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Former Disney Corporation chief executive Michael Eisner predicts the Disney film The Chronicals of Narnia - The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe which was filmed in New Zealand will be as big worldwide as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which was also made here.
Eisner was speaking to ASB Business from New York ahead of a his first visit to New Zealand in February to speak at the global world leaders conference.
He says the New Zealand film industry is obviously very positive.
Eisner says Narnia, which he has seen, is spectacularly beautiful as is New Zealand and is going to be as big an event worldwide as The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
The film, an adaptation of CS Lewis' literary classic, is released next month.
Eisner ruled the Disney kingdom for just over 20 years.
It was a reign that saw Disney's revenues climb from $1.7 billion to more than $30 billion. In the process he became one of the most powerful men in US business.
Before he became the head of Disney he had had a dazzling career at ABC TV and Paramount Pictures.
He says when he joined Disney in 1984, he attracted very good executives, some of whom he knew from Paramount Pictures and some who came from Warner Brothers. He says he also recognised the value of the brand and was an ideas person.
Eisner says the acquisition of ABC and ESPN was the largest acquisition in American history at the time and while a lot of people thought Disney was stretching itself with the move, it was up there among the best acquisitions made in the last century.
But Eisner's last few years with Disney were not the happiest.
Walt Disney's nephew Roy Disney led a shareholder revolt against Eisner as he was unhappy with the company's performance and direction in 2003/04.
As a result Eisner stepped down as chairman last year and as chief executive last month.
So was the battle with Roy Disney difficult for Eisner and the company?
He say it didn't bother him, the company came out of it, and is now doing extremely well.
