Disney Drops 'Fox' From 20th Century And Searchlight

For months, whispers had been circulating about Disney‘s approach to older Fox titles. Then, in October, an article in Vulture made it official: Disney was seemingly taking some of its most-beloved Fox titles and pulling them from the repertory market altogether. Now, almost a full year from the date of Disney’s Fox purchase, the company is offering its biggest flex: it is doing away with the Fox designation entirely.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Disney would be dropping the word ‘Fox’ from several of its production companies. 20th Century Fox, which had been in business since 1935, will now be branded as 20th Century Studios. Similarly, Fox Searchlight, which was founded in 1994 to be the arthouse arm of its parent company, will operate under the name Searchlight Studios. For those keeping track at home, Fox 2000 Pictures – which was responsible for distributing titles such as “Ravenous,” “The Thin Red Line,” and “Fight Club” – is set to be shuttered in May 2020.

On the one hand, rebranding new assets is a time-honored tradition in the world of mergers and acquisitions. If Disney determined that the Fox brand was no longer of any value to them – a determination the company likely made well-before the acquisition process was completed – then the first step is to remove the offending title from its successful companies. For most moviegoers, this is pretty much a non-issue. Audiences will ultimately remember (or not remember) a distributor for the quality of its releases, not for the shape of its logo. I may instinctively wince when I see that “A Comcast Company” tag at the bottom of the Focus Features production credit, but my nostalgia for Focus is based almost entirely on its run of pre-2010 releases. Focus Features, while still a tasteful production company, has diminished a bit because of their projects, not despite them.

Of course, it’s hard not to view this decision as part of Disney’s broader trend to tinker with its own history. Since Disney+ launched back in November, questions have circled the platform regarding the tweaking – or even outright censorship – of older material. It didn’t take long for people to realize that Disney was less forgiving of some of its Disney-adjacent releases. “Adventures in Babysitting,” the 1987 release by two-time ‘Harry Potter‘ director Chris Columbus, seems to have permanently lost its signature piece of profanity. More controversial releases – such as the oft-discussed “Song of the South” – are absent from the platform entirely.

Granted, refusing to address the racist stereotypes in a notorious 1946 release is nowhere near the same thing as removing one word from a production logo, but it’s hard not to see them as part of the same general trend. In the late 1980s, for example, Disney jumped onto a popular Hollywood trend and began colorizing classic Shirley Temple films as part of its Disney Channel “Shirley Temple Theater” series. Now it’s swapping out different edits of its films. Disney has always demonstrated a willingness to treat its properties as malleable, commodities that can be adjusted to better meet the demands of an audience.

Now, with other titles under its control, Disney seems willing to give the former Fox titles the same treatment. When you’re the biggest entertainment game in town, people are going to pay attention to how you position your projects. Demonstrate a willingness to play fast-and-loose with your own history and people will get nervous.

Regardless, as the fallout from the Disney acquisition continues, be prepared to see more changes to existing studios and production companies. With new streaming services appearing weekly and United States v. Paramount Pictures gasping its last breaths, Disney is likely going to make some aggressive moves to maintain its chokehold on Hollywood. Just cross your fingers that these changes will not extend to the films themselves.