☕ Disney @ 100

Stories from Disney’s 100 years in business... August 12, 2023 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( TOGETHER WITH [HOKA]( Good morning. In October, Disney will celebrate its 100th birthday as a company. That’s pretty dang impressive—we’re six years old and have already had two hip replacements. So, given the momentous anniversary and the extraordinary influence of Disney on global culture, we’re bringing you a summer Saturday newsletter filled with fascinating stories from Disney’s 100 years. These stories include… - How much it costs to throw a Disney wedding - A throwback to when Donald Duck was enlisted in the US Army - What happens when Disney loses the exclusive rights to its characters (A Winnie the Pooh slasher film, that’s what.) - And Disney’s surprising role in urban planning We’ve also got our markets recap and other news links so you can still feel up-to-date on what happened in the world yesterday. Enjoy! —Neal Freyman, Sam Klebanov, Molly Liebergall, Matty Merritt, Cassandra Cassidy MARKETS Nasdaq 13,644.85 -0.68% S&P 4,464.05 -0.11% Dow 35,281.40 +0.30% 10-Year 4.157% +4.7 bps Bitcoin $29,374.42 -0.12% Nvidia $408.55 -3.62% *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 10:00pm ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: The Nasdaq is wilting in the summer heat, [closing lower]( for the second straight week for the first time all year. Semiconductor stocks dragged the index down, but investors were also a bit fidgety over an inflation report that showed producer prices grew faster than expected last month.  BUSINESS [What Disney’s wishing for on its 100th birthday](#) [A Disney 100 years of wonder banner]Medianews Group/Orange County Register Via Getty Images/Getty Images If you make it to 100 years old, you’ve probably learned how to power through a few rough patches. The Walt Disney Company is experiencing one right now, as seismic shifts in technology and how people consume media force it to make some of its most dramatic moves in decades. - Once a money printer, ESPN’s future has never been more [uncertain]( as people ditch cable for streaming. “While linear (television) remains highly profitable for Disney today, the trends being fueled by cord-cutting are unmistakable,” CEO Bob Iger said on Wednesday’s earnings call. - Speaking of streaming, Disney and other new entrants have yet to make the economics work. The company announced Disney+ price hikes of up to 27% this week to squeeze more revenue out of its users. But it still does not expect its streaming business to be profitable until next year…at the earliest. To be sure, every entertainment company is scrambling to reengineer business models as tech giants encroach on their turf and user-generated content snags eyeballs on social media platforms like TikTok. And they’re all dealing with a dual strike from Hollywood writers and actors that has frozen new content production. But Disney also has a set of unique challenges it’s wishing would get resolved as it blows out the candles on its 100th birthday cake. - A fight with FL Gov. Ron DeSantis: For decades, Disney and Florida were a dynamic duo whose private-public partnership created an economic powerhouse in central Florida. But after the company criticized DeSantis’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law, that friendship has frozen over, imperiling Disney’s growth in the state and ensnaring both parties in a nasty legal battle. - Succession fiascos: CEO Bob Iger might be worse at picking a successor than Logan Roy. Here are [all the times]( Iger has said he’d step down for fresh blood since assuming the position in 2005 (hint: It’s a lot). And when he finally did tap a successor in 2020, Bob Chapek, that did not go well. Iger returned to unseat Chapek just two years later and now expects to stay in the role until 2026. - Franchise fatigue: Disney has ridden its Marvel and Star Wars films to remarkable box-office heights. But now it’s realizing that maybe people are bored of watching a team of superheroes raze New York City for the 25th time. Last month, Iger said Disney would pull back on making new Star Wars and Marvel content, but that leaves the question: What can replace its tired franchises as smash hits at theaters? Pixar isn’t exactly [coming up clutch]( right now. Looking ahead…as you’ll read in this newsletter, Disney has persevered through far more severe crises in its 100-year history and it may find itself in a healthier place not too far into the future. As for the question that’s been on people’s minds for years—will Disney sell to Apple?—the [rumor mill]( started churning again recently since Iger indicated that several of Disney’s TV assets, such as ABC, were up for sale. But Iger is staying mum, saying, “It’s not something we obsess about.”—NF TOGETHER WITH HOKA [First-place footwear]( [HOKA]( You already live life in GO mode, so make sure you maximize every step. HOKA just dropped a brand-new sneaker that’ll have you stepping into victory no matter where the day takes you. Introducing the [Mach X]( which 3 (very lucky) Morning Brew team members gave a spin during the Brooklyn Mile earlier this month. Let’s just say: These kicks came to win. The [Mach X is a high-speed plated road shoe]( that’s been refined through meticulous, cutting-edge testing. It’s designed to deliver serious speed and comfy enough for more casual runners. Oh, and they’re stabilized through the midsole’s Pebax® propulsion plate that’s paired with advanced foam compounds. Stability + speed = the perfect running shoe. [Add some winners to your sneaker lineup](. IP [What happens when Disney loses exclusive rights to beloved characters?](#) [Gif of Mickey Mouse from Steamboat Willy]Steamboat Willie/Disney via Giphy Disney likes to keep its image as clean as Cinderella’s stepmom wants her floors, so it’s notoriously difficult to use the company’s likeness without hearing from lawyers. But in the US, copyrights only last 95 years on stuff made a long time ago. After that, the material, or intellectual property, falls into the public domain, meaning anyone can use it however they’d like. That’s why, before the company’s 100th birthday this October, we’ve started seeing NSFW depictions of classic Disney characters. The prime example is Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, a gory [slasher film]( released in February after Winnie and his original storybook pals became free to use. And a much bigger prize is coming next year for people hoping to flip Disney’s image on its head. Steamboat Willie, the 1928 short film which features the earliest version of Mickey (and Minnie), will enter the public domain on January 1, 2024. But…Disney has another trick up its sleeve that could rein in anyone looking to make a twisted Mickey movie: trademarks. So, we asked an expert on intellectual property law what it would take to get a mouse slasher on the big screen. You can see what he had to say [here]( HISTORY [Throwback to when Disney did war propaganda]( [Poster for In Der Fuhrer's Face]( Galerie Bilderwelt /Contributor/Getty Images/Disney Donald Duck gets drafted, while Mickey Mouse scours the sky for enemy planes. This isn’t some militaristic fever dream…it’s typical Disney content from World War II. During the global conflict, Disney channeled its creative juices to produce Uncle Sam-sponsored war propaganda to aid the country in defeating Nazism. The government contracts allowed the entertainment juggernaut to stay afloat in a trying time for its business. The studio tapped its iconic animated characters to implore the American public to buy war bonds, pay taxes, and partake in the war effort. The result is pragmatism combined with some good old-fashioned fun: The wartime cartoons and print media are infused with patriotic PSAs while staying true to the brand’s comedic quirkiness, making for prime propaganda-tainment. Ultimately, they helped keep the company out of bankruptcy and raised audiences’ spirits during some of history’s darkest hours. [Learn more]( about this singular Disney era and take a look for yourself at the propagandistic animation it produced.—SK TOGETHER WITH HEAR.COM [Hear.com]( German engineering at its finest. In a groundbreaking development, German entrepreneurs Dr. Marco Vietor and Paul Crusius have unveiled a virtually invisible hearing aid that is taking the US by storm. It’s called [Horizon by hear.com](. Bluetooth-enabled, audiologist-backed, and smaller than a coffee bean. [Start your no-risk trial today](. CULTURE [How much does a Disney wedding cost?]( [Bride and groom wedding cake topper with mouse ears.]( Illustration: Francis Scialabba, Photo: Image Source/Getty Images If you want to approach planning your wedding in an emotionless, just-the-numbers way, Disney’s wedding brochure is the worst place you can start. The official division that plans and executes magical nuptials on the company’s properties, Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons, kicks off its downloadable brochure by telling couples, “This is more than just a wedding. It’s your fairytale powered by Disney.” It shouldn’t be surprising that the entertainment conglomerate that owns most of our childhood memories would also slather on the storytelling to dominate the big adult day. Over 50,000 couples said “I do” in front of oversized duck characters between 1991 and 2018. And, no matter how many times the internet [freaks out]( about Disney Adults allegedly opting for $5,500 Minnie and Mickey appearances over food for guests, couples will still spend thousands to say exchange vows at the mouse’s house. [Read more about how much it costs]( to throw your dream wedding at Disney. QUIZ [Disney trivia](#) [Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio]Pinocchio/Disney We interrupt this regularly scheduled newsletter with a trivia section. Just couldn’t save it ’til the end. Here are eight questions about Disney—if you get ’em all right, you have officially earned your Disney Adult badge. The answers are at the bottom of the newsletter. - Name the one Disney princess based on a real person. - The director of The Jungle Book originally wanted which four people to voice the vultures in the movie? - A Disney movie did not win the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, which was handed out in 2002. Which movie did win? - Fill in the blank: The original five Avengers in Marvel Comics were Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, the Wasp, and _____. - Which one of the following animated movies has not gotten a live-action remake? Aladdin, Hercules, The Jungle Book, The Lion King. - Disney founded which professional sports team in 1993? - A Forbes magazine article from 2011 declared which Disney animal to be the richest fictional character of all time, with a fortune of $44.1 billion? - After Disney acquired Pixar for $7.4 billion in 2006, this Pixar owner became Disney’s largest shareholder. REAL ESTATE [Disney is trying its hand at urban planning…again]( [Houses in the shape of Mickey Mouse]( Francis Scialabba Last year, Disney announced a new real estate venture, Storyliving by Disney, a set of planned communities across the US that will “bring the magic of Disney to people wherever they are,” according to Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Josh D’Amaro. The first will be Cotino in Rancho Mirage, California, which is expected to feature restaurants and stores as well as programming and experiences in line with the Disney brand. Disney’s latest real estate ambitions might seem out of the scope of a company that makes cartoons, but planned developments and self-governing districts are as much a part of Disney’s DNA as frogs asking for a kiss. Building cities was a goal of Walt Disney’s from the very beginning, as the creation of EPCOT (the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) shows. Walt died before fulfilling his vision for a community of tomorrow, but Disney’s aspirations continued without him. Disney heads to the Coachella Valley: See what the company’s cooked up and why some Disney fans say Walt would disapprove [here](. NEWS [What else is brewing (besides Disney)](#) - [Sam Bankman-Fried]( was sent to jail after a judge revoked his bail ahead of his upcoming criminal trial over the implosion of FTX. The judge said SBF tried to tamper with witnesses at least two times. - [Here’s the latest]( on the wildfires in Maui. - [Viet Dinh]( Fox’s chief legal and policy officer who spearheaded Fox’s failed defense in its defamation trial against Dominion Voting Systems, is leaving the company at the end of the year. - [President Biden’s son Hunter]( could face a criminal trial over tax and gun charges, according to David Weiss, the US special counsel who was tapped yesterday to investigate him. - [Orioles play-by-play announcer Kevin Brown]( returned to the broadcast booth last night after a two-week absence. He was reportedly suspended over on-air comments about how bad the Orioles played in Tampa the past few years. RECS [Saturday To-Do List graphic] Mesmerizing vid: Watch cruise ships [enter and leave a port](. Did you know they move sideways? We’re all guilty: Why you don’t need to use [that much laundry detergent](. Where are the women songwriters? This [visualization]( reveals how men dominate the songwriting teams of top songs. “Please stand away from the platform edge”: [Meet the person]( behind the NYC subway announcements. Meet Money with Katie: Her [free weekly newsletter]( takes a hot new approach to budgeting, investing, taxes, and more. [Subscribe today](. GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Brew crossword: Mary, being the boss puzzle-maker she is, spun up a delightful Disney-themed crossword for you today. [Play it here](. Open House Welcome to Open House, the only newsletter section that loves to remain on-theme. We’ll give you a few facts about a listing and you try to guess the price. [Open house in Golden Oaks]Coldwell Banker Realty/realtor.com Today’s [home]( is in the upscale Disney World Resort neighborhood, Golden Oaks. Most of this 9,254-square-foot mansion looks pretty normal, but it still has a few magical Easter eggs for Disney Adults. Amenities include: - 7 beds, 7.5 baths - Mary Poppins elevator - Plenty of bronze statues to scare you at night How much for this elevated mouse house? SHARE THE BREW [Share Morning Brew]( with your friends, acquire free Brew swag, and then acquire more friends as a result of your fresh Brew swag. We’re saying we’ll give you free stuff and more friends if you share a link. One link. Your referral count: 0 [Click to Share]( Or copy & paste your referral link to others: [morningbrew.com/daily/r/?kid=4904f90a]( ANSWERS Open House: $19 million Disney trivia: - Pocahontas - The Beatles - Shrek - Ant-Man - Hercules - The Might Ducks of Anaheim (now known as the Anaheim Ducks) - Scrooge McDuck - Steve Jobs Written by [Neal Freyman]( [Matty Merritt]( Sam Klebanov, [Molly Liebergall]( and [Cassandra Cassidy]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. 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