Disney drops Fox from Twentieth Century name

Sound the trumpets: Twentieth Century Fox, a name and klieg-lit logo that stretches back 85 years in Hollywood, is dropping the word Fox so that consumers do not mistakenly think the movie studio has anything to do with Rupert Murdoch’s polarising Fox News media empire.

The Walt Disney Co bought most of Murdoch’s entertainment assets last year in a $71.3 billion deal. That included the Twentieth Century Fox studio and its art-house sibling, Fox Searchlight. On Friday, employees at the main movie studio arrived to a new email format (@20thcenturystudios) without the Fox. A Disney spokesman confirmed that both labels would drop Fox from their logos. Disney had no further comment.

“Downhill,” which arrives in theatres Feb 14, will be the first movie to bear the Searchlight Pictures name. “The Call of the Wild,” set for release Feb 21, will carry the Twentieth Century logo. The trumpet fanfare, klieg lights and familiar monolith logo will remain.

It is not surprising that Disney would rename the movie operations. In October, the Twentieth Century Fox television studio that Disney bought as part of the deal was changed as part of an integration with Disney’s television businesses.

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