Disney Pledging $5 Million to Notre-Dame Rebuild

The world seemed to stop on Monday afternoon as footage of the Notre-Dame Cathedral engulfed in flames in the middle of Paris flooded social media. We all watched as one of the most iconic man-made structures on the planet was actively being destroyed in front of our eyes. While everyone feared the worst, there was some good news to be had by the end of the day: The structure of the building itself remained intact. The frame of the building still stands, but there will be quite an enormous rebuild to the cathedral in the coming years.

It will cost quite a bit of money for Notre-Dame to be rebuilt, but plenty of big companies and organizations are donating to the cause to make the process go a bit quicker. Among them is The Walt Disney Company, who has pledged $5 million dollars to help the rebuild.

"Notre-Dame is a beacon of hope and beauty that has defined the heart of Paris and the soul of France for centuries, inspiring awe and reverence for its art and architecture and for its enduring place in human history," said Disney CEO Bob Iger in a statement. "The Walt Disney Company stands with our friends and neighbors in the community, offering our heartfelt support as well as a $5 million donation for the restoration of this irreplaceable masterpiece."

Disney's ties to the Notre-Dame Cathedral go back quite a bit, as the structure was at the heart of one of Disney's popular animated films in the 1990s. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, released in 1996, was based on Victor Hugo's novel of the same name, and told the story of the Cathedral's disfigured bell-ringer, Quasimodo. The film went on to gross more than $325 million at the box office.

At this time, there has been no official word as to what caused the fire at Notre-Dame on Monday. Fortunately there were no reported casualties.

-----

Have you subscribed to ComicBook Nation, the official Podcast of ComicBook.com yet? Check it out by clicking here or listen below.

In this latest episode, we cover the possible new Hawkeye series coming to Disney +, argue if Batman casting fatigue is setting in, we grade WWE Wrestlemania, and so much more! Make sure to subscribe now and never miss an episode!