there may be hope for Disney yet

In the form of Mr. John Lasseter. Over in the AM forums, this article was posted about Lasseter now being the chief creative officer of animation for the Walt Disney Company. In the past decade, Disney has taken a nose dive in several projects. I liked “Treasure Planet,” but most didn't since it was their biggest flop. I am also to see 2d has practically disappeared from the main stream, and, lets face it, the Parks could use some help too.

Lasseter intends to change all that, and he is just the man for the job.

"But since Pixar was acquired, Mr. Lasseter has been heralded as a latter-day Walt Disney, a cultural arbiter who can rekindle the spirit of Disney’s famous animation at its theme parks, on store shelves and in a theater near you.

...

"Since taking over, Mr. Lasseter and Mr. Catmull have instituted a program to revive the hand-drawn animated short. 'The whole purpose is to get these artists ready for feature films,' Mr. Lasseter said.

"The day after he won a Golden Globe for 'Cars,' Mr. Lasseter and 13 animation executives gathered in Story Room 1 on the second floor of the studio in Burbank to hear an art direction pitch for a new short film featuring Goofy titled 'How to Hook Up Your Home Theater.'"

The article goes on to describe Lasseter's ideas for the company, including marketing arrangements with high-end organizations like Sur La Table and promotions like a “Ratatouille” -inspired, 'cheese of the month club' with Costco.

You don't want to miss He Runs That Mickey Mouse Outfit over at nytimes.com.