With all the major purchases over the last five years, the Walt Disney Company is about to have a bumper crop...
What am I talking about? Well, between the purchases of Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm, not to mention the live-action/animated films coming from the main branch, the Mouse is gearing up for a monster year. That year will be 2015. Just a little more than two years from now Disney will dominate the box office. It's simply a given. What films will they release that year? Take a look at what most likely will be the summer offerings:
Avengers 2
Pirates of the Caribbean 5
Star Wars 7
Finding Dori
Walt Disney Animation Studios release (which one hasn't been determined yet, more in a future post.)
Tron 3 (not announced, but likely)
Ant-Man
Can you imagine the box office that year? The public is going to get very used to seeing that castle every time they go see something at the local movie theater. I don't believe any other film studio has had such a dramatic effect on the box office of an entire year this much. It's going to be a very interesting year. I'm trying to picture what the other major studios are going to line up against it.
And it's not just the films they release that will mark the year for Disney, but the theme park expansion as well. There are several expansions (including a rather nice one for Disneyland if it's green lit) that could happen, but aren't approved as of yet. These are the main two expansions that are on schedule to be opened.
Disney's Animal Kingdom: Pandora: The World of Avatar (tentatively)
Shanghai Disneyland
This year will mark the end Disney's normal content distribution system as well. Starting the next year, Netflix will be a primary driver of Mouse entertainment that will likely change distribution channels. So this year will close on a normal way people get shows, films, and possibly even gaming. Better sign up now.
Bob Iger is going to be leaving the company on a high note. The opposite of how Eisner left the entertainment giant. It's hard to believe how large the company has grown in the last decade, but it shows the popularity of the Disney brand. Of course, Iger will still be there for a year or so after his resignation as "Chairman Emeritus", but the day to day of the company will be handled by one of four people who now report to him.
Just don't let it be Rasulo...
