Steve Jobs and His Legacy

Today, the world lost a truly great man.

Steve Jobs, father of Apple Computers, passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Although he isn't with us anymore, we can rest assured that he won't soon be forgotten. He instilled in this generation and those past a love for technology. He turned something rigid and data-oriented into something beautiful and human. He made a small bunch of circuits the iPod, and proceeded to the change the world with it. Time and time again he'd shake the foundations of the computing industry with his devotion to simplicity and undying love of innovation.

But, not only did he pioneer the world of technology, but he singlehandedly assured the creation of Pixar Animation Studios at a time when nobody else would believe in them. In a press release from just moments ago, John Lasseter and Ed Catmull say:

Steve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend and the guiding light of the Pixar family. He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined. Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to simply 'make it great.' He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be a part of Pixar’s DNA. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time.

Steve was also heavily involved with Disney in the past decade or so, after all of his Pixar stock awarded him a seat on the Board once Disney acquired Pixar. Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, had this to say:

Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined. Steve was such an "original," with a thoroughly creative, imaginative mind that defined an era. Despite all he accomplished, it feels like he was just getting started. With his passing the world has lost a rare original, Disney has lost a member of our family, and I have lost a great friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time.

The world is certainly a little bit brighter thanks to Steve. He was a truly unique individual with a love for the minimal, a passion for technology and moving forward, and a thirst for life he shared with so many during his outstanding life.

Steve, you will be missed, but never forgotten.

Image: Courtesy of Disney/Pixar

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Iger says Disney wants to acquire more characters, states the obvious

The Disney Blog and Blue Sky, among some other blogs, have been posting on a recent quote by Iger, in which he expresses that Disney wants to acquire more characters.

Pixar and Marvel was its first step. Disney's purchase of Pixar gives it access to dozens of popular characters that it can do whatever it wants with--make spin-off films, theme park rides, product lines . . . The possibilities of wealth to be had in such high profile characters are almost endless. Similarly, Marvel's 4,000+ character bank opens up Disney's empire into a whole new dimension.

But don't be disheartened that Disney isn't creating tons of their own characters. After all, as many seem to forget, Walt based his features on fairytales, classic literature, legends, and the like, and those stories turned out great.

So my question is, why wouldn't Disney want to acquire more characters? Sure, it'd probably be better if they created their own characters from the ground up, like Pixar does, but they don't necessarily have to. Bolt was an original story and that was wonderful, but so was Tangled, which, as you know, is based on the fairytale of Rapunzel. Disney's theme parks are filled with Indiana Jones and Star Wars, and people love it. You don't need original content for a good story. In fact, the majority of people are more likely to see and connect with a film based around a character they're already familiar with than a completely foreign one.

I think, as with everything it seems, a good balance is key. Some original content, some based on established franchises and existing characters. And that is what Disney seems to be doing now. Its Pixar branch is creating original content, its Marvel branch is breathing new life into characters we already know, and its animation division just released the well-known Winnie-the-Pooh and is developing Mort, a film based on a Terry Pratchett novel, while also working on King of the Elves and The Snow Queen, both of which are loosely based on existing stories, but will act as if they were original since those stories are rather obscure.

And it's good that Disney wants to stretch its horizons. After all, it is an entertainment company, so it wants to get its hand on anything entertaining. Even if they buy up something like Shrek (which would never happen), they could always just stick it on a shelf indefinitely so that no other studio could have access to something so great. Disney is, first and foremost, in the business of making money. I hate to admit it, since they should be in the business of telling good stories, but it's true.

However, good stories make money. At least that's how it should work. So is it bad that Disney wants to acquire more characters? No, since it will keep the slate of Disney films (as well as the theme parks) interesting and new--a good story can come from anywhere. (And, as you may know, Disney has a rather fat wallet, so it can afford a character from anywhere.) Is it bad that Disney plans to keep creating original content, too? Of course not; original content is where we get some of the most beloved characters we know and love.

Is it bloody obvious that Disney longs to get more characters under its banner?

Yes. Yes it is.

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Star Tours 2.0 Grand Opening

Briefly: StitchKingdom has a wonderful article filled to the brim with photos and video taken at yesterday's grand opening for Star Tours 2.0 at Walt Disney World. George Lucas and Disney CEO Bob Iger both came out for the event.

I'll be taking the intergalactic journey at Disneyland this August, and will certainly give you folks my thoughts on the attraction's update.

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Rich Ross' Big Picture and Bottom Line

Dick Cook is officially ousted and his replacement, Rich Ross, is starting to make changes to the world's most magical studio. Ross and Iger plan to release about five tentpole features every year: one during the spring (think Alice in Wonderland), then two animated and two live-action features throughout the rest of the year. They want to produce and distribute films that they will be able to be fully exploit on television and the internet, as well as other media outlets.

However, Disney is slowly moving away from being a moviemaker and closer to just becoming a distributor. That's why they are shopping around for studios like DreamWorks and Marvel--Disney wants to profit off of films through the internet and TV without the need of producing them. And Rich Ross is making this a definite possibility.

That's not to say that Disney's never going to make another movie again. They are already planning on a sequel to Enchanted, a new Muppet movie, a Lone Ranger film, a third National Treasure, a fourth Pirates of the Caribbean, and Zemeckis' Yellow Submarine, as well as a Jungle Cruise and Tommorowland film. Plus, Disney has an incredibly strong line-up of films already: Alice in Wonderland, Prince of Persia, Rapunzel, Toy Story 3, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Tron Legacy.

Ross is certainly more of a "suit" that Dick Cook ever was. I just hope that he knows what he is doing...

Source: Variety

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The Apple iPad

Today, Apple announced a "revolutionary and magical" product. Check it out at their website. Pretty cool. While it's not as revolutionary as the iPhone, I wouldn't bet against Mr. Jobs. He seems to know what he's doing.

Plus, if Bob Iger and Lee Unkrich are at the release event, I think it's something I should maybe pay attention to.

The iPad ships in about 60 days, and I can't wait to play around with one.

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Dick Cook no longer at Disney

Dick Cook was the head of Walt Disney Studios just a few days ago. He worked for Disney for 38 years, and has now been either fired or has stepped down from his post. Some names for his replacement have been floating around, and these are Kevin Feige, head of Marvel Studios, and John Lasseter, head of Pixar and Disney Animation Studios, as well as the creative part of Imagineering. I don't know anything about Kevin, but I don't know how I'd feel about Lasseter filling in for Cook. I think that Lasseter should stick to what he's good at, which is the creative stuff--not the stuff where you have to wear a suit. Anyways, Dick Cook, from what I've heard and seen, was a great guy with lots of connections. There was no apparent reason for him to leave. Here's his official statement:

"STATEMENT FROM RICHARD W. COOK, CHAIRMAN, THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS

I am stepping down from my role as chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, effective immediately.

I have loved every minute of my 38 years that I have worked at Disney…from the beginning as a ride operator on Disneyland’s steam train and monorail to my position as chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. To wrap up my Disney experience in a neatly bundled statement is close to impossible. But what I will say is, during my time at the Studio, we have achieved many industry and Company milestones. Our talent roster is simply the best in the business. I believe our slate of upcoming motion pictures is the best in our history. But most of all, I love the people, my colleagues, my teammates, who are the most talented, dedicated and loyal folks in the world. I know that I leave the Studio in their exceptional hands.

I have been contemplating this for some time now and feel it’s the right time for me to move on to new adventures…and in the words of one of my baseball heroes, Yogi Berra, “If you come to a fork in the road, take it.”

And here's Bob Iger's (Disney's CEO) official statement:

"STATEMENT FROM ROBERT A. IGER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

Throughout his distinguished 38-year Disney career, Dick Cook’s outstanding creative instincts and incomparable showmanship have truly enriched this company and significantly impacted Disney’s great legacy,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger. “We thank Dick for his tremendous passion for Disney, and his many accomplishments and contributions to The Walt Disney Studios, including a very promising upcoming film slate. On behalf of everyone at Disney, we wish him the best with all the future has to offer."

Cook's leaving Disney has stirred up a lot of conversation in Hollywood. He was well-liked by everybody, and nobody is quite sure why he had to leave. One of his buddies, in particular, was Johnny Depp. Here's some excerpts from a recent phone interview with the LA Times:

"(I'm) shocked and very sad, it seems like the whole town is shocked, I didn't see this coming. There was no reason to see this coming."

"(He's) the sweetest man on the planet and such a gent."

"He is the utmost gentleman, so he made the call himself. He said, 'I'd like you to hear it from me before you hear it from someone else or read it,' He said today was my last day. He didn't give me a reason."

"He's instantly trustworthy. And you generally don't meet people at the studios you trust, he's a rare beast."

And Depp also commented that he is less enthused about the upcoming Pirates 4 film:

"There's a fissure, a crack in my enthusiasm at the moment, it was all born in that office."

Also, Depp thinks he'll work with Cook in the future, just not at Disney:

"He will be somewhere and I will always look forward to working with him. I consider Dick a friend inside an insane system. He's someone I understand and I think he understands me."

But he's not the only one who's upset with Cook's leaving. Scott Rudin, whose production company has a deal with Disney, has said:

"I'm completely shocked - as is literally everybody I've spoken to,"

Spielberg is also devastated that Dick Cook's not with Disney anymore. Dick was one of the main reasons that Spielberg decided to go with Disney on the new DreamWorks distribution deal. "Steven worships Dick Cook," a DreamWorks insider has said.


Also, Lasseter has supposedly been on friendly terms with Cook since the Pixar deal. He must not be too happy about these recent developments, either.

As you can tell, Cook was a trusted guy. A true friend, and an honest man in an ocean of phonies. Iger certainly has some big shoes to fill if he wants to find someone as loved, hard-working, and loyal as Dick Cook.

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Day One of D23 and Other News

With the D23 Expo underway, as well as the Disney Studio always wheelin' and dealin', I've got a lot of news for you. Right here, right now:

• This first piece of news is Disney-related, but not D23-related. Guillermo Del Toro, one of my favorite writer/directors of such films as Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth, has opened up an animation studio. This studio is known as "Disney's Double Dare You!". That's right: Disney's. One of Hollywood's best obscure/creepy filmmakers has opened an animation company within the walls of Disney Studios. The studio will be under the watch of Dick Cook and (hooray!) John Lasseter. Del Toro is very busy with his current slate of upcoming films, but will direct for DDDY (Disney's Double Dare You!) in the future. The current project at DDDY is Trollhunters, written (but not directed) by Guillermo who is also producing. So what should we expect from this new studio? Will the films be truly creepy, or just Coraline creepy? Will they appeal to kids, or to adults? I don't know...

• The Associated Press is reporting that 'Pirates 4' is officially official. It has a real title: "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," and Johnny Depp is, of course, its star. The film will be released in 2011. I can't wait! Although I am not a huge fan of the 2nd and 3rd 'Pirate' films, I do love the character of Jack Sparrow.

• The D23 Expo is going on right now! To see what happened on day one, I'd recommend you check out the following links:

1. WDWNewsToday; Some stuff from the CarsLand room, and, mostly, the Disney Legends ceremony.
2. Disney and More: The really great-looking Imagineering Legends session.
3. Cinematical has an article about Tron at the D23 Expo, as well as a huge gallery of pictures from it.
4. The LA Times documents both days of the expo thus far, but mainly the stars that showed up, which include John Travolta, Johnny Depp, and Tim Burton. (The OC Register has a similar article.)
5. Jim Hill discusses an upcoming D23 presentation which will showcase what The Muppets ( I sure do love those little guys) will be up to in the next couple of years.

There is even more Disney news out there. Upcoming Pixar is reporting that Cars 2 is going to be a "Hitchcockian Spy Thriller." Their source is Mr. Lasseter who is quoted to have said:

Mater, who we know from the series of cartoon shorts Mater’s Tall Tales (more on that in our blog in a minute) is prone to exaggeration, gets involved in a "Hitchcockian" case of mistaken identity, saves the life of a British secret agent called Finn McMissile (who looks a heck of a lot like an Aston Martin) and becomes embroiled in a huge spy thriller. Only no-one believes him.

And, finally, here is the newest trailer for the upcoming Disney film, The Princess and the Frog. This movie keeps looking better and better:



That's all the news for now, but stay posted since we still have more Expo news headin' your way.

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Marvel by Pixar?

Today, Bob Iger answered questions regarding Disney's recent acquisition of Marvel Entertainment via a conference call. During the call, Iger mentioned some things that would lead me to think that perhaps Pixar may be thinking about creating future Marvel films.

Currently, several studios other than Disney are set to create several more Marvel films. After those films are created, however, Disney has stated that they “want to be sole distributor of these films.”

When asked about Pixar's involvement in these future films, Iger replied that: “We’ve talked about this internally. Pixar boss John Lasseter talked to the Marvel guys about this and they all got excited about it. We think there’s ultimately some exciting product that come of that. Sparks will fly!” Lasseter sounds very excited about the prospect of a Pixar-created Marvel flick.

Disney has also announced that they to “exploit more lesser-known characters.”

Can you actually picture Pixar making a Marvel film? They've always used solely original material for their films, so should they really tinker with a so-far-flawless method of creating original films? Can the creative team of Emeryville work within the restrictions of an existing universe with its laws, characters, and limitations?

I think that they shouldn't mess with a perfected system of filmmaking which has brought us Toy Story, Up, Finding Nemo, and the many other fantastic animated classics.

We will see in the coming months what else Disney plans to do with their new collection of 5,000 characters.

Source: /Film

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California Adventure Changes Begin to Take Shape!

About a year ago, Disney announced their plan to do a major overhaul of Disney's California Adventure. They had plans to add a huge, new Carsland, theme the entire park to match California in the 1920s, and many other much needed improvements including new attractions and refurbishments. These changes should be completed by around 2012, but they have already begun work, and some aspects of the renovation are already completed.

One of my least favorite parts of DCA was the boardwalk games. They were boring, unoriginal, and made Disney look like it was just trying to make a quick buck. Well, after some renovations and re-theming, I can't wait to get to the park and see the new games! They look amazing, see a photo gallery on the MiceChat forum here. The games now feature everybody's favorite Disney characters and other neat details that make these games uniquely Disney. See a video of the wonderful new boardwalk games below:



More progress is being made on Paradise Pier since the Sun Wheel is transforming into Mickey's Fun Wheel! The Mickey Mouse head from the concept art that can be found below has been added to the Ferris wheel, as can be seen in this sadly poor quality photo:

Concept Art:


Addition of the Mickey to the Sun Wheel (now Mickey's Fun Wheel!):


That's about all of the updates for now. Although, there was a pretty interesting rumor brought up on Blue Sky Disney that states "Iger is getting worried John Lasseter is spreading himself too thin and hanging out in the parks too much". I think that this is a far-fetched thing for Iger to say, and, if he does actually think this, I think Lasseter can handle himself--a funny rumor nonetheless.

I'll keep you updated as more DCA park renovations are completed; especially Carsland, The Little Mermaid dark ride, Buena Vista Street, and much, much more!

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Tuesday Link Roundup

Disney fans are quite overwhelmed with news today due to the announcement of D23, as well as other news which has arisen from either Pixar, Disney's shareholder's meeting, or who knows where else. Here is a comprehensive list of the day's important, Disney-filled news:

• The official synopsis of Partly Cloudy, the short preceding Pixar's newest feature Up, has been released by Pixar. Read it on Upcoming Pixar here.
• The release date for Disney's upcoming feature The Princess and the Frog has been brought back from Christmas Day to December 11 in order to avoid competition with an Alvin and the Chipmunks sequel. AWN has a great article talking about these reasons behind pulling the release date of The Princess and the Frog, which is Disney's first movie in about 10 years which centers around a princess and is 2D, both of these attributes, as you know, are very similar to classic Disney films.
• Bob Iger announced today something that is making theme park execs shake in their boots, if they haven't shaken 'em off already.
  
• The big news of the day is D23. Read my coverage of this new "Official Club for Disney Fans", or visit the official site.
• Bob Iger also announced the names of Disney's two new cruise liners. They are "Fantasy" and "Dream". Read all about it at The Disney Blog.
• Other news covered today by myself includes my review of the new Pinocchio DVD and Blu-ray Discs, and the launch of Up: The Video Game's site.

That was the first 'Link Roundup' for Disney, etc.! I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll be sure to do more of them when the day's Disney news gets unbearably cumbersome to read and comprehend.

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Toy Story Mania!

There is a new ride that can be found in Florida's and in California's Disney Parks. It is called "Toy Story Mania!". I am very excited to go on this ride (and take lots of pictures for you to see)!

Here is the link to the official website. You can even build your own version of the ride!

Here is a description of the ride taken from the Disneyland website:

"Step right up and compete in an interactive "Toy Story" adventure like no other. It's Toy Story Mania!— a brand new attraction inspired by Disney•Pixar’s “Toy Story” films.

Grab some 3-D glasses, board your ride vehicle and zip off into a 4-D world of exciting, midway-style games.

Highlights include the following:

• Play games hosted by favorite Characters including Woody, Buzz, Rex and Hamm!
• Use your spring-action shooter to launch darts at balloons, rings at aliens, eggs at barnyard targets and more!
• Certain targets trigger surprise reactions and special effects.
• Compete for the high score.
• It's never the same experience twice."

So, there ya go. It is completely interactive, 3D, and filled with those great, familiar Toy Story characters.

Here are some videos and interviews (featuring John Lasseter and Bob Iger!) about the new ride that opened yesterday:

Lasseter and a preview of the ride:

Awesome Mr. Potato Head and Don Rickles:

More of Mr. Potato Head:

Iger Interview:

Here is that link to the official website. Be sure to check out the "Build Your Own Game" section! And remember, tons of pictures of this ride, the 45th Anniversary of the Enchanted Tiki Room, as well as the parks will be coming next week.

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