DisneyWar

by James B. Stewart

  Waxman, Sharon. “Miramax Principals Acquire Film That Disney Shunned.” New York Times, May 29, 2004.

  Acknowledgments

  DisneyWar is my eighth book. In what seems to be an increasingly rare occurrence in the publishing world, I have had the same editor, Alice Mayhew, and the same agent, Amanda Urban, for all of them. Researching and writing this book was an enormous project, and I’m not sure it would have come to fruition if not for Alice’s unwavering confidence that Disney would prove to be a compelling subject. She has the remarkable ability to provide encouragement and make demands at just the right moments. She holds her writers to the highest standards while always communicating that she has our interests at heart.

  Amanda Urban was also a staunch advocate for this book, and intervened with excellent ideas at critical junctures. Her judgment and experience in book publishing are invaluable. And I consider myself fortunate that both my editor and agent are also friends.

  Kelly Crow was my research assistant. I first met her as a student in my class at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. After graduating, she worked at The New York Times, and when she contacted me to say she was considering exploring other opportunities, I leaped at the chance to enlist her in this endeavor. Kelly handled numerous interviews herself, traveled to California, and did an enormous amount of research in addition to fact-checking and proofreading. She has cheerfully worked long hours and proven herself to be a fine reporter. I will miss her good humor and enthusiasm.

  As with previous books, my assistant, Julie Allen, helped manage the often chaotic process of dealing with many sources as well as countless others, always with good humor, discretion, and courtesy.

  At Simon & Schuster, I owe special thanks to David Rosenthal, publisher, who has always been enthusiastic about the subject of this book, and who came up with the title; Carolyn Reidy, president of the adult publishing group; Roger Labrie, editor; Miriam Wenger; Victoria Meyer, executive director of publicity; Rachel Nagler, publicist; and Jackie Seow, who designed the cover. Alexandra Truitt did the photo research.

  At The New Yorker, John Bennet, my longtime editor, did his usual extraordinary work on the excerpt from this book, and Andy Young and Sasha Smith did the rigorous fact-checking. Editor David Remnick offered his support and enthusiasm, for which I’m grateful. So did Dorothy Wickenden. Lauren Porcaro provided additional research and assistance.

  I am also grateful to my colleagues at SmartMoney, including Ed Finn and Fleming Meeks.

  As before, much of the burden of writing this book has fallen on my family and friends. I don’t see how it could have been written without their support and understanding. This is especially true of my parents in Quincy, Illinois, Ben and Mary Jane Stewart. In New York, I’m fortunate to live near my brother, Michael, his wife, Anna, and their children, Aidan and Cassie (born during the gestation of this book), and I’m also grateful to my sister, Jane Holden, and her family: John, her husband, and my nieces and nephew, Lindsey, Laura, Maggie, and Jack. And to my rapidly growing god-children, Langley Grace Wallace and James Swartz, and to Kate McNamara. Richard and Daphne Weil offered their hospitality and treated me like family.

  Among my friends, special thanks to Jill Abramson, Jane Berentson and Fred Bleakley, John Brecher and Dottie Gaiter, Jeannine Burky, James Cramer, Edward Flanagan, Joan Fuerstman, Marisa and John Koten, Monica Langley and Roger Wallace, Arthur Lubow, Bari Mort, Dave Nogaki, Gene Stone, and Neil Westreich.

  This book is dedicated to Benjamin Weil, who bore the brunt of my absences, distractions, and complaints. I’m not sure I can repay him, but I intend to try.

  Index

  ABC

  Bloomberg at

  Bornstein as president of

  Disney’s acquisition of

  DreamWorks and

  Eisner at

  Fox Family acquisition and, see also ABC Family

  Harbert replaced at

  Internet site of

  L.A. move of

  Letterman courted by,management shake-up at, 10

  “Millionaire”and

  radio business of

  ratings of

  Time Warner cable systems and

  Touchstone’s merger with

  2002–2003 lineup of

  2004–2005 lineup of

  see also Capital Cities/ABC

  ABC Entertainment

  ABC Family

  identity problem of

  tax break and

  ABC Network

  ABC News

  Abrams, J. J.

  Academy Awards:

  for animated films

  for live-action films

  Affleck, Ben

  Aida (pop musical)

  Aladdin (animated film)

  commercial success of

  Allen, Herbert

  Allen, Tim, Waheed

  Alliance Atlantis Communications

  “American Idol”(TV show)

  American International Pictures

  American Tail, An (film)

  America Online (AOL)

  Time Warner’s merger with

  Andersen, Hans Christian

  animation, animated films

  boost in production of

  computer, see CAPS; computer animation

  DreamWorks and

  golden age of

  home video and

  re-release of

  storyboards vs. scripts for

  for TV vs. film

  Walt’s prescription for

  see also specific films

  animation department

  cost-cutting in

  in Glendale

  new building for

  offices in

  Ovitz’s intervention in

  Roy excluded from

  Roy’s resignation and

  Anson, Robert Sam

  anti-Semitism

  antitrust suits

  Antz (animated film)

  AOL Time Warner

  Apple iPod

  “Apprentice, The”(TV show)

  Arabian Knight (animated film)

  Arledge, Roone

  Armageddon (film)

  Art of Animation, The (book)

  Ashman, Howard

  death of

  Aspen retreats

  AT&T

  Atlantis (animated film)

  Auletta, Ken

  “Bachelor, The”(TV show)

  Bader, Jeff

  Bagnall, Mike

  Baldwin, Alec

  Bass family

  Bass, Sid

  at Aspen retreat

  discontent with Ovitz and

  Eisner supported by

  Gold’s correspondence with

  Ovitz’s hiring and

  stock of

  theme parks and

  TV network acquisition and

  Wells’s death and

  Bates, James

  Baxter, Tony

  Bay, Michael

  Bay, Willow

  Beatty, Warren

  Beauty and the Beast (animated film)

  music in

  video sales of

  Beauty and the Beast (musical)

  opening of

  “Belle”(song)

  “Be Our Guest”(song)

  Bergman, Lowell

  Berkshire Hathaway

  Bernini, Giovanni Lorenzo

  Bernstein, Leonard

  Bertolucci, Bernardo

  Beverly Hills Cop (film)

  Billy Bathgate (film)

  Black Cauldron, The (animated film)

  blockbuster mentality

  Bloom, Orlando

  Bloomberg, Stuart

  firing of

  “Millionaire”and

  Bluhdorn, Charles

  board of directors, Disney

  ABC acquisition and

  Bloomberg’s contract and

  Comcast bid and

  compensation committee of

  conflicts of interest and

  Eisner�
��s hiring and

  Glass, Lewis proceeding and

  governance and nominating committee of

  Iger’s relations with

  Jane Eisner and

  Katzenberg’s relations with

  Ovitz’s firing and

  Ovitz’s hiring and

  Pixar talks and

  reforms and

  Roy E.’s leading of revolts and

  Roy E.’s retirement and

  shareholder relations with

  successor issue and

  Wells’s death and

  see also Eisner, Michael, Disney board’s relations with

  Bodenheimer, George

  Boies, David

  Bollenbach, Stephen

  as deal-maker

  Ovitz’s hiring and

  resignation of

  Bornstein, Steve

  as ABC president

  departure of

  Internet ventures and

  successor issue and

  Botticelli, Sandro

  Bounds, Lillian

  see Disney, Lillian Bounds

  Bourguignon, Philippe

  Bowers, Craig

  Bowers, Reveta

  Braun, Lloyd

  ABC’s 2002–2003 lineup and

  ABC’s 2004–2005 lineup and

  Braverman, Alan

  Bravo

  Breckenridge, Jane, see Eisner, Jane Breckenridge

  Breckenridge, Paul

  Brewster’s Millions (film)

  Brillstein-Grey Entertainment

  Broadway musicals

  animated features as

  Eisner’s knowledge of

  see also specific musicals

  Brockman, Kevin

  Bronfman, Edgar, Jr.

  Brooks, James L.

  Brother Bear (animated feature)

  Bruckheimer, Jerry

  Pirates of the Caribbean and

  Bryson, John

  Bryson, Louise

  Buena Vista International (BVI)

  Buena Vista Internet Group

  Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group

  Buena Vista Television Group

  Buffett, Warren

  Bug’s Life, A (animated film)

  Burke, Dan

  Burke, Steve

  at ABC

  at Comcast

  Euro Disney and

  Katzenberg’s relationship with

  resignation of

  Burnett, Mark

  Burton, Tim

  Bush administration

  BusinessWeek

  Cabin Boy (film)

  cable systems

  of Time Warner

  cable television

  Fox Family acquisition and

  Miramax and

  sports and

  see also specific channels

  Cablevision

  California Institute of the Arts (CalArts)

  board of

  California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS)

  Camp (Eisner)

  Camp Keewaydin

  Canby, Vincent

  Cantalupo, James

  “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?”(song)

  Capital Cities/ABC

  Disney merger with

  DreamWorks and

  newspaper, magazine, and radio groups of

  stock of

  CAPS (Computer Animation Production System)

  Beauty and the Beast and

  Little Mermaid and

  Caravan Pictures

  Care Bears Movie, The (animated film)

  Cars (animated film)

  cartoons

  Cartwright, Randy

  Case, Steve

  CBS

  “CSI”and

  Disney’s interest in

  Insider and

  “Survivor”and

  “Celebrity Millionaire”(TV show)

  Center for Early Education

  Chao, Wing

  Chase, David

  Checchi, Al

  Chernin, Peter

  Cherry, Marc

  China

  Kundun and

  Cinderella

  Cinderella (animated film)

  Cinderella Story (film)

  Citron, Alan

  Clancy, Tom

  Clements, Ron

  DreamWorks pursuit of

  Clinton, Bill

  Close, Chuck

  Close, Glenn

  Close Encounters of the Third Kind (film)

  CNBC

  CNN

  Coats, Pam

  Cocoon (film)

  Cohn, Sam

  Cold Mountain (film)

  Collins, Joseph

  Collins, Phil

  Columbia Pictures

  Comcast Corporation

  Disney merger attempt of

  Comedy Central

  computer animation

  see also CAPS

  Contemporary Resort

  Cook, Dick

  Lizzie McGuire and

  Cool Runnings (film)

  corporate scandals

  Corrao, Lauren

  Cosgrove, Tom

  Council of Institutional Investors

  Cravath, Swaine & Moore

  Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

  Crichton, Michael

  Cristofer, Michael

  Crowe, Russell

  Crowley, Bob

  Cruise, Tom

  Crying Game, The (film)

  “CSI”(TV show)

  Cuoco, Kaley

  Curtin, Chris

  Curtis, Jamie Lee

  Dailey, Patty, see Disney, Patty Dailey Dailey

  Peter

  Dalai Lama

  Daly, Bob

  Davies, Michael

  Davis

  Davis, Martin

  Dead Poets Society (film)

  Deja, Andreas

  Del Valle, Reinaldo

  Denison University

  Depp, Johnny

  “Desperate Housewives”(TV show)

  “Destino” (animated short)

  Dick Tracy (film)

  “Digital Future Summit,”

  digital piracy

  Diller, Barry

  Cap Cities/ABC deal and

  Comcast bid and

  Eisner’s health problems and

  Eisner’s relationship with

  at Fox

  successor issue and

  Dimension films

  Dinosaur (animated film)

  DirecTV

  Disney, Abby

  Disney, Diane Marie, see Miller, Diane Disney

  Disney, Edna

  Disney, Lillian Bounds

  stock of

  Walt Disney Concert Hall and

  Disney, Patty

  Dailey

  Eisner’s views on

  Roy’s resignation and

  Disney, Roy E.

  ABC acquisition and

  animation and

  boardroom revolts and

  breakdown of Pixar-Disney talks and

  on CalArts board

  childhood of

  Disney career start of

  earnings growth and

  Eisner’s hiring and

  Eisner’s relationship with

  Eisner’s spying on

  financial decline concerns of

  Gold’s relationship with

  home video and

  as “idiot nephew,”

  Jobs’s talks with

  Mooney’s clashes with

  Ovitz’s relationship with

  resignation of

  retirement forced upon

  Save Disney campaign and

  stock of

  underestimation of

  Wells’s death and

  “Wonderful World of Disney”and

  Disney, Roy O.

  marriage of

  Walt’s contentious relationship with

  Disney, Roy Patrick

  Disney, Sharon Mae, see Lund, Sharon Mae Disney

  Disney, Susan, see Lord, Susan Disn
ey

  Disney, Tim

  Disney, Walt

  archives of

  background of

  death of

  Eisner contrasted with

  Fantasia as viewed by

  legacy of

  marriage of

  office of

  Roy E.’s relationship with

  Roy O.’s contentious relationship with

  theme parks and

  TV appearances of

  “Disney Afternoon”(TV show)

  Disney Brothers Productions

  Disney Channel

  Disney Development Corporation

  Disney formula

  Disney Foundation

  Disney image and brand

  fears about cheapening of

  Walt constrained by

  Disneyland

  California Adventure at

  castles at

  hotels at

  Main Street at

  parking at

  railroad at

  Stewart’s childhood trips to

  terrorist threat and

  Walt’s vision of

  Disneyland Paris

  Disney name

  rights to use of

  as untapped asset

  Disney’s America

  “Disney Sunday Movie, The”(TV show)

  Disney World

  Animal Kingdom of

  “casting center”for

  castles at

  Epcot theme park at

  hotels at

  Magic Kingdom at

  “Mission: SPACE”at

  “Pleasure Island”attraction at

  same-sex dancing at

  Universal’s competition with

  Donald Duck

  Down and Out in Beverly Hills (film)

  “Downtown Disney”venture

  “Dragnet”(TV show)

  Dragonslayer (film)

  DreamWorks SKG

  ABC and

  animation and

  Dreher, Drew

  Dreyer, Jody

  Dreyer, John

  Ovitz undermined by

  press releases drafted by

  Dreyfuss, Richard

  Drudge Report

  Duff, Hillary

  Duff, Susan

  Eastwood, Clint

  Eberhardt, Barbara

  Ebert, Roger

  E! Channel

  EchoStar Communications

  “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter”(TV show)

  Eisendrath, John

  Eisner, Anders

  Eisner, Breck

  Eisner, Eric

  Eisner, Jane Breckenridge

  in Aspen

  dating and marriage of

  Disney board and

  Disney’s hiring of Michael and

  Gordon family and

  Katzenberg as viewed by

  Michael’s award and

  Michael’s health problems and

  movie-going of

  in New York

  Ovitz’s fiftieth birthday and

  Ovitz’s gift

  Ovitz’s recruitment and

  as producer

  Wells’s death and

  Eisner, Lester

  heart problems of