Jan 24 2006Disney buys Pixar
Walt Disney announced today that it would buy Pixar Animation Studios in a $7.4 billion deal that gives Pixar animators creative control and makes Pixar CEO Steve Jobs one of Disney's largest shareholders. Additionally, Disney will also hand over its own animation studio to Pixar.
As long as Disney is able to resist the urge to start exercising creative control, this should be an awesome move for both parties. Pixar gets to keep making the best animated films in the world, and Disney gets to, uh, receive money.
Reader Comments
1. Algernon - January 24, 2006 10:35 PM
Steve Jobs is my hero. Yay Pixar! (And Apple)
2. _fritolame - January 24, 2006 11:09 PM
I'm a little disappointed in Jobs for getting back with Disney, after they broke it off a little while back, but if it means more money for Apple, then I am happy.
3. hafaball - January 25, 2006 2:15 AM
Cool, this means pixar can finally make Aladdin 4, 5 and 6 and in all 3D like. But this is really good for Pixar, cause without Disney, they're kind of broke.
4. Beckles - January 25, 2006 10:57 AM
Pixar movies make a nice bit of money, but how long is it going to take Disney to make back $7.4 billion on one movie a year?!? I'm having a tough time seeing how Pixar is worth $7.4 billion if Dreamworks (less Dreamworks animation) was only worth $1.6 billion. If anything, hasn't the success of of Dreamworks Animation and now Weinstein Company with animated films shown you don't need to drop $7.4 billion to buy an existing company to do it?!?
5. andrewthezeppo - January 25, 2006 10:58 AM
um, weren't they always kinda of the same thing anyways? I mean don't all the movies start out "A Disney/Pixar production" what's new here?
6. Praz - January 25, 2006 11:27 AM
Disney and Pixar officially split a year ago, although Incredibles and Cars are still joint projects.
7. ElFurbe - January 25, 2006 12:49 PM
It doesn't have anything to do with Apple, except that Steve may be able to wrangle more ABC content for the music store. Steve just happens to run Apple and own Pixar. They aren't really related enterprises.
Disney and Pixar "broke it off" because Michael Eisner was a fracking moron. It was never in either of their best interests. Pixar couldn't do better than Disney/Buena Vista for a distribution and marketing partner, though there certainly are others out there, and Pixar was hardly insolvent without Disney backing.
Either way, this will likely only lead to Pixar selling out entirely. Disney has proven over the course of its existence that they will pander their wares in whatever way makes them a buck, and I don't feel that Pixar has shown that tendency. Their weakest efforts were contractually obligated sequels mandated by...bum bum bum...Disney. I just don't want to see Pixar cheapen into the seven-direct-to-video-sequels sort of enterprise that Disney has become. Disney just can't help itself. They HAVE to crap on their masterpieces. I undestand that. But Pixar, they don't have to crap on their masterpieces.