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
DisneyWar Page 74
