Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (USE SPOILER TAGS!)

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Steelmaker

In your opinion, HAS Disney buying Pixar had a negative effect on the studio? I wonder what the general attitude is at Pixar towards Disney and if they are happy/unhappy being under the Disney umbrella.

Not really, and this ties into Star Wars. Eisner was playing hardball with Pixar, and was planning on making sequels to the Pixar films if Pixar decided not to re-up and sign a new deal. This antagonized the Pixar leaders and things were getting heated in the press. Eisner openly mocked Pixar's human animation, Pixar openly mocked the films then being made by Eisner. This management style of antagonizing talent and the fear of Pixar signing with a rival studio was a factor in the Roy Disney "Save Disney" shareholder revolt, which led to Eisner's eventual resignation.

So Iger comes on board and goes to work repairing the relationship between the company and Pixar, and that conversation then becomes about Disney offering Pixar autonomy and non-interference with the Pixar culture in exchange for Pixar joining the Disney company. For further assurance, Lasseter would become the leader of Disney animation and still maintain his role at Pixar.

This is how this ties in to Star Wars. George Lucas still refers to Pixar as "his company", and Lucas was impressed with the deal. It was Iger's treatment of Pixar that led to Lucas feeling comfortable with the sale to Disney.

So, the Pixar deal was 2006, which was the year Cars came out. This was followed by Wall*E, Ratatouille, Up, Brave...some of these are Pixar's most acclaimed films. I think the death of storyman Joe Ranft hurt Pixar more than anything else. The man was a genial, brilliant story wizard, and he died in a car accident in 2005, just before the Disney purchase.

If anything, Pixar is a victim of their own success. Expectations for their films are through the roof. Speaking of expectations, when Disney bought Pixar, they did so with the belief that Pixar would make sequels to their smash hits. Pixar is in control of the sequels, and they're made under their own timetable. Cars 2 and Monsters University were relative disappointments to the likes of Up and Ratatouille, although Toy Story 3 was a critical and box office smash.

So, long story short, no -- I don't think Disney is responsible for people feeling disappointed in Cars 2 or Monsters University (or even Brave). Pixar seems quite happy with their current pipeline which includes sequels on top of original content, and they're very protective of their intellectual property and proud of their films. Disney's not making Lasseter produce Cars 3 and Toy Story 4. He loves those characters.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Megalith

What is the point of spending on advertising for a new Star Wars movie? There are people who don't know that there is a new Star Wars movie?

In 1999, LucasFilm bombarded North America with advertising and product placements for The Phantom Menace. It was considered the biggest marketing campaign in history, and when the film was met by disappointment, some folks in the press (rightly or wrongly) cited the marketing blitz as a reason for the film not living up to the hype.

We're in a new age, now, where a trailer will circle the planet thanks to social media and the internet, and cost pennies. Sure, there will be eventual TV ads and a "story" trailer and posters and what not, but this property doesn't need to spend a fortune to raise awareness. This thread is proof there are legions of admirers willing to do that for them.

[Thomas Guycott]

Episode VII doesn't need tongue candy dispensers!

[Groot]

Target is full FULL of Star Wars items. You go in the store and in the $1 bin area they have paper, pens, little coloring book sets for $3. Go around the front of the store towards the food I saw framed art, shaped mugs, water bottles, trays, plates, backpacks, rugs, etc. The food section had a front end cap of star wars cereal and mac'n'cheese and some gummy candies. In the Halloween section there were two isles of nothing but Star Wars costumes and buckets. There were three end caps of Star Wars themed candy. The toy section had two isles and end caps. There were star wars greeting cards and stickers...they had star wars toys in the checkout.

Kohl's is covered head to toe in star wars clothes and mugs.

Walmart has re-done their entire toy section setup as star wars now has the main focus.

Star Wars promos are on TV like mad...

It's 1999 all over again.

[stvn1974]

Saw a Wal-Mart Star Wars ad that was aimed at young girls. Disney wants to make sure everyone knows about the new film and the merch.

[Col. Zombie]

So I started my deluxe marathon at a little before 6 this morning and finished all 6 Star Wars films at about 9 tonight. I feel half brain damage and probably lost more than a few brain cells, but I feel great. n Bring on #VII. Can't wait.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Groot

Star Wars promos are on TV like mad...

We must not be watching the same channels.

[Groot]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

We must not be watching the same channels.

ESPN and NFL Channel. I've seen Walmart Ads, Movie Ads, Halloween Ads using movie promos... It's all over the place.

[Col. Zombie]

;

Originally Posted by Megalith

What is the point of spending on advertising for a new Star Wars movie? There are people who don't know that there is a new Star Wars movie?

I suppose it's principle as when William Wrigley was asked on a train by a fan why he kept advertising his chewing gum when everybody knew about it. His response was to stop adverting, even though everyone knew, would be like removing the locomotive from the train. It'll slow down and eventually stop. Any good advertiser (and studio) knows you can't overemphasize any franchise enough, regardless of popularity.

Life happens and people need constant reminding.

[aiman04]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

We must not be watching the same channels.

The biggest paid TV provider in my country started a channel dedicated to Star Wars like a couple of months ago, this never happened before for any film franchise. Marathons like once a week. LEGO, or any show about Star Wars. That's not counting what's on Disney XD, etc. And other channels keep playing commercials about them. Though some not directly related to The Force Awakens, but they're definitely getting the hype up towards it.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Groot

ESPN and NFL Channel. I've seen Walmart Ads, Movie Ads, Halloween Ads using movie promos... It's all over the place.

Well, that explains it -- we're not watching the same channels, unless it's a Saturday and my Longhorns are playing.

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

This is how this ties in to Star Wars. George Lucas still refers to Pixar as "his company", and Lucas was impressed with the deal.

Are we forgetting that Pixar did not release a feature film until nine years after George Lucas essentially sold Pixar to Steve Jobs on February 3, 1986 when Jobs' investment made him majority shareholder and it was Jobs who sold Pixar to Disney (which then made Jobs the majority shareholder in Disney)? "Toy Story" was not released until 1995.

Pixar released two shorts before Jobs acquired the company: "The Adventures of André and Wally B." and "Luxo Jr.", the latter of which premiered at the SIGGRAPH conference in 1986.

Although Jobs was not known to be a patient man by any means, he was obviously very patient with Pixar.

[aiman04]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

Are we forgetting that Pixar did not release a feature film until nine years after George Lucas essentially sold Pixar to Steve Jobs on February 3, 1986 when Jobs' investment made him majority shareholder and it was Jobs who sold Pixar to Disney (which then made Jobs the majority shareholder in Disney)? "Toy Story" was not released until 1995.

Pixar released two shorts before Jobs acquired the company: "The Adventures of André and Wally B." and "Luxo Jr.", the latter of which premiered at the SIGGRAPH conference in 1986.

Although Jobs was not known to be a patient man by any means, he was obviously very patient with Pixar.

I think Lucas meant it in more sentimental way than the business point of view. PIXAR was practically the first ever company researching and developing tools for computer animation (though Ed Catmull started the research earlier at his unversity).

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

Are we forgetting that Pixar did not release a feature film until nine years after George Lucas essentially sold Pixar to Steve Jobs on February 3, 1986 when Jobs' investment made him majority shareholder and it was Jobs who sold Pixar to Disney (which then made Jobs the majority shareholder in Disney)?

No. I'm also not forgetting that George Lucas, to this day, refers to Pixar as his company.

[Moviefan2k4]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

No. I'm also not forgetting that George Lucas, to this day, refers to Pixar as his company.

Well, he did start it with the original Pixar computer system, so in that sense he'll always be the "creator" of the company. The same goes for Lucasfilm, since it was both named after him and ran by him for 30 years.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Moviefan2k4

Well, he did start it with the original Pixar computer system, so in that sense he'll always be the "creator" of the company.

Absolutely.

Funny -- Lasseter was fired from Disney and Katzenberg said there was no future in computer animation. First time I saw footage from Andre and Wally-B was on the Disney Channel, first time I saw Pixar named in the credits of a feature film was Disney's Rescuers Down Under.

[Spike M.]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

some folks in the press (rightly or wrongly) cited the marketing blitz as a reason for the film not living up to the hype.

Wrongly.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by aiman04

The biggest paid TV provider in my country started a channel dedicated to Star Wars like a couple of months ago, this never happened before for any film franchise. Marathons like once a week. LEGO, or any show about Star Wars. That's not counting what's on Disney XD, etc. And other channels keep playing commercials about them. Though some not directly related to The Force Awakens, but they're definitely getting the hype up towards it.

I thought Sky did a Bond channel a while back? *searches* Yep, Sky Movies 007 they called it.

[aiman04]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I thought Sky did a Bond channel a while back? *searches* Yep, Sky Movies 007 they called it.

Yeah, but in my country this is the first time ever. And Star Wars is not much a phenomenon as it does in the United States, even the merchandise is not much a hot stuff, just lukewarm. But that's starting to change now, probably thanks to Disney.

[CGHULK]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Absolutely.

Funny -- Lasseter was fired from Disney and Katzenberg said there was no future in computer animation. First time I saw footage from Andre and Wally-B was on the Disney Channel, first time I saw Pixar named in the credits of a feature film was Disney's Rescuers Down Under.

I hope you are not insinuating that Katzenberg fired Lasseter, because he was fired a year before Katzenberg was brought on board. Katzenberg is the one who sealed the deal and gets the credit for creating the relationship between Disney and Pixar.

Pixar's work on The Rescuers Down Under was the creation of their CAPS system to paint the characters in the computer that put the traditional ink and paint department out of business. The Little Mermaid was the last film where paint was applied to celluloid. Also three years after The Rescuers Downunder Pixar worked on and credited for The Nightmare Before Christmas where they did puppet rig removal.