Film and Television

Joseph E. Roth Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios

The year was marked by a number of successes for Disney filmed entertainment.

Toy Story, The Rock and Phenomenon each exceeded $100 million at the box office, and the animated The Hunchback of Notre Dame came within breathing distance of that mark. Two other films --- Mr. Holland's Opus and Father of the Bride II ---topped $75 million domestically.

In addition, six movies released near year end, including Ransom and the live-action 101 Dalmatians, should make calendar 1996 figures even more impressive when they are finally tabulated.

Joe Roth, chairman of Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, was promoted to chairman of The Walt Disney Studios in April. In addition to his earlier responsibilities, he took charge of Walt Disney and Touchstone Television production and the company's domestic and international home video activities.

Roy E. Disney Vice Chairman, The Walt Disney Company Chairman, Walt Disney Feature Animation

Nineteen ninety-seven looks promising.

Metro (Touchstone), an action-comedy starring Eddie Murphy, is first out of the gate in January. A month later, John Cusack, Minnie Driver and Dan Aykroyd star in a comedy, Grosse Pointe Blank (Hollywood/Caravan), in which Cusack and Aykroyd play rival hit men who show up for Cusack's 10th high school reunion.

March brings Tim Allen to the screen in Jungle2Jungle (Disney), a touching family comedy about a New York stockbroker, his estranged wife, his fiancee and his newfound 13-year-old son.

A yet-to-be-titled movie (Hollywood), scheduled for May, stars Demi Moore, who becomes the first woman candidate for an elite Navy school.

Nothing to Lose (Touchstone) kicks off the summer season in June. Martin Lawrence and Tim Robbins star in this high-energy comedy about an advertising executive. Nicolas Cage is featured the same month in Con Air (Touchstone), an action-thriller about an airplane commandeered by desperate criminals.

The highlight of the year, from the Animation Division, is the June 20 release of Hercules, Disney's 35th full-length animated film. The movie, directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, features the music of Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken and lyricist David Zippel.

In July comes George of the Jungle (Disney), a rollicking spoof of the 1970s cartoon series of the same name. It is followed by the August release of Copland (Miramax), with Sylvester Stallone as a small-town sheriff. Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel play cops in this story of heroism, racism and integrity.

Miramax returns in September with She's De Lovely. The love-triangle story stars John Travolta, Sean Penn and Robin Wright. Nick Cassavetes is the director.

Tentacle (Hollywood), scheduled for October, stars Treat Williams aboard a luxury cruise ship in the South China Sea. Thousand Acres (Touchstone) offers a top-flight cast that includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Jessica Lange, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jason Robards. This drama about an Iowa farmer and his three daughters will reach theaters in October.

Robin Williams is up to his usual antics in The Absent Minded Professor (Disney). The movie is a remake of the 1961 film that starred Fred MacMurray. The reissue of The Little Mermaid goes to theaters at Thanksgiving.

A major year-end drama completes the 1997 slate. The Horse Whisperer, based on the national best-selling novel, has Robert Redford as its producer, director and star. It is a story of a girl and her horse--and of the rekindled love that develops between her estranged parents.

Touchstone also purchased the film rights to the Michael Crichton novel Airframe, published in December. The film is now under development. The label already is at work on a picture based on another Crichton book, Eaters of the Dead.

Buena Vista International distributes films outside North America for Disney labels as well as others. Pocahontas, The Rock and Toy Story led the way as BVI set financial and box-office records overseas in 1996. The Rock quickly became the most popular live-action film ever distributed by Disney in international markets.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame, in release as 1996 ended, will provide a boost to 1997 results. On its opening in Japan, it quickly became the nation's number one-ranked movie.

Ransom, the Mel Gibson thriller, reaches theaters worldwide in January and February, and 101 Dalmatians is expected to be a big winner. Later in the year BVI will distribute The Preacher's Wife, Evita, Metro and Con Air before Hercules reaches international markets.

BVI will also release Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers and Harrison Ford in AFO in 1997.

Buena Vista Home Video BVHV North America remains the industry's top-ranked home video company. In the sell-through business alone, it is nearly twice the size of its nearest rival.

More than 100,000 U.S. and Canadian retail outlets sell Buena Vista videocassettes, and several major U.S. retailers have named BVHV their top vendor of the year.

In 1997, titles being released directly to the video market include the first-ever Winnie the Pooh movie, a Christmas-themed Beauty and the Beast sequel and the company's first live-action, direct-to-video film, Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves. Sequels to The Lion King and Pocahontas also are in production for this thriving market.

Buena Vista Home Entertainment This distributor of interactive and other home entertainment products internationally is primed to surpass its 1996 record of 85 million units sold--in part due to expanded operations in Mexico, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and the Czech Republic.

To capitalize on the growing demand for direct-to-video features overseas, BVHE will release the sequels to Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and other Disney favorites throughout the remainder of the decade in collaboration with Walt Disney TV Animation.

The Rock and Ransom are expected to be among the most-rented videos overseas in the new year. BVHE's acquisition of several live-action and animated titles--including Die Hard With a Vengeance--from other studios has solidified its position as the world's preeminent force in international home entertainment.

Walt Disney Television Three new series are on the air as 1997 begins, and two more are ready for midseason debuts, all under the Touchstone and Walt Disney labels.

Homeboys in Outer Space (UPN), Life's Work and the hour-long drama Dangerous Minds (both ABC) are succeeding in the highly competitive world of prime-time television. Smart Guy (WB) and Social Studies (UPN) are the newcomers.

Meanwhile, Home Improvement (ABC) continues its remarkable run. It ranks number one in its time period and has been consistently among the top 10 shows during its six seasons on the air.

Ellen (ABC) remains a steady performer on Wednesday night. Unhappily Ever After and Brotherly Love (both WB) are doing well in their time periods, and Boy Meets World (ABC) continues to be a favorite with kids and teens on Friday night.

Peter Schneider President, Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Theatrical Productions

Walt Disney Television Animation The 1996-97 season is easily the busiest in Disney TV animation history. Production is up from 103 half-hour programs to almost 250 in a year's time.

Ten series are in various stages of active production. By fall, 101 Dalmatians, Recess and Pepper Ann will reach the small screen.

Work also continues on several direct-to-video properties. A Beauty and the Beast Christmas story, the Winnie the Pooh movie, The Lion King sequel Simba's Pride, a Pocahontas sequel and Totally Twisted Fairy Tales are at various stages of completion.

Walt Disney Television Animation now operates three wholly owned production facilities outside the U.S. The studios—in Japan, Australia and Canada—employ almost 600 people.

Walt Disney Theatrical Productions is now under the direction of Peter Schneider and Tom Schumacher. The Lion King, one of the most successful animated films of all time, will become a full-scale Broadway musical production in the fall.

The Academy Award-winning film will come to life on the stage of the newly restored New Amsterdam Theater in New York, under a creative team led by director Julie Taymor. The stage version of The Lion King will feature music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice, who won Oscars for their work on the film version. John and Rice have written material not heard in the film for the stage production.

Meanwhile, the theatrical version of Beauty and the Beast has actually gained momentum since its acclaimed Broadway opening in 1994. That show is now in its fourth season. Productions in Toronto, Vienna, Tokyo, Osaka and Sydney, as well as the U.S. national tour, have been going strong since 1995.

For its grand reopening, Disney's New Amsterdam Theater on 42nd Street will present a world premiere concert event, Alan Menken and Tim Rice's King David. A powerful story of the shepherd boy who became King of Israel, the concert will have a limited run in the spring.

Hollywood Records The slate for 1997 looks promising. Hollywood Records will release music by Alice Cooper, Flipp and Leftover Salmon, among others.

The label has signed Idina Menzel, a high-profile mainstream artist from the hit Broadway show Rent, and will release an album later this year. The company also plans to launch a new Nashville-based label as a first step into the popular country music field.