Mill Creek to distribute hundreds of Disney properties on DVD, and Blu-Ray (1 Viewer)

[Bryan^H]

I doubt very much Mill Creek will release a complete series of The X-Files BD. I think some Fox titles are doomed for OOP status forever.

 

[ScottRE]

Well, off the top of my head - reissues should include "Land of The Giants" (Which as I mentioned never had a budget release - just the box set with all the extras)

Considering their history, I think it's a safe to hope at least some of the Irwin Allen shows get a rerelease. I would snap up LOTG and Voyage just to have them on single sided DVDs. I would be interested to see if MC does blu rays of Lost in Space, since that show fell out of print also. The TIme Tunnel still has a nice blu ray on a region free overseas release.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Disney would be better off throwing all the fox negatives in the ocean than allowing ShitCreek to release fox Blu rays

just look what they did to I Dream of Jeanie

I was gutted when Fox was sold to Disney. Now I’m appalled

All they did was release what Sony provided to them. They are simply a distributor. So blame Sony.

 

[RobertMG]

hey may just stick with shows that have had that work done already.

All they did was release what Sony provided to them. They are simply a distributor. So blame Sony.

Now things look worse for Disney nothing more than grab every cent off of drek Too bad WB does not approach Disney to buy the FOX library

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Now things look worse for Disney nothing more than grab every cent off of drek Too bad WB does not approach Disney to buy the FOX library

WB? What, so Zaslav can burn it for a write off to fund GrandMILF Island?

 

[RobertMG]

WB? What, so Zaslav can burn it for a write off to fund GrandMILF Island?

At least WB is releasing product

 

[ScottRE]

All they did was release what Sony provided to them. They are simply a distributor. So blame Sony.

I agree in regards to using the same prints. But they look awful, which is all MC. Too many episodes per disc and the quality of the transfer are the main issues. And that one episode where there's a loud burst of static that drowns out dialog for minutes.

I knew I wasn't gonna get all new prints, MC is a reissue label, but there's no advantage to going to blu ray over Sony's original DVD with this.

 

[Capt D McMars]

it appears many have not read the press release from Bill Hunt, so here it is from his Digital Bits page so that you can connect the dots - and better see what this deal will and at this point not accomplish.
Monday, 30 January 2023 14:26

MILL CREEK SIGNS MULTI-YEAR CATALOG HOME ENTERTAINMENT DISTRIBUTION DEAL WITH DISNEY—AND WE HAVE EXCLUSIVE DETAILS​

by Bill Hunt

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Heads up Bits readers! No sooner had I posted the early news update here at the site, more significant news broke today...
Mill Creek Entertainment (a division of Alliance Entertainment) has just officially announced that they’ve inked a multi-year home entertainment distribution deal with The Walt Disney Company.
Per the company’s press release today (which is available here), this entitles Mill Creek to distribute “hundreds of select physical (Blu-ray and DVD) live-action film and television properties from the ABC Signature, 20th Television, Hollywood Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, and 20th Century Studios content libraries.”
Now then... I’ve confirmed some key points about this news with Disney sources, and it’s important for film and disc fans to keep them in mind when considering this arrangement going forward. [Read on here...]

First, this deal does NOT include 4K Ultra HD titles.
This deal also does not include new content, new transfers, or new remasters.
Titles that were previously released on DVD will be re-issued on DVD, and titles previously issued on Blu-ray will be re-released on Blu-ray—there will be no format upgrades.
The total number of titles to expect is in the 100-200 range.
These are live-action, deep catalog tiles only. (Think Mystery Alaska, In the Army Now, Transporter 2, Houseguest, etc.)
I should stress once again, that those points are confirmed with Disney sources.
We’ll talk more about this in the coming days here at The Digital Bits, but for now essentially this means that a lot of existing Disney, Fox, ABC, Hollywood Pictures, and Touchstone Blu-ray and DVD titles will be coming back into print, with Mill Creek handling the distribution.
This is also not to say that new transfers, remasters, and 4K titles aren’t possible (we already know that some are coming from Disney this year as mentioned here on The Bits previously—Avatar, The Abyss, True Lies, Cinderella, etc), just that they’re not part of this deal with Mill Creek.
Stay tuned...

 

[Capt D McMars]

Seems like kind of a pointless deal if they're just releasing all the same old stuff in the same old formats. Can't believe most of them would sell enough to be worthwhile even to Mill Creek.

I seems like MC is tring to get thier foot in the Disney Inc door, towards a possible BBD down the road?

 

[RobertMG]

I seems like MC is tring to get thier foot in the Disney Inc door, towards a possible BBD down the road?

So GLAD KINO did not pursue this deal

 

[Capt D McMars]

So GLAD KINO did not pursue this deal

here are some clues from the direct Press Release - here's a clue on what titles are in the mix coming from Jeff Hayne MCs Sr VP of acquisitions and Production "This significant partnership further builds on our studio’s substantial offering of home entertainment products that appeal to collectors and fans alike,” said Jeff Hayne, Senior VP of Acquisitions and Production of Mill Creek Entertainment. “Mill Creek will assume the role of vendor of record on certain existing titles.”

I love the lawyer speak at the bottom after the official PR -

Alliance Entertainment’s Mill Creek Entertainment Announces New Home Entertainment Licensing Agreement with The Walt Disney Company

Alliance Entertainment’s Mill Creek Entertainment Announces New Home Entertainment Licensing Agreement with The Walt Disney Company

www.businesswire.com

 

[JamesSmith]

Some more details from the Digital Bits that seem to confirm my earlier guess

I seems like MC is tring to get thier foot in the Disney Inc door, towards a possible BBD down the road?

What is BBD?
--jthree

 

[Garysb]

Even "The Sound of Music" blu ray seems only available from 3rd parties at Amazon. "Patton" blu ray is out of stock . "Call of the Wild" 2020 blu ray seems only available as import or as part of the 4K set. So maybe Fox Video is gone except for 4K and new releases and eventually all previous DVD/blu ray releases go to Mill Creek. Or as the Digital Bites mentions it is deep cuts that are going to Mill Creek, maybe Disney will have another deal yet to be announced with Shout or KINO for the more well known films and TV series like all the MTM TV shows which Shout already has a number of.

 

[Jerry Horne]

I wish Disney would release some of their TV holdings that aired on The Wide World of Mystery including:

Please Call it Murder (1975)
The Impersonation Murder Case (1975)

Etc...

 

[LeoA]

I hope Sitting Pretty is part of the deal. While I'm pretty happy with my DVD, it would be nice if the Blu-Ray that came out via their short lived Fox Cinema Archives would enjoy a reissue under the Mill Creek banner.

 

[jayembee]

I think this is likely the same package of films and shows that Kino previously had a deal for. The Kino deal ended, and it looks like they’ve re-upped with another distributor.

Not necessarily. The article reads:

In the multi-year agreement, Distribution Solutions, a division of Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation, will distribute hundreds of select physical (Blu-ray and DVD) live-action film and television properties from the ABC Signature, 20th Television, Hollywood Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, and 20th Century Studios content libraries.

Kino had a deal for Hollywood and Touchstone titles, as well as ABC Films (including the Selznick library). And some mainline Fox films. They did not, however, have any deal -- or at least exercise any deal -- for any of Fox's (or Disney's) TV shows.

Kino's deal was on a film-by-film basis, as well. And I would assume that Mill Creek's is, too. But there's nothing in the article that states whether Mill Creek's deal is restricted to the same titles that Kino released.

 

[jayembee]

A lot of these are likely titles that Mill Creek once distributed, that had then gone to Kino for the past few years, and are now returning to Mill Creek. It’s probably very little work to put them back into print under their label.

For whatever reason, Disney feels it’s important to keep certain titles from their off-brand subsidiaries in print. I don’t know exactly why but they’ve been pretty consistent on that point with this particular lot of titles they control.

Everyone's so focused on Kino that no one is thinking about Shout! Factory.

For TV shows, I imagine that Shout's DVD releases will be going OOP shortly (if they haven't already). And maybe their Fox film releases will do the same, such as the Fly Collection, the Omen Collection, etc.

 

[RobertMG]

here are some clues from the direct Press Release - here's a clue on what titles are in the mix coming from Jeff Hayne MCs Sr VP of acquisitions and Production "This significant partnership further builds on our studio’s substantial offering of home entertainment products that appeal to collectors and fans alike,” said Jeff Hayne, Senior VP of Acquisitions and Production of Mill Creek Entertainment. “Mill Creek will assume the role of vendor of record on certain existing titles.”

I love the lawyer speak at the bottom after the official PR -

Alliance Entertainment’s Mill Creek Entertainment Announces New Home Entertainment Licensing Agreement with The Walt Disney Company

Alliance Entertainment’s Mill Creek Entertainment Announces New Home Entertainment Licensing Agreement with The Walt Disney Company

www.businesswire.com

"Was Disney right to pay $71 billion for Fox’s entertainment empire? The sprawling properties it brought in-house helped fuel Disney+ and have given returning CEO Bob Iger a much-needed box office hit with “Avatar: The Way of Water” as he settles back into his old chair.

But investors are scrutinizing spending much more closely than they used to. Disney still carries a hefty debt load from the Fox deal and Iger’s rebound tenure has a time limit as he searches once again for a successor."

Not necessarily. The article reads:

In the multi-year agreement, Distribution Solutions, a division of Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation, will distribute hundreds of select physical (Blu-ray and DVD) live-action film and television properties from the ABC Signature, 20th Television, Hollywood Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, and 20th Century Studios content libraries.

Kino had a deal for Hollywood and Touchstone titles, as well as ABC Films (including the Selznick library). And some mainline Fox films. They did not, however, have any deal -- or at least exercise any deal -- for any of Fox's (or Disney's) TV shows.

Kino's deal was on a film-by-film basis, as well. And I would assume that Mill Creek's is, too. But there's nothing in the article that states whether Mill Creek's deal is restricted to the same titles that Kino released.

Has anyone heard of signal one they are releasing FOX titles in the UK Kiss of Death 1947 they say they deal with Fox so Disney allowing overseas releases? I think this deal with Mill Creek will be a big problem for Disney - just wait till releases come out and the big complaints are NO NEW transfers just a old transfer thrown on disc

 

[jayembee]

I hope Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea is given to Mill Creek.

Not likely, as Walt Disney Studios releases were not listed in the article describing what Mill Creek has access to.

 

[B-ROLL]

"Was Disney right to pay $71 billion for Fox’s entertainment empire? The sprawling properties it brought in-house helped fuel Disney+ and have given returning CEO Bob Iger a much-needed box office hit with “Avatar: The Way of Water” as he settles back into his old chair.

But investors are scrutinizing spending much more closely than they used to. Disney still carries a hefty debt load from the Fox deal and Iger’s rebound tenure has a time limit as he searches once again for a successor."

Has anyone heard of signal one they are releasing FOX titles in the UK Kiss of Death 1947 they say they deal with Fox so Disney allowing overseas releases? I think this deal with Mill Creek will be a big problem for Disney - just wait till releases come out and the big complaints are NO NEW transfers just a old transfer thrown on disc

My mom owns stock in Disney at it looks as though they already took the write-off for acquiring Fox as part of their Covid time negative revenue.