Kids
Disney elects Pepper and Smith as independent directors
MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company board of directors has elected Procter & Gamble former chairman and CEO John E. Pepper Jr. and Starbucks Corp former president and CEO Orin C. Smith as two new independent directors, effective 1 January, 2006. With the election of Pepper and Smith, 11 of 13 directors on Disney‘s Board will be independent.With them joining in January, the full Board of 13 members will now have an appropriate amount of time to work closely together and carefully deliberate in the selection of Disney‘s next chairman. The Board also unanimously requested that Senator Mitchell remain a director, and continue as chairman, through December 2006 to facilitate an orderly chairman succession process. Senator Mitchell had planned to retire following Disney‘s 2006 Annual Meeting, but agreed to the Board‘s request that he stand for re-election at the 2006 Annual Meeting. “By growing, cultivating and protecting some of the best known brands worldwide at Procter & Gamble and Starbucks, John and Orin bring invaluable global perspectives as well as proven commitments to social responsibility. Disney shareholders will benefit from their decades of world-class leadership, finance and high profile consumer brand experience,” said Disney chairman Senator George J Mitchell. |
The Disney Board also declared an annual cash dividend of $0.27 per share, a 12.5 per cent increase from last year‘s dividend, payable on 6 January, 2006 to shareholders of record at the close of business 12 December, 2005. “With our strong balance sheet and third straight year of double-digit earnings growth, Disney is in a good position to continue returning capital to shareholders even as we invest for future growth. In addition to this increased dividend, since August 2004, we have invested over $3.9 billion to purchase approximately 154 million shares of Disney stock, which further demonstrates our confidence in growing shareholder value over time,” said The Walt Disney Company president and CEO Robert A. Iger. |
Kids
Mukta Arts and Green Gold ink MOU to animate iconic film IPs
Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan to spawn animated shows plus features.
MUMBAI: When classic hindi movie meets animation, the result is a fresh reel of nostalgia with a cartoon twist. Mukta Arts Ltd. and Green Gold Animation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on animated shows and feature films drawn from Mukta Arts’ four-decade treasure trove of iconic IPs. The partnership taps Mukta’s SGM Animation Studio launched in 2025 as its dedicated animation and games arm and Green Gold’s proven track record in building scalable, homegrown franchises. Creative teams from both sides have already kicked off discussions, with the first project currently in development.
The slate will draw inspiration from landmark Mukta films including Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Saudagar and Iqbal, plus character-led spin-offs from those universes. The aim is to reimagine these stories for today’s young, global audiences while preserving their emotional core.
Green Gold Animation (home of Chhota Bheem) founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka said, “This partnership with SGM Studios allows us to apply our experience in building long-lasting animation IPs to a truly iconic film catalogue. Together, we aim to create animated worlds that are rooted in these legendary stories, yet designed to connect with today’s young, global audiences.”
Mukta Arts Ltd. filmmaker and founder Subhash Ghai added, “Mukta Arts has always believed in creating stories with lasting emotional value. Through animation, we are extending our IP into a new medium for the next generation.”
In an industry where timeless tales never go out of fashion, this collaboration promises to bring beloved characters back to life with a modern, animated glow proving that some stories are too good to stay in live-action. Stay tuned for the first animated frame to drop.
