Chapter 257: BttF Nitpickers IV: Disney

Anyhows... perhaps the most unsuspected participant in this BttF-nitpicking nonsense is Walt Disney Studio or Walt Disney Productions.

Technically, they should have been rounded along with the studio-level BttF nitpickers... but their relative participation in most Anti-Creed activities suited them here.

In any case, Disney may not remain long in this silly Anti-Creed banner and waste their resources on trying to single out the competition...

Michael Eisner, Walt Disney's CEO since September of 1984, had a new approach than the trivial anti-Creed nonsense and he had also made efforts to make it happen ever since the BttF premiere.

Still... they had to partake in the Anti-Creed tirade for some while... as Disney had been taking hits with Back to the Future's unexpected rise to prominence.

Like all other studios... they were maligned with the 40-plus BttF rejection story. It was quite the tale for the masses but quite a blow to the rejector's reputation... since they were made out to be the bad guys and the idiots who passed up on the chance to own a phenomenal film.

Back to the Future might be considered a sweet comedy by many fans, but it does have some uncomfortable moments — particularly the scenes between Marty McFly and his teenage mother Lorraine Baines (Lea Thompson). After getting hit by the car that was supposed to strike his father, Marty fell under Lorraine's care while she experienced a case of "The Florence Nightingale Effect," falling for the teenager while unaware that he's her own son.

It was this subplot that caused the movie to be turned down by Disney when Zemeckis and Gale were looking for a studio to produce the film.

Gale may have slipped up this little complaint in one of his interviews. "We went in to meet with an executive, and he says, 'Are you guys nuts? Are you insane? We can't make a movie like this. You've got the kid and the mother in his car! It's incest — this is Disney. It's too dirty for us!'"

These were all trivial propaganda and could easily be shrugged off... but that didn't mean that they wouldn't act out their revenge.

Anyways, Roy E. Disney had been rather peeved by this Gale's little jest though... since he might have been the "Disney executive" that turned BttF down.

The leading progeny of the founding Disney family... had a lot of explanations and justifications to do with all of this.

-----

"It can't be helped..." Eisner spoke out as he ruminated on the Disney-BttF dynamic. "I still wasn't part of Disney when it happened. What's best is for us to learn from the mistake and grow from it?"

Of course... Disney had their regrets about missing out on BttF as well... but it may be best to not dwell on the past and just look forward to their own development.

If film companies were to be bogged down by their regrets and envy due to another film's success, then they'd probably be bankrupt already.

"Did we secure Zemeckis' next film project at the very least?" Eisner asked as he was in an executive meeting. "Or is the man still seeking to continue cooperation with Creed Pictures?"

"Not yet clear on both those accounts." The BttF-dismissing Roy spoke out. "But... I do learn from my own mistakes as well... and do know of another film project that Zemeckis wanted to make... but ultimately passed up on it as well."

"We don't want another Back to the Future and Zemeckis rejecting scenario to come back and haunt us." Eisner warned but his interest was piqued. "What is this film project in question by the way?"

"It's a novel to film adaptation project with Gary K. Wolf's murder mystery and cartoon-character-ed novel-[Who Censored Roger Rabbit?]" Roy Disney answered. "We snagged the copyright and even had screenwriters working on the adaptation. This is where Zemeckis comes in as a directorial candidate but we rejected him due to his works being box office bombs. Mind you... this was still in the early 80s, so it's not our fault to have little faith in the man."

"If this project was already in conception since the start of the decade.... how come the film hasn't been made yet?" A curious Disney executive asked.

"We did try making it with a lot of test footage... but it panned out due to a lot of factors." Roy replied.

"Care to expound on these factors?" Eisner asked calmly. "And do try to factor in Zemeckis in all of this."

"Well for one thing... this Roger Rabbit thing is an animation project... and an ambitious one at that!" Roy really had qualms with this idea as well. "It is supposed to be a feature-length film juxtaposing real live-action sets and actors against animated cartoon characters! You can imagine the scale and complexity of it already, so we had to put all of it on hold."

"It's not even about whether Zemeckis should be factored in or factored out. It's about the viability and cost-efficiency of the film project itself!"

Eisner and the other executives knew the rationale for that decision as well. The idea to mix animation and live action seems revolutionary... but it had a lot to consider!

Animated films were costly. Normal film production is costly. Putting them both together would be even more so...

This [Who Censored Roger Rabbit?] seems to be more trouble than it's worth!

For a lot of these executives... they don't even know whether doing such an ambitious mix was possible or not.

If it even is possible... how could it be done and who could do it?

Well... if this was still in the early 80s, these so-called Disney leaders would probably shelve this project as well.

This was 1985 though and Eisner was now the one leading the entire Disney boat. "We should start taking the film out of being shelved then... and make it as one of our major projects."

"Erm... Eisner, should I tell you more about how this Roger Rabbit thing didn't really work out?" Roy felt that this Eisner fellow he brought in may not know film production that much.

"Oh... I know what you're trying to say but the decision still stands." Eisner said it as if it were simple. "As long as this Roger Rabbit project is feasible enough, we should do it."

"Need I remind you that this isn't a decision you can offhandedly make by yourself." Roy Disney had hardened his tone with that one. This has been happening quite often now and his decision to bring in this 'Eisner talent' might have been the wrong one to make.

"No need to remind me, Mr. Disney." Eisner just smiled at this Roy fellow's show of "authority". "This is a meeting we are at... and now that I brought it up... we can decide to go ahead with the decision together."

"Would this be okay with you... Mr. Disney?" Eisner turned to Roy Disney with the same smiling expression. Behind this smiling facade... his true thoughts on this Roy fellow were clear.

For Eisner... this Roy fellow is just a prideful product of nepotism in his eyes and his usage of "Disney" in a Disney meeting is more mocking than a sign of respect.

"Glad that you know." Roy just took things at face value though and felt that his name was still the one in power. "Don't make me remind you, okay?"

"Sure sure." The same smile was shown by Eisner as he said that.

-----

Anyways... after that little confrontation... the Disney meeting continued...

In the end of it, Roger Rabbit became a sure thing to do.

Aside from that consensus, they had set their eyes on having Zemeckis helm the directorial production

This was no longer the early 80s where Zemeckis' directorial talent was to be doubted and rejected.

Since the man had shown interest in this Roger Rabbit project but was rejected... it is best that they make amends.

It is best to make the man work on his interests... so that the Back to the Future rejecting mistake wouldn't happen again.

With his innovation... perhaps he'd knock his work in Back to the Future out of the park. At the very least, he could maintain that level of quality and success.

----

The Disney meeting was not done yet though as Eisner still had some things to talk about... to Frank Wells, the Disney President.

Wells started. "Although others hadn't noticed it... but you should show a more sincere attitude when handling Roy, Eisner."

"What do you want aside from that, Wells?" Eisner just asked back though. Their job titles should go hand in hand together but... they had their respective reasons for taking up these posts.

"I'm just trying to find out whether you've handled the Creed side of things already." Wells put a lot of attention on this as well. "We're both looking to build Disney into the same level as Hollywood's Majors... and it should be clear to you that Creed Entertainment is a potential enemy we should be looking out for."

"Our planned business model is pretty much the same as their's... and a lot of our fields are conflicting."

"You don't need to remind me of that." Eisner just leaned back on his chair and reminded the man. "I know those Disney expansion models more than you... and I know the threat that Creed Entertainment poses."

"Then, how come you've distanced our support to that Anti-Creed thing?" Wells kept tabs on the strategies they contributed to that entire endeavor and it didn't seem right that they'd just back out.

"I just have a more effective strategy to employ when it comes to Creed." Eisner also felt that the Anti-Creed thing had hit a snag as well. "Those companies could do what they want... while we should stick to our methods."

"Care to share this new strategy and method of yours?" Wells tested.

"Just know that it won't be part of some silly Anti-Creed Alliance." Eisner was still succinct and secretive like he mostly is though and Wells could only grimace at it.

Still, it did make the Disney president wonder... what we're the Anti-Creed up to now?