One Biiiiiiiiiiiiiillion Dollars!

That's how much Bob Iger thinks the Mouse will generate from online content this year. And he expects it to grow more and more each year.

Speaking of more... More info fallout from last weeks meeting in Albuquerque.

The new media...

Bob Iger really seems to get this Web 2.0 stuff. He seems to be moving forward with a much more proactive development plan than other big media companies right now. Here's wishing for his success...

Imagine Eeiree...

I thought it would be interesting to compare the different Disney Haunted Mansions we Disney Fans have around the world. It's one of only a handful of attractions that are in every resort... or soon will be. This attraction, one of Disney's most famous(probably the second best known after POTC) is based on the classic designs that Walt and WED came up with in the middle of the 1960's had been entertaining hundreds of millions of the world over.

Disneyland - Anaheim, California

It's come a long way since being known as "Theater of the Weird", which is what "The Haunted Mansion" was originally known as.

Magic Kingdom - Orlando, Florida


Tokyo Disneyland - Tokyo, Japan


Disneyland Paris - Paris, France


Hong Kong Disneyland - Hong Kong, China


Ooops. This shouldn't be here... this will be a topic for another day, another year. Most likely next year.

Looney Tunes Versus Silly Symphonies...

There's always been comparisons like this.

You're either an Elvis fan or a Beatles fan...

You're either an Apple fan or a Windows fan...

You're either a Coke fan or a Pepsi fan...

And naturally there is the saying that you're either a Disney animation fan or a Warner Brothers animation fan.

It's really apples and oranges for me. Well, at least the animation part. As for the others, I'm an Elvis man, an avid Mac user and I prefer Mountain Dew to either of those sodas...

Most might think since I have a blog with Disney the name that I prefer the Mouse's animation. Yeah, I do really prefer it. But not in a superior way. I just happen to love the Disney classics and tone of the shorts as compared to Warner's shorts. I happen to love Warner shorts though. I think they're far more edgy than the Disney ones. My favorite Disney character is Donald and my favorite Warner character is Daffy so I guess you could say I like the wild, irreverent characters that both studios offer, but I prefer Disney's more gentle and subtle prism of viewing life. But I have a great deal of Warner Brothers animation on DVD too. I love Bugs and Porky and all those zany Looney Tunes characters. In fact, I don't think there will ever be a character voice actor as good as Mel Blanc. Ever. He's simply amazing and irreplaceable. It's also a problem for me too, because when I hear the Warners characters voiced now(especially Bugs) they just don't sound right. It's not the same with Disney characters... whenever I see someone else do the voice I don't automatically think that it sounds different. Disney's celluloid characters are simply more replaceable and interchangeable when it comes to voicing. This isn't to say that people like Clarence Nash and Jim MacDonald aren't great voices, but there are people that can do great impressions of the Disney characters and pull it off successfully. For Warner, it's simply impossible to live up to the unique interpretations of Blanc.

As for the cartoons themselves, the stylings of Warner versus Disney shorts are quite different also. The insane and crazy, tone of the Warner shorts are far more carefree and wild in story and structure. While Disney chose to tell stories within the constructed narrative of American life, Warner chose to be the rebel... the non-conformists.

I grew up seeing more Warner cartoons than Disney... they saturated my childhood. Disney showed theirs far less so maybe it was the feeling of them being so special that they only played them in a limited environment that made them feel so important. Everyday I came home from school to turn on the tube and catch Foghorn Leghorn or some other character make me forget about the bad day I had had trying to do math or science. A Disney cartoon was rare on a Sunday night if I got the chance to watch the Wonderful World of Disney. But as I've gotten older I don't compare them... there's no reason you can't enjoy a slice of Bugs with your Mickey or vice versa.

The great opportunity kids have today is to actually own what I had to wait to see after school. We can now enjoy classic animation(Warner or Disney) anytime we want... be it when you get home from school or at three in the morning when you have insomnia. And with that said, there really is only one thing left to say...

That's all folks.

How Much Is A Lamp Worth?

Variety has a nice article about Bob Iger from a Q & A had in New York where Disney's CEO discusses the purchase of Pixar and how it's benefited the Mouse.

A clue:

He has no regrets and believes the price was a value.

Come the end of summer when the box office receipts for "Wall-E" come in he may realize it was a bargain... and Steve Jobs may be kicking himself thinking he didn't ask enough for Luxo!

Bird Goes Live...

Well, what we've all talked about here and other places was finally announced this morning. Brad Bird has not tried to hide the fact that he's been working on a live action film based on the novel "1906"by James Dalessandro...

The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Bird has signed for the film which will be co-produced by Warner Bros. and Disney/Pixar. Bird is taking a pass at his own draft of John Logans("The Aviator" and "The Last Samurai") original script. John Walker("The Incredibles" and "The Iron Giant") is the executive producer, Paula Weinstein("Blood Diamond" and "The Perfect Storm") produces and Pixar will co-finance the film. Think of what "Titanic" was to ship disasters and you can begin to imagine what this film will be in relation to it... a sweeping period drama occuring before, during and after a devastating earthquake that literally destroyed the City by the Bay.

Thus begins Pixar's foray into live action. It's the first, but most definitely won't be the last...

It Hasn't Been Easy Being Green...

Ever since the Mouse bought the Muppets it's been trying to find a fresh way to keep them relevant in the 21st century. It's had many stalls and projects that have either died in development or simply faltered before they ever got a go ahead into prime time or theaters...

Until now.

It looks like, at least according to Variety , that Disney has found a concept to relaunch these endearing characters. Jason Segel(CSI and Freaks & Geeks) pitched his concept for a new Muppet movie and the Mouse apparently bought it. Both literally and figuratively. Nick Stoller(Forgetting Sarah Marshall) is attached to direct. The ball seems to be rolling and executives at Disney appear to want this moving as soon as possible... after all, there are theme parks to support.

Good news for Muppet fans all over.

Last Trailer For Last Robot On Earth...

Apple has posted the final "Wall-E" trailer online.

Have a looksie. The first half is essentially the international trailer and the second half is all new. It's darn cute, charming and gives you the sense that Pixar is going to be continuing their win streak... this summer is going to be something special and a little sad as we watch Andrew Stanton's last animated film for a long while.