Among the talk of the importance of intellectual property the term is tossed around too often and applied to creations where it doesn’t belong. Naming something a property makes the assumption that the property is valuable, which isn’t the case.
The third Star Wars trilogy Disney considered a valuable property and built not one but two lands in based on the stories in that film. A billion dollars were spent on each of the two lands, and while I consider the land in Florida the more successful of the two (because Disney’s Hollywood Studios was in need of a anchor), the lands were not what could be called a ‘home run’. The stories told just were not valuable to the paying customers. The guests wanted to visit a land filled with characters and stories they knew which they valued, and responded in the negative when they were not served what they wanted.
Calling something an intellectual property doesn’t make it a valuable property. Few valuable properties exist or are valuable, and some have been not available. Until today when it was announced that creative control of James Bond has been transferred to Amazon Studios. What the studio makes of James Bond we must wait and see, but what is important is that the James Bond valuable intellectual property theme park rights are available.
Likely the rights will fall to one of the usual suspects such as Universal or Disney, but what is all but certain is that one of those two companies will secure the rights to create experiences in their theme parks and resorts.
We and they have been shaken and not stirred.
Disney Journey Blog 