After Disney: Toil, Trouble, and the Transformation of America's Favorite Company

(Paperback)

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The untold succession struggle at Walt Disney Productions following the death of its founder, and the generational transformation which led to the birth of the modern multibillion-dollar animation industry.

Walt Disney left behind big dreams when he died in 1966. Perhaps none was greater than the hope that his son-in-law, Ron Miller, would someday run his studio. Under Millers leadership, Disney expanded into new frontiers: global theme parks, computer animation, cable television, home video, and video games. Despite these innovations, Ron struggled to expand the Disney brand beyond its midcentury image of wholesome family entertainment, even as times and tastes evolved. Tensions between Miller and Walts nephew, Roy E. Disney, threatened to destroy the company, leading Wall Street Gordon Gecko types to come after Mickey Mouse.

At the same time, the aging Animation Departmentonce the core of Walts businesswas one memo away from shutting down forever. Rather, thanks to the radical efforts of Walts veterans to recruit and nurture young talent, it was revived by this sudden influx of artists who would go on to revolutionize the film industry. Additionally, this new generation would prove over time that animation was so much more than just kids stuffit was a multibillion dollar industry.

This is the upstairs-downstairs story of the executives and animators who clashed and collaborated to keep Americas most storied company alive during the most uncertain period in its one hundred year history.

Author Bio

Neil OBrien is an award-winning journalist and producer who has worked at NBC News for more than two decades. He has produced hundreds of hours of television over the course of his career and his work with NBC News Specials has been honored with four Emmy Awards, a Peabody, and an Edward R. Murrow Award.

Neil has spent more than a decade researching and conducting interviews for this book. He also serves on the Advisory Committee of the Berkshire International Film Festival. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and two children.