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Monday MouseWatch : Will the third time be the charm with Disney’s Muppet revival project ?

Jim Hill walks us through the recent history of the Muppet Holding Company / Muppet Studios LLC. Which has blown through a trio of seasoned Disney VPs in the past three years. So now the question is: Does Lylle Breier really have what it takes to restore Jim Henson’s once-beloved set of characters to their former glory?

Published

18 years ago

on

It was three years ago this week that — after more than a decade of doggedly pursuing Miss Piggy & pals — the Walt Disney Company finally completed its acquisition of the Muppets.

And on the heels of the completion of this deal came news of Mickey’s very ambitious plan to revive this much beloved franchise. With Chris Curtin — formerly the Mouse House’s head of synergy — being named as Vice President and General Manager of the Muppet Holding Company. And given that Chris had previously been then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner’s special assistant … Well, it was thought that Curtin might then be able to use his political clout to bring about a fast-moving, broad-based revival of the Muppet franchise within the various divisions of the Disney corporation.

Well, it didn’t quite happen that way. Unfortunately, Chris was placed in charge of Muppet Holding just as Michael was being major-league distracted by Roy Disney & Stanley Gold’s efforts to unseat him. And following Eisner’s September 2004 announcement that he would be stepping down as Disney’s CEO in one year’s time … Well, Michael’s power within the Mouse House rapidly began to wane after that. Which — in turn — made it that much more difficult for Curtin to “persuade” various Disney department heads to get on board with his Muppet revival project. Given that his once all-powerful patron would soon be out of power.

Still, Chris & his team at Muppet Holding did what they could to quickly put Piggy & pals back in the spotlight. That fall, production of a new TV movie — “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz” — was greenlit. A Muppets.com website was launched in November of 2004 while Curtin arranged for the characters to appear on the Christmas 2004 edition of “Saturday Night Live.”


Copyright 2004 NBC / Universal

Meanwhile, behind-the-scenes, Chris met with various high powered players in an effort to kick-start Disney’s Muppets revival. And Curtin seemed startled by the calibre of the talent who were anxious to work with these characters. Take — for example — one of the original creators of “The Simpsons” (And — no — I can’t tell you his name) who actively campaigned to become the creator of the next Muppet TV series.

Still, Curtin felt that the real key to successfully relaunching this franchise was to make Kermit & Co. appear to be as hip & edgy as possible. Which is why he persuaded the oh-so-trendy Fred Segal stores to begin selling pricey Muppet themed t-shirts. Chris also had Animal & Pepe the Prawn appear at the 2005 X Games while a team of top-flight writers readied these characters’ first foray into the world of reality television by drafting an “America’s Next Muppet” pilot script.

But what Curtin really hoped would bring about the Muppets revival was a world-wide celebration of Kermit’s 50th birthday. This 15-month-long event was to have sent the world’s most famous frog around the globe to meet with his fans at far-flung locations like the Great Wall of China and the Eiffel Tower. There was (of course) supposed to have been tons of 50th anniversary merchandise as well as a TV special that would have then featured footage of Kermit’s trip ’round the globe.


 Copyright 2005 Muppet Holding Company, LLC

But just days before “Kermit’s World Tour” was to have begun (Appropriately enough, with a visit to Kermit, TX.), Chris Curtin was suddenly removed as the head of the Muppet Holding Company. And in his place, Disney’s newly installed CEO Bob Iger put Russell Hampton. Who was then the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the company’s Baby Einstein franchise.

Why exactly did Bob swap out Chris for Russell? Given that Curtin still works for the Walt Disney Company (He’s now the Vice President in charge of Global New Media for Disney Parks & Resorts. Which — given the size of Chris’ new staff as well as the budget that he now rides herd on — this new position was arguably a promotion from his old gig at Muppet Holding), it wasn’t that Iger was unhappy with Curtin’s work. But — rather — that Disney’s new CEO felt that a somewhat different approach should be taken with the Muppets.

And rather than spending Disney’s money on this elaborate world-wide celebration of Kermit’s 50th birthday … Well, Russell Hampton made it his mission that the Muppets should start making moolah for the Mouse. And the sooner, the better.

So even though Kermit had already made the first three stops of his world tour (I.E. Visiting Kermit, TX, touring the Johnson Space Center in Houston as well as dropping by Radio City Music Hall in NYC to share some birthday cake with the Rockettes), Russell abruptly pulled the plug on the rest of that project. He also significantly scaled back Chris Curtin’s effort to make the Muppets appear hipper & edgier than they actually were.

Truth to be told, Hampton approached Kermit & company the exact same that he had handled the Baby Einstein franchise. Not as a beloved set of characters. But — rather — as a product that was to be exploited. Which is why — on Russell’s watch — Muppet Holding was quick to cut a deal with the Ford Motor Company so that Kermit could then appear in commercials for their new Escape Hybrid (You can see Kermit’s new on-line ad for the 2008 Escape Hybrid by clicking on this link).


Copyright 2005 Ford Motor Company / Muppet Holding Company, LLC

Of course, what made Hampton’s efforts to make as much money as possible as quickly as possible off of the Muppets particularly difficult was … Well … Many of the licensing deals that the Jim Henson Company had originally cut with vendors prior to selling off Piggy & pals to Mickey had yet to expire. Which meant that (in some cases for specific lines of goods) it would be years before Disney Consumer Products could really start cashing in on the Muppet franchise.

Which is why (Given that — in early 2006 — ABC seemed very reluctant to actually greenlight production of “America’s Next Muppet.” Opting instead to give that proposed show’s production team some notes and insisting that the program’s pilot be rewritten) Hampton began exploring other options. And among these was licensing these characters to TF1. In effect allowing that French television network to create a brand-new Muppet show (Featuring scripts that had first been approved by Russell’s staff, of course).

The end result — “Muppet TV” — wasn’t a disaster. But it wasn’t a smash hit either. Disney insiders who have seen all 10 episodes that were produced last year say that the main reasons that this French-language show didn’t quite catch on with viewers was A) it was in an odd timeslot (Sunday evenings starting at 5:30 p.m.) and B) each episode of “Muppet TV” was an hour long. Which (as NBC’s “The Jim Henson Hour” proved back in the Spring of 1989) is a particularly difficult length-of-show for the Muppets to maintain.

In the end, due to the fact that there’d recently been a change in management at the uppermost levels of this French television networks, TF1 opted not to order a second set of “Muppet TV” shows. Which — to be honest — suited the folks at Muppet Holding (Which recently changed its name to Muppet Studios LLC) just fine.

 
Copyright TF1 / Muppet Studios, LLC

Why For? Well, Russell Hampton left Muppet Studios back in May of 2006 to become the new president of Disney Publishing Worldwide. Which left Piggy & pals rudderless for a short while. At least until Lylle Breier arrived on the scene.

“And who is Lylle Breier?,” you ask. Well, are you familiar with that “Pocahontas in the Park” event that Walt Disney Pictures held in Central Park back in June of 1995? Or — better yet — that time when Disneyland‘s Main Street Electrical Parade rolled through the concrete canyons of Manhattan in 1997 to help promote the world premiere of “Hercules” ? Or any of the other elaborate events that the Mouse has used over the past 15 years to help launch some of its major motion pictures. If so … Well, then you have Ms. Breier — who is Senior Vice President of Special Events at Walt Disney Studios — to thank for those spectaculars.

And with Lyelle now serving as the Muppets champion at Disney … To be honest, this is great news for Kermit & company. Given that Breier reportedly doesn’t think that the Muppets need to be hipper & edgier in order to appeal to today’s audiences. Nor does she view them as some product that needs to be exploited. But — rather — Lylle thinks that the Muppets are just this truly entertaining, endearing & enduring set of characters that the Walt Disney Company has yet to use to their fullest potential.

And to make sure that the Mouse starts making better use of these characters … Breier’s first order of business (once she took charge of Muppets Studios LLC back in the Fall of 2006) was to move the company out of those industrial park offices that they’d been sharing with Baby Einstein over in Glendale. She then had the Muppets set up shop right on the Disney lot. So that they could see & be seen.


Copyright 2004 Disney Enterprises, Inc. / Muppet Holding Company, LLC

From there, Lylle began meeting with writers to hear their pitches about what could possibly be done with the Muppets today. And one of the the more intriguing ideas came from sitcom vet Bill Prady‘s pitch. Who suggested that Fozzie & friends could appear in this “The Office” -like show about living & working in modern day Hollywood.

A 10-minute-long presentation reel version of Prady’s pitch was filmed back in January. To date, no official decision has been made about possible future development of this project. More recently, there has been talk about possibly doing this brand-new series of Muppet-related shorts & interstitials. Which would then be presented on the Disney Channel to help get today’s tweens interested in this classic group of characters.

Which (to some) may seem like an odd choice. Like Lylle is revisiting Chris Curtin’s old let’s-make-the-Muppets-seem-hip-and-edgy idea.

But know this: Breier is already fiercely protective of the Muppets. Having helped to shift control of these characters from Disney Consumer Products over to the Studio side of the Mouse Factory, she’s now determined to use Miss Piggy & pals in the way that Jim Henson originally intended them to be used. Not as nostalgic figures who can then be used to sell “Pizza Hut” products to baby boomers. But — rather — as characters who, first & foremost, are meant to entertain.

Mind you, reviving the Muppet franchise — returning these characters to the level of popularity that they once enjoyed back in the 1970s — may be a lot tougher than Lylle originally thought. Take — for example — what happened back in late February / early March, when WDI’s new “Muppet Mobile Lab” was being play-tested at DCA.

The crowds that stood around that theme park’s Hollywood Pictures Backlot area viewing this demo were admittedly wowed by this Living Character Initiative unit. The only problem was — when these people were asked afterwards to name the two mechanical Muppets that they’d just seen — almost none of them could then remember Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and/or Beaker’s names. Or — for that matter — could actually identify these characters as Muppets.


 Copyright 2007 Disney Enterprises, Inc / Muppet Studios, LLC

But still Breier (While still overseeing her duties at Disney’s Special Events office) is determined to give this Muppet-franchise-revival project her very best shot. And given that Lylle has a great working relationship with Dick Cook, the Chairman of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group (Who’s also said to be a huge Muppet fan) … Well, we may see Kermit & company back up on the big screen before too long.

That said, you have to walk before you can run. So — for now — the folks at Muppet Studios, LLC are concentrating on making sure that each of these new short films that are currently in the works for the Disney Channel are as as entertaining as they can possibly be. So that — when tweens go to DCA and see that “Muppet Mobile Lab” unit roll by — they can then say: “Hey, there goes Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker !”

Here’s hoping that this third management team proves to be the charm for Disney’s Muppet revival project.

Your thoughts?

Related Topics:

Jim Hill is an entertainment writer who has specialized in covering The Walt Disney Company for nearly 40 years now. Over that time, he has interviewed hundreds of animators, actors, and Imagineers -- many of whom have shared behind-the-scenes stories with Mr. Hill about how the Mouse House really works. In addition to the 4000+ articles Jim has written for the Web, he also co-hosts a trio of popular podcasts: “Disney Dish with Len Testa,” “Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor” and “Marvel US Disney with Aaron Adams.” Mr. Hill makes his home in Southern New Hampshire with his lovely wife Nancy and two obnoxious cats, Ginger & Betty.

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General

Seward Johnson bronzes add a surreal, artistic touch to NYC’s Garment District

Published

10 years ago

on

June 23, 2015

By

Greetings from NYC. Nancy and I drove down from New
Hampshire yesterday because we'll be checking out
Disney Consumer Products' annual Holiday Showcase later today.

Anyway … After checking into our hotel (i.e., The Paul.
Which is located down in NYC's NoMad district), we decided to grab some dinner.
Which is how we wound up at the Melt Shop.


Photo by Jim Hill

Which is this restaurant that only sells grilled cheese sandwiches.
This comfort food was delicious, but kind of on the heavy side.


Photo by Jim Hill

Which is why — given that it was a beautiful summer night
— we'd then try and walk off our meals. We started our stroll down by the Empire
State Building
…


Photo by Jim Hill

… and eventually wound up just below Times
Square (right behind where the Waterford Crystal Times Square New
Year's Eve Ball is kept).


Photo by Jim Hill

But you know what we discovered en route? Right in the heart
of Manhattan's Garment District
along Broadway between 36th and 41st? This incredibly cool series of life-like
and life-sized sculptures that Seward
Johnson has created.


Photo by Jim Hill

And — yes — that is Abraham Lincoln (who seems to have
slipped out of WDW's Hall of Presidents when no one was looking and is now
leading tourists around Times Square). These 18 painted
bronze pieces (which were just installed late this past Sunday night / early
Monday morning) range from the surreal to the all-too-real.


Photo by Jim Hill

Some of these pieces look like typical New Yorkers. Like the
business woman planning out her day …


Photo by Jim Hill

… the postman delivering the mail …


Photo by Jim Hill

… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …


Photo by Jim Hill


Photo by Jim Hill

… the street musician playing for tourists …


Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.


Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen …


Photo by Jim Hill

… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …


Photo by Jim Hill

… there were also statues representing people who were
from out-of-town …


Photo by Jim Hill

… or — for that matter — out-of-time.


Photo by Jim Hill

These were the Seward Johnson pieces that genuinely beguiled. Famous impressionist paintings brought to life in three dimensions.


Note the out-of-period water bottle that some tourist left
behind. Photo by Jim Hill 

Some of them so lifelike that you actually had to pause for
a moment (especially as day gave way to night in the city) and say to yourself
"Is that one of the bronzes? Or just someone pretending to be one of these
bronzes?"

Mind you, for those of you who aren't big fans of the
impressionists …


Photo by Jim Hill

… there's also an array of American icons. Among them
Marilyn Monroe …


Photo by Jim Hill

… and that farmer couple from Grant Wood's "American
Gothic."


Photo by Jim Hill

But for those of you who know your NYC history, it's hard to
beat that piece which recreates Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous photograph of V-J Day in Times Square.


Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, a 25-foot-tall version of this particular Seward
Johnson piece ( which — FYI — is entitled "Embracing Peace") will actually
be placed in Times Square for a few days on or around  August 14th to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day).


Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, if you'd like to check these Seward Johnson bronzes in
person (which — it should be noted — are part of the part of the Garment
District Alliance's new public art offering) — you'd best schedule a trip to
the City sometime over the next three months. For these pieces will only be on
display now through September 15th. 

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Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues

Published

10 years ago

on

June 10, 2015

By

Greeting from the 2015 Licensing Expo, which is being held
at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las
Vegas.


Photo by Jim Hill

I have to admit that I enjoy covering the Licensing Expo.
Mostly becomes it allows bloggers & entertainment writers like myself to
get a peek over the horizon. Scope out some of the major motion pictures &
TV shows that today's vertically integrated entertainment conglomerates
(Remember when these companies used to be called movie studios?) will be
sending our way over the next two years or so.


Photo by Jim Hill

Take — for example — all of "The Secret Life of
Pets" banners that greeted Expo attendees as they made their way to the
show floor today. I actually got to see some footage from this new Illumination
Entertainment production (which will hit theaters on July 8, 2016) the last time I was in Vegas. Which
was for CinemaCon back in April. And the five or so minutes of film that I viewed
suggested that "The Secret Life of Pets" will be a really funny
animated feature.


Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that Expo
attendees remembered that there was another Illumination Entertainment production
coming-to-a-theater-near-them before "The Secret Life of Pets" (And
that's "Minions," the "Despicable Me" prequel. Which
premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival next week but
won't be screened stateside 'til July 10th of this year). Which is why they had
three minions who were made entirely out of LEGOS loitering out in the lobby.


Photo by Jim Hill

And Warner Bros. — because they wanted "Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice" to start trending on Twitter today — brought
the Batmobile to Las Vegas.


Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention full-sized macquettes of Batman, Superman and
Wonder Woman. Just so conventioneers could then see what these DC superheroes
would actually look like in this eagerly anticipated, March 25, 2016 release.


Photo by Jim Hill

That's the thing that can sometimes be a wee bit frustrating
about the Licensing Expo. It's all about delayed gratification. You'll come
around a corner and see this 100 foot-long ad for "The Peanuts Movie"
and think "Hey, that looks great. I want to see that Blue Sky Studios production
right now." It's only then that you notice the fine print and realize that
"The Peanuts Movie" doesn't actually open in theaters 'til November
6th of this year.


Photo by Jim Hill

And fan of Blue Sky's "Ice Age" film franchise are in for an even
longer wait. Given that the latest installment in that top grossing series
doesn't arrive in theaters 'til July
15, 2016.


Photo by Jim Hill

Of course, if you're one of those people who needs immediate
gratification when it comes to your entertainment, there was stuff like that to
be found at this year's Licensing Expo. Take — for example — how the WWE
booth was actually shaped like a wrestling ring. Which — I'm guessing — meant
that if the executives of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. didn't like
the offer that you were making, they were then allowed to toss you out over the
top rope, Royal Rumble-style.


Photo by Jim Hill

I also have to admit that — as a longtime Star Trek fan —
it was cool to see the enormous Starship Enterprise that hung in place over the
CBS booth. Not to mention getting a glimpse of the official Star Trek 50th
Anniversary logo.


Photo by Jim Hill

I was also pleased to see lots of activity in The Jim Henson
Company booth. Which suggests that JHC has actually finally carved out a
post-Muppets identity for itself.


Photo by Jim Hill

Likewise for all of us who were getting a little concerned
about DreamWorks Animation (what with all the layoffs & write-downs &
projects that were put into turnaround or outright cancelled last year), it was
nice to see that booth bustling.


Photo by Jim Hill

Every so often, you'd come across some people who were
promoting a movie that you weren't entirely sure that you actually wanted to
see (EX: "Angry Birds," which Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia
Pictures will be releasing to theaters on May 20, 2016). But then you remembered that Clay Kaytis —
who's this hugely talented former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator — is
riding herd on "Angry Birds" with Fergal Reilly. And you'd think
"Well, if Clay's working on 'Angry Birds,' I'm sure this animated feature
will turn out fine."


Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, there were reminders at this year's Licensing Expo
of great animated features that we're never going to get to see now. I still
can't believe — especially after that brilliant proof-of-concept footage
popped up online last year — that Sony execs decided not to go forward
with  production of Genndy Tartakovsky's
"Popeye" movie.  But that's the
cruel thing about the entertainment business, folks. It will sometime break
your heart.


Photo by Jim Hill

And make no mistake about this. The Licensing Expo is all
about business. That point was clearly driven home at this year's show when —
as you walked through the doors of the Mandalay
Bay Convention Center
— the first thing that you saw was the Hasbros Booth. Which was this gleaming,
sleek two story-tall affair full of people who were negotiating deals &
signing contracts for all of the would-be summer blockbusters that have already
announced release dates for 2019 & beyond.


Photo by Jim Hill

"But what about The Walt Disney Company?," you
ask. "Weren't they represented on the show floor at this year's Licensing
Expo?" Not really, not. I mean, sure. There were a few companies there hyping
Disney-related products. Take — for example — the Disney Wikkeez people.


Photo by Jim Hill

I'm assuming that some Disney Consumer Products exec is
hoping that Wikkeez will eventually become the new Tsum Tsum. But to be blunt,
these little hard plastic figures don't seem to have the same huggable charm
that those stackable plush do. But I've been wrong before. So let's see what
happens with Disney Wikkeez once they start showing up on the shelves of the
Company's North American retail partners.


Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of Disney's retail partners … They were
meeting with Mouse House executives behind closed doors one floor down from the
official show floor for this year's Licensing Expo.


Photo by Jim Hill

And the theme for this year's invitation-only Disney shindig? "Timeless
Stories" involving the Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm brands that
would then appeal to "tomorrow's consumer."


Photo by Jim Hill

And just to sort of hammer home the idea that Disney is no
longer the Company which cornered the market when it comes to little girls
(i.e., its Disney Princess and Disney Fairies franchises), check out this
wall-sized Star Wars-related image that DCP put up just outside of one of its
many private meeting rooms. "See?," this carefully crafted photo
screams. "It isn't just little boys who want to wield the Force. Little
girls also want to grow up and be Lords of the Sith."


Photo by Jim Hill

One final, kind-of-ironic note: According to this banner,
Paramount Pictures will be releasing a movie called "Amusement Park"
to theaters sometime in 2017.  


Photo by Jim Hill

Well, given all the "Blackfish" -related issues
that have been dogged SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment over the past two years, I'm
just hoping that they'll still be in the amusement park business come 2017.

Your thoughts?

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General

It takes more than three circles to craft a Classic version of Mickey Mouse

Published

10 years ago

on

June 9, 2015

By

You know what Mickey Mouse looks like, right? Little guy,
big ears?

Truth be told, Disney's corporate symbol has a lot of
different looks. If Mickey's interacting with Guests at Disneyland
Park (especially this summer, when
the Happiest Place on Earth
is celebrating its 60th anniversary), he looks & dresses like this.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved

Or when he's appearing in one of those Emmy Award-winning shorts that Disney
Television Animation has produced (EX: "Bronco Busted," which debuts
on the Disney Channel tonight at 8 p.m. ET / PT), Mickey is drawn in a such a
way that he looks hip, cool, edgy & retro all at the same time.


Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights
reserved

Looking ahead to 2017 now, when Disney Junior rolls out "Mickey and the
Roadster Racers," this brand-new animated series will feature a sportier version
of Disney's corporate symbol. One that Mouse House managers hope will persuade
preschool boys to more fully embrace this now 86 year-old character.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

That's what most people don't realize about the Mouse. The
Walt Disney Company deliberately tailors Mickey's look, even his style of
movement, depending on what sort of project / production he's appearing in.

Take — for example — Disney
California Adventure
Park's "World of Color:
Celebrate!" Because Disney's main mouse would be co-hosting this new
nighttime lagoon show with ace emcee Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Goldberg really had
to step up Mickey's game. Which is why this master Disney animator created
several minutes of all-new Mouse animation which then showed that Mickey was
just as skilled a showman as Neil was.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved

Better yet, let's take a look at what the folks at Avalanche Studios just went
through as they attempted to create a Classic version of Mickey & Minnie.
One that would then allow this popular pair to become part of Disney Infinity
3.0.

"I won't lie to you. We were under a lot of pressure to
get the look of this particular version of Mickey — he's called Red Pants
Mickey around here — just right," said Jeff Bunker, the VP of Art
Development at Avalanche Studios, during a recent phone interview. "When
we brought Sorcerer Mickey into Disney Infinity 1.0 back in January of 2014,
that one was relatively easy because … Well, everyone knows what Mickey Mouse
looked like when he appeared in 'Fantasia.' "


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

"But this time around, we were being asked to design
THE Mickey & Minnie," Bunker continued. "And given that these Classic
Disney characters have been around in various different forms for the better
part of the last century … Well, which look was the right look?"

Which is why Jeff and his team at Avalanche Studios began watching hours &
hours of Mickey Mouse shorts. As they tried to get a handle on which look would
work best for these characters in Disney Infinity 3.0.


Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"And we went all the way back to the very start of Mickey's career. We began
with 'Steamboat Willie' and then watched all of those black & white Mickey shorts
that Walt made back in the late 1920s & early 1930s. From there, we
transitioned to his Technicolor shorts. Which is when Mickey went from being
this pie-eyed, really feisty character to more of a well-behaved leading
man," Bunker recalled. "We then finished out our Mouse marathon by
watching all of those new Mickey shorts that Paul Rudish & his team have
been creating for Disney Television Animation. Those cartoons really recapture
a lot of the spirit and wild slapstick fun that Mickey's early, black &
white shorts had."

But given that the specific assignment that Avalanche Studios had been handed
was to create the most appealing looking, likeable version of Mickey Mouse
possible … In the end, Jeff and his team wound up borrowing bits & pieces
from a lot of different versions of the world's most famous mouse. So that
Classic Mickey would then look & move in a way that best fit the sort of
gameplay which people would soon be able to experience with Disney Infinity
3.0.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

"That — in a lot of ways — was actually the toughest
part of the Classic Mickey design project. You have to remember that one of the
key creative conceits of  Disney Infinity
is that all the characters which appear in this game are toys," Bunker
stated. "Okay. So they're beautifully detailed, highly stylized toy
versions of beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm characters. But
they're still supposed to be toys. So our Classic versions of Mickey &
Minnie have the same sort of thickness & sturdiness to them that toys have.
So that they'll then be able to fit right in with all of the rest of the
characters that Avalanche Studios had previously designed for Disney Infinity."

And then there was the matter of coming up with just the
right pose for Classic Mickey & Minnie. Which — to hear Jeff tell the
story — involved input from a lot of Disney upper management.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

"Everyone within the Company seemed to have an opinion
about how Mickey & Minnie should be posed. More to the point, if you Google
Mickey, you then discover that there are literally thousands of poses out there
for these two. Though — truth be told — a lot of those kind of play off the
way Mickey poses when he's being Disney's corporate symbol," Bunker said.
"But what I was most concerned about was that Mickey's pose had to work
with Minnie's pose. Because we were bringing the Classic versions of these
characters up into Disney Infinity 3.0 at the exact same time. And we wanted to
make sure — especially for those fans who like to put their Disney Infinity
figures on display — that Mickey's pose would then complement Minnie.

Which is why Jeff & the crew at Avalanche Studios
decided — when it came to Classic Mickey & Minnie's pose — that they
should go all the way back to the beginning. Which is why these two Disney icons
are sculpted in such a way that it almost seems as though you're witnessing the
very first time Mickey set eyes on Minnie.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

"And what was really great about that was — as soon as
we began showing people within the Company this pose — everyone at Disney
quickly got on board with the idea. I mean, the Classic Mickey that we sculpted
for Disney Infinity 3.0 is clearly a very playful, spunky character. But at the
same time, he's obviously got eyes for Minnie," Bunker concluded. "So
in the end, we were able to come up with Classic versions of these characters
that will work well within the creative confines of Disney Infinity 3.0 but at
the same time please those Disney fans who just collect these figures because
they like the way the Disney Infinity characters look."

So now that this particular design project is over, does
Jeff regret that Mouse House upper management was so hands-on when it came to
making sure that the Classic versions of Mickey & Minnie were specifically
tailored to fit the look & style of gameplay found in Disney Infinity 3.0?


Copyright Lucasfilm / Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"To be blunt, we go through this every time we add a new character to the
game. The folks at Lucasfilm were just as hands-on when we were designing the
versions of Darth Vader and Yoda that will also soon be appearing in Disney
Infinity 3.0," Bunker laughed. "So in the end, if the character's
creators AND the fans are happy, then I'm happy."

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 9, 2015

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