Disney Deals With Weak Movie Premiere, Changes At ABC

KOAT-TV, Albuquerque ^ | April 12, 2004 | AP

[CedarDave]

LOS ANGELES -- There is more bad news for the Walt Disney Co. as its costly historical epic "The Alamo" opened with a dismal $9 million at this weekend's box office.

The company faces a big loss on "The Alamo," a chronicle of the 1830s last stand whose budget swelled to about $100 million. It stars Billy Bob Thornton as Davy Crockett and Dennis Quaid as Sam Houston.

The weak box office results came as Disney planned a management shake-up at its fourth-place ABC network to stem a ratings slide and placate dissatisfied investors.

A source close to the matter told The Associated Press that the moves include the departure of Lloyd Braun, who served as chairman of the ABC Entertainment Television Group since 2002.

Anne Sweeney, a rising star credited with expanding the reach of Disney's nonsports cable networks, would likely be given a more prominent role.

Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press.

[CedarDave]

The rest of the article title: Remember 'The Alamo'? Disney May Try To Forget

[ladtx]

Bet if Mel Gibson made an Alamo movie it would be highly profitable.

[Old Sarge]

Remembering how Disney's "Pearl Harbor" was, does Disney's version even recognize that The Alamo was in TEXAS?!? Or that the Mexicans were the attackers?

Watch for Disney's next historical drama, "Patton", highlighting the behind-the-scenes romance with the general's husband, Timothy...

(NOTE: Apologies to my fellow vets everywhere; But don't thnk they wouldn't try it...)

[2banana]

Remembering how Disney's "Pearl Harbor" was, does Disney's version even recognize that The Alamo was in TEXAS?!? Or that the Mexicans were the attackers?

I'm a big TEXAS fan but at the time, the Alamo was in Mexico.

[Always Right]

Bet if Mel Gibson made an Alamo movie it would be highly profitable.

Oh certainly. Gibson would capture the true spirit of the Alamo, and not try to turn the Alamo into some politically-correct anti-American movie. Gibson gets ripped for creating fictitious characters and exaggerating truths. The Alamo used real characters and completely re-wrote history to assassinate the characters of these American heroes. Why on earth would anybody watch?

[End Times Sentinel]

 The Alamo used real characters and completely re-wrote history to assassinate the characters of these American heroes.

 

Glenn Beck was mentioning the movie on the drive in (or maybe that was just the news update?).  Anyway, your comment brilliantly encapsulates why I think the movie is flopping.  I'd be interested in seeing this as a historical film, to get a better take on what happened, but I just don't trust Hollywood at all.  I don't know if they re-wrote history, because I just assume they did.  I'd have to go research everything beforehand to cull the lies, and then, why would I need to see a movie on it?  Especially if I still thought there was a good chance it would be skewed.

Owl_Eagle

”Unleash the Hogs of Peace.”
P.J. O'Rourke Parliament of Whores

[Steely Tom]

Obviously the answer to Disney's problems is more liberalism!

(steely)

[AD from SpringBay]

And more gay days!!!

[COBOL2Java]

I pretty much avoid any non-animated Disney movies. Now that Pixar's gone, I figured that would be the end of it. However, this weekend I took my grandson to see "Home on the Range." Enjoyed it thoroughly. I thought Roseanne Barr as the voice of "Maggie" the cow was a hoot.

[Ciexyz]

Ron Howard and Russell Crowe were right to walk away from this turkey.

Contrast the Alamo's weak $9 million opening weekend to Russell Crowe's "Master and Commander" last November: $36 million. There's an audience for a well-made, satisfying historical epic.

I remember joking with my Internet friends about "Master & Commander", saying that as a female, I'm always game for a patriotic film that shows "manly men fighting and dueling". Hollywood in contrast provided us in "The Alamo" with wimpy man spouting PC dialogue, and then wonders why nobody goes to see it.

[jtminton]

Nope. It wasn't in Mexico. It was in Pre-Texas.

:)

[johnb838]

The Alamo was in Texas, Texas was in Mexico.

[Cboldt]

... fourth-place ABC network ...

Fourth place? Behind Fox (not cable FoxNews, but Fox)? ABC CBS NBC are no longer the three elites? Wow indeed, how the "mighty" are falling!!

[COBOL2Java]

Don't you mean Mexico was in Texas? :-)

[ladtx]

Actually Texas was part of the state of Coahuila-Texas. Part of the reason for their rebellion was that the Texans wanted their own state of Texas within Mexico. They felt they were not fully represented in the capitol of Saltillo. If I remember correctly they were only allowed had one representative at Saltillo.

[Inspectorette]

Wasn't Lloyd Braun the crazy guy from Seinfeld who worked for the New York mayor's office and then for George Costanza's father selling computers out of the basement? Boy how the mighty have fallen!! LOL

SERENITY NOW!!!!!

[ex-Texan]

Disney "shake up" means only a few highly paid idiots will leave for greener pastures. ABC is toast. Especially George Steponallofus crappy Clintonite agenda show which I never watch anymore. ABC will never give up their pro-gay agenda or adopt more conservative reporting. They are sliding into oblivion.

The truth is that all of D.C. is buzzing about CIA types resigning to get out of the city. There are hot rumors of a "major attack" just before the election. The October surprise this year may be a mini-nuke going off in D.C. followed by bioweapon attacks all over the North East.

A "Red Alert" means a total lock down of the U.S. Total lock down means martial law.

Just my personal opinion. Feel free to flame away, because I wear asbestos.

[Budge]

The weak box office results came as Disney planned a management shake-up at its fourth-place ABC network to stem a ratings slide and placate dissatisfied investors.

Hey Disney. Could it be that people don't want to see your political correct, re-written history cr@p?

[Redbob]

With Mel Gibson as Davy Crockett!

Much better than that sick fvck Billy Bob Thornton!