WHAT! THAT’S NOT TRUE! Next you’ll tell me L. Ron Hubbard started Scientology to get richer that events around his death were contrived and suspicious...
I am being sarcastic fore those unawares.
A Hippie in the House of Mouse (Jim Henson at Disney, 1980)
- Thread starter Geekhis Khan
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I am being sarcastic fore those unawares.
"Welcome, everyone, to the ultimate cornerstone of material goods. Be sure to stay a while, but not too long!"
I may have already posted this here before but with it now being the proper decade I'm reposting it:
Stage Management
Richard Hunt
"Now Scooting for Assistants"
Sorry I'm really bad at these.
Eisner III: Ambition and Expansion
Chapter 8: Big Plans, Big Conflicts (Cont’d)
Excerpt from Man of Iron: The Michael Eisner Story, an unauthorized biography by Anthony Edward Stark
The opportunity to make a big name for himself in the Capital Cities/ABC company through corporate acquisitions came to Eisner in 1991, and from the strangest of circumstances. Clarence Thomas was appointed to the US Supreme Court, his former employee Anita Hill accused him of sexual harassment in a news-making public hearing, and this all led to a reckoning on sexual harassment in the workplace, and in the entertainment industry in particular, spearheaded by Disney. Eisner knew that Hollywood Pictures and ABC were far from spotless in this regard, so he moved quickly to nip it all in the bud with internal arbitration, lateral reassignments to separate accusers and accused, and unreported monetary settlements in exchange for accusers signing non-disclosure agreements[1]. Quick, neat, and with minimal cost and public relations impact to the studio, it won him quiet accolades from the directors and executives and stood in sharp contrast to the press-making investigations at Disney and acrimonious corporate purges at Columbia/CBS.
His budding partners, Miramax’s Weinstein Brothers, did not escape the fallout so easily. Multiple lawsuits hit Harvey in particular. And while Bob Weinstein, following Eisner’s lead, managed to settle the issues quietly, the damage was done and Harvey was essentially forced to retire from the company he co-founded. But for Eisner, this was an opportunity, and soon he and Katzenberg were able to negotiate (under duress) a cash-and-debt buyout of Miramax[2], which became a second ABC film label alongside Hollywood Pictures. And with the ambitious and imperious Harvey conveniently out of the way, Eisner and Katzenberg were more than happy to slip into the creative leadership space left by his departure.
The DIC acquisition had also been proven a smart strategic move with the success of The Prince of Egypt. Despite Eisner’s skepticism about the picture, the film had proven a success, breaking $112 million at the box office and directly challenging Disney at their own game. Eisner and Katzenberg floated the idea of a merger to Bluth, dangling the prospect of Bluth becoming the head of a larger Hollywood Animation International, but Bluth was bound and determined to remain his own boss and waved them off.
These numerous successes all came at an opportune time for Eisner. Eisner and Katzenberg had been angling for more power and influence at ABC, even as they also began to suspect each other’s intensions. The successes of The Prince of Egypt and the successful and Oscar-beloved Dead Poet’s Society and Crazy People on top of the continuing TV successes and earlier wins, had given Eisner a growing sway at ABC, which he intended to capitalize upon. Company rumors suggested that Chairman and CEO Thomas S. Murphy was going to relinquish his duties as President to someone else, with most betting on the job going to his protégé from Capital Cities, Daniel Burke. Eisner dispatched Katzenberg to quietly lobby for Eisner to take the position, the assumption being that Katzenberg would take over Eisner’s job at Hollywood Studios.
And while Burke would indeed ultimately claim the positions of President and COO of Capital Cities/ABC, Eisner’s lobbying efforts paid off in another regard, as he was soon able to claim the Presidency of ABC Entertainment, a position that VP Bob Iger had been groomed for. Katzenberg, meanwhile, would backfill Eisner’s job as head of Hollywood Studios. Iger would soon claim the presidency of the ABC Network Television Group, and while Eisner and Iger would publicly work together, each saw in the other an existential threat to their ambitions. A quiet but bitter rivalry cemented itself.
But Eisner wasn’t done. Rumor had it that Disney was experiencing shareholder dissatisfaction over the underperforming studio returns from films that put art above profit and from the short-sighted diversion of film profits into charity. Disney Animation VP Roy Disney called it “putting the dream ahead of the scheme,” but Eisner saw it as just poor business. They were businessmen, there to make a return for their shareholders, after all, and a successful businessman realized this.
Eisner saw opportunity in his rival’s challenges. As much as he personally liked Disney CCO Jim Henson – one of his greatest accomplishments was bringing the Muppets Valentine’s Day Special to the air and one of his greatest regrets was passing on The Dark Crystal – Henson’s business missteps were Eisner’s potential victory.
Rumor held that Bass Brothers CEO Sid Bass in particular was losing faith, and as a major shareholder with a near 10% share in the Walt Disney Entertainment Company, that was a potential Achilles’ Heel. On top of the underperformance of the studios and the recession-based losses to the parks and hotels, Disney Chairman Frank Wells’ Green technology initiatives were antagonizing many of the executives in Bass’s fossil fuel subsidiaries. Conceivably, Eisner could convince Bass to sell his stake in Disney to Capital Cities/ABC, giving ABC a significant stake in the classic entertainment studio. This would not only open up strategic partnership opportunities, but potentially set up a merger in the future. Eisner himself could conceivably replace Arvida CEO Charles Cobb on the Disney board.
With all of this in mind, Eisner arranged to meet with Bass and flew to Dallas with Katzenberg and an ABC lawyer. At the meeting Eisner laid out some options for a stock buyout, such as a direct cash stock buy or swap for an equal value in ABC stock. He showed Bass his own studio’s successes in both the live action and animated areas. Bass admitted to liking The Prince of Egypt, which he’d seen with his grandkid, which made Katzenberg beam. In addition, Eisner noted his company’s, and by extension his, success in quietly dealing with sexual harassment and assault claims compared to the press frenzy kicked off by the Disney investigations.
Bass, advised by Cobb and his Strategic Advisor Richard Rainwater, remained reticent about his intent, but entertained the possibility of future talks on Eisner’s proposal.
Eisner left Dallas without a deal, but far from discouraged. The seed had been planted, he assured Katzenberg, and now they just had to wait to see what sprouted.
[1] Also known as The Standard Corporate Way of Dealing with Sexual Harassment.
[2] Disney under Eisner bought up Miramax in 1993 in our timeline. Here, the tumult following the sexual harassment and assault allegations allowed Eisner to strike a deal earlier for ABC, and even removed the potential rival in Harvey right up front.
Excerpt from Man of Iron: The Michael Eisner Story, an unauthorized biography by Anthony Edward Stark
The opportunity to make a big name for himself in the Capital Cities/ABC company through corporate acquisitions came to Eisner in 1991, and from the strangest of circumstances. Clarence Thomas was appointed to the US Supreme Court, his former employee Anita Hill accused him of sexual harassment in a news-making public hearing, and this all led to a reckoning on sexual harassment in the workplace, and in the entertainment industry in particular, spearheaded by Disney. Eisner knew that Hollywood Pictures and ABC were far from spotless in this regard, so he moved quickly to nip it all in the bud with internal arbitration, lateral reassignments to separate accusers and accused, and unreported monetary settlements in exchange for accusers signing non-disclosure agreements[1]. Quick, neat, and with minimal cost and public relations impact to the studio, it won him quiet accolades from the directors and executives and stood in sharp contrast to the press-making investigations at Disney and acrimonious corporate purges at Columbia/CBS.
His budding partners, Miramax’s Weinstein Brothers, did not escape the fallout so easily. Multiple lawsuits hit Harvey in particular. And while Bob Weinstein, following Eisner’s lead, managed to settle the issues quietly, the damage was done and Harvey was essentially forced to retire from the company he co-founded. But for Eisner, this was an opportunity, and soon he and Katzenberg were able to negotiate (under duress) a cash-and-debt buyout of Miramax[2], which became a second ABC film label alongside Hollywood Pictures. And with the ambitious and imperious Harvey conveniently out of the way, Eisner and Katzenberg were more than happy to slip into the creative leadership space left by his departure.
The DIC acquisition had also been proven a smart strategic move with the success of The Prince of Egypt. Despite Eisner’s skepticism about the picture, the film had proven a success, breaking $112 million at the box office and directly challenging Disney at their own game. Eisner and Katzenberg floated the idea of a merger to Bluth, dangling the prospect of Bluth becoming the head of a larger Hollywood Animation International, but Bluth was bound and determined to remain his own boss and waved them off.
These numerous successes all came at an opportune time for Eisner. Eisner and Katzenberg had been angling for more power and influence at ABC, even as they also began to suspect each other’s intensions. The successes of The Prince of Egypt and the successful and Oscar-beloved Dead Poet’s Society and Crazy People on top of the continuing TV successes and earlier wins, had given Eisner a growing sway at ABC, which he intended to capitalize upon. Company rumors suggested that Chairman and CEO Thomas S. Murphy was going to relinquish his duties as President to someone else, with most betting on the job going to his protégé from Capital Cities, Daniel Burke. Eisner dispatched Katzenberg to quietly lobby for Eisner to take the position, the assumption being that Katzenberg would take over Eisner’s job at Hollywood Studios.
And while Burke would indeed ultimately claim the positions of President and COO of Capital Cities/ABC, Eisner’s lobbying efforts paid off in another regard, as he was soon able to claim the Presidency of ABC Entertainment, a position that VP Bob Iger had been groomed for. Katzenberg, meanwhile, would backfill Eisner’s job as head of Hollywood Studios. Iger would soon claim the presidency of the ABC Network Television Group, and while Eisner and Iger would publicly work together, each saw in the other an existential threat to their ambitions. A quiet but bitter rivalry cemented itself.
But Eisner wasn’t done. Rumor had it that Disney was experiencing shareholder dissatisfaction over the underperforming studio returns from films that put art above profit and from the short-sighted diversion of film profits into charity. Disney Animation VP Roy Disney called it “putting the dream ahead of the scheme,” but Eisner saw it as just poor business. They were businessmen, there to make a return for their shareholders, after all, and a successful businessman realized this.
Eisner saw opportunity in his rival’s challenges. As much as he personally liked Disney CCO Jim Henson – one of his greatest accomplishments was bringing the Muppets Valentine’s Day Special to the air and one of his greatest regrets was passing on The Dark Crystal – Henson’s business missteps were Eisner’s potential victory.
Rumor held that Bass Brothers CEO Sid Bass in particular was losing faith, and as a major shareholder with a near 10% share in the Walt Disney Entertainment Company, that was a potential Achilles’ Heel. On top of the underperformance of the studios and the recession-based losses to the parks and hotels, Disney Chairman Frank Wells’ Green technology initiatives were antagonizing many of the executives in Bass’s fossil fuel subsidiaries. Conceivably, Eisner could convince Bass to sell his stake in Disney to Capital Cities/ABC, giving ABC a significant stake in the classic entertainment studio. This would not only open up strategic partnership opportunities, but potentially set up a merger in the future. Eisner himself could conceivably replace Arvida CEO Charles Cobb on the Disney board.
With all of this in mind, Eisner arranged to meet with Bass and flew to Dallas with Katzenberg and an ABC lawyer. At the meeting Eisner laid out some options for a stock buyout, such as a direct cash stock buy or swap for an equal value in ABC stock. He showed Bass his own studio’s successes in both the live action and animated areas. Bass admitted to liking The Prince of Egypt, which he’d seen with his grandkid, which made Katzenberg beam. In addition, Eisner noted his company’s, and by extension his, success in quietly dealing with sexual harassment and assault claims compared to the press frenzy kicked off by the Disney investigations.
Bass, advised by Cobb and his Strategic Advisor Richard Rainwater, remained reticent about his intent, but entertained the possibility of future talks on Eisner’s proposal.
Eisner left Dallas without a deal, but far from discouraged. The seed had been planted, he assured Katzenberg, and now they just had to wait to see what sprouted.
[1] Also known as The Standard Corporate Way of Dealing with Sexual Harassment.
[2] Disney under Eisner bought up Miramax in 1993 in our timeline. Here, the tumult following the sexual harassment and assault allegations allowed Eisner to strike a deal earlier for ABC, and even removed the potential rival in Harvey right up front.
I get that, it’s just confusing when people say he’s meant to be Japanese strictly but his name sounds Chinese… I could see Takei in the role, although my biased mind wonders how Mako Iwamatsu would do in the part… then again, a faithful (as it were) adaptation would pretty much be a “who’s who” of acclaimed East Asian-descended thespians along with a few white people (and several black ones like Jax). Although there’s a definite need to pick and choose some characters owing to the large cast, so…
Making the film almost essential viewing to fully appreciate the plot beats (such as Riker’s contempt for Locutus, which could feel like a stretch if you haven’t seen STVI); considering that the Trek movies were in an interesting position before this (they weren’t the pure filler of most anime movies, but were disconnected enough
I didn’t miss that, just was lampshading that both versions involved a male actor who was already notably taller than the hardly-waifish, 5 foot 20 inch Huston… How tall was Julia, anyway? Were he and del Toro roughly the same stature? I ask because for whatever reason, he never struck me as even 6 feet tall, but…
Either way it’s interesting to think about.
I take it that the characters who travelled to the past were subject to the Ripple-Effect Proof Memory, but the future ones weren’t (save Spock to an extent, due to the Bynar)?
Funny that; besides the cheap death of Kirk, there’s nothing IOTL!STVI could have done better. Whereas we can easily improve films VII-X (or is it XI, given that Galaxy Quest is kind of OTL’s honorary STX just to keep the Odd-Even Film Rule intact…)
Right you are; that’s my fault, as I remembered something being mentioned related to Englund’s Data but not that the issue was already fully addressed. My bad.
Now this is an interesting move; Eisner could obtain a stake in Disney (and at 10%, this is slightly stronger than what Jim started with), which could be massively repercussive in the near-future. Coupled with Katzenberg’s own ambition (albeit with a degree of willingness to play ball) and acquiring Miramax from the Weinsteins, Mike’s definitely not slouching around in terms of his aspirations. Where this will lead though is anyone’s guess (and strongly depends on what Sid Bass chooses to do with this offer…)
Or many a film won't be ruined executive interference.
Hell, Oscar Baity films, or Oscarsploitation as I like to call 'em, won't exist that much here.
Hell, Oscar Baity films, or Oscarsploitation as I like to call 'em, won't exist that much here.
I doubt that. Even in the absence of Harvey Weinstein, filmmakers and Oscar voters are still humans, so the former will want to try to get the latter to vote for them, and the latter will have preferences that the former can try to exploit for that purpose. You'll just have different Oscar Bait films.
I am hoping Bass goes to the Disney board and tells them of Eisner's offer as a way of getting them to change course, which I suspect will then prompt the Board to make a compromise to keep him over Eisner sliding in. I could see the deal being slightly less 'noise' about Green matters and more promotion of the hotels and theme parks.
Bass has been part of the Disney family so long I just can't see him walking away easily.
Bass has been part of the Disney family so long I just can't see him walking away easily.
All I’ll say is ambition is good but with the ambition Eisner, Katzenberg, and Iger with their egos, there’s not enough room in the Metrodome for all three men and their egos.
At some point one or two of them will try to sabotage one another. And eventually this will blow up in all their faces. Cutting costs and driving up profits could lead to an accident that gets people hurt or worse.
At some point one or two of them will try to sabotage one another. And eventually this will blow up in all their faces. Cutting costs and driving up profits could lead to an accident that gets people hurt or worse.
Eisner can't just be contained, can he?
He is as memeably omnipresent in the entertainment industry as IOTL.
While you can definitely call these business moves shady and opportunistic you can't deny how clever they are.
Eisner is definitely the Curveball of this timeline. You think he's going to build the biggest Rival to Disney as payback for not getting picked and now he's making moves to get onto the board after all.
Disney needs a hit more than ever to satisfy the shareholders into staying or else Eisner is going to gobble up the stocks like a hungry animal and this time they won't have a piggy on their side.
And may I remind you that Disneyland Valencia is still not open yet!
Will TTL's EuroDisney indirectly be Michael Eisner's biggest triumph by being an absolute disaster that makes the shareholders jump ship?
I'm dying of excitement and anxiety over here! @Geekhis Khan
He is as memeably omnipresent in the entertainment industry as IOTL.
While you can definitely call these business moves shady and opportunistic you can't deny how clever they are.
Eisner is definitely the Curveball of this timeline. You think he's going to build the biggest Rival to Disney as payback for not getting picked and now he's making moves to get onto the board after all.
Disney needs a hit more than ever to satisfy the shareholders into staying or else Eisner is going to gobble up the stocks like a hungry animal and this time they won't have a piggy on their side.
And may I remind you that Disneyland Valencia is still not open yet!
Will TTL's EuroDisney indirectly be Michael Eisner's biggest triumph by being an absolute disaster that makes the shareholders jump ship?
I'm dying of excitement and anxiety over here! @Geekhis Khan
1992, so next year.
I actually disagree because executives will realize the potential of that the Oscars will have on their films, both in terms of popularity among the general public and the box office revenue. It won't take long before someone like Eisner to do the same things that Harvey Weinstein did OTL to get the win through Miramax, albeit with far less sexual harassment/rape.
Agreed. Heck, Saving Private Ryan might lose its Oscar to a Hollywood Pictures film ITTL...
Yup, eventually Hollywood Pictures is gonna break with at least one or two of these guys leaving. Compared to Disney's harmonious symphony, they are a rock/pop band with conflicting egos.
He's omnipresent, yes, but not memeable. Compared to OTL where he does stuff on TV (including the DCA TV special or the Disney-MGM special) and the Handwich, his tenure at Hollywood Pictures is not even worthy of the memes/wits being made ITTL.
I have a wacky idea of making him a meme in the 90s along with Jim Henson, but stay tuned if that's even going to be a thing.
It's coming out next year, so you won't have to wait long.
As for it being a colossal failure...probably not as big of a disaster as OTL EuroDisney (Disney has been careful to maintain positive relations with the Spanish) but the European recession will certainly cause Wells and Henson to placate their shareholders in a panic, so the fear is there, that's for sure.
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It’s either going to be Katzenberg or Iger, though I suspect it will be Iger who leaves first since the former is still allied with Eisner, as I think Katzenberg and Eisner falling out is inevitable*.
I am curious where either will go. Part of me wants Iger to go to Disney still, though Katzenberg going to Disney would be interesting as well. Either would be an interesting addition for either company.
* - I think no matter what those two were always destined to eventually fallout out, whether it was OTL or ITTL, or even in a timeline where Frank Wells had lived/not died in 1994 (Which funny enough, I have tossed around the idea in my head of writing a timeline based on that POD a few times).
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