Aviv's doing nothing

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New York's Rebecca Milzoff, the current "Intelligencer," asks, "Is Disney's magic well dry? Since July, when Walt Disney Pictures made former marketing chief Oren Aviv its head of live-action production, the greenlight process at the studio has virtually ground to a halt.

"Several industry sources say that since Aviv took over, the only project he's given the go-ahead to is National Treasure 2 -- though some say his predecessor, Nina Jacobson, moved it into production, meaning Aviv has greenlit nothing. (Aviv had the idea that became National Treasure; he receives an executive-producer credit on that film and its sequel.)

"'It's sort of a sign of the future,' says one source who worked with Aviv in his marketing days. 'Movie companies no longer making movies.' A Disney spokeswoman calls the no-greenlight claim 'completely untrue,' insisting that Aviv, who had little prior film-production experience, has greenlit four films during his tenure -- though the studio would not name those movies.

"'When we want the press to know,' the spokeswoman says, 'we will announce them.'"

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on February 5, 2007 at 10:28 AM

comment #1

Movie fan09 says ...

I miss the old days when movies like The Rocketeer,The three musketeers and The live action adaptation of the Jungle Book were produced.

sidenote: The Three Musketeers is the only one that doesn't hold up. The Jungle Book and The Rocketeer are pure 30's serial like movie magic.

Posted by Movie fan09 at February 5, 2007 10:55 AM

comment #2

Movie fan09 says ...

was just reading the la times blogger piece:

holy shit Jeff!
you dye your hair?
why?
and what's your short about?

Posted by Movie fan09 at February 5, 2007 11:18 AM

comment #3

Mike K says ...

I thought the old days were those live action kids flicks that the Disney grind factory churned out in the 70s. Gus, Escape From Witch Mountain, The World's Strongest Man, The Cat From Outer Space, Unidentified Flying Oddball, The Black Hole, Freaky Friday, Hot Lead and Cold Feet, The Apple Dumpling Gang ... that's pretty much my childhood, right there.

Posted by Mike K at February 5, 2007 11:18 AM

comment #4

Movie fan09 says ...

eh.
those aren't as good.
I remember our mom usted to rent those from the library for us to watch.
and I liked 'em well enough..but maan..disney made movies fun in the early 90s.

Posted by Movie fan09 at February 5, 2007 11:30 AM

comment #5

gruver1 says ...

Wells to Alfred: That's pretty shocking, don't you think? I had to go into therapy to deal with it at first. I don't have much gray hair, but it's kind of drab so yeah, I go into the salon every so often to punch it up.

Posted by gruver1 at February 5, 2007 11:32 AM

comment #6

Movie fan09 says ...

naa.
jeff, listen, you gotta be ok with age.
what's more cool than meeting a guy in his 60s that has ghost white hair and can pull it off really well?
the director of a theater I usted to work at had it, and he was soo cool as a person that the white hair made him cooler.

at least go into like walmart and get some hair coloring..the salon says too much.

Posted by Movie fan09 at February 5, 2007 11:44 AM

comment #7

Wrecktum says ...

Well, fuck, dude. Disney announced last year that it was reducing its production slate to 8-11 movies a year. Lack of product equals lack of greenlighting. See how that works?

Posted by Wrecktum at February 5, 2007 11:49 AM

comment #8

christian says ...

SANTA CLAUS 3, JUNGLE 2 JUNGLE, PRINCESS DIARIES 2...are you saying these aren't films?

disney should just settle into its ultimate destination: a marketing company.

Posted by christian at February 5, 2007 12:02 PM

comment #9

T. S. Idiot says ...

Aren't dye jobs in the same league with many of the sins Wells ridicules in others?

Posted by T. S. Idiot at February 5, 2007 12:06 PM

comment #10

Movie fan09 says ...

SANTA CLAUS 3, JUNGLE 2 JUNGLE, PRINCESS DIARIES 2...are you saying these aren't films?

disney should just settle into its ultimate destination: a marketing company.

aren't they one already?
I mean, based on their last movies?

Posted by Movie fan09 at February 5, 2007 12:07 PM

comment #11

Movie fan09 says ...

Aren't dye jobs in the same league with many of the sins Wells ridicules in others?

he's gota ya there jeff..

Posted by Movie fan09 at February 5, 2007 12:10 PM

comment #12

Doug says ...

Movies have been greenlit but not announced? I've never heard of that. Surely the word would get out anyway. How many producers could keep it a secret that they have a go picture?

Posted by Doug at February 5, 2007 12:25 PM

comment #13

VedaPierce says ...

The special effects and art direction in The Black Hole were spellbinding -- I'll never forget that giant fireball. The dialogue is B-movie, but the film is wonderfully moody and atmospheric ala Alien. What this has to do with the topic at hand, I don't know, but I just had to give props.

Posted by VedaPierce at February 5, 2007 12:41 PM

comment #14

Matthew Lucas says ...

I just miss the days when Disney used to make good movies period. Now all they do is coast by making sequels and spinoffs on their library. They're getting by on their legend, and nothing more.

After the musicals of the 90s, Disney took an artistic nose-dive it hasn't recovered from.

Their only saving grace is Pixar, but you can't really give Disney credit for the genius of John Lasseter and his team. Without Pixar, Disney would be lost.

Posted by Matthew Lucas at February 5, 2007 12:44 PM

comment #15

christian says ...

while i love elements of THE BLACK HOLE -- john barry's score, the ship design, max the robot and max schell. the film's a mess.

and even as a 11 year old, you could easily see the wires holding the robots and actors in every scene.

but it looks like tarkovsky compared to disney's latest "product"...

Posted by christian at February 5, 2007 1:23 PM

comment #16

gruver1 says ...

Wells to Alfred & T.S. Idiot -- Coloring your hair is like whitening your teeth with dental bleach or spreading anti-wrinkle cream over your face...it's nothing. And I'm not in my damn 60s either. I've said some rude things to people in my time, but I've never once said to anyone, "How old are you?" Not once.

Posted by gruver1 at February 5, 2007 2:28 PM

comment #17

Craig Kennedy says ...

I just saw a commercial for the direct to DVD Cinderella 3. Around the time the Marketing Stooge replaced Jacobsen, didn't they say they were cutting back on their slate of first run films and planned to do a lot more direct to DVD sequels? I'm not saying it's good, I'm just saying it's not exactly a shock that that seems to be exactly what they're doing.

And since we're all reminiscing so pleasantly about The Black Hole, how about friggin' Tron? Am I the only one who fondly remembers that one?

Posted by Craig Kennedy at February 5, 2007 3:04 PM

comment #18

jeffmcm says ...

The thing about coloring one's hair is that while it may not be a big deal when in your 40s or 50s, when you're 80 with a head of auburn - and when your significant other is white or silver - it's a little obvious. And it's a slippery slope getting to that point.

Posted by jeffmcm at February 5, 2007 3:09 PM

comment #19

christian says ...

i fondly remember TRON for its cool graphics, wendy carlos score, jeff bridges and a lame story that failed to catch fire with 80's geeks.

Posted by christian at February 5, 2007 3:13 PM

comment #20

Movie fan09 says ...

geez jeff.
I never said you were in your 60s.
I said there was a guy i knew who happened to be in his 60s that could make it look good.
the article said you were in your late 50's and that you have salt and pepper hair, so that makes it looks more esteemed if you didn't dye it.
but i've never really seen what your hair looks like now so whatever.

Posted by Movie fan09 at February 5, 2007 3:40 PM

comment #21

Dan Revill says ...

I love The Rocketeer and The Jungle Book. I remember watching The Rocketeer in the theater with my whole family when I was nine. So much fun. And let's not forget Dick Tracy, which I guess was Touchstone, but still Disney.
I haven't seen a live action Disney film that I've really loved like those three movies - although the first POTC comes close.

It'd be nice to see Disney make quality family films again...so maybe the lack of greenlighting is a good thing.

Posted by Dan Revill at February 5, 2007 4:26 PM

comment #22

Movie fan09 says ...

yeesh.
potc is disney at it's worst.
the first half was so incredibly boring.
then it gets good for five mins and then you'e waiting for it to be over.

Posted by Movie fan09 at February 5, 2007 5:00 PM

comment #23

jeffmcm says ...

^^^ There are about a hundred million people who disagree with you.

Posted by jeffmcm at February 5, 2007 6:32 PM

comment #24

Mgmax, le Corbeau says ...

No one's commented on the best laugh in the story.

The one thing they did greenlight was National Treasure 2.

So how long did that take? Don't you see them agonizing for months and then finally saying "Sometimes in this business you just gotta go with your gut. Okay! I may be crazy, but-- let's make National Treasure 2!"

Posted by Mgmax, le Corbeau at February 5, 2007 9:49 PM

comment #25