Disney to Restructure Ahead of Fox Merger and Disney+ Launch
Disney is getting a bit of an overhaul ahead of what looks to be a company-shifting 2019, between the imminent merger between the company and Twentieth Century Fox’s entertainment divisions and the launch of streaming service Disney+.
In a Disney press release (hat tip Fantha Tracks), CEO Bob Iger explained that now was the perfect point in time to restructure how things will work at the company due to some major changes that are in store for the entertainment giant in 2019, as he company looks toward joining the streaming world and it inherits a subsidy that could double or even triple the number of movies they release annually.
“Our top priority is fully leveraging our global brands and great content to create world-class direct-to-consumer entertainment. We have the structure and management in place to drive growth in our DTC business, and our acquisition of 21st Century Fox further enhances our ability to deliver significant value to consumers and shareholders. Acquiring BAMTech enabled us to enter the DTC space quickly and effectively, as demonstrated by the success of ESPN+. The service surpassed one million subscribers in its first five months and continues to grow as it expands its content mix, all of which bodes well for our upcoming launch of Disney+. The ability to connect directly with millions of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars fans creates tremendous opportunities for growth. In addition to leveraging our existing IP in new ways, we’re making significant investments in original content exclusively for Disney+, creating an impressive pipeline of high-quality movies and series we believe will make the streaming service even more compelling for consumers.”
Among the exclusive content that is being developed for Disney+ includes over a dozen live-action films (including remakes of Lady and the Tramp and Peter Pan), a new take on The Muppets, two live-action Star Wars series (The Mandalorian and an untitled series about Rogue One protagonist Cassian Andor), a revival of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a High School Musical television series, an animated series from Pixar based on Monster’s Inc., a series of Pixar shorts called SparkShorts, and multiple Marvel Studios television series.
More information on Disney+ is set to be revealed on April 11, 2019 at a Disney presentation for its investors, which will also feature first looks at some of this content. At that point, the merger with Fox should have gone through, and early plans for how they’ll integrate all that new IP into their new streaming service (along with Hulu and FX+) should be discussed at the event.
Grant Davis is a freelance writer who has covered entertainment news for more than seven years. His articles have frequently appeared in Star Wars News Net as well as as other entertainment-related websites. As someone who grew up on Star Wars and comic book movies, he’s completely thrilled with the current era of genre entertainment.
