Is Disney Dancing With Another Partner?

Strange how the timing is, and frankly I only noticed it because the first project is on Opus -- the best comic strip character ever -- but, according to Variety, Miramax and Dimension Films have struck a deal with Wild Brain to co-finance and co-produce CGI films (see article).

Given the content of my previous post -- about Iger kissing off Pixar for the non-sequential of you out there -- this could mean either that Disney is looking for a back door play for a new CGI player (although they pointed to their own efforts with Chicken Little) or Harvey Weinstein is adding a valuable asset to his Dimension stew to take with him when he goes, if he goes.

In Miramax's favor, given its current budget limitations, is that the deal calls for the co-financing of the pictures with Dimension/Miramax to distribute worldwide and fully-financed (by Wild Brain) straight to DVD fare pushing through the same pipeline. Of course, it will be a test of the newly lean Miramax's ability to exert the same marketing and distribution prowess it has exhibited in its past (see article on the miramAX).

Wild Brain CEO Jim Miller hopes that his experience overseeing Warner Brothers' co-production deals will help the company to drive through cost effective ($50 million) animation efforts every nine months.

The other side of the coin is that relationships like this will allow Miramax to have a steady stream of pictures without taxing its checkbook.

Further analysis has been provided by BusinessWeek.