6 Questions for Bob Iger

 by Ray Keating

Commentary

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 23, 2023

 

While visiting Walt Disney World on Friday afternoon, I overheard a conversation among Disney cast members either speculating or knowing that Disney CEO Bob Iger was at the Boardwalk Resort.

 

So, as noted in the accompanying video, this got me thinking about what I would ask Mr. Iger if I happened to bump into him. Here are the six questions that came to mind.

 

First, Disney has made a big deal in recent days about pledging to invest $60 billion in parks and cruise lines over the coming decade, could you provide more specifics? What are we looking at in terms of numbers and projects at Walt Disney World, for example? “Frozen” at Disneyland and “Black Panther” have been mentioned in reports, can you give us more?

 

Second, with news and rumors swirling about offers being made to Disney for ABC and other Disney television networks, including Byron Allen’s reported $10 billion offer for ABC, FX and National Geographic, what’s the company’s thinking on a price target for such assets?

 

Third, can you give us some clarity on the future of ESPN and its move to full streaming?

 

Fourth, in light of the Disney deal with Charter Communication, how do you now envision the future of streaming, such as Disney+, as it relates to cable television? (See the recent DisneyBizJournal analysis).

 

Fifth, the quality of Marvel films has fallen off notably since Avengers: Endgame, or at best these films have become far more uneven. What is the plan going forward, and is Kevin Feige in danger of losing his job?

 

Sixth, some recent Disney movies pulled in a decent amount of revenue at the box office – such as The Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Elemental – but runaway costs made these either box office losers or break-even propositions. What’s being done to get these costs under control?

 

And if I could slip one more question in, it would be: Given the controversy between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, it has been reported that you’ve said that you want to “quiet the noise” on these types of issues. How do you accomplish that given the reality of politics?

 

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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? (Keating is a Disney shareholder.)

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.

Marvel's Kevin Feige, Content Creators, and Disney Courtesy

Catching Up on the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating...

Episode #287: Courtesy the Disney Way – The idea of courtesy has to be part of the customer service experience – indeed, to the extreme!

Episode #288: Age of the Content Creator – Michael Eisner talks about content being king given that the consumer has complete choice.

 

Episode #289: Marvel’s Feige on Rejection – Marvel Studios Kevin Feige serves up some valuable thoughts on rejection.

 

The “Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating” podcast serves up a Disney or Disney-related quote each day, with DisneyBizJournal’s Ray Keating offering brief, additional thoughts on how each dose ties in to life, career, business, entrepreneurship, creativity, storytelling, work, or just plain fun.

Eternals Was No “Love Letter” to Jack Kirby

 by Ray Keating

Commentary

DisneyBizJournal.com

January 30, 2022

 

Kevin Feige, the head of Marvel Studios, declared the MCU movie Eternals to be a “love letter” to Jack Kirby, the great comic book artist and writer who created The Eternals, along with creating or co-creating a host of other Marvel characters, from Captain America to the Fantastic Four.

 

Unfortunately, the Eternals movie is anything but a love letter to Kirby.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in November, at the premiere of Eternals, Feige, referring to Kirby, said, “The whole movie is a love letter to what one man was able to do with a pencil, sitting at a little desk on the East Coast.”

 

The Eternals arrived from Marvel Comics in July 1976. I probably read the books when they were first published, but I confess to not recalling if I did or not. So, I just finished reading (re-reading?) Kirby’s run on The Eternals. This is not Kirby’s best story work by any means. It’s uneven, with some inspired moments and others that just fall flat. However, as is almost always the case with Kirby, the artwork is strong and dramatic, and has something of a cinematic quality to it. It’s easy to see how Feige or others at Marvel Studios thought it would be a good idea to bring The Eternals to the big screen, despite the fact that the books largely fell into the unread category for many, if not most, comic book readers.

 

Unfortunately, the film in almost every way is indifferent to or ignorant of Kirby’s work. 

 

As noted in my DisneyBizJournal review, Eternals came up short in so many ways, such as flat characters; mostly poor performances (though with exceptions); contradictions and nonsensical moments in the story and for certain characters; poor special effects; and supposed attempts to deal with big issues that simply come off as immature and embarrassing.

And if this weren’t bad enough, any real link to Jack Kirby’s work is nonexistent. The moviemakers use the names of Kirby’s characters, but that’s pretty much it. There’s no resemblance between the original comic book characters and those in the movie. Debate and complaints always seem to materialize when characters from comic books are presented on the silver screen. More often than not, however, the debate or complaints are over matters of degree. For example, the 2013 Man of Steel movie still generates debate over certain actions by Superman, but there’s no mistaking that this is Superman. That’s definitely not the case with the Eternals movie. It’s hard to find characters in the movie grounded in any substantive way with Kirby’s original characters. Indeed, most of this is quite egregious on the part of the filmmakers, including a dramatic change in Ikaris, who serves as the central hero in Kirby’s books but is presented as something quite different in the movie. If Warner Brothers had done to Superman what Marvel Studios did to Ikaris, I hate to think what Superman fans would have done. Luckily for the MCU, few knew who Ikaris was going into the theater. Of course, Jack Kirby certainty understood the characters he created, and it’s hard to believe that he would have seen the Eternals film as some kind of love letter.

 

Finally, one of the most damning issues for a movie, though, is that the pages of The Eternals drawn by Jack Kirby possess more cinematic magic than does the actual Eternals movie seen in cinemas. The Eternals was far from Jack Kirby’s best work, yet those comic books still beat the Eternals movie.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant 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?

 

Get more out of 2022 with The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution! It 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. Also, “The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution” comes with a handy spiral binding for easy use. 

 

Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13^th thriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Again, get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And order the 15th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story – grab it at Amazon.com or signed editions 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.

“Adventure Thru The Walt Disney Archives” Drops Today on Disney+

 by Beth Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 19, 2021

 

For those of you who enjoyed such original programming as The Imagineering Story and Prop Culture on Disney+ over the last few years, you may want to tune in to a new documentary called Adventure Thru The Walt Disney Archives.

 

Arriving today on Disney+, the new program will let viewers explore some of the rich history that surrounds the Disney company.  D23 Gold members were fortunate enough to have early access to the program in June 2020, and the documentary is now available to all Disney+ subscribers. (D23 is the official Disney Fan Club.)

 

According to D23, “The film looks at beloved Disney icons, including its theme parks and Studio lot, through an engaging, historical lens.”  Disney’s many warehouses and file cabinets were opened up to cull some of the very best treasures from 50 years of collecting the Disney company’s memorabilia for fans’ enjoyment.

 

Becky Cline, Walt Disney Archives director, is front and center for this film, and those of you who have seen Becky in past documentaries know that she is a wealth of information on all things Disney.  She was also the executive producer for the program.  The show is hosted by legendary producer Don Hahn, who himself has quite the Disney pedigree (The Lion King; Beauty and the Beast; and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, among many). 

 

The film is directed by John Gleim, and features interviews with Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger; Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige; Pixar’s Pete Docter; film historian Leonard Maltin; Disney animators and artists; actors including Mark Hamill; additional members of the Disney Archives team; and lots of others.  

 

The documentary offers viewers an in-depth look at some of the historical artifacts that brought many of the beloved Disney films and features to life.  Before you groan and mutter, “Documentary… must be boring!”,  you’ll want to tune in to see such iconic items as the piano on which the Sherman brothers composed music for Disney films. Can you picture Walt himself leaning on the corner of the piano while the Sherman boys presented “Feed the Birds” or other tunes from Mary Poppins for the first time?  Or maybe you’d like to take a peek at the carousel horses or original carpetbag from Mary Poppins.

 

Among the other treasures viewers will be treated to during the program are a series of the original Mickey Mouse dolls; an Alice Davis and Mary Blair hand-dressed doll for the it’s a small world ride at the World’s Fair; Beauty and the Beast props from the live-action movie; and even the contract that was signed on October 16, 1923, officially bringing the Walt Disney Company into existence.  Sports fans will get a glimpse of a World Series ring from 2002 when Disney owned the Anaheim Angels.  Bet you weren’t expecting to see that in the Archives!

 

Don Hahn also takes viewers on a tour of the various moving parts that make the Archives work (and is an entertaining tour guide along the way!). A stop in the digitization lab shows the hard work that goes into preserving the props and artifacts; another drop-in at the costume department lets viewers see some of the newest acquisitions arriving at the Archives. Last, but certainly not the least, is a visit to Walt Disney’s restored personal office.

 

The Disney World park in Florida isn’t the only place celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year. Like Disney World itself, the Archives started by Dave Smith 50 years ago are always growing, always changing, as they acquire new objects and documents. They aren’t just a dusty old storage building, but a breathing entity that reaches out with their exhibits so that fans can enjoy the treasures as well.  The “Archives” isn’t simply a museum of artifacts, but a place for future animators and magic creators to learn from the rich legacy of the extensive body of the Disney company’s work.  This Disney+ special is a small way to peek behind the walls of the Archives. 

 

The short, 59-minute runtime of Adventure Thru The Walt Disney Archives flies by. Hopefully, there will be more to come for Disney geeks everywhere to enjoy.

__________

 

Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!

 

For You and a Great Christmas Gift! The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution is here! It 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. Also, “The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution” comes with a handy spiral binding for easy use. 

“Game of Thrones” Duo Out at “Star Wars”: Let the Wild Speculation Begin

by Ray Keating

Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

October 29, 2019

The big news this morning is that the creators of Game of Thrones, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, have quit their planned Star Wars movie trilogy. 

Toss in the mix that Rian Johnson was vague in a recent interview about his continued Star Wars work, and we have the perfect storm for Star Wars fans to speculate wildly – including pointing fingers – about what’s going on and where things might be headed on the big screen in a galaxy far, far away.

Benioff and Weiss were expected to write and produce three Star Wars movies slated for released in each December of 2022, 2024 and 2026. But the duo also signed a big Netflix deal in August. So, perhaps the exit fromStar Warsshouldn’t be all that surprising.

As for Star Wars, Disney has a pretty robust slate coming, including “The Mandalorian” Disney+ series from Jon Favreau coming with the launch of the streaming service on November 12, with another two more live-action series slated – a Rogue One prequel and an Obi-Wan Kenobi series starring Ewan McGregor – and of course, the arrival of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in theaters on December 20.

And what about the recent news that Marvel Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige also was developing a Star Wars movie?

Here’s my speculation that only comes from the hope of a fan: Kathleen Kennedy, who has not exactly thrived at the helm of Star Wars, steps back along with the various players she brought in – i.e., Johnson and the Thrones’ duo – and storytellers like Feige and Favreau step forward more prominently.

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

Spider-Man Back in the MCU – Told You So

by Ray Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 27, 2019

Spider-Man is back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with widespread news reports today noting that Disney and Sony have come to an agreement. Told you so.

As the Hollywood Reporter noted, “Terms of the new deal were not revealed, but it will allow Marvel and its chief [Kevin] Feige to produce and run creative point on one more movie that would star Tom Holland, the actor who is the current incarnation of the web-slinging superhero. Depending on how things go, more movies could be in the offing.” In addition, it was noted: “Also as part of the arrangement, Spider-Man will appear in a future Marvel movie.”

The Sony Spider-man movie already has a release date: July 16, 2021.

The strange thing is that this outcome was doubted by so many, with the Reporter’s headline screaming, “Spider-Man Shocker.”

Really? There was nothing shocking about this. It wasn’t a matter of “if,” but only “when.”

Indeed, DisneyBizJournal.com expected this outcome, as I wrote the following when the news of a split first materialized last month: 

Call me a crazy optimist, but I  don’t think Tom Holland’s Spider-Man will be exiting the Marvel Cinematic Universe, despite news that Spidey’s out and the Internet is freakin’ out...

In the end, it’s unclear who needs whom more. I suppose given the MCU track record of success, a case can be made that Sony needs Marvel/Feige more. But in reality, this, again, is a clear case where each company benefits enormously from a partnership. And for that reason, while it might be a rough road along the way, I expect Sony and Disney to arrive at an agreement that results in Spidey remaining in the MCU. So, try to stay calm while these two entertainment companies fight it out over superheroes.

Yeah, I have to say it again: Told you so.

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

If you enjoyed this article, and since I am the author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels and short stories, and other books, can I ask you to take at least one (preferably more) of the following steps?

1) The new Pastor Stephen Grant novel – DEEP ROUGH – has arrived! You can order the Kindle edition, the paperback, or the signed book.

2) Please join the Pastor Stephen Grant novels and short stories email list, and get the upcoming short story, THE TRAITOR, for free! Sign up here.

3) Buy one of the other Pastor Stephen Grant novels or short stories at Amazon.comor signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. 

4) Become a member of the Pastor Stephen Grant Fellowship, and get all kinds of FREE stuff, including each new book in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Check out the levels and benefits here.

5) Order my newest book – FREE TRADE ROCKS! 10 POINTS ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW – at Amazon.com for the Kindle or in paperback, or signed books at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/freetrade.

Remain Calm: Spidey-Feige-Sony-Disney Drama Not Likely Over

by Ray Keating

News/Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 21, 2019

Call me a crazy optimist, but I  don’t think Tom Holland’s Spider-Man will be exiting the Marvel Cinematic Universe, despite news that Spidey’s out and the Internet is freakin’ out. 

This entire Sony-Disney battle looks like a tough negotiation that somebody decided to take public to gain an advantage. Considering assorted reports, the story goes something along the following lines. Sony achieved great success with the two Holland movies – Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home – that came after a deal between the two companies allowed Marvel’s Kevin Feige (the MCU guru) to produce both movies. (That Marvel-Sony deal came after Sony was disappointed with the Andrew Garfield Spider-Man films.) As for Marvel, Spider-Man entered and is slated for an important role in the MCU. Here was a win-win deal in Hollywood.

But with two more Spider-Man movies supposedly on the way via Sony and more MCU films with Spidey coming, a new deal between the companies was sought. Given that the current deal gives Disney a rather modest 5 percent of the first-dollar gross on Spider-Man movies, along with all merchandise sales (certainly not insignificant), it’s pretty clear that Disney/Marvel was pushing for the new deal. And Disney reportedly wanted a 50-50 split on financing, with Feige staying on in his consulting-producer role, according to Variety.

But as negotiations hit the rocks, Disney seems to have played the “Feige” card, with the company seemingly worried that Feige might be getting spread too thin with all of the movie and streaming projects he’s involved with for Disney.

Sony Pictures then went public with a response. Variety reported:

     In a rare public rebuke to Disney, Sony announced Tuesday night that it was “disappointed” over the decision, highlighting Disney’s refusal to allow Marvel President Kevin Feige to continue as a producer on the projects. It also praised Feige, who teamed with Amy Pascal on “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” which became Sony’s most successful release earlier this week in terms of global box office.

     “Much of today’s news about Spider-Man has mischaracterized recent discussions about Kevin Feige’s involvement in the franchise,” Sony said in a statement. “We are disappointed, but respect Disney’s decision not to have him continue as a lead producer of our next live action Spider-Man film.”

     “We hope this might change in the future, but understand that the many new responsibilities that Disney has given him – including all their newly added Marvel properties – do not allow time for him to work on IP they do not own,” the statement continued. “Kevin is terrific and we are grateful for his help and guidance and appreciate the path he has helped put us on, which we will continue.”

I’m sure Disney will have something to say in response.

Looking at a negotiation like this, the typical question is: Who needs whom more? 

Yes, Feige played a key role in getting Sony’s live-action Spider-Man on track (or back on track as I have great appreciation for the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man films). For good measure, Spidey being in the MCU clearly is a big plus for Sony. Of course, there’s no reason why Sony can’t take what Feige has done and run with it, telling some mighty Spidey tales, as basically said in the company’s statement. But that adds risk and uncertainty for a company that has an uneven track record with superhero, including Spider-Man, movies.

Meanwhile, the MCU certainly would survive – and yes, thrive – without Spider-Man. But the loss of that character would still be substantial and disruptive. Spider-Man exiting the MCU adds risk and uncertainty for Disney/Marvel, who already has seen the exit of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers.

Nobody likes added risk and uncertainty in Hollywood, an industry drenching in risk and uncertainty.

And by the way, I seriously doubt that Feige’s work on Spider-Man is somehow going to lead to him feeling overworked and his creative output will suffer as a result.

In the end, it’s unclear who needs whom more. I suppose given the MCU track record of success, a case can be made that Sony needs Marvel/Feige more. But in reality, this, again, is a clear case where each company benefits enormously from a partnership. And for that reason, while it might be a rough road along the way, I expect Sony and Disney to arrive at an agreement that results in Spidey remaining in the MCU. So, try to stay calm while these two entertainment companies fight it out over superheroes.

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

If you enjoyed this article, and since I am the author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels and short stories, can I ask you to take at least one (preferably more) of the following steps?

1) The new Pastor Stephen Grant novel – DEEP ROUGH – has arrived! You can order the Kindle edition, the paperback, or the signed book.

2) Please join the Pastor Stephen Grant novels and short stories email list, and get the upcoming short story, THE TRAITOR, for free! Sign up here.

3) Buy one of the other Pastor Stephen Grant novels or short stories at Amazon.comor signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. 

4) Become a member of the Pastor Stephen Grant Fellowship, and get all kinds of FREE stuff, including each new book in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Check out the levels and benefits here.

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