray Keating, including…

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. There are 18 books in the series now.

 

• Order The Weekly Economist II: 52 More Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Kindle editions and paperbacks via Amazon here and signed books here. And don’t forget the first book in this growing series, i.e., The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel is at Amazon. 

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Signed editions of Ray’s books are at www.RayKeatingOnline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.