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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 16 december 2017
As Disney swallows Fox, a new era dawns for Hollywood

By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — After
years of tremors, the earth-
quake that had long been
predicted finally shook Hol-
lywood.
Disney’s deal to purchase
most of 21st Century Fox
ends the era of the “Big Six”
major movie studios, top-
pling one of the industry’s
most famed studios and
dramatically redrawing the
Hollywood map.
Disney’s move — to pay
$52.4 billion in stock for Fox
assets — has countless re-
verberations. But by effec-
tively absorbing Fox’s film
studio, 20th Century Fox,
Disney has rapidly acceler-
ated the industry contrac-
tion that many considered
inevitable in an era of flat-
lining ticket sales and new In this Tuesday, May 7, 2013, file photo, an entrance to a parking garage at 20th Century-Fox studios, an entity owned by News
streaming competitors like Corporation, is seen in Los Angeles.
Netflix, Amazon and Apple. Associated Press
The Big Six are now the Big
Five — and the mightiest of home of “The Sound of Mu- of the top six movies of ers. Two Searchlight films — That’s a component of the
them all has just been su- sic,” the original “Star Wars” the year: “Beauty and the “The Shape of Water” and deal that will strike fear in
persized. and the highest grossing Beast,” ‘’Guardians of the “Three Billboards Outside the hearts of exhibitors. Dis-
The Disney deal hasn’t just film of all-time, “Avatar.” Galaxy, Vol. 2” and “Thor: Ebbing, Missouri” — along ney has pursued an almost
made 20th Century Fox’s The studio has generally Ragnarok.” It has used its with Fox’s “The Post” have completely event-movie
3,200 employees anxious ranked either third or fourth might to enforce more made the studio the lead- strategy (it’s releasing only
about their future within Dis- in market share. This year, onerous terms with the- ing company of this year’s eight movies this year), and
ney. It’s sent shockwaves it’s fourth with 12.3 percent, aters on films like “The Last awards season, at least it’s expected to cut back
through an industry that following the market-lead- Jedi.” Disney is requiring with the Golden Globes Fox’s theatrical slate. That’s
has until now bent under er Disney, Warner Bros. and many theater operators to and Screen Actors Guild reason for concern for al-
the pressures of the new Universal. share a higher percentage Awards. ready struggling theater
digital landscape, but not Fox isn’t necessarily disap- — 65 percent — of ticket Iger voiced his support for owners. Box office revenues
broken. Now, Hollywood as pearing. Disney will lease sales. The film is expected maintaining those business- were up just 1 percent last
an industry is quite literally its fabled Los Angeles lot to come close to grossing es. “We like being in the year, and are expected to
shrinking. for the next seven years. $500 million worldwide this business of making quality slide this year.
“The strongest will get stron- But 20th Century Fox will weekend. movies,” said Iger. “We fully “They can’t be pleased,”
ger and the weaker will fall be folded into Walt Disney The combination of sen- intend to stay in those busi- said Bock of exhibitors.
off or merge with other en- Studios. Its movie-making sibilities between Disney nesses.” “Less product just means
tities,” said Exhibitor Rela- operations will be reduced and Fox, has intrigued oth- The deal also, perhaps less revenue in their minds.”
tions analyst Jeff Bock. “The and likely restructured. ers. Though it’s easy to see crucially, gives Disney the But Disney has also, up un-
future is right now and it’s As a studio, Disney is al- the planned quartet of extensive Fox library for til now, been a staunch
pretty obvious what’s go- ready based on several dis- “Avatar” movies under a Disney’s planned stream- defender of the traditional
ing on.” tinct silos of brands: Disney, Disney banner (“Avatar” ing service, set to debut in theatrical window. For that
Many analysts consider fur- Marvel, Pixar and Lucas- already has a place in Dis- 2019. Disney is now better reason, as well as its reputa-
ther consolidation simply a film. Its strength in intellec- ney theme parks), many of armed to compete against tion for quality, the world’s
matter of time. Before Ru- tual properties — especially Fox’s franchises, including deep-pocketed digital largest theater chain,
pert Murdoch earlier this fall “Star Wars” and its library of “X-Men” and “The Kings- competitors. Netflix has AMC, hasn’t sounded any
began shopping Fox, most animation classics — has man,” are well off-brand for said it will spend up to $8 alarms over the purchase.
expected the first studio made the studio dominant. the family-friendly Disney. It billion on original content Last week on CNBC, Adam
to fall would be either Via- In a conference call with hasn’t released an R-rated next year. Aron, AMC chief executive,
com’s Paramount Pictures investors Thursday, Disney movie in four years. “It’s really a battle about applauded Disney’s track
(5 percent of the market) or chief executive Robert Iger “Time to uncork that ex- the future of streaming,” record. “AMC has made
Sony Pictures (8.8 percent), suggested Fox may func- plosive sexual tension be- said Peter Labuza, a film a lot of money partnering
both of which have strug- tion similarly as a label with- tween Deadpool and historian and researcher at with Disney studios,” he
gled in recent years and in Disney. Mickey Mouse,” Ryan the University of Southern said.
replaced their chief execu- “We have not only respect- Reynolds tweeted after California. “Disney needs Whichever direction Disney
tives. Lionsgate and CBS ed the culture of those or- earlier reports of the Disney- all this material outside of chooses to go, it will have
are also frequent sources ganizations but respected Fox deal. its own brand which now is the sway — with approxi-
of speculation. and appreciated the tal- Disney, which sold Miramax its own Disney product, Lu- mately 40 percent market
Fox is bigger, though. ent that came with those Pictures in 2005, has lacked casfilm, Pixar. But this can share — to set the course
Founded in 1935 by the acquisitions,” Iger said. other kinds of films, too. fill in a lot of the space in for the entire industry.
merger of Twentieth Cen- Before it sold a ticket for Fox’s specialty label, Fox a streaming site that can Hollywood may have
tury Pictures and Fox Films, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Searchlight, is among the compete with, essentially, shrunk into not the Big Five,
20th Century Fox is the Disney already has three industry’s art-house lead- Netflix.” but the Big One.q