Year
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Events
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Feature film releases
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1976
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1977
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1978
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1979
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- The release of The Black Hole marks the first Disney film to be rated PG. Costing $20 million to produce, the film would also be Disney's most expensive film ever up to that point.[15]
- The film would ultimately get lost in the wide success of Star Wars (1977) and its 1979 re-release.[2]
- Don Bluth and 12 fellow animators left Disney to found their own studio.
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1980
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1981
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1982
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1983
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1984
|
- The Touchstone Films label is created to produce films aimed towards more mature audiences.[4]
- On March 9, Splash becomes the first film release under Touchstone.[4]
- The Hollywood Pictures label is created, like Touchstone, to produce comedy films aimed towards mature audiences.
- The studio narrowly escapes a buyout attempt by Saul Steinberg. In its aftermath, Roy Edward Disney and his business partner, Stanley Gold, remove Ron W. Miller as CEO & president and Raymond Watson as chairman, replacing them with Michael Eisner and Frank Wells.
- Eisner became the first person with no personal connection to Walt Disney to lead Walt Disney Productions.[5] His first 4 years as CEO would see Disney surge from last place to first in box-office receipts among the 8 major studios.[2]
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1985
|
- In a reversal of a three-decade studio policy, the studio begins making cartoons for television.
- Touchstone Television is established to produce television programs and maintain Disney's strong network presence.[4]
- The home video release of Pinocchio becomes a best-seller.
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1986
|
- Walt Disney Productions is renamed to The Walt Disney Company.
- Down and Out in Beverly Hills (released by Touchstone Pictures) becomes the studio's first R-rated film
- In collaboration with filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, Captain EO opens as an attraction at Disneyland.[4]
- Touchstone Television brings Disney's return to Sunday night TV with the Disney Sunday Movie.[4]
- Disney features and TV shows begin syndication, first airing on September 4.
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1987
|
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1988
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1989
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1990
|
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1991
|
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1992
|
- Disney and Pixar sign their first three-picture deal.[20]
- The company gets a National Hockey League expansion franchise; it is named the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to coincide with the release of the film The Mighty Ducks.
- Euro Disney Resort opens outside Paris on April 12.[4]
- The company commits to a record-high 25 new films in 1992, after Disney studios surpassed the theme parks in profitability by the second quarter of 1991.[2]
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1993
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1994
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1995
|
- Disney announces plans to merge with Capital Cities/ABC, whose assets include ABC, Kenworth, McDonald's, and stakes in A&E Television Networks, ESPN, Peterbilt, Carlton Television, Central, Rover Group, MG Cars and DIC Entertainment.
- Blizzard Beach opens at Walt Disney World on April 1.
- Disney Online is founded.
- The Disney Channel begins operation in the UK on October 1.
- Michael Ovitz becomes president on October 2.
- Walt Disney Pictures releases Toy Story, which would be the first feature-length film of Pixar Animation Studios and the first completely computer-animated feature film ever.[20]
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1996
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1997
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1998
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1999
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2000
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