[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-117704-en":3,"doc-seo-117704-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":91},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":20,"is_downloadable":20,"audit_status":20,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":27,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},117704,1099514068365,"Aurelia","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/10000253d8d9f28188e?_k=1776742907772140068",8,"Research & Report","Power Surge - Conglomerate Hollywood and the Studio System’s Last Hurrah","Power Surge traces how late-20th-century Hollywood transformed under the studio system’s final era, mapping shifting business models, creative strategies, and major studio regimes across successive “waves.” The narrative follows pivotal periods from 1989 onward, linking blockbuster franchises, animation renaissances, and breakthrough indie paradigms to corporate mergers, distribution power, and branding. Through structured case studies, it explains why the conglomerate turn reshaped filmmaking—and how it set the stage for the industry’s next order.","Power Surge  \n[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com)  \nPower Surge  \nCONGLOMERATE HOLLYWOOD AND THE STUDIO SYSTEM’S LAST HURRAH  \nThomas Schatz  \nU N IV E R S ITY O F CA L I F O RN IA P R E S S  \n[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com)  \nUniversity of California Press Oakland, California  \n© 2026 by Thomas Schatz  \nAll rights reserved.  \nLibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data  \nNames: Schatz, Thomas, author  \nTitle: Power surge : conglomerate Hollywood and the studio system’s last hurrah / Thomas Schatz.  \nDescription: Oakland, California : University of California Press,[2026] | Includes bibliographical references and index.  \nIdentifiers: LCCN 2025029041 (print) | LCCN 2025029042 (ebook) | ISBN 9780520415805 cloth | ISBN 9780520415829 ebook  \nSubjects: LCSH: Motion pictures—United States—History—20th century | Motion picture industry  \n—United States—History—20th century Classification: LCC PN1993.5.U6 S3254 2026 (print) |  \nLCC PN1993.5.U6 (ebook) LC record available at  \n[https://lccn.loc.gov/2025029041](https://lccn.loc.gov/2025029041)  \nLC ebook record available at  \n[https://lccn.loc.gov/2025029042](https://lccn.loc.gov/2025029042)  \nManufactured in the United States of America  \nGPSR Authorized Representative: Easy Access System Europe, Mustamäe tee 50, 10621 Tallinn, Estonia,  \n[gpsr.requests@easproject.com](gpsr.requests@easproject.com)  \n35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1  \n[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com)  \npublication supported by a grant from  \nThe Community Foundation for Greater New Haven  \nas part of the Urban Haven Project  \n[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com)  \nCONTENTS  \nList of Figures  \nIntroduction: The Genesis of a New System  \nPART ONE : THE FIRST WAVE ( 1 9 8 9 )  \n1. Warner Bros., Tim Burton, and Batman  \n2. The First Wave  \n3.  In from Off-Hollywood: sex, lies, and videotape and Do the Right Thing  \n4.  Coda: Holiday Hits and Oscar Bait  \nPART TWO : EBB TIDE ( 1 9 9 0 – 1 9 9 2 )  \n5.  Disney Hits and Misses—and the Animation Renaissance  \n6. The New Sony/Columbia Regime and James Cameron’s T2  \n7. Three Indie Paradigms: New Line, Sony Classics, and Miramax  \n8.  Renaissance Redux: The Return of Coppola, Scorsese, and Eastwood  \n9. Batman Returns and Steve Ross Departs  \nPART THREE : THE SECOND WAVE ( 1 9 9 3 – 1 9 9 5 )  \n10.  Spielberg’s Twin Peaks: Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List  \n11. The Emergence of Indiewood  \n12. Triumph and Turmoil at Disney  \n13. Tidal Wave  \n14.  Pixar and Toy Story  \nPART FOUR : RIP TIDE ( 1 9 9 6 – 1 9 9 8 )  \n15.  Titanic—and Other Imaginations of Disaster  \n16. The Year of the Independents and the Age of Miramax  \n17.  Disney’s Widening Gyre  \n18.  DreamWorks (Finally) Arrives  \n19.  Coda: The Oscar Showdown and Peter Bart’s Gross Anatomy  \nPART FIVE : THE THIRD WAVE ( 1 9 9 9 – 2 0 0 1 )  \n20.  In Search of “The One”: The Phantom Menace and The Matrix  \n21. The Third Wave  \n22.  Indie Meets Mainstream: Unlikely Hits and Studio Hybrids  \n23.  Dethroning Disney: Pixar, DreamWorks, and the Animation Subindustry  \n24. Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings: Franchises for the New Millennium  \nPART SIX : HIGH TIDE ( 2 0 0 2 – 2 0 0 4 )  \n25.  Course Correction: The Fall of AOL and Vivendi and the Birth of NBC Universal  \n26. The Time Warner Franchise Factory  \n27.  Indiewood Ascendant and the Desperation of Independents  \n28.  Disney at Sea: The End of the Eisner Era  \n29.  Split Decision: The Fate of DreamWorks","cbCaian5WyxfIGPA","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaian5WyxfIGPA","pdf",11578714,1,886,"English","en",105,"# Introduction: The Genesis of a New System\n# Part One: The First Wave (1989)\n## Warner Bros., Tim Burton, and Batman\n## The First Wave\n## In from Off-Hollywood: sex, lies, and videotape and Do the Right Thing\n## Coda: Holiday Hits and Oscar Bait\n# Part Two: Ebb Tide (1990–1992)\n## Disney Hits and Misses—and the Animation Renaissance\n## The New Sony/Columbia Regime and James Cameron’s T2\n## Three Indie Paradigms: New Line, Sony Classics, and Miramax\n## Renaissance Redux: The Return of Coppola, Scorsese, and Eastwood\n## Batman Returns and Steve Ross Departs\n# Part Three: The Second Wave (1993–1995)\n## Spielberg’s Twin Peaks: Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List\n## The Emergence of Indiewood\n## Triumph and Turmoil at Disney\n## Tidal Wave\n## Pixar and Toy Story\n# Part Four: Rip Tide (1996–1998)\n## Titanic—and Other Imaginations of Disaster\n## The Year of the Independents and the Age of Miramax\n## Disney’s Widening Gyre\n## DreamWorks (Finally) Arrives\n## Coda: The Oscar Showdown and Peter Bart’s Gross Anatomy\n# Part Five: The Third Wave (1999–2001)\n## In Search of “The One”: The Phantom Menace and The Matrix\n## The Third Wave\n## Indie Meets Mainstream: Unlikely Hits and Studio Hybrids\n## Dethroning Disney: Pixar, DreamWorks, and the Animation Subindustry\n## Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings: Franchises for the New Millennium\n# Part Six: High Tide (2002–2004)\n## Course Correction: The Fall of AOL and Vivendi and the Birth of NBC Universal\n## The Time Warner Franchise Factory\n## Indiewood Ascendant and the Desperation of Independents\n## Disney at Sea: The End of the Eisner Era\n## Split Decision: The Fate of DreamWorks","[{\"question\":\"What period does Power Surge cover, and how is it organized?\",\"answer\":\"The book organizes its analysis into six parts covering distinct “waves” across 1989 through 2004. Each part contains numbered chapters focused on major studio shifts and industry moments.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the book connect corporate change to film and studio decisions?\",\"answer\":\"Chapters link conglomerate power, regime changes, and mergers to how studios pursued franchises, animation, indie-to-mainstream hybrids, and large-scale branding. The case studies show how business strategy influenced creative and production outcomes.\"},{\"question\":\"What studio and industry themes appear repeatedly throughout the chapters?\",\"answer\":\"Across the wave structure, recurring themes include the rise of Indiewood, the role of animation renaissances (including Pixar), and competitive dynamics involving major players like Disney, Sony, Warner Bros., and emerging distribution-aligned entities such as DreamWorks and Miramax.\"}]","Power Surge - Conglomerate Hollywood and the Studio System’s Last Hurrah | PDF",1785678461,2233,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":24,"language":23,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":86,"head_meta":88,"extra_data":90,"updated_unix":28},"power-surge-conglomerate-hollywood-and-the-studio-systems-last-hurrah","",{"@graph":36,"@context":85},[37,54,68],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,48,51],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":47},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":49,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":50},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":52,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":53},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/power-surge-conglomerate-hollywood-and-the-studio-systems-last-hurrah/117704/",4,{"url":52,"name":13,"@type":55,"author":56,"headline":13,"publisher":58,"fileFormat":61,"inLanguage":23,"description":14,"dateModified":62,"datePublished":62,"encodingFormat":61,"isAccessibleForFree":63,"interactionStatistic":64},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":57},"Person",{"url":41,"name":59,"@type":60},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-08-02",true,{"@type":65,"interactionType":66,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":67},"ViewAction",{"@type":69,"mainEntity":70},"FAQPage",[71,77,81],{"name":72,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":74},"What period does Power Surge cover, and how is it organized?","Question",{"text":75,"@type":76},"The book organizes its analysis into six parts covering distinct “waves” across 1989 through 2004. Each part contains numbered chapters focused on major studio shifts and industry moments.","Answer",{"name":78,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":79},"How does the book connect corporate change to film and studio decisions?",{"text":80,"@type":76},"Chapters link conglomerate power, regime changes, and mergers to how studios pursued franchises, animation, indie-to-mainstream hybrids, and large-scale branding. The case studies show how business strategy influenced creative and production outcomes.",{"name":82,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":83},"What studio and industry themes appear repeatedly throughout the chapters?",{"text":84,"@type":76},"Across the wave structure, recurring themes include the rise of Indiewood, the role of animation renaissances (including Pixar), and competitive dynamics involving major players like Disney, Sony, Warner Bros., and emerging distribution-aligned entities such as DreamWorks and Miramax.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":52,"og:type":87,"og:title":13,"og:site_name":59,"og:description":14},"article",{"robots":89,"canonical":52},"index,follow",{"doc_id":7,"site_id":24},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":92},[93,97,101,105,110,115,120,123,128,131,135],{"id":20,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":94,"show_sort_weight":95,"slug":96},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":47,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":53,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":11,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":12,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},30,"research-report",{"id":124,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":126,"slug":127},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":126,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":126,"slug":130},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":132,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":133,"show_sort_weight":132,"slug":134},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":136,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":137,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":138},19,"General","general"]