This is one of those things Disney is going to be cleaning up for a long time. With such a reputable name, the Mouse House would probably like to keep it untarnished, especially by its own executive staff.
In a pretty huge dick move, Disney Animation Studios Chief Technical Officer Andy Hendrickson had this to say at a technical conference about his philosophy in making blockbuster tentpoles:
People say 'It's all about the story’. When you're making tentpole films, bullshit.
According to Variety, he went on admit that the abysmal story behind Disney’s recent Alice in Wonderland sequel didn't keep it from making boat loads of cash that put it now at the number 9 spot for all-time box office. Here's the exact quote if you don't believe us:
"The story isn't very good, but visual spectacle brought people in droves. And Johnny Depp didn't hurt."
While that may be true, it's embarrassing to think that Disney could be approaching filmmaking that way. It’s a privilege to make movies and entertain people for a living, especially at Disney, where they rake in the cash regardless of what the film is. Filmmakers, including the executives at the studios, should treat it as such. And while it’s hard to stop parents from bringing their kids to shitty movies like Alice in Wonderland, we as fans are the ones who hold their fates in our hands. With this "story is bullshit" mentality, eventually too many bad movies will get made and the sheep will catch on and start flocking to greener pastures...provided there are any other studios who don't think story is bullshit too.
Hendrickson probably didn’t mean anything harmful about the people who go to see Disney movies by making this statement, but it sure came off that way. He’s made a good point about the general viewing habits of moviegoers, but chances are he won’t be the one making public presentations anymore.
