Anyone expecting a fond farewell for Disney's alleged final "2-D" film better look elsewhere for good news. While Home on the Range had a decent opening at under $14M, it was still about $5M less than Brother Bear made and that film only had a two-day opening weekend. Even worse, the film finished fourth. Being able to tout a first-place finish does tend to do wonders for a film's second week, so the only hope this film has is a bunch of bored kids on Easter. Good luck, considering Bear lost little in its second week and still only made $82M. Range would probably have to IMPROVE on that $14M.
If the film doesn't have an amazing Easter weekend, Disney may have to write down as much as $100M in the second quarter. In fact, Disney has stunk up the box office in 2004. If everyone remembers, Disney kind of won the box office race last year, helping Eisner kinda look like he was on top of things. Not that Disney can't make up ground this summer - doubtful - but this is the quarter in which Eisner got his 43% withholding vote and a big loss doesn't help him maintain his job.
PLAN B... PART 387
Orlando Sentinel - Apr 9
Speaking of that shareholder vote, Roy Disney is suing the company tarnishing his name to release the records from last month's vote. Roy believes about 70% of Disney's employees voted against Eisner. That would be 70% of 28 million shares! Yet a Disney spokesflunky claims the vote totals would not represent the true feelings of Disney employees. Yeahrightwhatever.
SUPERSTAR NOT-SO-LAME-O?
Jim Hill Media Archives
While we all wait in fear over the future of Superstar Limo at California Adventure, there is another solution to the problem ride. How about going back to the original premise?
The original idea was to have the limo whisk you around a bunch of Hollywood-based jokes, instead of slowly letting you eyeball weird-looking celebrities. Kind of like Mr Toad's Wild Limo Ride. But the main reason for the speed was so your limo could escape the paparazzi, which just wouldn't leave you alone. Sound familiar? Such an idea wasn't going to fly after Lady Di's death, so the paparazzi idea was quickly dumped. For some reason, the Imagineers couldn't find a good reason for the limo to go fast, so they decided to make it go slow instead. The speedy joke scenes that originally were planned for the ride wouldn't work if people had to stare at them for a long time, so Imagineers decided to fill the ride with a bunch of lame Hollywood insider jokes. Which Michael Eisner reportedly LOVED. Another reason to hate the man.
I can't understand why they couldn't find another reason for the limo to go fast. Considering the ride was supposed to take place inside a building that looked like LAX, how about a "We're late for the premiere!" theme? You know, kind of like the "We're late for the concert!" theme Rock 'n' Roller Coaster uses. The rides were created at about the same time after all.
So I want to know if it is possible to go back to the original theme? Is the building large enough? If not, how about using some of the ideas from the Muppet Movie Ride that was originally planned for Disney/MGM? That'd cure Eisner's Muppet lust, at least for now.
NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON... BUT ABOUT THREE YEARS TOO LATE
LA Times - Apr 7
The biggest thorn in Eisner's side, ABC, may FINALLY be shaking things up. The network's top programmer, Lloyd Braun, is most likely on the way out and should be replaced by ABC Cable Networks Group's head Anne Sweeney. That would mean current president Alex Wallau - Braun is chairman in the weirdly structured division - would need to vacate his position also. One thing that should happen would be for entertainment president Susan Lyne to wield more power. This should be a good thing since her power has often been diluted by Braun, Eisner and Disney president Robert Iger. Like Sweeney, Lyne was seen as a rising star when she was given her lofty position, but has not had much opportunity to do her job. Unfortunately we won't know until Fall 2005 how well the new hierarchy does. So no help for you there, Eisner.
