The House of Mouse is 100 this year (October 16) and, for a while, looked like celebrating this not inconsiderable anniversary in an unusually dishevelled state with heavy streaming losses from Disney+ (streaming is the gift that keeps on taking) and restless shareholders.
Former CEO Bob Iger has come back riding to the rescue, promising cost savings to placate shareholders and even a profit from Disney+. In his earlier reign Iger transformed the company with deals for Pixar (with Steve Jobs), Marvel and others.
Disney is kicking off a year of celebrations (a big live concert tour being the centrepiece) with ‘Disney100,’ somehow cramming in its diverse empire and even including a few words from Walt himself.
Iger says: “As we commemorate our historic 100th anniversary, it is remarkable to look back at Walt Disney’s legacy and his relentless pursuit of excellence that continue to propel the Company forward today. We are incredibly grateful to the generations of people all over the world for being such a special part of our history and for inviting our stories and characters into their lives over the past century.
“Disney100 represents a celebration of all of our fans and families, and our storytellers and creative visionaries whose talents and imaginations have created the magical moments that make Disney such an enduring part of the global culture.”
Capable as you’d expect (if Disney can’t make such a film, nobody can.)
MAA creative scale: 7.
