Winnie the Pooh (franchise)
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Winnie the Pooh is a character based on A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh stories. The Disney media franchise commenced in 1966 with the theatrical release of the short Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.
In the midst of a 2003 battle where Disney stood to lose commercial rights to Winnie the Pooh, The Daily Telegraph noted "Losing control of the Winnie the Pooh franchise would be a disaster for Disney. Analysts believe Pooh is worth $3bn-$6bn of Disney's total annual sales of $25bn." According to a 2013 Variety article, Winnie the Pooh is the third best-selling franchise in the world, after Disney's own Disney Princess and Star Wars. The New York Time said "The stakes are high for Disney. Global sales of Pooh merchandise — books, plush toys, T-shirts, potty chairs — have fallen 12% over the last five years, but still account for a staggering $5.5 billion", adding "Pooh...remains Disney’s second best-selling character after Mickey Mouse". It noted "Branding experts say aging character franchises are among the most difficult to keep alive because they require continually walking a tightrope. 'With Winnie the Pooh, Disney is going to continue to struggle with the tension of remaining relevant to kids versus maintaining a love-mark brand that parents trust,' said Matt Britton, a founder of Mr. Youth, a New York marketing firm." In a 2014 overview of Disney's top franchises, CNN wrote "Pooh may have been born in the 1920s in A.A. Milne's books. But the bear is still going strong via Disney movies and DVD's. Pooh Bear sells games, stuffed animals, clothing, and even iPhone and iPad apps. Pooh is also a favorite subject in books from Disney Publishing Worldwide, the world's largest publisher of children's books and magazines with more than 700 million products sold each year".
Long before Disney held any rights to Winnie the Pooh, Stephen Slesinger, Inc., produced the very first Pooh Movie under the banner Telecomics Presents, in 1947.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a 1977 American animated buddy musical comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution. It is the 22nd Disney animated feature film and was first released on March 11, 1977. The film consists of four previously released shorts that have been edited together. The ending scene is based on the final chapter of A. A. Milne's The House at Pooh Corner.
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