In what appears to be a sharp reversal in strategy, Disney has sold broadcast rights to five animated features to the BBC, the studio’s first such television deal involving animated fare, according to Screen Daily, the online edition of the British trade publication Screen International.
The films involved are Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug’s Life, Mulan, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The first three films were produced by Pixar and released by Disney.
Until now, the thinking at Disney had been that TV releases were likely to cut into video sales. Walt Disney Television International president David Hulbert told Screen Daily: “This is certainly not a short term thing,” he said. “We have been talking about this strategy for years.”
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