Disney

Robert Zemeckis Bound for Disney

Oscar-winning director Robert Zemeckis is in negotiations, according to TMZ, to move his ImageMovers production company from DreamWorks Pictures to The Walt Disney Co., where his preferred performance capture format (created by Sony Pictures Imageworks) will expand the 3D slate for Pixar/Disney Animation studios under John Lasseters leadership. Disney would not confirm.

Zemeckis followed THE POLAR EXPRESS with MONSTER HOUSE (which he exec produced) and is currently directing BEOWULF for release on Nov. 16, 2007.

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Disney Headline News

Walt Disney Co. to Acquire Indian Kids Channel & Invests in UTV

The Walt Disney Co. plans to acquire Hungama TV, a leading Indian children's television channel, and take an equity interest in media company UTV Software Communications Ltd. as the media giant strengthens its presence in a rapidly growing media market, where local content production is key. Both transactions are subject to certain conditions and regulatory approval.

Hungama TV coo Zarina Mehta will work with the Disney team on the organizational and operational integration of Hungama TV into Disney's portfolio of kids' channels.

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Nina Jacobson Replaced as Part of Disney Restructuring

Nina Jacobson is out and marketing head Oren Aviv is in as president of production, Walt Disney Pictures, as chairman Dick Cook announced the anticipated restructuring and downsizing of The Walt Disney Studios. Aviv will oversee the live-action development and film production slate.

Thus, there will be a strategic shift toward more Disney branded movies aimed at global synergy across all entertainment platforms. The studio will produce and distribute approximately 10 Disney live-action and animated films a year and two to three Touchstone films a year.

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Patti McTeague Upped to SVP, Kids’ Communications, Disney-ABC Television Gr

Patti McTeague has been promoted from vp to svp, kids communications, Disney-ABC Television Group, overseeing strategic planning and implementation of communications and publicity initiatives for all of the Kids Communications areas for the Group, including the wholly owned basic cable kids platforms and programming blocks Disney Channel worldwide, Playhouse Disney, Toon Disney and Jetix as well as ABC Kids, Walt Disney Television Animation and Radio Disney.

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Disney Units Unite for Comic-Con Push

The various units of Walt Disney Enterprises are uniting for a huge promotional push at this years Comic-Con. Disney (#3613), Jetix (#3821) and ABC Family (#3817) will all have booths at the event.

Disney will be conducting a raffle once a day at 2:00 pm on July 20-22, and 1:00 pm on July 23. Prizes will include videogames, product and DVDs for PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, NARNIA, NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and Roger Corman. Giveaways will include:* PIRATES bags and tattoos

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Disney Events

Mouse Tracks Book Signing Event

Begins: July 13, 2006

ASIFA-Hollywood will be holding a special event to celebrate the publication of a new book on the history of Disney, MOUSE TRACKS. The book chronicles the 50-year history of the Disney recording companies launched by Walt Disney and Roy Disney in the mid-1950s, when Disneyland Park, Davy Crockett, and the Mickey Mouse Club were taking the world by storm. The book provides a perspective on all-time Disney favorites and features anecdotes, reminiscences and biographies of the artists who brought Disney magic to audio.

In Event Types: Discussion, Animation, Features, Television, Other

Disney Headline News

Jobs Won’t Take Pay at Disney

The Walt Disney Co. has amended its compensation policy for non-employee directors after Apple Computer Inc. ceo Steve Jobs requested not to be paid for serving on Disney's board, according to several news reports.

Jobs, previously Pixar Animation Studio's chairman/ceo, joined the board after Disney purchased Pixar in May for $7.4 billion in stock. Jobs receives $1 a year for his role as Apple Computer's ceo.

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Disney College Program Puts Students to Work

The Walt Disney Co. has launched the "Disney College Program" for 2006, reports MickeyNews.com. The program offers college students the opportunity from any academic discipline to experience working for Disney in a wide variety of roles available in the company. The program gives students a chance to work in a corporate environment, where students perform their tasks in one of the four theme parks, two water parks, resorts in dining, retail or entertainment. Students will have the opportunity to interact with the guests and develop a solid foundation working with people.

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Walt Disney Co. Picks John Pepper to Succeed Sen. Mitchell as Chairman

The Walt Disney Co. board of directors today (June 28, 2006) elected independent Disney director and former Procter & Gamble chairman/ceo John E. Pepper, Jr., to serve as non-executive chairman of the board, effective Jan. 1, 2007. Pepper succeeds Senator George J. Mitchell, who has served as Disney chairman since March 2004.

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Movie-Inspired Pirates Reopens at Disneyland

Pirates of the Caribbean reopened June 26, 2006, at Disneyland with lots of help from Captain Jack Sparrow and his foes from the movie franchise, as Disney Imagineers updated the venerable attraction from 1968 with a high-tech facelift. The counterpart at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, reopens July 7, coinciding with the theatrical release of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MANS CHEST.

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Animation ANIMATIONWorld

From School to Success: School of Visual Arts’ Famed Alumni Speak

Joe Strike checked in with a host of School of Visual Arts famed alumni at a recent Animation Summit to find out how independent animators have thrived own their own and at the studios.

In ANIMATIONWorld

Disney Headline News

Disney Plays at Licensing Show

Disney is unveiling a host of licensing programming for its preschool and boy line of properties.

"Parents have enjoyed Mickey and Pooh for years, and now a new generation of preschoolers are being introduced to these characters with a fresh CG-animated look. LITTLE EINSTEINS rounds out a very strong preschool block that blends entertainment with education," said Andy Mooney, chairman of Disney Consumer Products (DCP). "Retailers are also seeing potential in these shows and clearing shelf space based on the strength of Playhouse Disney as a preschool platform."

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Brittany Murphy to Tone in as Tinker Bell

Disney opened Licensing International 2006 in New York City by revealing Brittany Murphy as the voice of Tinker Bell in an all new CG-animated feature featuring the spunky fairy in 2007. This will be the first time audiences hear Tinker Bell speak, as the movie brings to life enchanting tale of Pixie Hollow and Tink's new fairy friends voiced by some of Hollywood's most talented actors.

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Disney Events

Before Walt Screening

Begins: June 17, 2006

In commemoration of the Centennial of American Animation, ASIFA-Hollywood presents BEFORE WALT, a documentary showcase produced and narrated by Ray Pointer.

In Event Types: Discussion, Screenings, Animation, Documentaries, Features

Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records To Hit Shelves

University Press of Mississippi will release the new book, MOUSE TRACKS: THE STORY OF WALT DISNEY RECORDS, written by Tim Hollis and Greg Ehrbar with a foreword from Leonard Maltin.

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Online Headline News

Disney & Shanda to Bring Disney Content to China's Online Game Market

Walt Disney Internet Group and Shanda Interactive Ent. announced that the two companies have entered into an agreement to bring Disney's branded entertainment content to China's online game industry via Shanda's online game operating platform. The agreement calls for Shanda to develop, distribute and operate an online casual game based on the worlds of Disney and featuring some of Disney's most popular animated characters.

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Disney Headline News

Russell Hampton New President, Disney Publishing Worldwide

R. Russell Hampton, Jr. has been named President, Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW), responsible for overseeing DPW's various book imprints and magazines around the world. He replaces Deborah Dugan who announced her resignation earlier this week. He will be based in New York City and report to Andy Mooney, chairman, Disney Consumer Products.

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Narnia, Fantastic Four Sequels Change Release Dates

Disney has moved THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN from Dec. 14, 2007, to summer 2008, to avoid direct competition with Columbia Pictures fantasy, THE WATER HORSE, which is slated to open Dec. 8, 2007, reports THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Both are produced by Walden Media. The move also gives NARNIA director Andrew Adamson and his crew extra time, according to Walt Disney Studios svp of publicity, Dennis Rice.

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Disney Classic Shorts Compiled for ‘Small World of Fun’ DVDs

WALT DISNEYS ITS A SMALL WORLD OF FUN VOLUME 1 &2 (Walt Disney Home Ent., $14.99) is a new collection of Disney shorts released on DVD May 16, 2006. Starring Mickey, Goofy, Pluto and friends, each volume features entertaining adventures that are themed to different countries from around the world.

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Paul Yanover New Disney Online EVP/MD

Paul Yanover, a 12-year Disney vet and current head of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Online (WDPRO), has been named evp/md of Disney Online (DOL), the business unit of the Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG).

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CG-Animated Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Premieres May 5

MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE, the first Mickey Mouse series created specifically for preschoolers, premieres in the U.S. during a special primetime presentation May 5 at 7:30 pm on Disney Channel and, in its regular timeslot, May 6 9:00 am during the learning-focused Playhouse Disney programming block. The half-hour series also premieres in a coordinated global launch, on 22 Disney Channels and five Playhouse Disney channels across North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Japan reaching some 100 countries.

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Disney Completes Pixar Acquisition

Disney has completed its acquisition of Pixar animation Studios as Pixar shareholders approved the takeover of the company today (May 5, 2006) in an all-stock deal valued at more than $7.4 billion as 2.3 Disney shares will be issued for each Pixar share. The vote was taken at a special meeting of shareholders in San Francisco presided over by Pixar cfo Simon Bax.

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Nightmare to Get Disney Digital 3-D Treatment

On the heels of James Camerons optimistic roadmap for 3-D at last weeks NAB2006, comes news that Disney will reissue TIM BURTONS THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS in digital 3-D for a Halloween engagement beginning Oct. 20, reports THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

Industrial Light & Magic, which collaborated with Disney last year on the successful 3-D launch of CHICKEN LITTLE, is currently scanning and converting the stop motion classic with the help of Burton and NIGHTMARE director Henry Selick. Appropriately ghoulish glasses are in the works too.

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Jason Lee is Underdog

Have no fear, Jason Lee is here. MY NAME IS EARL star Lee has signed on to voice for the title character of Underdog for Spyglass Ent. and Walt Disney Pictures' live-action adaptation of the classic 1960s cartoon.

UNDERDOG chronicles the adventures of a humble dog named Shoeshine Boy who turned into the superhero Underdog, who spoke in rhyme. For the film, Shoeshine Boy is adopted by a 12-year-old boy and uses his superpower to protect his love, Polly Purebred, and the citizens of Capitol City from the evil Simon Barsinister, who will be played by Peter Dinklage.

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Disney Characters Get Romantic on New U.S. Postal Stamps

The U.S. Postal Service honors romance in the third in the Art of Disney series to be issued on April 21, 2006, and available April 22, nationwide.

These romance 39-cent stamps will be issued during the kick-off of the 13th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival (April 21-June 11). All of the stamps will be recreated in larger- than-life, seven-foot topiaries composed of fresh flowers and plants and will be unveiled on stage in an elaborate ceremony directly behind Epcot's Spaceship Earth.

Each stamp tells its own romantic tale:

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