Disney-Pixar vs Dreamworks | Battle of the Bugs | 2

Business Wars

Wondery

History, Business, David Brown, Management

4.6 • 13.2K Ratings

🗓️ 22 February 2023

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It’s 1995 and Pixar’s Toy Story is just months away from release. But as the premiere of the first computer-animated feature nears, all-out war breaks out between Disney and DreamWorks.

Jeffrey Katzenberg raids Disney’s talent to build DreamWorks’ animation studio. Disney rearranges its releases schedules to undermine DreamWorks’ movies.

And as Disney and DreamWorks’ tit-for-tat battle intensifies, Pixar will get caught in the crossfire.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, Prime members, you can binge all four episodes of Business Wars Disney Pixar vs. Dreamworks,
0:05.6	add free on Amazon Music. Download the app today.
0:10.2	Summary 1995, Burbank, California. Disney Animation Chief Peter Schneider glairs at the
0:22.8	artist standing in front of him. The guys just walked into his office and handed in his
0:27.6	resignation. You're going to Dreamworks? The artist looks nervous. Yeah, they offered me four times
0:35.6	of money. Schneider's former boss, Jeffrey Katzenberg, is building a rival animation house at his new
0:42.0	movie studio Dreamworks and he's doing it by poaching Disney's talent. This artist is just the latest of
0:48.6	dozens of defectors. Schneider's face contorts with rage. You are totally without honor. Where's your
0:55.5	loyalty? I'll stay if you match Dreamworks, offer. But they both know Disney won't. It's got
1:01.9	shareholders to answer too. But Dreamworks is only beholden to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen,
1:07.9	the multi-billionaire who's funding its bid to shake up Hollywood. Allen doesn't care about the money.
1:14.0	He's a computer geek seduced by invitations to hang with the glitter party. Schneider points at the door.
1:20.9	Out. Get out. Schneider slumps in his chair as the artist flees. He knows this can't continue.
1:32.0	Disney must increase salaries if it wants to keep its talent. But that will send the cost of
1:38.0	making animated features sky high. Schneider picks up his phone and calls Disney's CEO Michael Eisner.
1:46.0	Michael, another one's just quit. Schneider holds the receiver away from his ear as Eisner rants.
1:55.2	For years, Disney's had a strangle hold on feature animation. No studio dared challenge it. But now,
2:02.8	Eisner's former underling Katzenberg is laying siege to Disney's castle. But Eisner's not afraid.
2:10.7	No. If Katzenberg wants a war, he's more than willing to oblige by strangling Dreamworks at Bird.
2:20.4	From Wondery, I'm David Brown and this is Business Ward.
2:50.5	On the last episode, Jeffrey Katzenberg led Disney animation into a new golden age.
2:57.9	Pixar saved Toy Story from cancellation with a last minute overhaul and Disney boss Michael Eisner
	...

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