Troubling new details about the abruptly-halted merger talks between DreamWorks Animation and Hasbro have been revealed in a Hollywood Reporter piece.
The industry trade publication suggests that a “nuclear-level reaction” from Disney execs played a role in Hasbro’s quick retreat from DreamWorks:
Sources confirm that incensed Disney executives conveyed to Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner that they would deem the toy manufacturer a competitor should it acquire DWA, imperiling huge contracts involving Marvel, Star Wars and, per a very valuable agreement set to begin in 2017, princess merchandise from Frozen and other titles. Deals with Disney are estimated to generate nearly a third of Hasbro’s business.
Also noteworthy: DreamWorks Animation has a mole problem. An anonymous insider connected to the studio is trying to derail the company’s merger efforts by releasing sensitive information to the press.
