Disney working on project to make "Toy Story 3"
17/11/2004 15:08
The Walt Disney Studios is proceeding with a project to make "Toy Story 3," a
move that could degenerate its already rocky relationship with Pixar Animation
Studios, the Hollywood Reporter reported Tuesday. Disney is in the process of
setting up a digital animation facility in Los Angeles that will be used for the
production of " Toy Story 3," the report said. Under the old deal between
Disney and Pixar, Disney has the right to do sequels to "Toy Story." Disney has
held off from doing so in the past, in part in deference to Pixar CEO Steve Jobs
and executive Vice President John Lasseter, both of whom refused to lose control
of the characters. But with Pixar announcing earlier this year that it would
end its distribution relationship with Disney following the 2005 release of the
Lasseter-directed "Cars," Disney CEO Michael Eisner and studio head Dick Cook
have signaled their determination to make the second sequel to "Toy Story"
franchise. Pixar decided to terminate its partnership with Disney after it
failed to persuade the latter to share more benefits from future animation
projects. The "Toy Story 3" project was led by David Stainton, president of
Walt Disney Feature Animation. Andrew Millstein, who headed the company's
now-shuttered animation facility in Orlando in Florida, has begun the process of
recruiting animation heavyweights from rival animation studios and effects
shops. The Disney-Pixar partnership has been the most successful in Hollywood
history of animation movie-making, which has produced two "Toy Story" movies, "A
Bug's Life," "Monsters Inc.," "Finding Nemo" and the latest hit "The
Incredibles," all of them has achieved huge box office success.
Xinhua
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