Dear Colleagues:
After a courageous fight, Steve Jobs has lost his long battle against cancer. It’s almost incomprehensible that such a force of nature could ever be subdued, much less stilled. With his passing the world has lost a rare original, Disney has lost a member of our family, and I have lost a great friend.
An incomparable innovator, Steve influenced two separate centuries and forever changed what we believe is possible. Inspired and inspiring, he worked tirelessly to surprise and delight people – launching entire industries built from his imagination and his ability to make us all want to come along for the ride. I know we are all proud that he was part of our Disney family, honored that he entrusted the creative brilliance of Pixar to our keeping, and grateful for his support, advice and friendship.
Steve once shared his views on life with college graduates in a commencement address that, true to his style, set a new standard. He said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life…have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
That’s how Steve lived, who he was, and how I will always remember him.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time.
Bob
One of the best tributes we’ve seen. As we noted on Twitter earlier, the seeming glut of people making statements on Steve Jobs’ death only tells us one thing: He touched many millions of lives.
devisivethandesisive says: Don’t think that 92% of viewers were interested about 3D. I think they were more interested in the fact that Lion King will be re-released again. After all, it IS one of the most loved Disney movies and one of the most popular.
» SFB says: (We’re responding because this one got a number of similar responses.) Even if that’s the case — which most assuredly, it is — 3D gets people to pay more for tickets and as a result, from a numbers perspective, people likely paid $5 to $7 more for those tickets. Which means that, even if people didn’t really care about the 3D, “The Lion King” would have made significantly less at the box office without it. In fact, we cranked out some math (based on a $6 price difference between 2D and 3D movies, and the fact that 94 percent of film-goers saw the film in 3D this weekend) to prove this point. Check it out:
While the film would have topped the box office minus the extra sales for 3D, it would have beat “Contagion” by only a few million. But were it a slightly stronger weekend for films, it likely wouldn’t have had such momentum. Movie math is fascinating. — Ernie @ SFB
EDIT: Did some quick double-checking of numbers — we were half-asleep.
» Waaaaaaaaaay above expectations: Disney expected “The Lion King” to make $15 million during its first weekend of a two-week re-release, 17 years after Simba walked his way into our hearts. Instead, the movie made $29.3 million this weekend, which tells us one thing — Disney needs to get on re-releasing movies in 3D format, stat, because it’s a money machine.
The Walt Disney Company has secured the trademark to the phrase “Seal Team 6,” according to documents uncovered by NY Fishbowl.
While the rest of the world was congratulating the Navy SEALS, Disney was taking away their trademark rights. What a load of it, Disney.
Disney World spying on guests so they can shorten long lines: Disney doesn’t want you bored in line, so they’re researching how to make sure you’re still having fun using an underground command center. Creepy, but cool. source
Disney-built Celebration, Florida not celebrating recent major crimes: On top of telling people to stay at bay, this police officer in Celebration, Florida is counting the murders in the mini-utopia that Disney built. One in fourteen years. source
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