"Pixar is now five for five," said Apple and Pixar CEO Steve Jobs at a conference call with analysts on Thursday. He was referring to the fact that all of his company's films have been major hits at the box office. Pixar's latest, "Finding Nemo," is no exception...."Finding Nemo has passed The Lion King to become the most successful animated film ever released in North America," said Jobs. However, he did make it clear that "Nemo's performance is a once in a lifetime experience, so please don't expect it again."
Pixar has two more films under a marketing and distribution deal with Walt Disney. "The Incredibles" is set for release on November 5, 2004, and "Cars" in late 2005. There has been much talk about whether or not Pixar would resign with Disney.
"We are very clear on what a new deal for Pixar will look like," Jobs said. "We would prefer to continue our relationship with Disney if we can strike such a deal with them." He went on to note that Pixar is "very aware that there are a handful of other studios that can successfully market and distribute films like ours. There is only one Pixar." He then mentioned Warner Brothers, Fox, and Sony as possible candidates. "We've talked to many of these studios and we know we can get the deal we want," Jobs said. "We have the time -- the right deal is more important than the quick deal."
Jobs also compared the performance of the latest animated films from Pixar's closest competitors -- Disney, and DreamWorks. Disney's last four films totaled $661 million in worldwide box office sales, with an average of $165 million per movie. Dreamworks' latest pulled in $694 million, with an average of $173 per film. Meanwhile, Pixar's last four films have sold $2.1 worth of ticket, with an average of $526 per movie. This could be broken down into the following market share numbers: Disney 19%, DreamWorks 20%, and Pixar 61%.
Appearing on CNBC's Business Center after the conference call on Thursday, Jobs said that he sees a "slight uptick" in the economy. However, he noted that it could just merely be his "really hot" products such as the iPod, PowerBook, and "Finding Nemo." [MacMinute.com: Up-to-the-Minute Apple Mac News]
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