Word: disney
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...return to the old studio system, Disney essentially formed an in-house troupe of actors and directors by signing them up for multipicture deals. Midler went on to star in Ruthless People (revenues: $72 million) and Outrageous Fortune ($53 million). Dreyfuss appeared again in Stakeout ($66 million) and Tin Men ($26 million). Robin Williams, who had made two bombs at other studios, hit big with Good Morning, Vietnam. Says he: "Jeffrey ((Katzenberg)) picks people in neutral, stalled between phases, and tries to find the right vehicle for them. There's a joke going around that he hangs out outside...
...Disney prefers to put together its own film projects, rather than buying packaged deals from agents at high markups. After picking a story, the Disnoids go bargain hunting for the rest of the pieces. Suddenly chic, Disney now uses its prestige instead of its poverty as an excuse for eliciting better deals. Says Richard Frank, Katzenberg's No. 2 man: "We have the money, but we won't pay retail." The average Disney film during 1987 cost about $12 million to make, in contrast to Hollywood's $16.5 million average. Fully 22 of the 23 films made and released...
Thanks to its recent blockbusters, the company has for the moment surpassed archrival Paramount as the No. 1 grossing studio in Hollywood. Only three years ago, Disney ranked ninth. Even though the studio could easily slip from its dizzying new position, Disney's hot streak has made it Hollywood's most closely watched force. The company plans to release 15 features this year, up from ten in 1986. Among them: Big Business, a comedy pairing Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin, and Cocktail, in which Tom Cruise plays a cocky young bartender...
While Touchstone's success boosts the company's profits and morale, just as valuable for Disney in the long run are new animated features whose characters can inspire fresh theme-park attractions and licensed products. Disney has high hopes for this summer's combination live-action and animated feature, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, the story of Roger's search for the culprit who set him up for a murder rap. Even with Steven Spielberg producing it, the film is a major gamble. Its cost is rumored to be $38 million or more, which has inspired ominous comparisons with Howard...
Only a few years ago, Disney's animation department had been almost totally neglected. But now the upbeat morale in the section is as palpable as the aroma of popcorn coming from the popper in the lobby. Disney employs an animation staff of 261, up from 184 four years ago. Says Roy Disney, who serves as chief of animation: "We hired a lot of young, inexperienced people in the early 1980s and did a lot of on-the-job training. I'd say that two- thirds of all the really talented people in the field are here." Despite the help...