| # | Author | Message |
21
| Hista98
Fri 9/18/2009 11:29p | What a mistake Disney made!! I hope they see the light, He was the last of the magical era of disney!!! my guess is he was highly encouraged to leave which is why it was so sudden it's basicly like being fired but on your record it says resignd. |
22
| WilliamK99
Sat 9/19/2009 3:08a | Its not the head of Marvel that we are talking about, it's the head of Marvel studios... The man who basically built Marvel studios and has produced quite a few Marvel movies over the past 10 year...
He wouldn't be the worst choice, and for those upset let's face it, take away POTC and Pixar and Cook has a HORRIBLE track record... He needed to leave years ago. |
23
| leemac
Sat 9/19/2009 7:49a | Dick was asked to resign prior to D23 but agreed to stay on to present the upcoming slate and host seminars. He told me on Sunday that he was leaving. He did look like a dejected figure whenever I came across him at D23 - he literally spent every minute of the four days on-site. I'd often see him in the seminars or VIP room. He would even be sat in the new food court at the Hilton just waiting for his next appointment.
I do have mixed feelings about Dick's departure. I do believe he was firmly out of his league when he was given the chairmanship - but he was a fantastic distribution and marketing executive. He was also the driving force behind the launch of the Disney Channel back in the early '80s.
I've said on other posts that I'm convinced that the drive to reduce the Touchstone slate and emphasize the core Walt Disney Pictures banner is a poor business decision. Studios have massive fixed costs and by reducing the annual slate you are burdening up every release with a higher share of those costs. Dick was only doing Bob's bidding in releasing almost solely family fare. Personally I think Dick should have been paired with another savvy production executive - Nina Jacobson may have been the typical Hollywood executive but she had a great eye for story (and ironically her Color Force shingle is now going to be releasing pictures with Disney as she has a development pact with DreamWorks).
Looking back on Dick's time at the Studios he has had some major business successes. He was instrumental in the Pixar deal, wooed Spielberg and Snider into bringing DreamWorks to Disney, got rid of Walden Media, built on the Bruckheimer relationship to bring more family-friendly product like POTC and National Treasure, got Del Toro to set up Disney Double Dare You and helped to shape the Marvel strategy. He brought Burton back to Disney (who incidentally was VERY reluctant to return), drove the 3D format with Real-D and championed other technological innvations. He also encouraged Tom Schumacher's Disney Theatricals group to develop new musicals like Mary Poppins and TARZAN.
His problem was that so much of the content released just didn't resonate with audiences. For every POTC there is a Confessions of a Shopaholic or Annapolis or The Guardian.
That said he is regarded as one of the most talent-friendly executives in town. Johnny Depp is even quoted last night as saying that he is less enthusiastic about On Stranger Tides now that Dick has left.
Being a Studios Chief is a poisoned chalice at best - there just aren't many examples of studio heads having longevity in the business. I'd be surprised to see a Marvel executive in that role - it is a huge leap from niche player at a studio releasing 2-3 movies per year (at best) to one of the largest players in town. I would expect Oren Aviv to be in the frame - he is an excellent marketing executive who also has an eye for story (he is the brains behind National Treasure and Cage's upcoming The Sorcerer's Apprentice). |
24
| Schmitty Good Vibes
Sat 9/19/2009 8:34a | Thanks for the tip skinnerbox. I follow the parks, specifically DL and don't pay too much attention to the studio(s). I do know Ed Catmull, but not well enough to know him as Dr. Ed. He has a lot of talent, but would he make a good studio chief? I didn't see anything in his bio that told me he was on the story side at Pixar. I don't think he's been with Disney long enough to have read enough scripts. For me, one of the most important things for a chief is to be able to recognize a great story. As an organizer, I hear he did great things for animation.
But I hope it's not a Marvel guy.
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25
| dizkid
Sat 9/19/2009 8:40a | In all my speculation for the future I forgot to say that I always thought cook was a great studio head, he only made movies that he believed and that he was sure others would like to. |
26
| WilliamK99
Sat 9/19/2009 8:46a | In all my speculation for the future I forgot to say that I always thought cook was a great studio head, he only made movies that he believed and that he was sure others would like to.<<
Hence a string of failures bigger than most studios over the last 10 years.... |
27
| SingleParkPassholder
Sat 9/19/2009 8:53a | http://www.laobserved.com/biz/...disn.php |
28
| Schmitty Good Vibes
Sat 9/19/2009 8:53a | I just did some quick research on Kevin Feige, since it's rumored that Iger is very impressed with him. My opinion is that he's had too narrow an experience with only action films, but I could be way off.
The most interesting thing was not the articles on Feige, but the comments made on the articles thaat appeared below them. OMG!!! How many real live versions of the Simpson's Comic Book Guy are out there?
A real quote (read this in Comic Book Guy's voice):
"First of all, Captain America WAS NOT IN AVENGERS#1!!! Know your own characters and get your facts straight Kevin Feige!!!! Secondly, the typical Avengers roster has been 7 at least in the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. . . . . . . ."
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29
| skinnerbox
Sat 9/19/2009 9:01a | <<I would expect Oren Aviv to be in the frame - he is an excellent marketing executive who also has an eye for story (he is the brains behind National Treasure and Cage's upcoming The Sorcerer's Apprentice).>>
So if Aviv takes Cook's role, will Feige take Aviv's?
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30
| Jim in Merced CA
Sat 9/19/2009 9:16a | Thanks for your latest post, leemac. Totally makes sense. Nice guys don't always make the best leaders. And overall, the slate of movies lately has been -- mixed. |
