DVDizzy Forum

PatrickvD wrote:With all these canceled productions and a pipeline full of sequels this current era is looking like a copy of the late 90s early 00s.

Can WDAS ever keep its act together? Oh and obviously Lasseter needs to go.

Really.

People are looking for any excuse to get Lasseter fired. While are there are sequels, people are exaggerating it.

Can't say I'm too bothered if Greno is out.

Greno made Tangled and Bolt, two movies I couldn't care less about. I'd be ecstatic if he left.

PatrickvD wrote:With all these canceled productions and a pipeline full of sequels this current era is looking like a copy of the late 90s early 00s.

While I agree somewhat, I can't help but notice that some people keep worrying (in excess) that there's nothing in the WDAS pipeline following WIR2 and Frozen 2.

I just don't think that's the case. I reckon there are a number of projects beyond the Frozen sequel that simply have not yet been announced. It would be sheer madness to have nothing planned after Frozen 2. If so then there will easily be a five to six year hiatus in feature film production between the Frozen sequel and the next film. That hasn't happened at all these last thirty years, though it would have been normal in the 1960s.

Remember, this is not 2005-era Disney when even if the caretaker pitched an idea to the president of the studio (then David Stainton) it would somehow find its way online. Back then we had the Blue Sky Disney blog, and until recently Steve Hulett posted the occasional WDAS tidbit on his TAG blog.

We have nothing of the sort now.

What genuinely baffles me is why the WDAS schedule is so ... irregular. Also the studio is producing less films than Pixar. Are those just coincidences are they deliberate decisions on part of the studio leadership?

Don't expect Gigantic to be revived now that Disney reported a write-off for the cancelled feature.

Christine McCarthy, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Walt Disney Company:

"Our fiscal 2017 results came in roughly in line with last year which is consistent with the guidance we provided in early September, although they were adversely affected by three notable items. 1) the impact of hurricane Irma on our parks business 2) the impact of cancelling the animated film, Gigantic 3) the impact at BAMTech of a valuation adjustment to sports programming rights that were prepaid prior to the acquisition."

Source: https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney ... s-webcast/

Sotiris wrote:Don't expect for Gigantic to be revived now that Disney reported a write-off for the cancelled feature.

Christine McCarthy, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Walt Disney Company:

"Our fiscal 2017 results came in roughly in line with last year which is consistent with the guidance we provided in early September, although they were adversely affected by three notable items. 1) the impact of hurricane Irma on our parks business 2) the impact of cancelling the animated film, Gigantic 3) the impact at BAMTech of evaluation adjustment to support the programming rights that were prepaid prior to the acquisition."

Source: https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney ... s-webcast/

Good. I was never a fan of Gigantic from the beginning. I hope the film stays dead.

wow really? that's something that AFAIK usually happens after a movie is released and it bombs(like with Treasure Planet.) So they thought it was better to cancel the movie and lose some money now, than finish it and run risk it would be an even bigger financial failure. Either it really was bad or all the sequels they have planned made them feel this was something they could do and not end up too in the red. I don't think canceling the film would have been an option in the 2000's.

You know to the haters of this film, it could have been changed from what we heard and turned out really good. For all we know in the future just the name could have been kept and it could have been a pretty faithful Jack and the Beanstalk adaptation.

Disney Duster wrote:You know to the haters of this film, it could have been changed from what we heard and turned out really good. For all we know in the future just the name could have been kept and it could have been a pretty faithful Jack and the Beanstalk adaptation.

We already heard two versions of it, and the first one was still somewhat ok, but the one with the little girl sounded awful. And even the song they screened at D23 or somewhere like that got a lukewarm response, unlike the way Let It Go was received. I'm sick of Disney butchering fairy tales now anyway with the modern vernacular and adjective titles.

Disney Duster wrote:You know to the haters of this film, it could have been changed from what we heard and turned out really good. For all we know in the future just the name could have been kept and it could have been a pretty faithful Jack and the Beanstalk adaptation.

Honestly, I think that's exactly the downfall. "Gigantic" was a flop at the Expo and I think Disney was really really rushing to make it epic and less immature. I would think they were writing another story, but I just found a Imna audition from August.

It seems like Gigantic was having story problems for quite some time.

Steve Hulett wrote:Walt Disney Animation Studios was having problems with this property a year ago, when I was still tromping around studio corridors. So I guess they never licked the story hurdles, after all.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/steve.hulett.9 ... 6186097792

disneyprincess11 wrote:

Disney Duster wrote:You know to the haters of this film, it could have been changed from what we heard and turned out really good. For all we know in the future just the name could have been kept and it could have been a pretty faithful Jack and the Beanstalk adaptation.

Honestly, I think that's exactly the downfall. "Gigantic" was a flop at the Expo and I think Disney was really really rushing to make it epic and less immature. I would think they were writing another story, but I just found a Imna audition from August.

Can you explain more what you mean in relation to what I said? I don't know what Imna is either.

The write-off number for Gigantic has now been revealed. This makes it the fourth biggest write-off ever for a Disney film.

Disney scrapped “Gigantic,” an animated take on “Jack and the Beanstalk,” and took a $98 million write-off in October.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/07/busi ... pixar.html


Biggest write-offs for Disney films

John Carter ($200 million)
The Lone Ranger ($190 million)
Tomorrowland ($140 million)
Gigantic ($98 million)
Mars Needs Moms ($70 million)
Treasure Planet ($70 million)
ShadeMaker ($50 million)

They must've been significantly along before it was scrapped? I guess they didn't want to jinx Disney's comeback by throwing out a film that might not be well-received.

Sotiris wrote:Nathan Greno changed agencies soon after the cancellation of Gigantic. Could this be an indication he's leaving the studio?

My hunch was right. It's official now.

‘Tangled’ Director Nathan Greno Leaves Disney For Skydance Media
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/animators/t ... 56891.html

Meh, good riddance.

Greno’s departure from Walt Disney Animation marks the latest high-profile exit from the studio in recent years. Others who have left include directors Leo Matsuda (Inner Workings), John Kahrs (Paperman), and Patrick Osborne (Feast), as well as Tangled animation supervisor Clay Kaytis, Frozen head of animation Lino DiSalvo, and Moana head of animation Hyrum Osmond.

I wonder why so many have left Disney lately. Maybe it is normal that people leave a workplace after some time to seek new challenges, but how often does it happen at Disney? It could be that other studies really do offer better opportunities when headhunting experienced animation people, or it could be that something has happened with Disney's work environment during the last years. Just curious what the reason is.

The biggest question is why did Greno quit Disney? And is his departure solely why Gigantic was cancelled?

I'm not saddened by this either. Was never a fan of Nathan Greno after Tangled and from what I saw of this film. I heard Byron Howard was always the talented one from Tangled, and I can believe that after Zootopia.

disneyprincess11 wrote:The biggest question is why did Greno quit Disney? And is his departure solely why Gigantic was cancelled?

I was assuming the opposite, that because Gigantic was cancelled, Greno left.

The DisInsider is reporting that Gigantic is being revived. This news is coming from a fan site and not a trade publication so take it with a grain of salt for now. Personally, I find it extremely unlikely that a project which was publicly cancelled and received a $98 million write-off will be revived. Is it even legal to do that? I also find their report on Greno not leaving Disney because of Gigantic's cancellation highly questionable.

The DisInsider: Hearing Disney’s Gigantic is still in Disney’s plans and could make its way to theaters as soon as 2022.

Q: Without Nathan Greno...? I thought that that was one of the reasons why he left Walt Disney Animation Studios...because it was shelved.

The DisInsider: I know Nathan personally, and I guarantee you he didn’t leave Disney for Skydance because of Gigantic. He was being sought by multiple studios to develop the film he’s working on now.

Q: Wasn’t it officially cancelled?

The DisInsider: Disney “shelved” it.

Q: Any ideas as to why it was shelved? It seemed to be a hard concept.

The DisInsider: Yes, but I’m saving that for a story I’m working on.

Source: https://twitter.com/TheDisInsider/statu ... 2299716608