Maybe we should call it "Dick Cook's Revenge", yes?
Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" seized the No. 1 spot on the foreign circuit over the weekend, grossing an estimated $94 million in its opening round at 5,500 sites in 40 territories for a per-screen average of $16,786. ...
Combined with its No. 1 weekend tally in the U.S. and Canada, "Alice" grossed a total of $210.3 million on the weekend.
The "Alice" foreign bow was the second best foreign opening ever for Disney behind that of 2007's "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," which grossed $216 million from 102 territories.
Even though it was retro-fitted, the three dimensions played a big part in the Alice's box office performance.
With all these dimensional features raking in major coin, the Three Dee is looking permanenter and permanenter.
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While serving as Chairman of Disney’s film division, Dick Cook’s insightful decisions made a lot of money for the mouse, and continues to do so. His treatment by his former employer was harsh to say the least.
Dick Cook was old school Disney, and a gentleman. Perhaps the last remaining vestige of class at Walt’s once famous studio.
Hear, hear.
As for Alice's BO, a large part of it is that after the success of 300, studios now treat the college Spring Break weeks of early March as "Geek Week", and reserve their most niche Tim Burton, Quentin Tarantino, and otherwise core comic-book titles especially...On the idea that they know who'd have time to rush theaters to see them that week even if no one else did.
(It didn't work with "Grindhouse" or "Watchmen", but hey, it can't work miracles.)
I'd like to think Alice in Wonderland has a vastly large popularity and would not consider it a geek/niche only film. People have been growing up with the story of Alice for generations. You put that in the right hands, with someone as inventive as Tim Burton, and Walt Disney Pictures (Who's already know for creating the most well known alice film), it get's people excited and in the theatres.
To consider Alice to be in the same catagory as 300 or Watchman is just silly in my opinion. (no offence to fans of those two films/books. They are both great. Just the level of popularity around the world).
Iger will have to suck up his decision to fire Cook. Dick cook should have been kept as an advisor of some sorts. He knew the company, the meaning, feeling and magic that made Walt Disney Pictures stand out apart from any other big studio. Majority of films under his tenure may not have been the blockbuster hits the studio would have liked, but he knew how to capture magic in film.
Maybe he should have changed positions instead of being let go all together. Just my thoughts.
Floyd-
Dick Cook did not support a return to traditional hand-drawn animation at Disney. Princess and the Frog was made under his protest. Regardless of how one may feel about the actual movie, the fact remains that Cook felt that 2D animation was a "genre" that should die.
I'm surprised you would show such fealty and support to him.
you say that is if Cook has been proven wrong...he, unfortunately, has not been yet
True, but I was mainly responding to Floyd Norman's full-throated support of Cook. It would seem that Dick Cook may not the man Floyd thinks he is.
I'd like to think Alice in Wonderland has a vastly large popularity and would not consider it a geek/niche only film. People have been growing up with the story of Alice for generations. You put that in the right hands, with someone as inventive as Tim Burton, and Walt Disney Pictures (Who's already know for creating the most well known alice film), it get's people excited and in the theatres.
Unless, of course, they happen to be working or in school during the day, which is why summer movies gross so highly--
There is only ONE particular demographic that has afternoon showings free during March and April, and it's pretty easy to see how much of that demographic was being courted.
(Okay, two: Since schoolkids also have an Easter break, it's also become a reliable slot for big-studio animateds, which DW takes advantage of with "Monsters" and "Dragon".)
And as for "knowing and loving the Alice story", I confess I'm one of the few who read the books (and got the jokes) AND can defend Walt's '51 version, and to describe what Tim and Linda did to the story would be parody if it were funny.
It might surprise you to know that I did not agree with every decision Walt Disney made, yet I had only the highest respect for the man.
I spoke with Dick Cook privately on occasion about the animation situation at both Disney and Pixar. Naturally, I’ll not disclose that conversation here. However, as Chairman, Cook had to do what he thought would be best for the company.
We may not agree with those decisions, however, running Disney’s film division was Cook’s job - not ours. I continue to admire the former Chairman, and I predict the Disney studio will regret losing him.
No matter what you think of Dick Cook, he's a genius compared to his replacement, Rich Ross, whos pathetic claim to fame is the Disney Channel, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, and every other piece of shit that makes people hate Disney...including the decision to change Rapunzel to Tangled.
to Floyd:
Is what the person above me said true? That it was Rich Ross who proposed the title change for Rapunzel? If so then this re-establishes my faith that Disney is extremely desperate for money. And also my fears that they will put a halt on traditional animation once more.
I know a little overly-dramatic but right now it seems these fears are becoming reality, each and every day. It's just that I wish the company the best and its animators. And that traditional animation will be given another chance. The Princess and the Frog wasn't the best film to try and bring it back.
So thank you in advance.
-Aurora
One has little to do with the other. Traditional animation will continue at Disney, as reported.
The estimable Mr. Norman said:
**We may not agree with those decisions, however, running Disney’s film division was Cook’s job - not ours. I continue to admire the former Chairman, and I predict the Disney studio will regret losing him.**
I agree with this prediction. What kind of "genius" wants the Disney Co. to make a Jim Henson biopic?
They're making a Jim Henson biopic? WTF?????
How about a Walt Disney biopic, Mr. Iger? Remember him? The guy who built the company you're currently running into the ground?
"pathetic claim to fame is the Disney Channel, Hannah Montana, High School Musical"
Say what you want about the quality of the products, but those 3 franchises are some of the most successful parts of Disney in the last 5 years. The merchandise revenue of the latter two is insane. And Disney channel offers a place for many new shows (including animation) and is a machine for creating new franchises and revenue generators.
Again, you can hate on the content of those three features but to call them pathetic is just being childish. They make a lot of money for the company and created many more jobs and opportunities (not to mention made the musical "cool" again for those young whipper-snappers).
Box office success does not necessarily equate to high-quality products. The opposite is also true
I think thats been proven time and time again
If Dick Cook gets any of the credit for Alice in Wonderland then he should also get the same amount of blame for choosing to put Old Dogs in the prime Thanksgiving weekend release slot. That movie did so well...
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