What If? #1- Katzenberg Got Frank Wells Job?

[Balto123]

This is the first of hopefully several debates regarding the what if's of Disney's long history.

What if in 1994 following the untimely death of Frank Wells, Jeffrey Katzenberg had got the job he said firmly was his to inherit? Would this have radically changed the history of Disney as we know it today, and how would it have affected what we are seeing today, if at all?

Discuss away!

[stitcharielbeast]

yeah I believe the disney world would be a very different place had Katzenberg actually received Wells' job.


that also means that Prince of Egypt, Sinbad, Spirit, El Dorado and even the Shrek movies would be Disney films.

[rexcrk]

About Shrek... wasn't that made to sort of spite Disney?

Therefore it wouldn't be made.

[misterdisneyland]

I think JK has his pros and cons, but it would not have worked with Eisner. The two would likely have clashed and by 96-97 it would have been over.if it had worked, Shrek would have been made but likely without the Disney references and potentially independantly, Dreamworks would not have been founded, Spielberg might have landed at Disney and things would probably be similar to today.

[Escapay]

This is the first of hopefully several debates regarding the what if's of Disney's long history.

Or third.

The "What if..." Series: Pocahontas vs. The Lion King created November 27, 2006

"What if..." Series: Sleeping Beauty Box Office created January 31, 2007

Anyway, answering the Katzenberg question, I'm kind of glad he didn't get the job. Had he been given Wells' position, then he might have never left to form DreamWorks with Spielberg and Geffen, and a slew of great movies may never have been made (namely The Prince of Egypt).

If he did continue at Disney, I can only imagine things getting more tense, concerning the animation department. Katzenberg might have ended up leaving on his own, or being forced out years later like Eisner.

One of the good things I could foresee from Katzenberg remaining would be the long-in-development-hell-and-might-as-well-be-considered-dead sequel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. Going with the "no Dreamworks created" theory, then Spielberg would have had to return to Disney to continue work on the Roger Rabbit franchise since he co-owns the rights to the character. Perhaps we'd have seen that as a major Disney/Amblin project in the late 90s instead of a shelved one.

Scaps