Neither of those are originals though. Unless you are just stating movies that have done well at the box office to say look at these movies that did well.
DIS Shareholders and Stock Info ONLY
- Thread starter hhisc16
- Start date
Tom is usually very down on Dis but he thinks there's a lot of positives and the market overreacted:
The ‘problem child’ facing Disney is Hulu, says former NBC Cable president Tom Rogers
https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/05/...ys-former-nbc-cable-president-tom-rogers.html
The ‘problem child’ facing Disney is Hulu, says former NBC Cable president Tom Rogers
https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/05/...ys-former-nbc-cable-president-tom-rogers.html
To be fair, the same could be said about Disney animation classics - most came from well known books and fables. Walt brought the storytelling and animation to a new level but it was not completely original IP.
PolymerSkywalker
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 26, 2023
It depends on how you define originals, but those sure seemed like pretty original movies to me. They don’t appear to be a remake or a sequel of any kid that I can tell.
I don’t have an issue with some non-original stuff. Top Gun Maverick was a juggernaut of a movie and it was a sequel.
Just make good stuff that people want to see, it’s really that simple. Disney doesn’t do that anymore.
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2004
Very true. Most people don't realize that Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are actually the same fairy tale.
Summer box office bust? This season's movie slate could put up the lowest haul in decades
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/08/summer-box-office-preview-movie-slate-lacks-franchise-hits.html
BrianL
Doom Buggy Driver
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2013
Well, Barbie is definitely based on a very well-known IP. It was a new spin for sure, but there have been Barbie movies before (animated fare). Oppenheimer is based on a true story, though the accuracy may be debateable. They both definitely hit at the right moment though. It's not simply a matter of making better movies though - some movies are good and do poorly. Some movies are bad and do extremely well (I bet you could name a couple that you think are "bad" but made a ton of money
). It's just not that simple.There is literally a definition for what is an original movie but I guess you are more than welcomed to make up your own definition for whatever purpose you would like.
If Barbie is an original than the Super Mario Movie is an original, or the MCU or what about Jurassic World, a lot of originality there.
Disney in the last three years has released numerous highly acclaimed movies or movies the audience thoroughly enjoyed. Movies like Raya and the Last Dragon, Prey, West Side Story, The Menu are all highly acclaimed or movies like Little Mermaid, Elemental, Encanto, Jungle Cruise were well received by audiences. There are also movies like Avatar 2, Black Panther, Guardians 3, or Spider Man (I understand Sony but in collaboration with Marvel) that all did extremely well at the box office. Other solid movies include Free Guy, Jungle Cruise, Shang Chi, or Turning Red.
Their slate of films the last few years has not performed up to expectations at the box office but no studio has been doing well in that regard.
PolymerSkywalker
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 26, 2023
If you want to me super picky on your definition really nothing is an original story then, because everyone uses inspiration. George Lucas was inspired by spaghetti westerns and samurai movies and created Star Wars. Was Star Wars original?
To quote on of the best sci-fi shows of all time (yes, better IMHO than SW) - All of this has happened before. All of this will happen again.
That was from the Battlestar Galactica reboot and I was reminded of it in a recent article about yet another reboot of BG that is being worked on now. Over and over and over again...
BrianL
Doom Buggy Driver
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2013
Well, it can be complicated, but here is one way to think about it in terms of last years movies: Would Barbie have been as successful if it were not based on the well-known toy line? If they couldn't get the license and it was "Malibu Stacey" for instance, but all other things were the same? Well, Waylon Smithers would like it!
Would Super Mario Bros. have done as well if it didn't have the video game series? I think in both cases the answer would be a resounding, "No." So, they are not really "original" in that sense, though they were both pretty different from previous attempts at adaptations.Oppenheimer is a little trickier. Since it's based on a true story, ostensibly a biopic, though kinda not really. I think Nolan's reputation contributed a lot to that one (who knows why?
) and it just hit at the right time. It is more "original" than the others though.
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wabbott
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2021
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wall-street-turns-back-disney-131500796.html
Wall Street Turns Its Back on Disney’s Streaming Profit Milestone | Analysis
by Alexei Barrionuevo
Wed, May 8, 2024, 8:15 AM CDT
With the lingering impacts of the Hollywood strikes still weighing on its studios, Disney turned a quarterly profit of $47 million with Disney+ and Hulu — the first time those two entertainment streamers ended a quarter in the black, the company said Tuesday.
Yet despite hitting the milestone two quarters ahead of schedule — and trimming its overall streaming losses by 97% — Wall Street punished Disney’s stock, sending shares down more than 9%.
What was going on? Disney could only declare a streaming profit without including ESPN+, which continues to struggle, losing $65 million in the quarter. And Disney said its overall streaming business would still be unprofitable in its next quarter and not truly turn the corner until the fourth quarter or more likely next year.
Some analysts also pointed to a new reality setting in for Disney: The once high-flying company, which was a hit machine in the heyday of Marvel superhero fever, may be settling into a sustained period of slower, but steady, growth.
“We’ve said all along our path to profitability will not be linear,” Disney CEO Bob Iger told analysts on Tuesday. “While we’re anticipating a softer third quarter, due in large part to the seasonality of our Indian sports offerings, we fully expect streaming to be a growth driver for the company in the future and we have prioritized the steps necessary to achieve this.”
Overall, Disney swung to a quarterly loss of $20 million, down from a profit of $1.27 billion in last year’s fiscal second quarter. That was in large part due to restructuring charges of $2.05 billion related to its struggling Star India subsidiary and entertainment linear networks.
Iger has been trying to prove he has the right streaming strategy in place. But Disney, like its rivals, is cranking up the dream factory again after losing half a year to the Hollywood strikes. The studio released no significant film titles during the quarter and only one Marvel movie, “Deadpool and Wolverine,” will hit theaters this summer.
Disney has the added pressure of being in the middle of a much-needed shift in its film strategy from an endless superhero multiverse to one focused on quality over quantity. That means fewer new movies — and less fresh content to feed its streamers.
Still, Iger is preaching patience — aggressively cutting costs and improving margins, while tweaking the content machine — which could position it for better long-term growth, analysts said.
“While some Disney investors expected more fireworks, particularly on the future guidance front, I think this report indicates that the company has tilted its operation back to its core business model, which is more conservative by nature,” said Thomas Monteiro, a senior analyst at Investing.com.
The company said Tuesday that it plans to prioritize other parts of its empire that are more consistently driving growth.
Disney’s Experiences segment — the theme parks and cruises business which represent 38% of overall revenues — had a solid quarter, with revenues up 10% and operating income up 12%. The company touted a healthy expansion of margins as it squeezes more out of each customer through higher average ticket prices. Disney said it expects “robust operating income growth at Experiences for the full year.”
In particular, CFO Hugh Johnston noted, Disney’s cruise business “is one that has an enormous number of opportunities for us over time, and that is why we are leaning more heavily into that business.”
Iger, who in April beat back a challenge from activist investors clamoring for more share growth, “has finally managed to strike a healthy balance between the different pressures coming from Disney’s Board while still respecting the company’s long-term DNA,” Monteiro said.
But streaming is the future and now represents 28% of Disney’s overall revenues. Though thus far, none of the profits.
Weighing down Disney’s overall streaming business is its sports app, ESPN+, which continues to disappoint.
Disney plans to launch a fully direct-to-consumer version of ESPN in fall 2025, and a joint sports streaming venture with Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox this fall. And it plans to launch an ESPN tile on Disney+ by the end of the calendar year following its integration of Hulu.
Star India continues to hurt its overall sports business. This quarter, the subsidiary lost less money — $27 million versus $99 million in the year-ago period, a 73% improvement — but it’s still a money loser. (Disney said its performance is tied to the costs of broadcast cricket matches in India.)
Star India’s impairment charge was a result of Disney entering into a $8.5 billion deal with Reliance Industries to merge the Indian property with Viacom18 in a joint venture. The deal, which is expected to close by early 2025, will give Reliance and its affiliates a 63% ownership stake in the venture, with Disney retaining 37%.
And there is no escaping that Disney’s linear TV networks continue to be an irreversible drag on earnings. The networks, which include ABC, FX and National Geographic, saw operating income plummet another 22% to $752 million on sales of $2.77 billion — or 12.5% of the company’s total quarterly revenues.
Iger said that “Shogun” is a global hit on both linear and streaming and is tracking as FX’s most-watched show ever on streaming platforms. The limited series is driving the second-largest number of signups to its streaming services since 2022, behind “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
There were positive signs coming from some of the TV studios, to be sure.
Yet even as Iger has survived a recent activist shareholder revolt, investors on Tuesday were looking for more clarity on a long-delayed succession plan for Iger, whose contract runs through the end of 2026. It got little. A board-appointed succession planning committee is “meeting on a regular basis,” Iger said. “I am confident they will choose the right person at the right time.”
Lucas Manfredi contributed to this article.
The post Wall Street Turns Its Back on Disney’s Streaming Profit Milestone | Analysis appeared first on TheWrap.
Wall Street Turns Its Back on Disney’s Streaming Profit Milestone | Analysis
by Alexei Barrionuevo
Wed, May 8, 2024, 8:15 AM CDT
With the lingering impacts of the Hollywood strikes still weighing on its studios, Disney turned a quarterly profit of $47 million with Disney+ and Hulu — the first time those two entertainment streamers ended a quarter in the black, the company said Tuesday.
Yet despite hitting the milestone two quarters ahead of schedule — and trimming its overall streaming losses by 97% — Wall Street punished Disney’s stock, sending shares down more than 9%.
What was going on? Disney could only declare a streaming profit without including ESPN+, which continues to struggle, losing $65 million in the quarter. And Disney said its overall streaming business would still be unprofitable in its next quarter and not truly turn the corner until the fourth quarter or more likely next year.
Some analysts also pointed to a new reality setting in for Disney: The once high-flying company, which was a hit machine in the heyday of Marvel superhero fever, may be settling into a sustained period of slower, but steady, growth.
“We’ve said all along our path to profitability will not be linear,” Disney CEO Bob Iger told analysts on Tuesday. “While we’re anticipating a softer third quarter, due in large part to the seasonality of our Indian sports offerings, we fully expect streaming to be a growth driver for the company in the future and we have prioritized the steps necessary to achieve this.”
Overall, Disney swung to a quarterly loss of $20 million, down from a profit of $1.27 billion in last year’s fiscal second quarter. That was in large part due to restructuring charges of $2.05 billion related to its struggling Star India subsidiary and entertainment linear networks.
Iger has been trying to prove he has the right streaming strategy in place. But Disney, like its rivals, is cranking up the dream factory again after losing half a year to the Hollywood strikes. The studio released no significant film titles during the quarter and only one Marvel movie, “Deadpool and Wolverine,” will hit theaters this summer.
Disney has the added pressure of being in the middle of a much-needed shift in its film strategy from an endless superhero multiverse to one focused on quality over quantity. That means fewer new movies — and less fresh content to feed its streamers.
Still, Iger is preaching patience — aggressively cutting costs and improving margins, while tweaking the content machine — which could position it for better long-term growth, analysts said.
“While some Disney investors expected more fireworks, particularly on the future guidance front, I think this report indicates that the company has tilted its operation back to its core business model, which is more conservative by nature,” said Thomas Monteiro, a senior analyst at Investing.com.
The company said Tuesday that it plans to prioritize other parts of its empire that are more consistently driving growth.
Disney’s Experiences segment — the theme parks and cruises business which represent 38% of overall revenues — had a solid quarter, with revenues up 10% and operating income up 12%. The company touted a healthy expansion of margins as it squeezes more out of each customer through higher average ticket prices. Disney said it expects “robust operating income growth at Experiences for the full year.”
In particular, CFO Hugh Johnston noted, Disney’s cruise business “is one that has an enormous number of opportunities for us over time, and that is why we are leaning more heavily into that business.”
Iger, who in April beat back a challenge from activist investors clamoring for more share growth, “has finally managed to strike a healthy balance between the different pressures coming from Disney’s Board while still respecting the company’s long-term DNA,” Monteiro said.
But streaming is the future and now represents 28% of Disney’s overall revenues. Though thus far, none of the profits.
Weighing down Disney’s overall streaming business is its sports app, ESPN+, which continues to disappoint.
Disney plans to launch a fully direct-to-consumer version of ESPN in fall 2025, and a joint sports streaming venture with Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox this fall. And it plans to launch an ESPN tile on Disney+ by the end of the calendar year following its integration of Hulu.
Star India continues to hurt its overall sports business. This quarter, the subsidiary lost less money — $27 million versus $99 million in the year-ago period, a 73% improvement — but it’s still a money loser. (Disney said its performance is tied to the costs of broadcast cricket matches in India.)
Star India’s impairment charge was a result of Disney entering into a $8.5 billion deal with Reliance Industries to merge the Indian property with Viacom18 in a joint venture. The deal, which is expected to close by early 2025, will give Reliance and its affiliates a 63% ownership stake in the venture, with Disney retaining 37%.
And there is no escaping that Disney’s linear TV networks continue to be an irreversible drag on earnings. The networks, which include ABC, FX and National Geographic, saw operating income plummet another 22% to $752 million on sales of $2.77 billion — or 12.5% of the company’s total quarterly revenues.
Iger said that “Shogun” is a global hit on both linear and streaming and is tracking as FX’s most-watched show ever on streaming platforms. The limited series is driving the second-largest number of signups to its streaming services since 2022, behind “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
There were positive signs coming from some of the TV studios, to be sure.
Yet even as Iger has survived a recent activist shareholder revolt, investors on Tuesday were looking for more clarity on a long-delayed succession plan for Iger, whose contract runs through the end of 2026. It got little. A board-appointed succession planning committee is “meeting on a regular basis,” Iger said. “I am confident they will choose the right person at the right time.”
Lucas Manfredi contributed to this article.
The post Wall Street Turns Its Back on Disney’s Streaming Profit Milestone | Analysis appeared first on TheWrap.
Elijah Abrams
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2020
Then Disney should just cut out the problem that is in the way of them being very creative again, which is Bob Iger!
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2004
I don't get how you think Bob is in the way of them being creative.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/dis-shareholders-and-stock-info-only.3881254/post-64829449
With Bob saying they are finally focusing on fewer, higher quality D+ series, it reminded me that we recommended just that a year ago! Bob, what the heck took you so long? You need to read our little board more often.
With Bob saying they are finally focusing on fewer, higher quality D+ series, it reminded me that we recommended just that a year ago! Bob, what the heck took you so long? You need to read our little board more often.
wabbott
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2021
I'll take a stab at this.
I'm a little over halfway through Leslie Iwerks' The Imagineering Story: The Official Biography of Walt Disney Imagineering. She describes in detail Michael Eisner' arrival in 1984 and the effect it had on the creative team at DIS. He understood it and encouraged it. Creative types are "free thinkers" and must be able to speak their mind and offer opinions without fear of consequences. It all worked for a while, until hubris overwhelmed Eisner's judgement and things got stale again.
One of the first moves Iger made after returning was to fire the CFO, Christine McCarthy. She was generally credited with being the "whistleblower" who tagged Bob Chapek's hinky accounting schemes. Of course, she got a a big pot of shareholder's money to soften the blow. But after she torpedoed Chapek, Iger knew she could be a potential troubleamaker for him. Iger wanted a CFO who owed his job to him. Enter Hugh Johnson.
Of course, the message company-wide went out loud and clear. Say something - anything - that may be counter to Iger's thoughts, your career at DIS is over. So much for creative "free thinking."
I suggest ALL FOUR of Iger's lieutenants - D'Amaro, Pitaro, Walden and Bergman - are all damaged goods and shouldn't be considered as Iger's successor.
All of this is just my opinion.
BrianL
Doom Buggy Driver
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2013
I don't know that I agree with that assessment - Christine McCarthy was not a creative person speaking about creative things. It's a slightly different situation. She was the one who said that Disney guests should eat less anyway or whatever in regards to shrinking portion sizes. I gather there may have been other issues with her.
I do generally agree that the four named potential successors, none of them are a great fit.
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irlandaise
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2022
Grrrrr.....Oppenheimer is a little trickier. Since it's based on a true story, ostensibly a biopic, though kinda not really. I think Nolan's reputation contributed a lot to that one (who knows why?
Definitely "Barbie" wouldn't have done as well without being based on the iconic doll. I consider the movie itself to be original, but there's certainly room for debate on that, considering that even WGA and AMPAS couldn't agree:
https://variety.com/2024/film/awards/barbie-moved-adapted-screenplay-oscars-1235848136/
As for "Oppenheimer," Nolan wrote his screenplay based on the book "American Prometheus," so in that respect it wasn't original. But it was definitely a fresh take on the subject (most previous films about J. Robert had been documentaries).
Bottom line: I consider both "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" to be original movies. They certainly weren't sequels to anything. And I definitely want to see Disney and its various film studios come up with fresh ideas, not just do umpteenth variations on Marvel characters. We know that Disney can still generate fresh animation stories (e.g. "Inside Out" and "Encanto"); what about exciting new live action?
BrianL
Doom Buggy Driver
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2013
Grrrrr.....
Definitely "Barbie" wouldn't have done as well without being based on the iconic doll. I consider the movie itself to be original, but there's certainly room for debate on that, considering that even WGA and AMPAS couldn't agree:
https://variety.com/2024/film/awards/barbie-moved-adapted-screenplay-oscars-1235848136/
As for "Oppenheimer," Nolan wrote his screenplay based on the book "American Prometheus," so in that respect it wasn't original. But it was definitely a fresh take on the subject (most previous films about J. Robert had been documentaries).
Bottom line: I consider both "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" to be original movies. They certainly weren't sequels to anything. And I definitely want to see Disney and its various film studios come up with fresh ideas, not just do umpteenth variations on Marvel characters. We know that Disney can still generate fresh animation stories (e.g. "Inside Out" and "Encanto"); what about exciting new live action?
But, a question, if Disney put out a Marvel movie based on a superhero that had never been used on screen, say, Night Thrasher, is that an "Original" movie or is it not becuase it's still Marvel? He's a lesser-known character, but from a very established IP. I do agree, that it's not clear cut.
wabbott
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2021
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/warner-bros-discovery-plans-cost-164737068.html
Warner Bros Discovery plans new cost cuts, hike in Max price, Bloomberg reports
Reuters
Wed, May 8, 2024, 11:47 AM CDT
(Reuters) -Warner Bros Discovery is looking at additional opportunities for cost-cutting and raising prices for its Max streaming platform, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.
The cost-cutting plans could include possible layoffs at the media company which has already eliminated more than 2,000 positions over the past year, according to the report.
The company's streaming business, which includes Max and Discovery+, could see hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts, mostly in marketing and technology, Bloomberg News reported.
Warner Bros Discovery has decided to raise subscription fees as it seeks to reach $1 billion in earnings from the Max and Discovery+ streaming services next year, the report said.
Max's starting price for U.S. subscribers is $9.99 a month for the ad-supported plan.
The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Warner Bros Discovery has been impacted by the lingering effects of the twin Hollywood strikes last year and a weak advertising market.
The company has focused on reducing its debt burden and improve cash flow. It ended 2023 with $4.3 billion of cash in hand and $44.2 billion of gross debt.
Warner Bros Discovery plans new cost cuts, hike in Max price, Bloomberg reports
Reuters
Wed, May 8, 2024, 11:47 AM CDT
(Reuters) -Warner Bros Discovery is looking at additional opportunities for cost-cutting and raising prices for its Max streaming platform, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.
The cost-cutting plans could include possible layoffs at the media company which has already eliminated more than 2,000 positions over the past year, according to the report.
The company's streaming business, which includes Max and Discovery+, could see hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts, mostly in marketing and technology, Bloomberg News reported.
Warner Bros Discovery has decided to raise subscription fees as it seeks to reach $1 billion in earnings from the Max and Discovery+ streaming services next year, the report said.
Max's starting price for U.S. subscribers is $9.99 a month for the ad-supported plan.
The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Warner Bros Discovery has been impacted by the lingering effects of the twin Hollywood strikes last year and a weak advertising market.
The company has focused on reducing its debt burden and improve cash flow. It ended 2023 with $4.3 billion of cash in hand and $44.2 billion of gross debt.
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