Category: Disney News

In the battle between the two “Jungle Book” movies, Disney appears to have the upper hand.

The studio just enjoyed a massive $103.6 million opening weekend for its live-action update of its 1967 animated classic and is already hard at work on a sequel that would bring back director Jon Favreau and focus on more of Mowgli’s adventures. Warner Bros. won’t counter with its own version of the Rudyard Kipling tales until 2018, 30 months after the Disney version took multiplexes by storm.

“Warner Bros. has to be really concerned,” said Jeff Bock, an analyst with Exhibitor Relations. “It could spell disaster.”

The history of competing studio projects with similar story lines is nearly as old as the movie business itself. Think of how 1938’s “Jezebel” and 1939’s “Gone With the Wind” pitted two scheming Southern belles (Bette Davis and Vivian Leigh) against each other, or when 1964’s “Dr. Strangelove” and the same year’s “Fail Safe” dramatized accidental nuclear war, albeit one in comic form and the other as a straight drama.

The litany of competing projects shows no signs of slowing — sometimes with catastrophic results. Three years ago, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was attacked not once but twice in the span of three months. The first of these president in peril movies, “Olympus Has Fallen,” was first out of the gate and the most financially successful, racking up $161 million, against a budget of $70 million. The second, “White House Down,” made more globally, grossing $205.4 million, but lost money because it cost $150 million to produce and millions more to market. Other projects that suffered from over-familiarity include “Friends with Benefits” and “No Strings Attached,” two romantic comedies about casual sex; “Jobs” and “Steve Jobs,” different looks at the Apple founder; and “Tombstone” and “Wyatt Earp,” biopics about the legendary lawman. Both Jobs movies flopped, while “Friends with Benefits” and “Wyatt Earp” were money losers.

“There’s always a perception issue where if audiences feel like two movies are very similar, it can be problematic,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at comScore.

When it comes to “White House Down” versus “Olympus Has Fallen,” there was a clear case of winners and losers. But the history of dueling projects is more complicated. Instead of having one film that delivers a knockout punch to the other, many times these standoffs end in a draw. Sometimes both pictures get carried out of the ring in victory. Michael Bay’s “Armageddon” landed in theaters two and a half months after another asteroid-on-collision-course-with-earth thriller, “Deep Impact.” Instead of cannibalizing each other, both films connected with audiences, with “Armageddon” becoming the highest-grossing film of 1998 globally and “Deep Impact” ranking among the year’s biggest hits.

Though it’s rare to have two films based on the same source material released within a short period, it has happened in the past. In 2012, “Mirror, Mirror” and “Snow White and the Huntsman” both took on the Grimms fairy tale, earning $183 million and $396.6 million, respectively. “Snow White and the Huntsman” performed well enough to justify a sequel, albeit one without Snow White. That follow-up, “The Huntsman: Winter’s War,” hits theaters next Friday.

Warner Bros. has just started production on its version of the Kipling stories, but analysts say that the studio will be certain that its take is sufficiently different from what Disney and Favreau achieved with their telling of the man cub fable. It has tapped Andy Serkis, the motion-capture master behind “The Lord of the Rings’” Gollum, to direct and has assembled a top-shelf cast that includes Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale and Benedict Cumberbatch. Though Favreau was hailed by critics for making his version of “The Jungle Book” more realistic and less carbonated than the animated rendition, Warner Bros. could get darker still as a way of setting itself apart. That might mean reaching for older audiences by upping the action and getting a PG-13 rating.

“It’s all about the message,” said Dergarabedian. “Within the marketing they have to show there’s sufficient differentiation.”

Originally, the film was supposed to come out in October of 2017, but earlier this month Warner Bros.pushed the release date back by a year. The added time could help “Jungle Book” at the box office, giving it breathing room from the Disney version.

Over the longterm, however, Disney’s success with fairy tales may start scaring off other studios. Along with “The Jungle Book,” the company has revitalized familiar stories such as “Oz: The Great and Powerful,” “Cinderella,” “Maleficent” and “Alice in Wonderland” to an average box office return of $700 million globally. With new versions of “Dumbo” and “Beauty and the Beast” on the horizon, as well as a return to Wonderland with this summer’s “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” the studio may have a monopoly on stories that end in happily ever after.

“We’re seeing story extensions and many of these movies are delving deeper into these worlds,” said Dave Hollis, Disney’s distribution chief. “There’s just something in the Disney DNA that allows us to have this kind of a success ratio.”

Now the pressure’s on for Warner Bros.’ “Jungle Book” to make like Watson and Crick and discover its own double helix structure.

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It’s fair to say that Disney (NYSE:DIS) didn’t turn a profit on its first night of Disney After Hours. The media giant kept its Magic Kingdom theme park open for three additional hours on Thursday night, promising anyone willing to fork over $149 easy access to several rides and complimentary sodas and ice cream bars.

It’s the ultimate test of pricing elasticity. Will diehard Disney World fans pay roughly $50 an hour to walk on to many of the attractions at the world’s most visited theme park?

If we go by the initial reports popping up on social media since Thursday night’s debut, the House of Mouse didn’t get a lot of takers. However, those who did take advantage of Disney After Hours were able to experience VIP treatment that sometimes meant having an entire ride for themselves.

Attractions Magazine estimates that there were 1,000 people in attendance. That may seem like a nice haul of incremental revenue for Disney. If a thousand guests paid $149 we would be talking about $149,000 in revenue; but that doesn’t seem like enough to cover the tab for the staff it had to keep around, and the cost of the food and beverages it handed out. Disney never revealed at what level it would be capping ticket sales, but we do know that it did not sell out.

More troublesome than the low turnout is that many people who were there supposedly didn’t pay to attend. Attractions Magazine is reporting that free tickets were given out to travel agents, ticket sellers, and Disney Vacation Club members. In other words, don’t go adding $149,000 to Disney’s theme parks division for its fiscal third quarter.

Disney After Hours flopping on its opening night is going to delight folks feeling that the House of Mouse was getting too greedy. In a year in which Disney World hiked single-day ticket prices by as much as 18%, and started charging 75% more for primo parking spots, it hit a point where customers fought back and clung onto their pocketbooks.

Let’s not whistle by the grave of Disney After Hours just yet, though. The Haunted Mansion still only has 999 ghosts, and this pricey hard-ticket event still has a pulse. This is the first night, held on a weeknight during the park’s off-season. Disney didn’t actively market the event outside of its official blog, likely fearing a backlash. It will have the benefit of more time for the next six nights — the next five Thursdays, and a Mother’s Day edition on May 8 — to get the word out.

You’ll know the test has been flunked if Disney begins scaling back on the available attractions to save on staffing costs. However, it can also find ways to make things more valuable by including a new set of complimentary food offerings, if not an entire pre-event dinner.

Disney has more than 30,000 rooms on its property, according to visit-planning specialist TouringPlans.com. They receive early and late access to select parks already with the Extra Magic Hours perk, but sharing a park with as many as 30,000 families isn’t the same kind of exclusivity that Disney After Hours is promising.

If Disney can get its Disney After Hours count up to 3,000 or 5,000 guests without having to discount too heavily, it can work. Disney has six more chances to get it right, but it’s probably not a stretch to think that you — yes, you — want it to fail.

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How a Disney Cruise to the Bahamas will leave adults and children alike feeling nautical and nice.

I am in the Millennium Falcon, buttons are flashing and R2-D2 is beeping away in the corner – but it is me, not Han Solo, who is at the controls.

And it’s not a movie set.

I’m in an amazing simulator in the Bahamas on the Disney Dream, a ship that aims to fulfil every child (and adult’s) fantasy while they are far far away out at sea.

A nautical novice, I have been given my first ever chance to stretch my sea legs and am being swept away on a four-night voyage to the Bahamas from Orlando – and boy am I a convert.

The Disney Dream is 1,114 feet in length boasting 14 decks, numerous restaurants, entertainment spaces and pools. It’s pictured here docked at Disney’s Castaway Cay island, reserved exclusively for Disney Cruise Line guests

Stretching 765 feet in length and spanning four decks in height, AquaDuck is suitable for all ages and uses water blasters to propel guests around the ship’s top deck

Every night is show time at Walt Disney Theatre, an elegant, 1,340-seat palace on board the Disney Dream that spans three decks. The audience can even stock up on snacks at popcorn stands

Mum practically runs onto the ship, Mickey Mouse ears firmly in place.

The Disney Dream is a ship where 16,000 free ice creams are consumed by eager kids and unashamed adults over four days.

A vessel where it is considered normal to bump into a princess or pirate casually strolling around the ship in character. And where the world’s only firework show at sea occurs.

Voyages are kick-started by ‘If You Wish Upon A Star’ blasted from speakers and every single guest on board the ship, 4,000 or so in total, is announced by family name and clapped on individually by staff.

This personalised service is in evidence throughout the trip.

Each night as I rotate round the different restaurants, I have the same waiting team assigned to me so they remember individual dietary requirements and tastes.

Among the many eatery options is the Animator’s Palette, where incredibly you talk to the characters from Finding Nemo on screens on the wall.

Then there’s the Enchanted Garden, which lets us start each day with a healthy portion of Mickey Mouse waffles, whipped cream and maple syrup.

Every single guest on board the ship, 4,000 or so in total, is announced by family name and clapped on individually by staff as they arrive on board (right). Becky (left) pictured on one of the ship’s stop-offs in Nassau

Where you don’t need to force the fun: On the Disney Dream, kids can play in Star Wars: Millennium Falcon, a play area based on Han Solo’s freighter

Becky and mum Sally (left) pop their head around the doors of the kids’ areas, and see why the ship is a firm favourite with all ages. One of the highlights is a giant sized Andy’s room from Toy Story (right)

The Disney Dream boasts the world’s only firework show at sea and voyages are kick-started by ‘If You Wish Upon A Star’ blasted over speakers

Becky and Sally enjoy retiring to their Stateroom cabin balcony and nibbling free pizza from room service overlooking the vivid blue Bahamian waves

My greatest fear before coming on the trip had been getting cabin fever, but thankfully I need not have worried.

The ship, which at 1,114 feet, is longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall, has 14 decks and numerous restaurants, entertainment spaces and pools.

So my biggest issue actually turns out to be constantly getting lost.

From the exciting AquaDuck water slide that goes right round the edge of the ship, to the sumptuous Senses spa with unbeatable ocean views and heated beds, there is plenty on board to explore, depending on whether you want an exhilarating or relaxing day.

On a day I fancy the latter, I head to the strictly over-18s Deck 13, which has plenty of elbow room and sunloungers.

An hour or two up there and I forget about the hordes of families on the lower levels.

When the sun sets, guests can even enjoy a unique experience on AquaDuck, before the night’s entertainment begins

Guests glide through a swing out loop that extends 12 feet over the side of the ship (left), offering a breathtaking view of the ocean surface about 150 feet below. Becky is relieved to safely make it to the bottom (right)

A dazzling chandelier glistens overhead in the expansive, three-deck atrium lobby on the Disney Dream. Descending more than 13 feet from the ceiling, and spanning more than 22 feet in width, the illuminated light sparkles with thousands of hand-crafted crystal beads

The Animator’s Palate (left) restaurant on the Disney Dream immerses guests in a vivid undersea environment, but Becky and Sally’s favourite eatery is the Enchanted Garden (right) which serves Mickey-shaped waffles for breakfast (centre)

Night-time delights are found in the form of the ship’s four bars, a club and a live music lounge, and ultimately the feeling of being the last ones awake on the ship as it sails into the night.

When these options don’t appeal, we find that simply retiring to our stateroom cabin balcony and nibbling free pizza from room service overlooking the vivid blue Bahamian waves is pure perfection.

The rooms aren’t heavy on theming, which is sure to appeal to those who aren’t massive Disney lovers. But there are still tiny Mickey touches to discover for Walt fans – mainly concealed in knob and cushion designs.

On the Disney Dream, adults can relax at Quiet Cove Pool to soak up the sun, bask in warm tropical breezes or enjoy a beverage at the poolside bar

Castaway Cay is Disney’s private 1,000 acre island in the tropical waters of the Bahamas, reserved exclusively for Disney cruises

Pampering for Becky and Sally takes place in the form of ocean-facing massages on the island of Castaway Cay (left) and in the ship’s Sense Spa (right)

Many know that Disney owns parks dotted around the world, but I had no idea that they also own an island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay, which is used solely for Disney Cruise Line guests.

The island is paradise – particularly for us adults who head straight for the adults-only beach to indulge in some rest and relaxation and a day of cocktails and BBQ food by the picture-perfect ocean.

Back on board, the liveliness continues with the evening entertainment. This takes the form of Broadway-standard theatre shows and even a pirate deck party that everyone (adults and children alike) dresses up for.

Grandparents and parents, given a rare night to let off steam, can be seen dancing late into the night with Captain Jack and his crew.

Disney Cruise Line lights up the sky to dazzle guests during the trip, and also offers a range of theatre shows. It’s the only cruise line to feature fireworks at sea

The four-day cruise includes a day trip to the Bahamas’ capital, Nassau. Becky and Sally visit Atlantis Hotel (left), where they ride water slides and feed stingrays (right) and turtles

It comes as no surprise that the Disney Dream swept the board at the US Critic Choice Awards this year.

Disney Dream has been named best overall large ship, best for families, best cabins and best public rooms. Disney Cruise Line has also won best entertainment and best service for Disney Dream in the large ship category and for Disney Wonder in the mid-ship size.

As we pop our head around the doors of the Oceaneer Club for ages three to 12, it is evident, in seconds, why the ship is a firm favourite with all ages.

We enter the main central hub, which has numerous delights branching off from it.

All the children’s big hitters are here.

They can let their imaginations run wild in a life-sized Andy’s room from Toy Story and next door in a Tinkerbell-themed Pixie Hollow with a giant tree and fairy lights.

And in the adjacent room I witness adults, clearly harbouring secret dreams of being a Jedi, vying for time in Han Solo’s seat in the ship’s replica Millennium Falcon.

As I take my turn I feel as childish and invincible as the youngsters around me, and that’s a feeling I never want to sail away from.

 Becky starts her holiday at Walt Disney World in Orlando (left) which can be booked separately before or after your cruise. It is the perfect way to begin the cruising experience, and enables her to stock up on Disney merchandise for the voyage

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This fan set himself a challenge to travel the world visiting all of Disney’s theme parks in just 80 hours.

As the footage shows Christopher Wing took planes, trains and automobiles to race around the globe and even managed to enjoy the rides inside the parks too.

According to a Disney’s editorial content director Thomas Smith it is not uncommon for guests to travel across the USA to visit Disneyland resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida in the same day.

But Mr Wing’s efforts were potentially even a record.

Mr Smith said: “Christopher started his epic Disney Parks adventure with Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride at Disneyland Resort and then hopped on a red-eye flight to the Walt Disney World Resort before traveling to Paris and every other Disney theme park.”

He also visited Hong Kong and Tokyo before heading back to Disneyland in California before it closed.

Mr Wing even clocked in ahead of schedule at 75 hours.

He did not visit the new resort in Shanghai as the doors do not open to the public until June 16, but he has his sights set on visiting soon.

He said: “Mentally, I’m not sure what time zone I’m in, but I’m still very excited and very happy to be back home at Disneyland.

“Now, I’m really looking forward to Shanghai Disneyland and the next Disney adventure.”

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Disney is in talks to invest in pro baseball’s video streaming business — a sign that the media giant wants to own the technology to help it power direct-to-consumer video services.

Sources say Disney is in advanced talks to take an equity stake in BAM Tech, the video technology business MLB Advanced Media has been looking to spin off into a separate company for some time.

MLBAM, which is jointly owned by pro baseball’s 30 teams, runs pro baseball’s Web video subscription service. It also handles video streaming for many large clients, including WatchESPN, the streaming service Disney’s ESPN already operates.

People familiar with the proposed transaction say talks are in advanced stages, but could still fall apart. Sources say Disney is one of multiple bidders who want to invest in MLBAM.

Disney and MLBAM reps declined to comment.

Disney and ESPN in particular have been under pressure from investors since last summer, when Disney CEO Bob Iger acknowledged that ESPN has been losing pay TV subscribers.

An ownership stake in a Web video operation could help the company launch and operate new digital services aimed at replacing some of the pay TV revenue that’s at risk from cord-cutters and people who never sign up for pay TV. Industry sources speculate that a Disney investment in BAM Tech would include an option to eventually buy a controlling stake in the company.

ESPN’s WatchESPN service, which replicates what’s available on conventional ESPN channels and also offers more games and shows, is available to ESPN’s pay TV customers. ESPN has tinkered with the idea of selling additional Web video subscriptions services directly to consumers, like a cricket offering it launched in 2015 and will sell again this year; the company has also talked about selling a package of NBA pro basketball gamesbut hasn’t done so yet.

Iger has also floated the notion that ESPN may eventually sell its core service directly to consumers, over the Web, as HBO has started doing, with help from MLBAM. But ESPN President John Skipper has said the company won’t sell a direct service anytime soon.

“That’s not what we’re going to do,” Skipper said at the Code/Media conference in February. “We don’t sell it alone right now because we generate more revenue by being in a larger package, being ubiquitous across the households in this country, in which we can sell advertising. That simply works better for us.”

Disney itself has already launched a consumer subscription service in the U.K., and plans to expand its operations in Europe this year. People familiar with the company say it has previously contemplated launching Web subscription services in the U.S.

MLBAM’s Bob Bowman has spent years trying to figure out how to turn his video operation into a standalone company. Last summer he started a new push, by acquiring streaming video rights from the National Hockey League and hiring bankers to find investors for the company.

Last August, MLBAM sources said the company expected to get a value of at least $3 billion from investors. Industry sources say it has subsequently tried to get a much higher valuation from investors, but has run into skepticism about the value of its core Web streaming business.

Last summer Time Warner, which uses MLBAM to handle back-end operations for its HBO Now video service, bought  iStreamPlanet, a company that provides similar services to MLBAM, for less than $200 million. Executives at Time Warner’s Turner, which is operating iStreamPlanet as a separate company, say they could eventually move Time Warner’s streaming operations there.

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We’re about to find out if folks are willing to pay nearly $50 an hour to enjoy Disney‘s (NYSE:DIS) most popular theme park. Disney After Hours launches tonight, offering a limited number of guests the ability to enjoy several Magic Kingdom attractions and character-greeting experiences for three hours after the park closes to day guests. It will be offered through the next six Thursdays. There’s also a Sunday offering — on Mother’s Day, May 8 — in the mix, giving Disney a way to gauge if timing is a differentiating factor.

Disney After Hours won’t come cheap. Tickets run $149 a night, and it remains to be seen if the high price alone will be enough to keep access as limited as the theme-park giant is promising. None of the seven nights had sold out as of yesterday afternoon, even though the tickets have been on sale since late last month. That’s probably a sign that Disney may have pushed its luck here, or needs to do a better job of communicating the value of the event.

Disney’s including ice cream novelty treats and bottled beverages at no additional cost to attendees, but $149 may be too dear a price for folks until we get first-hand experiences of all that guests were able to do in just three hours of access with limited crowds. With Disney obviously staffing the park during the event it’s clear that it needs a minimum level of guest buy-in to make it profitable. Disney has made seasonal hard-ticket events pay off nicely during Halloween and Christmas, but there’s a lot at stake if it can get tourists to shell out top dollar for enhanced experiences during the off-peak season.

This isn’t the only operating day-extending experiment being put to the test. The media mogul also began selling Disney Early Morning Magic earlier this month. The model here is to get guests to pay $69 each to enter the park a little more than an hour before it opens to the public with access to three Fantasyland attractions and a complimentary breakfast. It’s available most Tuesday and Saturday mornings through the end of June starting on April 26. Disney Early Morning Magic also didn’t have any mornings sold out as of yesterday afternoon, but that event’s been on sale for a shorter amount of time. It’s also not starting until later this month, and it’s available on 18 different mornings.

Educating potential customers will be the challenge. Guests staying at any of Disney’s on-site hotels have access to Extra Magic Hours that offer access to select parks before or after they close to the public. Disney After Hours and Disney Early Morning Magic should draw much lighter crowds and they include food, but it’s going to be a hard sell for guests already staying at a resort hotel. Many guests staying offsite may flinch at the asking price of these hard-ticket events, often what keeps folks from staying outside of Disney property in the first place.

There’s a lot at stake here, and purists may applaud if Disney After Hours fails to impress well-to-do Disney buffs. Disney has already been raising the bar on what a vacation to Disney World will cost this summer. It raised the price of single-day tickets in February, a move that will push one-day admissions as much as 18% higher this summer. It’s also been testing charging a 75% premium for premium parking lot spaces at Disney World’s two most visited parks.

The year is young but either Disney has gone too far in 2016 with “upcharge” products or it’s about to crack open the firehose that delivers a healthy flow of high-margin earnings to its theme parks division this summer. Fans and shareholders are standing at opposite ends of this debate, and the first fight in this battle begins late tonight at a Magic Kingdom near you.

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“In these all-new lands, guests will be transported to a never-before-seen planet inhabited by humanoids, droids and many others,” according to a status update post from Disney.

Disneyland has taken its first steps into a larger world.

On Thursday, the California and Florida theme parks broke ground on their highly anticipated attraction: Star Wars Land.

“In these all-new lands, guests will be transported to a never-before-seen planet inhabited by humanoids, droids and many others,” according to a status update post from Disney. “Star Wars-themed lands will be the largest-ever single-themed land expansions at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort.”

Along with the update, Disney posted a 360-degree photo from the 14-acre construction site at Disneyland.

The opening date for the attractions has yet to be announced.

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Disney Australia and New Zealand’s MD Catherine Powell is leaving the top job, having scored a promotion to a Euro Disney president position based in Paris.

Powell will leave her role next month and successor for the Australia and New Zealand business is set to be announced shortly.

Powell, who has been in the Sydney-based role for two years, arrived in Australia in June 2014, having spent more than 10 years in London at The Walt Disney Company as SVP/ GM media distribution EMEA.

Powell, who oversaw Carat chief strategy officer Gavin Ashcroft’s move to Disney CMO ANZ last year, will take the position of president of Euro Disney S.A.S., the management company of both Euro Disney S.C.A., the holding company, and Euro Disney Associés S.C.A., the operator of Disneyland Paris.

Chairman of Walt Disney International, Andy Bird, said: “The appointment of Catherine Powell as President of Euro Disney S.A.S. is testament to her achievements most recently in the Australian and New Zealand market, and her 12 years-experience in global roles throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.”

Powell was responsible for leading all of Disney’s business divisions, overseeing global franchises and expanding existing and new business in the region. Disney says she forged a strong community profile and in 2015 was elected a member of chief executive women, a pre-eminent organisation representing Australia’s most senior women leaders from the corporate, public service, academic and not-for-profit sectors.

She replaces Tom Wolber, who will return to the US to take on operational responsibilities of Disney Cruise Line at a critical time for that business.

It remains to be seen who the top spot will go to. Other vacant top spots across adland in Australia include Google ANZ MD and a rumoured Sydney-based Snapchat MD position.

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Remember your favourite childhood movies? Chances are they include some of Disney’s many animated classics … Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, Pinocchio, Aladdin, Cinderella, 101 Dalmations, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Bambi or Fantasia.

Now the Hollywood studio that carries on his heritage is deep into a clever strategy to remake our childhood memories – turning animated classics into live-action movies.

This week an acclaimed new version of The Jungle Book opened in Australian cinemas, following previous live-action versions of Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent (based on Sleeping Beauty) and Cinderella.

Next month it’s Alice through the Looking Glass, with Tim Burton again directing Mia Wasikowska as Alice, followed later in the year by Pete’s Dragon, starring Bryce Dallas Howard and Robert Redford.

And next year there is Beauty and the Beast starring Emma Watson, Hermione herself, as Belle and Dan Stevens from Downton Abbey as Beast.

But that is far from the last of it.

This week came news that Disney is developing a new live-action Peter Pan, despite disappointing results recently for another take on the J. M. Barrie’s classic story, Pan, starring Hugh Jackman.

The animated Cinderella from 1950.

The studio also has Emma Stone down to play the 101 Dalmatians villain in Cruella De Vil.

There have also been reports of writers developing live-action versions of – take a deep breath – Aladdin, Mulan, Dumbo, The Little Mermaid, Pinocchio (rumoured to be starring Robert Downey Jr as Geppetto), Fantasia and The Sword in the Stone, plus stand-alone live-action movies centring on Peter Pan’s Tinker Bell, Snow White’s sister and Prince Charming’s brother.

Disney’s strategy is to modernise the stories and respectfully remake them with big-name directors, including Kenneth Branagh for Cinderella and Jon Favreau for The Jungle Book, and plenty of stars.

Live-action remake: Mia Wasikowska and Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland.

It echoes Disney’s strategy since buying Marvel and LucasFilm of mining classic “brands” that work at every level of the movie business, including sequels, spin-offs and merchandising right through to theme park attractions.

A leading Australian distributor, Paramount Pictures’ boss Mike Selwyn, says the trend is clearly working for Disney. Who could argue given Alice In Wonderland took more than $US1 billion ($1.3 billion) at the worldwide box office, Maleficent grossed $US759 million and Cinderella pulled in $US542 million – all impressive figures.

“It enables you to broaden the age span of a film,” Selwyn says. “It’s a clever idea.

Dumbo takes flight in 1941.

“Making Cinderella with Lily James turns it into a genuine teen romance film as opposed to a young family animated cartoon. Then they pitch it at a certain level so they still get the family audience.”

With a stylish look and Cate Blanchett classing it up as evil stepmother Lady Tremaine, the movie became a mainstream hit by appealing to the under-served female cinema audience.

These animated classics also have stories that have been proven to work over the decades.

Pinocchio, from 1940, is rumoured to be heading for a live-action remake starring Robert Downey Jr.

“It’s stories that they know work and it’s stories that they can build into their merchandising and it’s broadening the audience,” Selwyn says. “Look at the enormous success of Frozen.

“Clearly [Disney] can create iconic new animated films but they can also take the old ones they have and make them into something new and larger.”

These remakes are recognition of how valuable an established “brand” is in finding a cinema audience. Paramount has one of its own coming out in June with the sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.

“The public just knows ‘Turtles’ so it gives you a start you wouldn’t have if you were trying to launch a brand new series,” Selwyn says. “There are relatively few genuinely new brands that are breaking through.”

The development of visual effects is another factor. They have reached the point where it’s possible to create a photo-realistic Indian jungle filled with brilliantly life-like animals for The Jungle Book entirely in a Los Angeles office building, which means the fantasy elements of the animation translate easily to a live-action movie.

“Visual effects are now at the point where there’s nothing you cannot do,” Selwyn says. “If you can imagine it, the visual effects guys can create it.”

While Disney has cornered the animation-to-live-action-movie trend, other filmmakers are giving other popular hand-drawn characters their own flesh and blood movies, including Australia’s Animal Logic.

The studio that made Happy Feet and The Lego Movie is developing what it calls hybrid (live-action and animated) movies centring on Astro Boy (originally a Japanese manga character) and Betty Boop (originally a cartoon character).

Animal Logic development executive Felicity Staunton believes the company is doing exactly what Walt Disney himself did.

“The model with Disney is they’re taking ‘pre-awareness brands’ from their library that were in the public domain before,” she says. “That’s what we’re doing with Astro Boy and Betty Boop – taking something with a built-in fan base, which is really important when we’re [seeking backing from Hollywood] studios.”

The value of popular characters is shown by the fact Animal Logic is also making The Lego Batman Movie, due out next year, at the same time as Hollywood has launched a new generation live-action movies with Ben Affleck as the Caped Crusader.

“We’ve seen characters in multiple formats – in television, as 2D cell animation and as comic strips,” Staunton says. “For us, it’s about bringing that into the 21st century and bringing it to a new audience.”

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