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| MickeyXtreme's News Archive March 1-3 2007 | ||
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Saturday March 3, 2007 |
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Variety - Comedy pilot based on Geico ads.
Winner for most unusual piece of development this
pilot season goes to ABC, which has turned a series of
quirky Geico commercials into an actual half-hour
comedy project.
Project, from ABC TV Studio, is penned by Joe Lawson, an advertising copywriter who was behind the "Caveman" ads -- as well as other Geico commercials (think the cockney-speaking Geico gecko, and the reality TV spoof "Tiny House"). Daniel Rappaport, Guymon Cassady, Will Speck and Josh Gordon are exec producers. Speck and Gordon, commercial directors who recently helmed the Will Farrell feature "Blades of Glory," are on board to also direct. The single-camera laffer pilot is based on the Geico ads that promote the insurance company's Web site as so user-friendly that even "a caveman could do it." The spots follow cavemen in modern settings, reacting with offense to the derogatory slogan. In one, a Geico spokesman apologizes and takes the Neanderthals out to dinner. Other blurbs include the sensitive, modern cavemen peeved at the offending slogan while encountering Geico ads in everyday life, including the airport. The caveman commercials were created through the Richmond, Va.-based Martin Agency. Jeff Daniel Phillips and Ben Weber play the cavemen in the Geico spots; no word if they'll make the transformation to the TV project. Few TV shows have come out of the commercial sphere; more frequently, TV characters live on in 30-second spots long after their shows are canceled (think "ALF"). But it's not without precedence: The 2002 CBS comedy "Baby Bob" revolved around a talking baby character that was first seen in a series of dot.com ads. After the Eye canceled "Baby Bob," the character returned to its commercial roots, spending time as a pitchman (pitchbaby?) for Quizno's Subs. |
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Siemens Disney
Alliance
The Siemens-Disney alliance brings together the world’s leading family entertainment company with a premier global technology and infrastructure company in a 12-year strategic partnership that was announced in November, 2005. Disney already uses a range of Siemens products and technologies, but the alliance agreement expands the relationship and paves the way for the two companies to broaden their technical collaborations across several platforms including theme parks, cruise ships and other lines of business. As part of the alliance, Siemens will sponsor several rides and attractions at Walt Disney World Resort, including the Epcot icon, Spaceship Earth and its post show area which includes 9000-square feet of interactive exhibits based on Siemens technology. Other attractions sponsored by Siemens are the nightly fireworks display at Epcot, the holiday light show at MGM Studios at Walt Disney World in Florida and a technology showcase at Innoventions in Disneyland, as well as its two popular parades: Disney’s Electric Light Parade and Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams. In addition, the companies are working together to develop and further apply new technologies across a range of platforms, as well as explore ways to integrate some of Siemens technologies into Disney’s current and future attractions and resorts both domestic and international. Siemens will also build on its existing relationship with Disney Media Networks and ESPN by sponsoring ABC’s video board at Times Square in New York City. Florida attractions: • Spaceship Earth, the centerpiece of Epcot®, as well as a Siemens-branded post-show experience, which will include several interactive exhibits related to Siemens technologies in areas such as healthcare, transportation and energy. • IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, the nightly fireworks and laser light display at Epcot, sponsored by Sylvania, A Siemens Company; • The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights at MGM Studios, a holiday light exhibit that is on display from November through mid-January is also sponsored by Sylvania. • Nexus 21, a VIP center at Epcot for the exclusive use of Siemens employees and customers. The center serves as a hospitality and briefing center showcasing the company’s story of innovation and technology. California Attractions: • Innoventions, a future technology exhibit at Disneyland includes approximately 3000 square feet of Siemens-sponsored interactive exhibits featuring its healthcare, energy and transportation technologies. In addition, guests will also see “pictures of the future” and see what life will be like in 21st Century cities. • Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams at Disneyland and the Disney Electric Light Parade at Disney’s California Adventure are sponsored by Sylvania, a Siemens Company. “Disney and Siemens are two of the world’s most recognized and respected brands, both know for their relentless commitment to innovation. We look forward to working with Disney to grow our relationship and realize the potential of two great companies. This new relationship creates an ideal opportunity to demonstrate Siemens’ innovations to our customers, while also strengthening the Siemens brand in a memorable and relevant way.” |
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Parcells inks ESPN deal for Monday nights
The Hollywood Reporter - Former NFL coach Bill Parcells has signed with ESPN as an analyst for the channel's "Monday Night Football" telecasts.  Parcells
will be a part of ESPN's 90-minute "Monday Night
Countdown" from its Bristol, Conn., studios just
before the "MNF" games. He also will co-host a Friday
night program during NFL season on ESPN Radio with
Chris Mortensen and write for ESPN.com.Parcells was head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, which he led for four seasons before stepping down in January. He has been a coach for 19 seasons and won the Super Bowl twice with the New York Giants. He worked as a studio analyst for ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown" in 2002 and was a guest analyst for ESPN and a studio/game analyst for NBC Sports in 1991 and 1992. |
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Disney gives
management tips
The Coloradoan - It may sound funny: management tips from a mouse. But, the Walt Disney corporation has built itself into one of the strongest and largest corporations throughout the world. On Thursday, the company
brought its Disney Keys to Excellence seminar to Fort
Collins. The seminar - aimed at small, mid-sized and large businesses - showcased the strategies and business models that are the cornerstones of Disney's long-term success. As a recognized leader in experiential training, leadership development, benchmarking and cultural change for business professionals across the globe, the Disney Institute had a lot to offer Northern Colorado. The seminar included four workshops: Leadership Disney Style, Management Disney Style, Service Disney Style and Loyalty Disney Style. Leadership, Disney Style, focused on how effective leadership has been at Disney and included ways to build involvement and ownership, organize for maximum involvement and capitalize on change. Management, Disney Style, highlighted the importance of integrating the corporate culture into the selection, training, communication and care of employees. The workshop pointed out the importance of a good, strong team. Service, Disney Style, explored ways of building a philosophy for your own business and learning tools that support a service culture. The final workshop, Loyalty, Disney Style, expressed the importance of loyalty among internal and external relationships and included strategies for maintaining them. The Northern Rockies Chapter of the American Society of Training and Development, in Fort Collins, brought the seminar to Northern Colorado in hopes of engaging the community and local businesses. "The tremendous community support we have seen in terms of sponsorships and ticket sales confirms a desire for this type of local programming," said Sue Fody, president of ASTD-NRC. |
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Disney
Stays on Top of Tech Trends Entrepreneur - The creative minds at Walt Disney Imagineering always seem to be one step ahead of the rest of the world. Take, for instance, their new Living Character Initiative, which is being tested on the streets of Disney's California Adventure theme park this weekend. Their high-tech creations are free-roaming, interactive, audio-animatronic Muppets. Picture this: They can "see" and "talk" to tourists without any puppeteers in sight. Imagineers coyly attribute the roaming Muppet characters as "Disney magic" and "pixie dust," but in reality, a live puppeteer is watching and listening and making the magic happen from afar. Disney says the goal of its Living Character Initiative is to improve the interaction between their characters and the generation of YouTube watchers and Nintendo Wii-players. Ultimately, Disney wants for one person to operate the characters from their Imagineering headquarters in Glendale. |
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Heigl not happy with
ABC MSNBC - "Grey's Anatomy" star Katherine Heigl is speaking up today about rumors that her contract negotiations with the ABC Television Studio had gone south earlier this week.
Hopefully, we'll still have Izzie Stevens to look forward to on "Grey's" for the foreseeable future. |
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Sutherland Takes
ABC's 'Money' Zap2it - Following his stint on "Commander in Chief" last season, Donald Sutherland is set to return to ABC in the pilot "Dirty Sexy Money."  Jill
Clayburgh has also joined the show, the showbiz trade
papers report."Dirty Sexy Money," about a wealthy New York family and their overworked attorney (Peter Krause), is assembling a pretty high-wattage cast. In addition to Krause, Sutherland and Clayburgh, the pilot will also feature William Baldwin, Samaire Armstrong and Natalie Zea. Sutherland and Clayburgh will play the heads of the family. Sutherland played Speaker of the House Nathan Templeton on "Commander in Chief" last season; he also earned an Emmy nomination last year for his role in the Lifetime movie "Human Trafficking." Among his many other credits are "MASH," "Ordinary People," "Six Degrees of Separation" and "The Italian Job." A two-time Oscar nominee (for "An Unmarried Woman" and "Starting Over"), Clayburgh was nominated for a guest-acting Emmy in 2005 for "Nip/Tuck." She's also appeared in "Ally McBeal" and "Running with Scissors." |
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Ex-Warner and Disney execs launch indie Rival Media KidScreen - What do you get when you put Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse in the same London office? The answer is newly formed (and aptly named) indie studio Rival Media. Despite the current climate of doom hanging over the kids TV production industry in the UK, Howard Myers (former creative director of the portfolio development group at Buena Vista Television) and Steve Wynne (ex-director of production at Warner Bros. International Television) are hanging their own shingle, backed by US venture capital. The new shop's main focus will be hatching kids TV projects, but a commission to produce an international concert and event for Walt Disney Television is first on the slate. Myers and Wynne are sharing MD duties, and will be staffing up according to workload. |
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Friday March 2, 2007 |
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New York court says Disney owes $1.3 million in taxes AP - A midlevel state appeals court ruled Thursday that Disney Enterprises Inc. owes New York state $1.3 million corporate franchise taxes after an audit by the state Department of Taxation and Finance. Disney Enterprises, part of The Walt Disney Co., had argued that the state should not have included income from Buena Vista Home Video sales in the formula it used to determine a company's tax liability in the state from 1990 to 1995. Lawyers for the company argued that federal law prohibits states from collecting income tax on any company whose only business activities in that state consist of soliciting orders for interstate sales. The Appellate Division of State Supreme Court in Albany however, said that the video company is part of a larger group of companies and its sales should be included when determining the true tax burden Disney has in New York. By including Buena Vista's New York sales receipts "the department is not imposing a tax" the court said. "It is attempting to best measure the combined group's taxable in-state activities by use of a formula." The court also rejected the way Disney valued its film library in the formula determining its tax liability. Paul Frankel, a lawyer representing Disney, did not immediately return a call for comment. The Burbank, Calif.-based company last month reported fiscal first-quarter earnings of $1.7 billion, or 79 cents per share, for the three months ended Dec. 30. |
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Disney settles labor complaint over '05 job cuts Orlando Sentinel - Nearly 200 current and former Walt Disney World custodians will receive payments averaging almost $650 apiece after Disney and a union settled a complaint about how the resort eliminated some jobs in 2005. The agreement, approved Feb. 2 by the National Labor Relations Board, ends an unfair labor practices complaint that the Service Trades Council Union filed about how Disney World transferred 170 overnight-shift custodial jobs to outside contractors in late 2005. The Disney employees involved were all offered other jobs at comparable hours and wages at the time. But the union alleged that not all of them got acceptable offers, and some custodians had to leave. For a couple of years, the Service Trades Council has been challenging Disney World's decisions to outsource jobs, claiming the company was replacing good, full-time jobs with jobs offering inferior pay, benefits and hours, and that quality would suffer. The union intends a rally today at the State Road 535 entrance to Disney World to announce the settlement and declare it a victory for workers. Disney World officials denied that concern, saying they have insisted that outside contractors are being held to the same hiring, training and supervision standards that Disney uses. The settlement calls for Disney World to pay $119,307 to the National Labor Relations Board. That money will then be distributed to about 170 workers, based on their wage rates in late 2005. The settlement also calls for Disney World not to unilaterally change employees' wages, hours and working conditions, or refuse to provide information requested by the union, according to the union. By settling, the two sides avoid taking the case before a federal hearing examiner. "A settlement in this amount of money is a good sign" that Disney was worried about its case, said Service Trades Council President Morty Miller. A Disney World spokeswoman said the settlement was more a matter of assuring expedience. "While we complied with both our collective-bargaining agreement and the National Labor Relations Act, we felt it was important to achieve a quick resolution for our impacted cast members and enable them to move forward in their new roles," spokeswoman Kim Prunty said. |
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Mayor
seeks to end Disney-Anaheim feud LA Times - Finally stepping into the growing fray between Disney and city officials, Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle is proposing a holistic review of the city's resort district that includes the possibility of workforce housing. Until now, Pringle has steadfastly supported Disney's position of keeping certain housing out of the tourist-friendly district. But he floated a compromise plan a day after the entertainment giant sued the city to block a 1,500-unit condo-apartment project near Disneyland from being reconsidered by the City Council. "Is there a global settlement that will allow the city to step forward with its head held high and build toward the future?" said Pringle, who introduced his proposal at Tuesday's council meeting. Also backing the plan was Councilman Harry Sidhu. "I'd like to move this beyond an angry, frustrating debate where some people lose and some people win," Pringle said. Disney seemed unmoved by the overture. "Compromising the Anaheim Resort Area sets a dangerous precedent that would erode its position as the single largest funding sources for city services such as police and fire protection," said Rob Doughty, a spokesman for the Disneyland Resort. So far, Disney has been unyielding on the housing issue, arguing that injecting it into an area dedicated to tourists and night revelers would be a huge mistake. While Disney has fought the condo and apartment project, which would include 225 low-cost units, it has favored an upscale hotel-condo use. Disney officials say they have nothing against low-income housing and that a hotel-condo use is much more compatible with tourist activity. The housing proposal has become a serious irritant between some city leaders and Disney, which historically has had a cozy relationship with Anaheim. The project area is across the street from where Disney has entertained the notion of building a third amusement park. The housing plan died when the City Council voted 2 to 2 last month. But the project's would-be developer, SunCal Cos., appealed the vote, which might allow the council's fifth and swing vote, Lucille Kring, to break the tie. She abstained from last month's vote after Disney lawyers argued that her plan to open a cheese shop in the area should prevent her from voting. In trying to play peacemaker, Pringle stopped short of saying he would vote to reopen debate on the 1,500-unit condominium and apartment project. "If we're going to resolve this problem," Pringle said, "we have to look at more projects than just one." As part of Pringle and Sidhu's proposal for the resort district, the 26-acre parcel on Katella Avenue and Haster Street and a 4.7-acre site on Harbor Boulevard would each be split into two parts: the street-front portion accommodating hotels, with condominiums and apartments serving lower-income residents to the rear of the property. Pringle and Sidhu also suggested resort-only uses on a 6-acre parcel on Katella. They made no recommendation for a 12-acre site on Harbor and Ball Road where 449 residential units are planned. Once zoning for the four properties is decided, Pringle and Sidhu suggest, a City Charter amendment should be passed, protecting the 2.2-square-mile resort district from future zoning changes unless approved by Anaheim residents. "What is the big fear?" Pringle asked. "That zoning on one or two properties changes from hotel use to residential? Or the precedent it sets and that other property owners can do the same thing if their site is underperforming? That begins to erode the base of hotels in the resort." Officials with SunCal called Pringle's proposal "confusing." "We've not been contacted on the matter, and it's very unusual for it to be discussed at a City Council meeting without any advance notice," said Frank Elfend, a consultant to SunCal. "We are open to dialogue, but we believe his proposal would dramatically reduce the number of affordable units proposed." Based on the size of the SunCal property, Elfend said Pringle's proposal would allow for 65 low-cost units, less than a third of the 225 that had been planned. Councilwoman Lorri Galloway, who has supported the residential project from the outset, said she wasn't sure how to view the compromise plan. "It's very premature," she said. "We're in litigation right now. For us to be negotiating something like that, I'm not sure this is the time." |
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Magic
back as Disney sells 50,000 passes The Standard - Hong Kong Disneyland has sold 50,000 annual passes since they were launched last October, according to the theme park's managing director, Bill Ernest. Annual pass sales were "better than expected," he said, adding the premium passes were almost sold out. Premium annual passes are the most expensive ones offered by Hong Kong Disneyland and are priced at HK$1,800 for adults, HK$1,250 for children and HK$1,000 for senior citizens. Premium pass holders have access to the Magic Kingdom 365 days a year, while holders of the value and deluxe passes are bound by block-out dates. Only 5,000 of the premium passes were made available. Ernest said attendance during the Lunar New Year holidays was good, with the busiest days from February 20 to 22. He declined to say whether the park had reached its daily capacity of 34,000. Ernest said that during the Lunar New Year break, 70 percent of the visitors were from the mainland. About 80 percent of the tickets during the period were presold by travel agents, a significant increase from last year. Disneyland had been under pressure to perform since the Walt Disney Co announced last month that low attendance at the park from October to December 2006 had fallen to levels that will see the Disney company break performance promises with its lenders. Disney, in a filing with the US securities regulator, said: "If these trends do not significantly improve," Hong Kong Disneyland will not meet performance promises it made to bank lenders. Disney will then be forced to refinance its US$294 million (HK$2.29 billion) debt. Hong Kong Disneyland is also planning a special promotion to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the handover this year. Ernest said it would be a special month long promotion for children in Hong Kong and the mainland. He said the park was also considering having special themed decorations and merchandise. Details of the celebration have been submitted to the government and more plans will be announced later this month. Meanwhile, rival attraction Ocean Park has announced free admission throughout July and August for children born in 1997. |
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Disney unaware of ESPN China licensing issues Forbes - Walt Disney China is unaware of any licensing issues that will disrupt the distribution rights of cable sports unit ESPN in the country, a company spokesman said. 'We have received no indication about any cancellation of our ESPN broadcast rights in China,' a Disney China spokesman who declined to be identified told XFN-Asia. The Financial Times reported that ESPN, along with partner News Corp's Star Sports, have been removed from a list of foreign broadcasters that can be distributed to hotels and upscale housing compounds in China due to the alleged failure their Singapore-based joint venture, ESPN Star Sports, to attend a licensing meeting with Chinese regulators last year concerning the extension of landing rights. ESPN is 80 pct owned by Walt Disney Co (nyse: DIS) broadcasting unit ABC Inc. |
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Resort proposal
seeks backers OCRegister - Two council members are seeking a compromise between the interests of Disney and affordable housing supporters over the best use of land in the Anaheim Resort. Mayor Curt Pringle and Councilman Harry Sidhu are trying to bring together both sides of the divisive issue over whether to allow new homes near Disneyland. Disney filed a lawsuit over the matter this week. Pringle and Sidhu proposed that tourist venues go along main thoroughfares with houses, including affordable units, tucked behind them on two plots in the resort, instead of allowing solely residences. Pringle said an already proposed mixed-use development, including 449 homes, should also be part of discussions. The pair laid out the ideas at this week's council meeting, just two weeks after voting against a residential zoning plan on one plot that Disney protested and affordable housing advocates backed. Later this month, the council will decide whether to reconsider the plan, which died in a 2-2 vote. "We feel we need to give options and compromise to bring this thing to a close, rather than have two entities fighting," Sidhu said. Pringle also said future changes to resort land uses should go before voters. Councilman Bob Hernandez, who supported the housing plan, said he doubts Disney and SunCal, the developer that wants to build 1,500 homes on the plot, can reach an agreement on land use. "It would be wonderful if that's all it took. But I don't think that's all it's going to take. I don't think it's going to work," Hernandez said. Councilwoman Lorri Galloway, who sided with the housing plan, declined to comment on the ideas. Councilwoman Lucille Kring abstained from the vote over a possible conflict of interest, but may opt to vote if it comes back. She said the mixed zoning idea has merit. She said she also has pushed Disney and SunCal to try to compromise, but she worries that time may be over: "I think at this point, it's out of control. There's anger and bitterness on both sides." A consultant for SunCal said the developer is open to putting businesses on the property, but he thinks the plan could shrink the land for residences by too much. Mostly mobile homes now sit on the plot. "It would definitely make the project very difficult for me, from a feasibility standpoint," said consultant Frank Elfend. "I want to clarify that we're not going to exclude anything until we understand everything." Business leaders, including Disney, so far prefer to keep the resort as it is. Rob Doughty, a Disney spokesman, said changing the area would set a "dangerous precedent" that could threaten revenue generation in the area that produces most of the city's taxes. "We believe keeping it intact is vital," said Todd Ament, president of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce. |
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Africa's
Disney channel goes 24/7 C21Media - Disney Channel expanded its presence in Africa yesterday, as the channel's broadcast hours grew from 16 to 24 hours a day on MultiChoice's DStv satellite platform. Launched under a multi-year carriage deal just six months ago to over 1.3 million DStv subscribers across South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, the channel previously aired from 6.00 to 22.00. The expansion comes as the channel emerges as the number one kids channel in multi-channel homes in South Africa, claimed Disney today, adding that it draws "twice the audience of all its nearest competitors put together." Among the target audience, Disney said its channel attracts a 16% share, airing shows like That's So Raven, Zack & Cody and the new series Hannah Montana, which makes it one of the top three performing Disney Channels worldwide. "From day one we have made a huge impact on the South African market, which demonstrates there is a real appetite for Disney Channel programming," said Rob Gilby, MD at Disney Channel UK, Scandinavia and emerging markets. |
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Disney business seminar coming to Lake County Chicago Daily Herald - The magic of Disney is coming to Lake County. Space is still available for the Disney Institute’s “The Disney Keys to Excellence” seminar set to run from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 15 at the University Center at the College of Lake County in Grayslake. “We want a great partner whose focus is on education and has a proven partnership with the local business community,” said Disney Institute spokesman Terry Brinkoetter. The full-day event gives area business professionals a chance to discover innovative Disney business strategies. “People will leave with a lot of practical ideas that are adaptable to their own business,” Brinkoetter said. He added participants also leave with a different perspective on their own company. The educational sessions — focusing on leadership, management, loyalty and service — are designed to assist people from small, mid-sized or large businesses. The cost to attend is $399. A limited number of scholarships are available through the college. Since 1986, the institute has offered a series of programs using the Walt Disney World Resort as a model to showcase Disney’s business and management approach. The local event is a condensed road-show version. To register, call (847) 543-2033. |
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Attorneys aid Disney
tripCay Compass - Five
Lighthouse School students will accompany their
classmates on an Easter trip to Disney World, thanks to
a donation from local law firm Conyers Dill and Pearman.
Partner Kevin Butler and Corporate Administrator Keisha Syms this week presented a donation of $4,250 towards the school outing. The funds were accepted by the students, Principal Carla Bodden, and Deputy Principal Olga Gourzong. This is not a one–time contribution, however. The firm has joined the ranks of other companies and individuals who are long–term supporters of the Lighthouse students, noted a press release. In recent years, Conyers’ staff has donated gym equipment, a karaoke machine, and a PlayStation to the students. “The children melt our hearts with their honesty, hugs and affection,” Mr. Butler said. “We are happy to help them take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to enjoy this special school trip.” Thanking the law firm for its generous contribution, the principal also expressed appreciation to the wider community for supporting other fund–raising efforts – including a recent Red Sail Sports sunset cruise – for the Disney trip. The school’s Disney World vacation contingent will constitute 80 people, including 23 students, along with parents, caregivers and teachers. The Lighthouse School caters to children ages four to 17, who have special learning needs. |
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Disney Orders Second Run of 'Johnny'
MEDIAWEEK - Disney Channel has ordered a second helping of its weekend preschooler series Johnny and the Sprites. The series, which stars Avenue Q’s John Tartaglia as a singer who befriends a group of magical, Muppet-esque creatures, will resume production this fall. Since premiering Jan. 13 on the Playhouse Disney block, Sprites has consistently ranked among the top 10 basic cable series among the footy-pajamas set (Kids 2-5). The first episode delivered 2.22 million total viewers in its 10 a.m. time slot. “When we developed Johnny and the Sprites our goal was to create entertaining and educational content while introducing our viewers to the exciting world of Broadway style music,” said Nancy Kanter, senior vp, original programming, Disney Channel. The songs that Tartaglia performs with his puppet friends are written by a clutch of songsmiths that includes his Avenue Q cohorts Gary Adler and Robert Lopez. Mark Hollmann, a veteran of another off-beat, off-Broadway musical (Urinetown) has also penned songs for Sprites. |
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Disney beaten
by porn producer Metro.co.uk - Entertainment giant Disney has been forced to back down over its 'dreams come true' slogan - as it's already used by a British porn producer. 45-year-old Michael Wightman from Newcastle, has trademarked 'A Place Where Dreams Come True' for his mobile phone blue film company. Disney also used the slogan to promote their theme parks until its lawyers backed down after a legal challenge. Mr Wightman said "It's a David v Goliath victory." Disney will now use 'The place where dreams come true'. |
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CNNMoney - What a difference a few months made for
ABC.
The Walt Disney-owned television network was riding high earlier this season, winning the November sweeps period with the crucial 18-49 year-old demographic that advertisers covet. But February was a challenging month for ABC. The network faced tough competition from CBS, which aired the Super Bowl earlier in the month, and Fox, which is benefiting from the return of "American Idol." Making matters worse for ABC, ratings for one of its key hits, "Lost," have declined sharply since the show returned to the schedule earlier in the month after a long break and in a different time slot. Ratings for "Desperate Housewives," are also down from this time a year ago. And ABC, which launched the most new shows this season of any network, has only had two true new hits with "Ugly Betty" and "Brothers and Sisters." Add all that up and you have ABC finishing a disappointing third with both 18-49 year-olds and overall viewers during the key February sweeps period, according to preliminary figures from Nielsen Media Research. ABC, which broadcast the Super Bowl in 2006, won the February sweeps period last year among 18-49 year olds. "Ultimately, with some of ABC's programs starting to show their age, that's going to be an issue with advertisers. I would be concerned about 'Lost,'" said Bill Carroll, vice president and director of programming with Katz Television Group, a consulting and media buying firm in New York. News Corp.-owned Fox, thanks largely to "American Idol" and the 33 million viewers that it averages for each of its two normally scheduled weekly shows, finished in first with the advertiser-friendly demographic and second overall. (Fox aired 'Idol' three times a week several times in February.) CBS finished second with 18-49 year-olds but led total viewers. NBC, owned by General Electric, remains in fourth place overall and with 18-49 year olds, despite having one of the biggest new hits this year with "Heroes." John Rash, senior vice president and director of media negotiations with Campbell Mithun, a Minneapolis-based media buying firm owned by Interpublic Group, said ABC's ratings slump last month shouldn't come as a huge surprise considering the buzz being generated by "American Idol." Still, he thinks ABC may have gotten hurt more than other networks because of the decision to put "Lost" on the shelf from early November through early February, and to also shift the time slot from 9 pm to 10 pm ET on Wednesdays. "ABC's challenges are shared by every network but Fox because the cultural sensation of 'American Idol' is stronger than ever. But part of ABC's wounds were self-inflicted by its scheduling strategy with 'Lost,'" Rash said. ABC's slip in the ratings could be a cause for concern heading into the so-called upfronts in May, the time when networks woo advertisers with clips of new shows for next season at elaborate events held in New York. The upfronts kick off the period of negotiations between networks and marketers to sell commercial time for the following season. Last year, ABC was able to command about a 3 percent to 4 percent increase in ad rates and took in approximately $2.3 billion in prime-time advertising commitments, according to comments made by Anne Sweeney, co-chairman of Media Networks and president of Disney-ABC Television Group, at an investor conference last fall. This year, could be tougher, some media buyers said. ABC's ratings renaissance appears to be running out of steam, even though the key show "Grey's Anatomy," which ABC moved to Thursday nights to take on CBS' stalwart ratings juggernaut "CSI," has seen its ratings improve this year. To that end, there have been reports that ABC is planning a "Grey's" spinoff for this fall. "ABC has been having trouble finding new programs. They can't just rely on returning shows. There should be some concern over at ABC," said Jordan Breslow, director of broadcast research with MediaCom, a media buying firm owned by ad agency WPP Group. Through the first 23 weeks of this television season, ABC is in third place with 18-49 year-olds, trailing first place CBS and Fox slightly. NBC is in fourth. But ABC is likely to get a much needed ratings boost later this month when the network's hit reality show, "Dancing with the Stars," returns. The two weekly episodes of that show, which aired earlier this fall, currently rank as the third-most watched and sixth-most watched programs on prime-time television. "We have to see how the remainder of the season goes. That will be a more critical factor than just February's performance," said Katz' Carroll. Shari Anne Brill, vice president of programming with Carat USA, agrees, adding that ABC could wind up finishing the season in second place with the most sought after demographic. Brill said it will be an interesting battle to see who winds up in second, third and fourth, but that first place is probably wrapped up: Fox should eventually surpass CBS and win the ratings battle for 18-49 year-olds for the third straight season. Fox also appears to have another hit on its hands with "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" a game show that debuted this week after "American Idol" with very strong ratings. "Idol" has often helped boost ratings for other Fox shows, including "House," which is currently the tenth most-watched show on TV. "The impact of 'American Idol' will continue to be a force for the rest of the season. There is only one Super Bowl," Brill said. |
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Muppet
Mobile Lab Begins Previews Disneyland News - Muppet characters Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant Beaker have recently started to greet Guests at Disney's California Adventure. As part of Disney's Living Characters initiative, Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development is 'play testing' its 'Muppet Mobile Lab' featuring the classic Muppet characters. This next step in the evolution of Disney storytelling technology represents the first-ever, free roaming Audio-Animatronics characters able to interact with each other as well as Guests. The Muppet Mobile Lab is not currently scheduled as a permanent attraction in any Disney park. |
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John
Ratzenberger Joins `Dancing' Cast AP - A mailman is replacing a hitman on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." John Ratzenberger, who played Cliff Claven on
"Cheers," will step in for Vincent Pastore, who quit
after one week of training. The 60-year-old Pastore, who played a tough-guy mobster on HBO's "The Sopranos," said earlier this week he didn't realize how physically demanding the show would be for him. "We're sad that Vincent felt he was unable to continue in the competition, as he would have been great on the show," executive producer Conrad Green said in a statement Friday. "`Dancing With the Stars' is physically demanding, and it pays to know your limits. We respect his decision." The new cast also includes Olympic skater Apolo Anton Ohno, boxer Laila Ali, former 'N Sync member Joey Fatone, country singer-actor Billy Ray Cyrus and Paul McCartney's estranged wife, Heather Mills. "Dancing With the Stars" returns March 19. ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co. Time Warner Inc. owns HBO. |
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More
Barbarians at Disney's Gate The Motley Fool - They're coming for you, Mickey. Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick Disney (NYSE: DIS) announced a pair of Walt Disney World expansion projects that will find the family entertainment giant milking a little more out of its land by turning to third-party developers. Four Seasons (NYSE: FS) will build a hotel and a championship golf course where Disney presently operates a pair of golf courses. The hotel should open in 2010, at the northeast edge of the Disney resort. On the other side of the resort, Disney has plans to bring outside developers to build a massive lodging and entertainment complex. It will feature 4,500 timeshare and hotel units, along with 300,000 to 500,000 square feet devoted to a retail and entertainment district. In other words, that would be enough room to house another Downtown Disney West Side with a smallish Pleasure Island to spare. Disney knows it doesn't need 43 square miles in Florida to realize all its homegrown dreams. It sold off a 47-acre tract just north of its property last year to residential real estate developer Centex (NYSE: CTX). A slightly larger parcel just south of the resort went to a developer bent on building vacation homes and condos. Plot all four moves on a map and you've got Disney freeing up real estate on all four sides. As someone who owns a vacation villa just west of Disney World, I welcome the development. I'll miss the five-minute back-road drive to the Animal Kingdom parking lot, but I've always wondered why Disney neglected the west side of its property. This changes that. The move may seem ironic. Disney announced "blue sky" concepts last month that would find the Mickey Mouse company potentially operating urban entertainment centers, stand-alone attractions, and themed resorts in major markets all over the world. And here we find Disney -- in its own backyard -- handing over the keys to third-party dreamers. Hypocrisy? Retreat? Neither, really. It's the right financial move. Let developers bear the brunt of capital outlays for projects that will only enrich Disney by bringing a wider pool of tourists to its doorstep. Four Seasons is a classy partner that will bring an entirely different clientele on site. The timeshare developers on the west? Don't cringe. Disney has joined other upscale hoteliers like Hilton (NYSE: HLT) and Marriott (NYSE: MAR) to upgrade and legitimize the vacation interval business. Disney's It's a Small World attraction doesn't exactly have it right when it comes to Disney World. It's a pretty big world. And as it turns out, there is apparently enough to go around. |
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Pleasure Island Presents Sham Rock 'n' Roll WDW News - Sham Rock 'n' Roll at Pleasure Island celebrates St. Patrick's Day March 15-17 from 7 p.m.-2 a.m. The Island will "turn green" with live music, videos by Irish artists, leprechauns, stilt walkers and more. Meanwhile, for everyone interested in celebrating St. Patrick's Day "the Irish way," the Irish owners of Raglan Road Irish Restaurant & Pub at Downtown Disney have lined up a non-stop program of Irish music, song and dance across Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 16-18, to match anything found in their native Dublin, Ireland. |
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Thursday March 1, 2007 |
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Disney announces two major resort expansions Orlando Business Journal - Walt Disney World said Thursday it is developing two large tracts of land on different areas of its 43-square mile property, one aimed at high-dollar luxury guests and the other designed to appeal to a more moderately-priced audience. The announcement came from Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World, at a seminar for business journalists at the Central Florida resort. The first, a 900-acre golf community, would replace the existing Eagle Pines golf course at the Bonnet Creek Golf Club with an as yet undetermined-sized Four Seasons hotel. Disney says it has signed a letter of intent with the Toronto-based company. Four Seasons (NYSE: FS), a luxury hotel product new to Central Florida, would also renovate the existing Osprey Ridge course and rebrand it as a Four Seasons course. Also planned within the golf community are fractional homes and single-family homes on land that would be de-annexed by the Reedy Creek Improvement District and annexed into Orange County. Disney says it expects to open the Four Seasons hotel by 2010 and a phase of the residential units at the same time.
Crofton describes it as appealing to the value- and mid-priced market and containing a mix of 4,000 to 5,000 non-Disney branded time share and low- to mid-rise hotel units. The area would also include 300,000 to 500,000 square feet of retail space -- shops, restaurants, entertainment venues and clubs -- aimed at the visitors staying in the complex. No dollar amount was set for either project. The announcement was unusual for Disney, since the company generally avoids announcing major projects without providing great detail about the expansion. Disney Public Affairs Vice President Bill Warren explained the haste behind the announcement was driven by the need to begin de-annexation of the planned single-family homes. "We know there's not as much detail as you are used to," Warren told the business writers group, "however we felt an obligation to inform our local government partners about our plans." The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) is a diversified worldwide entertainment company. Its Parks and Resorts division owns and operates Disneyland and the Walt Disney World Resort. The company was founded in 1923 and is based in Burbank, Calif. |
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Four
Seasons, Disney to Build Resort AP - Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts will build a luxury hotel and 18-hole championship golf course along the northeast border of Walt Disney World, theme park officials said Thursday. The Toronto-based luxury hotel chain is part of two expansion plans that will take eight to 10 years to fully develop and will include single- and multifamily vacation homes, fractional ownership homes and a 450-acre retail, dining and lodging district, said Meg Crofton, Disney World's president. "This is a first-of-its kind development for our company," Crofton said. "Four Seasons is a world-renowned brand known for its luxury and appeal." The number of jobs the two developments will bring to the area is unknown, Crofton said. Disney currently has 60,000 employees. Four Seasons, with 74 hotels in 31 countries and two locations currently in Florida, will anchor a 900-acre development which already houses two golf courses. The hotel planned to open in 2010 could break ground later this year, Crofton said. One of the existing golf courses will be upgraded into a championship course and the other will be renamed after the Four Seasons brand. The second development will be roughly the size of Disney's Animal Kingdom and be located just outside the western entrance. About 4,500 time shares and hotel units will surround a pedestrian-friendly retail village that includes restaurants, shops and small-scale entertainment venues. Construction is slated for later this year. "We chose this area because it's a great opportunity to further enhance the western entrance of our resort," Crofton said. "We're currently putting the finishing touches on the design and then we will give this development a strong brand name." Walt Disney Co. stock rose 9 cents to $34.34 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. |
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Seeing
parallels in Disney, P&G LA Times - John Pepper lives outside Cincinnati, has few Hollywood connections and rarely speaks to the press. That gives the new chairman of Walt Disney Co. something in common with Chief Executive Robert Iger: He prefers keeping a low profile. But The Times recently spoke to Pepper about his early impressions of Disney and his forthcoming book from Yale University Press that provides lessons from his lauded career as chief executive of Procter & Gamble Co., the country's biggest consumer products enterprise. The collegial Pepper may be best known for his work in expanding P&G internationally and for returning to the company as chairman for two years starting in 2000 after it stumbled. He is now CEO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, a museum celebrating the fight against slavery. An early draft of his book, "What Really Matters: Service, Leadership, People and Values," provides a glimpse of one of Disney's most dramatic moments as a public company: the contentious board decision to buy Pixar Animation for $7.4 billion in stock. Pixar CEO Steve Jobs had clashed with Iger's predecessor, Michael Eisner, and had explored moving the distribution of Pixar films to rival studios. But to all outward appearances, the rancor evaporated after Iger ascended. But the account in Pepper's book of his first board meeting suggests that despite the thaw in relations, Pixar was threatening to take its business elsewhere if Disney didn't buy it outright. "Disney had had a productive, long-term relationship with Pixar, but in one way or another, that was about to end — either with Pixar's acquisition, or with Pixar going its own way," wrote Pepper, 68. Disney did not return several phone calls Wednesday seeking comment. But Pepper elaborated on Pixar and other matters in an interview, excerpted below. You said the relationship with Pixar was going to end one way or another. That might have taken the form of a distribution deal with another studio, or someone else buying Pixar, not definitively one thing or another? It wasn't definitive. What was in my mind, because of what Bob had said, is that we needed the creativity of Pixar, and the way for us to be sure that we could get it was to make the acquisition. Why did you pick Disney, and why the additional commitment as board chair a year later? I was getting off boards, not getting on them, and I was invited to consider this by a good friend, [National Basketball Assn. Commissioner] David Stern. I said I'd think about it and meet Bob Iger, and I really liked Bob. He's the real deal. I had no idea it would be suggested that I be chairman. You write about ethics and the importance of doing the right thing, but you don't talk much about how boards should conduct themselves. What are your thoughts? My first thought is the overwhelming importance of the right CEO. It's so obvious but one must mention it. It's terribly important there be real, open communication between the board members and the CEO and chairman, that there be that kind of opportunity for tension, with respect. It's critical to be sure that there is a strategy for long-term growth that's realistic, that's robust. And lastly, I would say that there be a real succession plan. Where I've seen companies get in trouble — it's usually because of a CEO-succession miss. What are the similarities between P&G and Disney? The biggest similarity would be in the commitment that's deep, deep in the company to the mission. In P&G, this idea of improving consumers' lives, of making a difference in consumers' lives through our brands, is really deep. It drives pride, it drives a sense of accountability. This sense of mission at Disney, whether it be in the park, where you're really going to make this family happy, or on ESPN, where you're going to make those guys and some gals love every show, it starts with something like "What we're doing is really worthwhile, and it's important and it can make a difference." Then they both have global aspirations. P&G has been at that a lot longer. The Disney name is beautiful, it's out there. It's just the spread of the business is not there. You devoted an entire chapter to diversity. How do you assess Disney? Disney has a huge commitment to it. We're going to have the first review I've had at the board level of diversity. Bob Iger would be the first to say there's still a lot to be done. There's enormous diversity in gender and enormous diversity in thinking style. There's still more to be done in terms of race. One of the more striking things to me in your book's recounting of international efforts was P&G's willingness to come up with entirely new business models when necessary. Is that something that Disney is doing or might need to do more of? In China, we needed to adapt for the local culture, local desires. Disney will certainly need to do that. When people leave for vacations in China is different than in the U.S. One is going to have to adapt to the different habits and practices, to look for attractions that have themes that relate to the history of China. Another parallel is the issue of cannibalization. Is that something you think about regarding new ways of delivering content? Consumers are going to go wherever they want to go. You either meet the need or someone else is going to meet the need. If we're going to let people download movies over iTunes, you ask, is that going to cannibalize what is happening in selling DVDs through Wal-Mart or Target? You have to ask the question. But the worst thing is to freeze. You write about the importance of letting the consumer decide. Does Disney do more of that than people realize? The comment I could make on this would be mainly limited to the parks, and there, the amount of research that's done is phenomenal. They're getting reactions to every ride, getting reactions to the overall experience. They're learning from it. |
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Worker tosses gas in fight at Disney hippo pond Orlando Sentinel - A tussle between two workers in the hippo pond at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom overnight ended with one man doused in gasoline and other in jail, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.  The
two men, employees of a Disney contractor, got into some
argument while cleaning the pond at about 3 a.m.One of the workers, Stephen Kim, threw gas on the other man and struck a lighter at a distance, said Sheriff's Commander Lester Allen. The victim, who was not identified, backed away, prompting Kim to drop the lighter and pick up a shovel. The victim fled and called the sheriff's department for help. He was not injured. Kim, 34, of Melbourne, was booked into Orange County Jail, on an aggravated assault charge. |
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Disney hippo pond fight was over card game, police say Orlando Sentinel - A tussle about a card game between two workers in the hippo pond at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom overnight ended with one man doused in gasoline and the other in jail, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. The two men, employees of a Disney contractor, got into an argument while cleaning the pond at about 3 a.m., the police report states. One worker, 22-year-old Brandon Hoffman, accused the other of cheating in a card game about two weeks ago. The man he accused, Stephen Kim, poured gasoline on Hoffman and struck a lighter at a distance, said Sheriff's Commander Lester Allen. Hoffman backed away, but then Kim dropped the lighter and picked up a shovel, holding it like a baseball bat and threatening Hoffman with it, according to the police report. Hoffman then fled and called the sheriff's department for help. He was not injured. Kim, 34, of Melbourne, was booked into Orange County Jail on an aggravated assault charge. Both men work for a specialized contractor, which provides divers who can clean out the ponds throughout the park, said Walt Disney World spokeswoman Kim Prunty. The company, which was not named, has worked for Disney for "many years," she added. Disney officials have suspended the contractor's work, pending a review of the situation. "Obviously, this type of behavior is not tolerated on our property," Prunty said. "We expect that they will take care of this matter appropriately." This morning, a union official who represents some Disney World employees was quick to charge that the Animal Kingdom incident could be an example of why the unions are challenging Disney World's recent efforts to turn over cleaning jobs, and other jobs, to outside contractors. In recent months, in federal unfair labor practice complaints and in public protests, Disney World unions have charged that the company's outsourcing efforts risk eroding worker quality at Disney World. The issue is a major negotiating point in the current talks for a new contract for the 21,000-member Service Trades Council Union. The outside contractors normally are non-union companies. "This is an example of the kind of problem that Walt Disney World opens itself up to when it doesn't hire and train and supervise its own employees, but rather outsources work to outside vendors who may not have the same kind of commitment," said council president Morty Miller. Prunty said the incident was not related to any outsourcing for cost savings. The job was given to subcontractors because of the specialized nature of the work, cleaning underwater. "These guys are industrial divers. It wouldn't make sense for us to do this kind of work," she said. Disney World has argued that it needs to subcontract work in some areas for efficiency. The company also stated that it is insisting that such outside contractors follow the same rules and standards for hiring and supervision that Disney maintains for Disney employees. Disney World also has pointed out that, to date, less than 1 percent of the company's 60,000 jobs have gone to outside contractors. |
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Disney to open Chicago time-share sales center
Orlando Business Journal - The Disney Vacation Club, a resort subsidiary of The Walt Disney Co., will open a first-of-its-kind preview center in a retail storefront within the Woodfield Mall in Chicago this summer, the company announced Thursday. The center, labeled Disney's Doorway to Dreams, is tied to the entertainment giant's ongoing Year of a Million Dreams promotion. In a statement, the company says the expansion is designed to meet an increasing demand for the company's time-share product. It also appears to be tied to earlier discussions about expanding Disney resort products into urban centers. The 6,300 square foot preview center will include a full-scale, two-bedroom unit representative of its eighth resort, Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, scheduled to open later this year. It will also include an interactive information area, a children's play area and sales offices. The new accommodations in Florida are being developed in phases with the first planned to open this fall. Upon completion, scheduled for summer 2009, the resort will incorporate a total of 458 units. Disney says it chose the Chicago location because of its proximity to a dense population base and an existing large membership base in and around the Chicago area. It hopes to use existing the word-of-mouth experience of members to attract prospective buyers. The Disney Vacation Club units are now 15 years old and boast more than 300,000 members from 50 states and more than 100 countries. Through its exchange program, members have access to more than 500 sites worldwide. Sales centers are currently located at Walt Disney World in Orlando and at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif. The Walt Disney Co. is a diversified worldwide entertainment company. Its Parks and Resorts division owns and operates Disneyland and the Walt Disney World Resort. The company was founded in 1923 and is based in Burbank, Calif. |
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`Sopranos' Mobster Snuffs `Dancing' Role AP - Vincent Pastore, who played a tough-guy mobster in the early years of "The Sopranos,' has dropped out of "Dancing With the Stars" after a week of training. At least this time he wasn't sent off to sleep with
the fishes, the fate that befell his "Sopranos"
character. The 60-year-old actor had joined 10 other celebrities for the fourth season of ABC's 10-week dance competition, which returns March 19. ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co. "ABC will be announcing a replacement shortly," said Conrad Green, executive producer of "Dancing With the Stars." The new cast includes Olympic skater Apolo Anton Ohno, boxer Laila Ali, former 'N Sync member Joey Fatone, country singer-actor Billy Ray Cyrus and Paul McCartney's estranged wife, Heather Mills. Mills, an activist for animal rights and the elimination of the use of land mines, will be the show's first contestant with an artificial limb. She told TV entertainment show "Extra" in an interview set to air Wednesday that "it's very unlikely" her prosthetic leg will "fly off." To prevent such an incident, she said she will wear a special strap. She lost her leg below the knee in a motorcycle accident in 1993. |
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Disney brings a dash of fairytale magic to Munster
Kerry's many Disney fans will be crossing the border en masse this March as Beauty & the Beast takes centre stage at Cork Opera House. One of the biggest musicals of all time, the Disney classic will run at the venue from March 7-25 in what is the biggest production of its kind ever to grace a Cork city centre stage. Disney's Beauty & the Beast is a staggering multi-million Euro production and has been seen by over 25 million people worldwide. Nominated for nine Tony awards including Best Musical, this eyepopping musical has been wowing audiences worldwide with record breaking runs in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Sydney, Tokyo, and London's West End. Disney's lavish musical is the classic love story of Belle, a kind-hearted but misunderstood young woman, and the Beast, a pompous prince who has been turned into an animal by the spell of an enchantress. To break the spell, the Beast must learn to love and be loved. Belle could be his chance, if only the Beast can control his anger and find the heart that he never had as a man. But time is running out and if he does not learn his lesson soon, he will be doomed to live in isolation for all eternity. The composer Alan Menken is one of the most admired and prolific musical talents working today. Menken has won eight Academy awards for his film scores and has written the music for Aladdin, Pocahontas and The Little Mermaid to name a few Disney classics. Lyricist Howard Ashman along with Menken garnered a total of six awards for The Little Mermaid, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Grammy Awards. Known the world over for his enormously successful collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, the lyricist Tim Rice, was responsible for the worldwide musical sensations Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1968), Jesus Christ Superstar (1970), and Evita (1976). Rice recently received three Grammy Awards for his work on Disney's block-buster film Aladdin. The movie Beauty and The Beast is hailed as Disney's most acclaimed and beloved film ever. With its incomparable blend of magic and award-wining music, Beauty and The Beast won the prestigious Golden Globe for Best Picture (1991, Best Comedy or Musical) and is the only animated film ever nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award (1991). Tickets for this on sale from ¤30 from the box office: telephone 021-4270022 or online at www.corkoperahouse.ie |
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Disney Film To Highlight USOC Visit To Los Angeles 2016 GamesBids.com - Thursday marks day one of the United States Olympic Committee's (USOC) evaluation visit of Los Angeles and its bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. The USOC will meet with L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and visit proposed Olympic venue sites around UCLA. They will also have a working session with the bid committee to review bid materials. In the afternoon the Mayor and Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook will unveil a short bid film created by Disney that answers the question "Why L.A.?”. The film is to feature some of L.A. 2016's biggest stars. The visit continues on Friday when the evaluation committee will tour possible Olympic venues including the Home Depot Center and Staples Center and other venues in Long Beach and downtown Los Angeles. The evaluation committee will travel to the only other competitor city, Chicago, next week. On April 14 the USOC will choose between Los Angeles and Chicago to determine its candidate to represent the United States internationally in the bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. Some international competitors include Rome, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro. |
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Disney comedy 'Wild Hogs' is stuck in neutral Directed by Walt Becker. Starring John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy, Tim Allen, John C. McGinley, Kyle Gass, Marisa Tomei, Jill Hennessy and Tichina Arnold. Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content and some violence. Running time: 99 minutes. Tim Allen does eat like a pig in one scene of "Wild Hogs." The rest of the time, though, Allen and biker buddies John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy are not all that wild, and more important, not all that funny. The road romp from director Walt Becker is like his "National Lampoon's Van Wilder" on Maalox, the humor and hijinks tame and tranquil as though it were a middle-aged epilogue to that raunchy campus comedy. The script by Brad Copeland, whose sharp TV credits include "My Name Is Earl" and "Arrested Development," even has references to Allen's character as a former fearless party animal, a Van Wilder now lapsed into soft, safe suburban catatonia. Like last year's execrable Robin Williams' road comedy "RV," "Wild Hogs" has little story and even less characterization to its stereotyped players. The filmmakers simply fashion an excuse to send their weekend motorcyclists onto the highways, then string together uninspired encounters with some fellow travelers and a hardcore biker gang headed by Ray Liotta, whose enthusiastic bad-boy performance is wasted in a woefully underwritten role. Becker and Copeland start with a sketchy glimpse of the four men's lives. The ringleaders are Allen as dentist Doug Madsen and Travolta as Woody Stevens, a businessman with a supermodel wife and big secrets he conceals from his pals. In their spare time, Doug and Woody cruise with chums Bobby Davis (Lawrence), a plumber with a domineering wife, and Dudley Frank (Macy), a klutzy computer programmer who's afraid to talk to women. The four men wear leather jackets emblazoned with the logo of their little Wild Hogs biker clique and ride Harleys around suburban Cincinnati to escape their humdrum lives for a few hours. Then Woody proposes a cross-country trip to the Pacific. The others are quickly on board, and off they go, sputtering through a fitful series of incidents highlighted by a mildly amusing bit with John C. McGinley as a motorcycle cop. There are a couple of genuinely funny sight gags, but most of the roadside attractions of "Wild Hogs" are either boring or outright annoying, particularly repeated segments of Kyle Gass (Jack Black's partner in the musical duo Tenacious D) as a bad singer at a local chili festival. Marisa Tomei, Jill Hennessy and Tichina Arnold barely register as wives or lovers of our heroes. The movie's main conflict arises after the Hogs cross paths with the Del Fuegos, a band of desperado bikers. The filmmakers seem to have no clue what to do with their battling bikers once the inevitable showdown rumble begins.  The only reason the resolution of the boys' crisis remotely works is because of a surprise guest, an icon of biker flicks past, who makes an out-of-the-blue appearance to awkwardly settle all scores and send everyone happily down the road. Without that cameo performance, "Wild Hogs" would be a breakdown along the highway, waiting for a tow to fetch it home. |
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Grey's Heigl Fades to Black? E! Online - Just what the producers of Grey's Anatomy need: more discord within the cast.
Series star Katherine Heigl has bowed out of contract
negotiations after reaching a stalemate with producers
over a salary dispute.
Sources told E! Online TV columnist Kristin Veitch that Heigl is angling for a salary bump that would put her on par with the show's other female stars, namely Ellen Pompeo and Sandra Oh, both of whom were better known before the ABC hit launched. Heigl apparently feels that she has become an integral part of the show and her star is on the rise. According to sources, Heigl's camp believes that, come the June release of her Judd Apatow comedy, Knocked Up, Heigl will be one hot commodity. (Think Steve Carell post-The 40-Year-Old Virgin.) While neither producer Touchstone Television nor Heigl has commented on the contractual posturing, ABC confirmed to E! News that, dispute or not, rising star or not, Heigl isn't going anywhere. She's currently signed for three more years, through the show's sixth season. "Katherine is an integral part of Grey's Anatomy and its success," ABC said in a statement. "Fortunately, we have a long term contract to ensure she'll be with the show for several years to come." "In recognition of her tremendous talent and value to the show, we recently approached Katherine with an offer to raise her compensation significantly above the terms of her current contract. We were surprised to see this gesture reported negatively in the press, and want to reassure fans that she will continue as Izzie Stevens." While Heigl's Dr. Isobel "Izzie" Stevens has become a major asset onscreen (she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress and shared the ensemble award from the Screen Actors Guild)—Heigl's offscreen behavior has been a distraction. The 28-year-old was the most vocal cast member in the wake of Isaiahgate. Heigl made frequent comments in support of costar T.R. Knight and against costar Isaiah Washington, who called Knight a "faggot" during an onset fracas last fall and then denied it following the Goldeon Globes. "I'm not okay with it," she said before Washington sought treatment. "He needs to just not speak in public. Period...And I'm probably going to get in a lot of trouble for being that blunt." While ABC denies that the current contract dispute is any sort of embodiment of behind-the-scenes turmoil, People reports Heigl is distressed that Washington's continued presence on the show seems to valued over her own. Of course, the stalemate could be less about conspiracies and more about money. Last June, Touchstone rewarded each of the Grey's Anatomy principal cast members with a cool $200,000 one-time bonus for a time slot well done. At the time, it was reported that the bonuses were an attempt to head off actors' requests for bigger paydays down the line. Apparently the powers that be wanted to avoid the inevitable salary battles that occur when relatively unknown stars are catapulted to fame via a monster hit show and try to renegotiate their original deals (see: Friends, Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond). Should they need it, the producers will likely have a little more pocket change at their disposal by the end of the season. Last week, Touchstone confirmed that Kate Walsh, who plays Dr. Addison Montgomery-Shepherd on the series, could be departing for the show's first spinoff. A two-hour special episode of Grey's Anatomy, set to air during May sweeps, will act as the de facto pilot for the new, as yet untitled series, allowing ABC time to decide whether or not to pick up the show for its fall season. It's unlikely that any other regular cast members will join the new show, though Taye Diggs and Hector Elizondo have signed on to appear in the pilot. |
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Disney opened archive for Montreal exhibit
CBC.CA - The Disney studios in California has shared its rarely-opened archive to help create Once Upon a Time, Walt Disney, coming to Montreal in March. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts will be the only North American stop for the exhibit, which features an examination of Disney's artistic roots, and also highlights his long-term legacy to the art world. The show, opening March 8 in Montreal after a run in Paris, connects the dots between Walt Disney, the founder of the company, and the German Expressionist cinema of the early 1900s, and surrealist and abstract painters of the 1930s. By putting Disney drawings next to the original paintings and art styles, the exhibit teases out the deep artistic roots of the animation. With more than 500 works, including 300 from the Disney archive, it also begins to show how artists such as Alain Jacquet, Robert Combas and Andy Warhol drew images from the art of Disney. "Disney is a source of inspiration for modern artists," said chief curator Bruno Girveau at a press conference Tuesday in Toronto. Girveau said he was given unprecedented access to the vast Disney archive in California to build the show. The archive, rarely opened or shared publicly, holds more than 70 million images. A lover of Disney who remembers being taken to see The Jungle Book as a small child, Girveau said he reconnected with the Disney magic when his own children began watching the films on video. By then Disney looked completely different to Girveau, who trained as an art historian and is head of collections at Ecole nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris. "I started to see there are a lot of artistic associations in the Disney films," he said, among them surreal images in films such as Fantasia and the original Bavarian castle that inspired Sleeping Beauty's castle. There are some startling connections. Disney suggested the Wicked Queen in Snow White be a combination of Lady Macbeth and the Big Bad Wolf, but her face has the features of U.S. actress Joan Crawford. The story of Salvador Dali's collaboration with Disney, resulting in a film called Destino that has not been shown before in North America, is included in the Once Upon a Time exhibit. The exhibit covers the period of Walt Disney's greatest work, from about 1935 to his death in 1966. More than 250,000 people saw the show at the Grand Palais in Paris where it stayed for four months beginning in September 2006. Families also were drawn to the exhibit, Girveau said. "There are a lot of levels of understanding to the exhibition. It's an exhibition for adults, but the fascination of the animation process appeals to children." Once Upon a Time, Walt Disney runs from March 8 to June 24, 2007, at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. |
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Disney,
Fremantle team up in playground C21Media - Disney Channel Australia has commissioned FremantleMedia to produce the pilot for a series about kids in the school playground, to premiere in Australia and New Zealand later this year. As The Bell Rings is a short form 'voyeuristic' comedy that follows the students' adventures during recess, using rapid-fire dialogue. Friends aged 11-14 meet and deal with issues typical of kids their age, such as exams, text messaging, popularity and secret diaries. Michael Cairns, MD of Walt Disney Television International Australia/New Zealand, said the show will stick to Disney's core values of "optimism, imagination and self-expression." Disney Channel Australia is a 24-hour kids-driven network featuring animated series, sitcoms and dramas including Hannah Montana, Cory in the House, That's So Raven, Phil of the Future and Kim Possible. |
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Moss
to star in ABC pilot zap2it - "The Matrix" star Carrie-Anne Moss has joined ABC's drama pilot "Suspect," marking her first television work in nearly a decade. Moss will play a tough-but-tender police lieutenant in "Suspect," the showbiz trade papers repot. The Guy Ritchie-directed crime drama begins with a list of suspects in a case and narrows it down to the actual perpetrator. Ed Zuckerman ("Law & Order," "JAG") wrote the pilot and will executive produce with Ritchie, Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly. Michael Ealy ("Sleeper Cell") and Charles S. Dutton ("Threshold") have previously been cast in the show, and Erik Palladino ("ER," "Over There") and Kathleen Munroe ("Beautiful People") have signed on as well.. The pilot will be Moss' first TV work since "The Matrix"; she had previously starred on "Models Inc." and a USA series called, coincidentally, "Matrix." Her other film credits include "Memento," "The Chumscrubber" and "Disturbia," which is due in theaters in April. |
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Disney
lights spark Variety - Charles Segars' Sparkler Entertainment shingle has inked a two-year first-look film production pact at Walt Disney Studios. Segars was an exec producer on the Mouse House's "National Treasure," which has grossed $350 million worldwide; the sequel begins filming next week. Segars came up with the first pic's original story together with Oren Aviv, now prexy of Disney's motion picture group. Segars has several big-budget projects set up around town, all based on his own pitches and stories. At Warner Bros., he's co-producing "Fort Knox" with Basil Iwanyck (Ron Brinkerhoff is penning the script) and action comedy "Committed for Life" with Bob Cooper (Shane Morris wrote the script). At DreamWorks, he's co-producing the sci-fi thriller "No Man's Land" with Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald; Jeff Nachmanoff is penning the script. Sparkler Entertainment also has TV production and media investing divisions. On the latter front, Segars recently raised $55 million with a group of investors including the Weinstein Co. to buy the cable arts network Ovation. Earlier this month, Ovation struck a deal with Liberty Media's DirecTV that will provide the net with more of a national footprint. Prior to founding Sparkler three years ago, Segars served as a documentary film producer; director of latenight and head of primetime specials at CBS' "Late Night With David Letterman"; co-head of television for DreamWorks TV; and senior VP of programming for the Scripps-owned net Fine Living. |
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Update your career stats with Disney Interactive
Studios! Develop, UK - Disney Interactive Studios is the interactive division of the Walt Disney Company. We develop, publish, market and distribute a broad portfolio of multi-platform next generation video games and interactive entertainment worldwide. Our family of studios includes Propaganda Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, currently developing Turok, based ont he highly popular comic book franchise, Fall Line Studios in Salt Lake City, USA, which is dedicated to the Nintendo DS & Wii, Avalanche Software, which has created innovative games for more than a decade based on original IP & feature animation, and our Brighton, UK studio, acquired from Climax Group, known for award winning titles such as Moto-GP and ATV Fury. Our studios are located in the heart of their respective cities, each of which are suited for all lifestyles, whether you seek adventure in the outdoors, relaxation on the beaches or dining, entertainment & nightlife. If you are passionate about games, want to develop top quality titles and want to be part of a studio that supports having balance between your personal and professional life, while still having fun then upgrade your career stats with us. Our Studios are now hiring: Management Producers, Development Directors, Art Directors, Technical Art Directors Design Game Designers, Level Designers, Quest Designers, Story Designers Engineering Rendering Engineers, Online Engineers, Graphics Engineers, Tools Engineers, Audio Engineers, AI Engineers, Gameplay Engineers & Front End Engineers. Art Character & Environment Artists, Character & Environment Modelers, Animators, Concept Artists, Lead Environment Artists (Brighton only), Special Effects Artists (Brighton only), Vehicle Artists (Brighton only). Please e-mail your resume and include the job title you are seeking in the subject line to 64-MH386@apply.maxhire.net. Also indicate if you have a preference for any of our studios. Include links to your portfolio where applicable. We thank you for your interest but only qualified candidates will be contacted. |
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| Back News |
"Cavemen"
will revolve around three pre-historic men who must
battle prejudice as they attempt to live as normal
thirtysomethings in modern Atlanta. 
The second project, also unnamed, is located on 450
acres near the new Western Beltway that Disney plans to
sell to an as-yet-unnamed developer or group of
developers.