View of the 20th Century Fox logo during the CinemaCon Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Special presentation at the Colosseum Caesars Palace on April 3, 2019, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
VALERIE MACON
Nearly a year after acquiring 21st Century Fox’s film and television assets, Disney is dropping the Fox name from its studios’ names.
The move, which has been expected, means that 20th Century Fox will become 20th Century Studios and Fox Searchlight Pictures will be shorted to just Searchlight Pictures, Variety reported Friday.
No decision has been made about renaming 20th Century Fox Television and Fox 21 Television Studios.
Disney has already begun phasing out the Fox name from company email addresses and several posters for upcoming features, Variety said.
The iconic logos for the two studios will also be altered, but only slightly. The word “Fox’ will be taken off the logos, but the swirling searchlights, monolithic font and fanfare will remain.
It’s not shocking that Disney is phasing out the Fox name. After all, the company doesn’t want its own brand to be associated with the previous owners.
Disney last April closed a $71 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets, including the movie and television studios. Not included in the deal was Fox Corp., which is comprised of Fox News, Fox Sports and Fox Broadcasting.