Disney is dropping "Fox" from the name "20th Century Fox" for political reasons (1 Viewer)

[Henry Ford]

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/disney-dropping-fox-20th-century-studios-1203470349/

Disney will rebrand "20th Century Fox" as "20th Century Studios" and "Searchlight Pictures" to avoid confusion with Rupert Murdoch's "Fox Corporation" (and thus Fox News.)

 

[timschochet]

That’s dumb. 

The change that should be made is 21st Century. 

 

[Mile High]

That’s dumb. 

The change that should be made is 21st Century. 

Sure why not. If you are going to change the name, move it forward.

 

[BroadwayG]

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/disney-dropping-fox-20th-century-studios-1203470349/

Disney will rebrand "20th Century Fox" as "20th Century Studios" and "Searchlight Pictures" to avoid confusion with Rupert Murdoch's "Fox Corporation" (and thus Fox News.)

I didn't see a named source. 99% chance this is a false assumption.

 

[Max Power]

At least Disney is focusing on their biggest problems. 

 

[IvanKaramazov]

"Why should I change my name?  He's the one who sucks."

 

[Henry Ford]

I didn't see a named source. 99% chance this is a false assumption.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/17/business/media/disney-fox-name.html

On Friday, the employees at the main movie studio arrived to a new email format (@20thcenturystudios) without the Fox. A Disney spokesman confirmed that both labels would drop Fox from their logos. Disney had no further comment.

I find it unlikely that this is a "false assumption" simply because publications didn't name the person no one knows who works as a spokesperson for Disney.

 

[bagger]

At least Disney is focusing on their biggest problems. 

Branding is probably pretty big for them.

 

[apalmer]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/17/business/media/disney-fox-name.html

I find it unlikely that this is a "false assumption" simply because publications didn't name the person no one knows who works as a spokesperson for Disney.

Maybe they're dropping the "Fox" portion because people thought a small red creature was running the company.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Eh I know Disney has big time marketing whiz kids who approved this but IMO century plus old branding is not an easy thing to recapture.

 

[Kal El]

TIL that Disney owns 20th Century Fox. Had no clue.

 

[Henry Ford]

TIL that Disney owns 20th Century Fox. Had no clue.

Happened fairly recently as I recall. 

 

[zoonation]

At least Disney is focusing on their biggest problems. 

Disney has big problems?

 

[Joe Summer]

Now if only "Fox News" would make a similar move...

 

[toshiba]

Now if only "Fox News" would make a similar move...

You mean take the News out so people understand they aren’t really News?

 

[The Z Machine]

Eh I know Disney has big time marketing whiz kids who approved this but IMO century plus old branding is not an easy thing to recapture.

The Disney name carries 1000x more marketing value than the "Fox" in in 20th Century Fox pictures. Plus, I don't think many comsumers refer to the studio very often by name. I think it as a smart move.

 

[cubd8]

What movies/revenue have they produced in the past 3-5 years?

 

[Mile High]

What movies/revenue have they produced in the past 3-5 years?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_20th_Century_Fox_films_(2000–present)

 

[cubd8]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_20th_Century_Fox_films_(2000–present)

Thanks. Looking at that list, and all the Marvel, etc., are they really being hurt by having FOX in the name?

 

[squistion]

If some band covers the old Doors song, I think don't think "She's a 20th Century Studios" has quite the same ring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcSpkeTnIwg

 

[Mile High]

Thanks. Looking at that list, and all the Marvel, etc., are they really being hurt by having FOX in the name?

Probably not. Disney seems pretty bulletproof right now.

 

[wikkidpissah]

side note - i know why the film studio never updated to 21st Century Fox. a friend of mine started a comic book shop of that name in Santa Fe in the 70s and, when he checked to see if he'd be getting a cease & desist letter for doing so, he discovered that Fox had yet to copyright the updated name. So he copyrighted it himself. He notified them and told em it would be a quarter mil for the name back then (they wouldnt pay). Fox didnt name anything 21st Century until Murdoch broke up Fox's news & entertainment division just a few years ago, so my pal (or his heirs?) must have finally got his payday

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

The Disney name carries 1000x more marketing value than the "Fox" in in 20th Century Fox pictures. Plus, I don't think many comsumers refer to the studio very often by name. I think it as a smart move.

Someone can and likely will correct me on this but I *think there were originally two studios, 20th Century and Fox, and given the rough and tumble of the industry back in the day they merged, hence the name. In that sense it’s going back to the original. I’m also curious about the reason for this because I could also see Disney just wanting Disney being the brand.

And you may be right, as I said I’m sure the best & brightest analysts have gone over this thoroughly.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

And I’ll add the merger sucks from a movie perspective because we need more players not fewer. Too much homogeneity.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

It’s also not entirely clear reading the article that it was for political reasons, that’s according to one insider. Largely it appears to be about branding.

 

[squistion]

Someone can and likely will correct me on this but I *think there were originally two studios, 20th Century and Fox, and given the rough and tumble of the industry back in the day they merged, hence the name. In that sense it’s going back to the original. I’m also curious about the reason for this because I could also see Disney just wanting Disney being the brand.

And you may be right, as I said I’m sure the best & brightest analysts have gone over this thoroughly.

Correct.

There was a studio consolidation in the 20s. Besides 20th Century and Fox, Metro and Goldwyn pictures merged and became Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer because Louie B. Mayer (of Metro Pictures) insisted that if Sam Goldwyn got his name in the title, he would too. 

 

[HellToupee]

I didn’t realize Rupert Murdoch is married to Jerry Hall

 

[KingPrawn]

Someone can and likely will correct me on this but I *think there were originally two studios, 20th Century and Fox, and given the rough and tumble of the industry back in the day they merged, hence the name. In that sense it’s going back to the original. I’m also curious about the reason for this because I could also see Disney just wanting Disney being the brand.

And you may be right, as I said I’m sure the best & brightest analysts have gone over this thoroughly.

Not so sure about Disney just wanting Disney being the brand. Releasing movies under the different studio names allows them to release edgier movies without tarnishing the Disney brand 

 

[bigbottom]

side note - i know why the film studio never updated to 21st Century Fox. a friend of mine started a comic book shop of that name in Santa Fe in the 70s and, when he checked to see if he'd be getting a cease & desist letter for doing so, he discovered that Fox had yet to copyright the updated name. So he copyrighted it himself. He notified them and told em it would be a quarter mil for the name back then (they wouldnt pay). Fox didnt name anything 21st Century until Murdoch broke up Fox's news & entertainment division just a few years ago, so my pal (or his heirs?) must have finally got his payday

Do you mean trademark, rather than copyright?

 

[wikkidpissah]

Do you mean trademark, rather than copyright?

i guess. 

 

[randall146]

side note - i know why the film studio never updated to 21st Century Fox. a friend of mine started a comic book shop of that name in Santa Fe in the 70s and, when he checked to see if he'd be getting a cease & desist letter for doing so, he discovered that Fox had yet to copyright the updated name. So he copyrighted it himself. He notified them and told em it would be a quarter mil for the name back then (they wouldnt pay). Fox didnt name anything 21st Century until Murdoch broke up Fox's news & entertainment division just a few years ago, so my pal (or his heirs?) must have finally got his payday

I hate to lawyer things up here, but your buddy almost certainly didn’t get paid. 

 

[Insomniac]

It’s also not entirely clear reading the article that it was for political reasons, that’s according to one insider. Largely it appears to be about branding.

I suppose it's possible the studio thinks there's a negative connotation to Fox among the demographic that generates most of their revenue. OTOH I can't say I ever considered what studio made a movie when I decided to go see it.  I wouldn't think younger people would either.