Breaking News: Disney to acquire Pixar for $7.4B

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
The Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday it has agreed to buy longtime partner Pixar Animation Studios Inc. for $7.4 billion in a deal that could restore Disney's dominance in animation while vaulting Pixar CEO Steve Jobs into a powerful role at the media conglomerate.



Disney will buy the maker of the blockbuster films "Toy Story," "Finding Nemo," and "The Incredibles" in an all-stock transaction that makes Jobs Disney's largest shareholder, the Associated Press reports.



Jobs, who controls more than half of Pixar's stock and also heads Apple Computer Inc., will also join Disney's board.



Disney has co-financed and distributed Pixar's animated films for the past 12 years, with the two companies splitting the profits. However, that deal was set to expires in June after Pixar delivers its next feature animated film "Cars."



Disney and Pixar had been talking for months about a new relationship, with recent rumors suggesting Disney would offer a $7B bid for the Emeryville, Calif.-based animation studio.



Along with the acquisition, Pixar Executive Vice President John Lasseter will be become chief creative officer of Disney's animation studios and principal creative adviser at Walt Disney Imagineering, which designs and builds the company's theme parks.



Pixar President Ed Catmull will reportedly serve as president of the new combined Pixar and Disney animation studios, reporting to Disney chief executive Robert Iger and Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 27
    Now if Steve wants AAPL to buy DIS, he has shares and leverage to help make it happen. AAPL has a larger market cap, so got to believe he could make it happen.



    The problem of course is that other media companies would jump ship on iTunes and ViTunes. Even w/o buying, no doubt AAPL will have good access to content from the many DIS companies. And the preferred hookup will likely help DIS long term as well.
  • Reply 2 of 27
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    I guess we can move the last thread dealing with this over to here.



    I suppose I should say it again; I hope this deal doesn't impact Apple negatively. If Jobs has to recuse himself every time they discuss music, Tv, or movie deals, as well as DRM, distribution, etc., this will not be good for Apple (or Disney).
  • Reply 3 of 27
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by atavistic

    Now if Steve wants AAPL to buy DIS, he has shares and leverage to help make it happen. AAPL has a larger market cap, so got to believe he could make it happen.



    The problem of course is that other media companies would jump ship on iTunes and ViTunes. Even w/o buying, no doubt AAPL will have good access to content from the many DIS companies. And the preferred hookup will likely help DIS long term as well.




    And why would Apple possibly want to do that?
  • Reply 4 of 27
    hattighattig Posts: 860member
    Let's hope this brings to an end Disney's straight-to-video issues recently. I saw earlier today a Lion King box set that looked like there were 6 movies in it! I thought they'd only made 1!



    Of course I expect that a lot of Disney content will now be made available through iTunes.



    Also I think that Disney were HD-DVD backers - that could change to BluRay now. I might be wrong here though, haven't been following this too closely.
  • Reply 5 of 27
    Quote:

    Also I think that Disney were HD-DVD backers - that could change to BluRay now. I might be wrong here though, haven't been following this too closely. [/B]



    Nope, Disney was backing BluRay.
  • Reply 6 of 27
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Hattig

    Let's hope this brings to an end Disney's straight-to-video issues recently. I saw earlier today a Lion King box set that looked like there were 6 movies in it! I thought they'd only made 1!



    Of course I expect that a lot of Disney content will now be made available through iTunes.



    Also I think that Disney were HD-DVD backers - that could change to BluRay now. I might be wrong here though, haven't been following this too closely.




    This won't affect Disney distribution.



    Disney has been in the Blu-Ray camp, and is a vocal supporter.



    Apple is on the board of the Blu-Ray group. But they are also on the board (or equivalent) of the HD DVD Group.
  • Reply 7 of 27
    I for one welcome our new media overlords...



    I know that Steve Jobs has kept Pixar and Apple pretty separate during his years of joint boss-ship of them both. They use Linux or Solaris servers for their render-farm the last I heard, not Xserves. So I don't expect seismic shifts for Apple besides of course a cosier time with Disney for content distribution.



    Speaking of which ... good timing for a Home Media Centre Mac, no?



    I had been hoping for a re-vamped Mini at MWSF like many, but I know it's coming soon enough. Give me my Apple Tivo! (That way I can run Azureus on it too, best of both worlds!)
  • Reply 8 of 27
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    You know, the one thing we haven't been told, is whether Jobs WILL take a seat at Disney. It's assumed that he will be offered one because of his stock, but that's not assured.



    It's also possible, that because of his relationship to Apple, he might not be offered one (not too likely), or that he might not choose to take one, at least not now.



    He might also choose to divest himself of most of Disney's stock over time.



    There are a lot of things that can happen as a result of this.
  • Reply 9 of 27
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    Jobs has seat on board, Lasseter has been made Chief Creative Officer of the *combined* Animation Dept.



    Pixar just took over Disney.



    Amazing.
  • Reply 10 of 27
    northgatenorthgate Posts: 4,461member
    John Lassetter has been named Chief Creative Officer for Disney Animation (the whole enchilada). Woot!
  • Reply 11 of 27
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Kickaha

    Jobs has seat on board, Lasseter has been made Chief Creative Officer of the *combined* Animation Dept.



    Pixar just took over Disney.



    Amazing.




    ...AND Lasseter is head of Imagineering for the parks! Yes!!!
  • Reply 12 of 27
    Quote:

    Originally posted by atavistic

    Now if Steve wants AAPL to buy DIS, he has shares and leverage to help make it happen. AAPL has a larger market cap, so got to believe he could make it happen.



    The problem of course is that other media companies would jump ship on iTunes and ViTunes. Even w/o buying, no doubt AAPL will have good access to content from the many DIS companies. And the preferred hookup will likely help DIS long term as well.




    Slow down turbo
  • Reply 13 of 27
    aplnubaplnub Posts: 2,605member
    Kids love Disney -> Disney loves Steve -> Steve loves Macs -> Disney embraces Apple tech gadgets -> my brother gets a third mortagage buying his 4 yearold the latest Disney fad
  • Reply 14 of 27
    Quote:

    Originally posted by aplnub

    Kids love Disney -> Disney loves Steve -> Steve loves Macs -> Disney embraces Apple tech gadgets -> my brother gets a third mortagage buying his 4 yearold the latest Disney fad



    ...and The Steve looked upon the newly born lamb which he named Disney-Pixar and said it was good, and lo, Bob Iger did toucheth the shoulders of The Steve and did mightily slap them. And The Steve turned to embrace Bob Iger and The Steve raised a fist to the heavens as if to smite the enemies of The Steve, the lamb, which is Disney-Pixar, and Bob Iger. And all was right and good with The Steve.
  • Reply 15 of 27
    Ooh, ooh! Mr. Kotter! Forgot to mention:



    "In announcing their planned merger Tuesday, the two companies said Mr. Lasseter would be chief creative officer of the combined animation operations, while Pixar's president, Edwin E. Catmull, would become president."



    Catmull is a bone fide genius...
  • Reply 16 of 27
    shawnjshawnj Posts: 6,656member
    Catmull is a genius? What? Have you even heard of him prior to today?
  • Reply 17 of 27
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ShawnJ

    Catmull is a genius? What? Have you even heard of him prior to today?



    Why yes I have. Have you?



    For the uninitiated, here's a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Catmull
  • Reply 18 of 27
    brbr Posts: 8,395member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by SpamSandwich

    For the uninitiated, here's a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Catmull



    And, dude, could you shorten your sig? It's annoying.




    Survey says...sig can stay! Mmm, being quoted is fun.
  • Reply 19 of 27
    vinney57vinney57 Posts: 1,162member
    Catmull is indeed a genius. His contribution to computer graphics is legendary.
  • Reply 20 of 27
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by vinney57

    Catmull is indeed a genius. His contribution to computer graphics is legendary.



    I don't know if he's a genius, but he's done some pretty good things with Lasseter, first at Lucasfilm.



    But it really is Lasseter who persuaded Lucasfilm to move the animation group in the direction it ended up going in.



    If anything, he is considered to be Walt Disney's true successor.
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