´óÏó´«Ã½

Disney ends the historic 20th Century Fox brand

  • Published
Walt Disney has brought to an end one of the best-known names in the entertainment industry.Image source, Getty Images

Walt Disney has brought to an end one of the best-known names in the entertainment industry, 20th Century Fox.

It comes as the legendary House of Mouse has rebranded one of its TV studios as 20th Television.

It follows January's rebranding of the 85-year-old film company 20th Century Fox as 20th Century Studios.

Last year Disney completed a $71.3bn (£54.7bn) deal to buy the bulk of Rupert Murdoch's Fox media assets.

Disney has also renamed its other television studios, including changing ABC Studios and ABC Signature Studios to ABC Signature while Fox 21 Television Studios will become Touchstone Television.

"Our new studio names and logos mark a new day for ABC Signature, 20th Television and Touchstone Television while honouring their rich histories and the creative power of The Walt Disney Company," Craig Hunegs, president of Disney television studios, said in a statement.

Both the 20th Century TV and film rebrands retained the famous fanfare theme tune and searchlight logo.

Hit TV shows

20th Century Fox Television, which can trace its roots back to 1949, has been home to some of TV's most famous shows including the original Batman series, M*A*S*H and The Simpsons.

Earlier this year, when the film studio 20th Century Fox was rebranded, there were suggestions that Disney wanted to distance itself from Mr Murdoch's highly partisan, right-wing Fox News network.

Image source, FOX TV

Disney is already a dominant force in US news, as the owner of the ABC network. It is also taking on Netflix with its own streaming service Disney+.

The 20th Century Fox film studio is known for producing some of the biggest movies of all-time, including Avatar and Titanic.

20th Century Fox was created in 1935 when Twentieth Century Pictures and Fox Films merged.

Disney's movie-making history dates back to 1937, with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and now includes Lucasfilm - which makes the Star Wars franchise - and Marvel Studios among its stable of film companies.