Addressing the anit-Pixar . . . Again

While a great many Disney pundits (and Wall Street analysts) spent a lot of time and copy last year making the argument that the Disney-Pixar merger was not necessarily a good deal and that the mouse house would be hard pressed to see any return on their multi-billion dollar investment, these same often vocal critics have become somewhat quieter in recent months.

It was interesting how many of these folks used last summer’s Cars as the poster child for their overpriced-Pixar mantra. Even after the film grossed a whopping half billion in worldwide revenue, it was still being labeled a disappointment. And a recent article in Variety underscores a financial upside of Cars that the naysayers seem to still conveniently ignore:

While many refuse to rank "Cars" as Pixar maven John Lasseter's finest two hours, its merchandising campaign has become a global phenomenon. A year after the motion picture release, a sojourn to a local Toys R Us will reveal collectors -- boys to men -- on the prowl for the new shipment of Mattel-made die-cast miniatures, with the movie's extensive ensemble of characters yielding an endless array of product iterations (Dinaco Blue Chick Hicks, anyone?).

According to Andy Mooney, Chairman of Disney Consumer Products:

"In a year without content in the marketplace, we'll do $2 billion in ('Cars') sales. It underscores the fundamental point that not every animated movie is created equally in terms of merchandising. 'Cars' gets into the very fundamental play pattern for kids. And it seems every boy and every man in the world has panache for vehicles."

It’s interesting isn’t it? $2 billion in merchandise sales. Those are Star Wars types of numbers and demonstrate the promise of a long term evergreen franchise. Other than Star Wars, what other property in recent years has demonstrated that level of merchandising potential. Oh wait, that would probably be Toy Story. If you haven’t noticed, Buzz and Woody toys still litter the shelves of your local Targets and Wal-Marts some eight years after Toy Story 2 graced cineplex screens. Toy Story, Toy Story . . . sounds familiar. Isn’t that a . . . Pixar movie?

Apologies for the sarcasm. But I am just amazed that people continue to debate the Pixar acquisition, especially the financial end of it. And no doubt many of these same folks will spend the next few months over analyzing the receipts for Ratatouille and spinning their assessments into similar short-sighted sound bites. It’s short term thinking on what was a very long term investment. An investment that is already beginning to pay some remarkable dividends.

And that’s just the financial side of it. Has anyone noticed the really dramatic changes sweeping the Walt Disney Company, as clearly brought about by the influence of Pixar gurus John Lasseter and Ed Catmull?

Walt Disney Feature Animation is now the Walt Disney Animation Studios. The potentially troubled productions of American Dog and Rapunzel Unbraided have been redirected to hopefully better ends. Ron Clements and John Musker have returned, and with them, traditional animation in the form of The Princess and the Frog. For the first time in close to fifty years, shorts will be produced again on a regular basis, with a brand new Goofy cartoon arriving this fall. And the studio itself will be relocating to a less toxic, Pixar-like campus in Glendale to better isolate it from the bean counters and non-creative execs.

The recent shakeup at Walt Disney Imagineering and the uber-successful debut of the new heavily Pixar influenced Finding Nemo Submarine attraction at Disneyland seem to indicate that this long troubled division may finally be shaking off the creatively stifling, heavily political baggage it’s been carrying these many long years.

Perhaps more than anything, the implosion of the DisneyToon Studio, the division responsible for the controversial line of direct-to-video sequels and spinoffs, indicates a real shift in overall company philosophy. This line of products, while ranging in quality from okay to awful, were purely marketing driven, revenue-generating endeavors that were increasingly diluting the value of classic Disney characters and films. This division brought in billions. The removal this week of DisneyToon’s head Sharon Morrill seems to send the not-so-subtle yet very refreshing message that the creative process at Disney will no longer be wholly influenced nor held hostage by the mighty $. It’s a striking turn of events.

And rooted where? In what will likely be Robert Iger’s single greatest legacy as CEO of the Walt Disney Company. For the merger with Pixar included not just a juggernaut animation studio and a stable of popular characters, but also what appears to be a creative philosophy and an emphasis on artistic integrity that will long influence the direction of nearly all of Disney’s entertainment endeavors.

I would be remiss in not acknowledging Honor Hunter’s really terrific Blue Sky Disney blog as part of the inspiration for this particular commentary. Thanks again Honor for your daily doses of positive insight and information!