Disney Headlines for March 22nd, 2023
This past week, Disney returned to the negotiating table, even as executives plotted 4,000 layoffs.
Meanwhile, Marvel said goodbye to one of its big three, an Imagineering icon died after a storied life, and a central character in an upcoming Disney+ show passed away too young.
We’ve got a tough week for Disney Headlines.
Disney’s Staffing Woes Continue
Let’s start with the one bright note this past week. In early February, Walt Disney World’s labor unions solidly rejected a wage proposal.
At the time, The Walt Disney Company took a decidedly hard line against its cast members. Disney swore it had made its last, best offer.
Even worse, management indicated it wouldn’t return to the negotiating table, which is never a good sign.
On March 16th, cast members took to the streets outside Walt Disney World to express their disappointment.
Media sites like Deadline reported about the picketing taking place at the parks.
The event called “Rally for a Raise” wasn’t like many of the protests that gain a disproportionate amount of media headlines.
We aren’t talking about 20 people holding controversial signs to gain a quick news cycle here. This was a heavily attended event.
I’ve watched in amusement as reports have suggested large attendance for other events. Perhaps it speaks to the power of Disney that this widespread gathering fell under the radar.
Still, six unions representing more than 40,000 people spent their off days begging for what they consider fair wages from the company they adore.
This move sounds like PR, and maybe it was. Whatever the purpose, the move served its purpose in shaming Disney back to the bargaining table.
Negotiations will finally begin anew on Thursday, March 23rd. I think I speak for all of us when I say that I hope the two sides quickly come to an agreement.
UPDATE: Disney and its labor unions did come to an agreement! Woohoo!
Disney’s Staffing Woes Continue Part II
Even if Disney does come to terms and resolves its union struggles, it’ll face discord for different reasons.
Before Bob Chapek left as CEO, he announced layoffs coming to Disney, especially in management.
Chapek’s plan was a sham in that he announced a three-person panel to perform the layoffs…and he would have been one of the three members. So, yeah.
Once Bob Iger returned as CEO, workers hoped that their new boss might pull some magic out of his hat. Alas, that’s not to be.
Iger has confirmed on multiple occasions that he plans to perform the layoffs. It’s one of the chief concessions to end Nelson Peltz’s activist investor bid.
Without those layoffs, Peltz is likely still speaking out against Disney and working against the company’s best interests.
Now, the time has come for Iger to make good on his assertion, and it’s about to get ugly.
Disney has instructed its managers to identify 4,000 jobs the company doesn’t need. That’s akin to picking which of your toes you don’t need.
If anybody ever asks you that question, I sincerely hope you can hit SOS on your phone….but that’s where we’re at with Disney right now.
Some good people will lose their jobs soon, apparently in April. Notably, some union members won’t fall into this category.
According to a union rep, service workers signed contracts that protect them from such layoffs.
Also, let’s face the hard truth here. Disney won’t save enough money by laying off its lowest-paid employees.
We’re probably looking at an overhaul on the manager/director level instead. MickeyBlog will keep you informed once the grim news arrives about who goes.
Victoria Alonso Leaves Marvel
There’s a Headline I didn’t expect to discuss this week, although with the benefit of hindsight, I should have seen it coming.
Back when Paramount Pictures took a chance on Marvel movies, Kevin Feige and his cohort, Louis D’Esposito, persuaded Victoria Alonso to work on Iron Man.
The rest is cinematic history, as the trio formed what people have called The Big Three at Marvel.
Alonso, who first gained acclaim for her work in visual special effects (VFX) at Digital Domain, eventually switched to Marvel full-time.
Over the years, Marvel fans had developed a saying, “In Victoria, we trust.” The belief acknowledged the executive’s reported skill in not just VFX but also casting.
Alas, Alonso’s most recent title at Marvel was President of Physical, Post Production, VFX and Animation. So, yeah. We can understand why she’s gone.
Last year, a brutal report from Vulture suggested that people in the VFX industry feared Alonso.
Even worse, Marvel faced a crisis when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania required the same resources.
Marvel ultimately prioritized the VFX on Wakanda Forever, which may have impacted Quantumania, one of the worst-received Marvel films.
Hollywood plays by simple rules. If you’re gonna be the subject of slam pieces, your movies better do well at the box office.
Quantumania didn’t, and now Alonso needs a new job. I can’t help but wonder whether she’ll be working with James Gunn on DC movies at Warner Bros. in six months.
Disney Lost Two Revered Talents This Week
As I mentioned in MickeyBlog News and Justin Hermes discussed here, Rolly Crump died barely two weeks after his 93rd birthday.
The official Disney site eulogized Crump, which speaks volumes about his impact throughout the course of many decades.
Crump’s fingerprints are all over beloved Disneyland/Magic Kingdom attractions like Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room.
Beyond Disney, the artist’s resume is every bit as impressive. Crump helped with the design of Busch Gardens, worked with Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus, and helmed a doomed project for Jacques Cousteau.
Crump lived a historic life and will be revered for generations after he’s gone.
Meanwhile, the other news breaks my heart. This week, John Wick 4 enters movie theaters and will undoubtedly dominate the box office.
Tragically, one of its co-stars since the first film, Lance Reddick, has died at 60.
Reddick, who possessed quite possibly the greatest voice in the world, has worked with Disney on several projects.
Most notably, he has voiced General Lunaris on DuckTales and Falcon in The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
However, Reddick had also recently completed a live-action product for Disney+. He’ll play Zeus in the upcoming series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
The Percy Jackson franchise’s author, Rick Riordan, wrote a loving tribute to Reddick on his site. I quite liked this part:
“It will be difficult working on those scenes in which Lance appears — not just because we mourn him, but because they will remind us of how much brilliance we have lost.
At least it’s comforting to know that we’ll be able to share that performance with Lance’s millions of fans, and we will get to see his artistry in action one more time.”
Thank you for everything, Mr. Crump and Mr. Reddick.
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