The Walt Disney Company (DIS) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger spoke with FOX Business Network (FBN) about this thoughts regarding new content platforms for Disney. Iger said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if sometime in the near future, you didn’t hear about Disney making content specifically for” Netflix (NFLX), Google (GOOG) or Amazon (AMZN). Iger went on to say, that “these new platforms are voracious in terms of their appetite for good content. And we can make it.” Iger also commented on ‘The Good Dinosaur’ film being pushed back to 2015 saying, Pixar chief John Lasseter and Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull “came to me and said they had some concerns about the movie being ready on time.”
On whether Disney is looking to create content to either Netflix, Google or Amazon:
Well, I think just in asking the question you describe an interesting dynamic that’s going on in the world. We are a content creator, under ESPN, ABC, Pixar, Marvel, Disney, and Lucas – or Star Wars. And in a world where technology is creating or enabling new platforms and customers to reach or access this content in so many new ways, there are all kinds of exciting new possibilities, including creating programming directly to these new platforms. So I wouldn’t be surprised if sometime in the near future, you didn’t hear about Disney making content specifically for one of the platforms that you cite, and not necessarily making it for one of our channels. Now we will continue to feed these great channels. But these new platforms are voracious in terms of their appetite for good content. And we can make it.
On whether Disney is looking to make original content for Google or Amazon first:
“Well, I don’t think I’m going to specify except to say that if you are one of those platforms, and you want to reach customers, you’ve got to have great product. And we make great product. And there are some interesting opportunities for us to monetize not just our brands, but our ability to create high-quality brand and intellectual property.”
On whether original content for Netflix, Google and Amazon should look just like regular television or have new concepts:
“Well, I think you will see both. I mean, we’re seeing on new platforms whole new forms of content emerging, some that are not created just for one platform but where the storytelling actually crosses platforms. So you might get a mini-episode of something on one platform and then, you know, tweets about the story on another, and so on and so on. You also have a huge, huge, I think, explosion of short form content that is designed for mobile and basically social distribution where you actually have people that serve as the distributor of that content.”
On delaying ‘The Good Dinosaur’ film:
“Well, first of all, you think about it in terms of the impact on the bottom line, not just on the revenue line. And you deal with a situation in one very simple way, it is all about quality. And if you feel that you have got some issues in terms of making the kind of film that people expect when the Pixar name is on it, then you wait and you make sure you get it right. It would be far worse for us to force a film into the marketplace that was the subpar from a creative standpoint than to delay it. And when we delay it, if we come out with a great film six months later, no one is going to remember that it was delayed. If you come out with a bad film early, everybody is going to remember that it was a bad film. So, look, at Pixar their brand is obviously synonymous with high quality. And it would be a tremendous mistake to force something into the marketplace before it was ready.”
On whether Pixar chief John Lasseter and Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull came to you saying ‘The Good Dinosaur’ film is not ready:
“Not to get into too many details, but John Lasseter and Ed Catmull, both run Pixar, came to me and said they had some concerns about the movie being ready on time. They were a bit concerned about how I might react to that because obviously it is slotted in as part of our 2014 plan. And my immediate reaction was much more important to get the film right than to get the film out early.”
On Angelina Jolie’s role in the film Maleficent:
“It’s the villain in “Sleeping Beauty,” and Angelina Jolie is perfect in that role.”
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