General
Would Walt’s version of “The Aristocats” have been a bigger hit for Disney Studios?
The full-length animated features that Walt Disney Animation Studios has produced over the past 75 years can mostly be sorted into two distinctly different piles: Those films that Walt personally had a hand in and those movies which were produced after Disney passed away.
Please note that I said “mostly.” Because the jury’s still out about which pile “The Aristocats” actually belongs in.
Why For? Because prior to his death in December of 1966, Walt spent five years working on & off on the development of this project. As he and his storymen struggled to get “The Aristocats” in good enough shape to shoot.
A Walt Disney Productions publicity piece from 1969 showing the workthat was still being done at that time on this animated feature.Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
And — yes — I said “shoot,” rather than animate. For much of the early 1960s, “The Aristocats” was headed for television. Walt originally saw Tom McGowan & Tom Rowe‘s story as perfect fodder for a fun live-action episode of “The Wonderful World of Color.” So from December 1961 ’til August 1963, that’s where the Company’s efforts (at least as far as this individual project was concerned) were concentrated. Breaking down “The Aristocats” ‘s story beats so that this feline-driven tale could then be told as a two-part episode on this hour-long anthology series for NBC.
But sometime in the late Summer / early Fall of 1963 (Just as Walt was riding herd on the production of “Mary Poppins” as well as zeroing in on the perfect piece of property to build Project Florida upon), Woolie Reitherman somehow got ahold of the script for “The Aristocats.” Which he immediately saw as the possible follow-up project for the animated feature that WDAS then had in production, “The Jungle Book.”
Now this is where this story gets kind of murky. Given that — from the Fall of 1964 through December of 1966 — Walt (when he sat in on “Aristocats” story sessions. Which admittedly wasn’t all that often) always pushed for one particular version of this story. Which had Duchess obsessed with finding just the right owner/home for each of her three kittens. The perfect place where Berlioz, Marie and Toulouse’s talents would then be allowed to flourish. More importantly, where her children would be safe, happy and loved for the rest of their lives.
Ken Anderson once envisioned Duchess and her kittens meeting O’Malley on thestreets of Paris, rather than far out in the French countryside.Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
That — to Walt’s way of thinking, anyway — is what should have driven the story of “The Aristocats.” That by placing this particular storyline front & center and then making the whole butler-and-maid-trying-to-dispose-of-this-quartet-of-cats-so-that-they-could-then-collect-Madame-Bonfamille’s-fortune idea a relatively minor comic subplot … Well, that then would have given “The Aristocats” ‘s plotline a real sense of urgency. More importantly, that this mother-who-makes-sacrifices,-lets-her-children-go-so-that-they-can-then-go-on-to-lead-happy,-fulfilling-lives angle is what would give this motion picture heart and allow the audience to make a real emotional connection to these characters and this story. Because — as you know — in all of the very best Walt Disney Studios productions — ” … for every laugh, there should be a tear.”
But after Walt died in December of 1966, Woolie began making significant changes to “The Aristocats” characters & storyline. To be blunt, Reitherman wasn’t all that interested in making an mushy and emotional animated feature. What he had in mind was more of an action-adventure / comedy romp, something more along the lines of Walt Disney Productions’ 1961 release, “101 Dalmatians.”
More to the point, Woolie’s main goal here was to make sure that WDAS would actually be able to complete production of “The Aristocats.” With Walt now gone … Well, there were a lot of people at the Studio who were questioning whether Walt Disney Productions should even keep its feature animation unit up and running.
Please note that O’Malley the Alley Cat has a very different color scheme in this conceptpainting that Ken Anderson did during “The Aristocats” ‘s early development phase.Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
“The Jungle Book” ‘s huge box office success during the Summer of 1967 effectively tabled that discussion. For a while, anyway. But Reitherman knew that — were “The Aristocats” to turn out to be a particularly troubled production and/or a box office failure … Well, Card Walker & his cronies would then just use this as an excuse to shut feature animation down.
So whatever Woolie could do to make “The Aristocats” easier to produce / keep this animated feature’s overall production costs down, he did. Take — for example — the two villains who used to drive this film’s story, Edgar the Butler and Elvira the Maid. In an effort to simplify these proceedings / streamline production, Reitherman gave the maid the boot and made the butler the singular villain of the piece.
Likewise remembering all of the extra time, effort & money that went into making sure that Shere Khan’s stripes were always in the right place (not to mention all of those spots on the puppies in “101 Dalmatians”) … Well, that’s why Woolie decided to rethink the look that the Studio’s development team had originally come up with for O’Malley the Alley Cat. Changing this sweet-talking tabby from an orange-colored calico with all sorts of stripes on him to a far simpler-to-paint-and-draw, brown-and-white alley cat.
Here’s an image capture from an early animation test for “The Aristocats.” Back whenO’Malley the Alley Cat still had his stripes. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.All rights reserved
Mind you, not everyone at the Studio was happy with what Woolie Reitherman was doing. When I spoke with Disney Legend Richard Sherman on the phone last week (he was doing publicity for the Blu-ray version of “The Aristocats.” Which — FYI — is out in stores today), he talked about how all of these cuts & changes that Woolie was making wound up impacting many of the songs that he and his brother Robert had written for this film.
“As you’ll discover when you watch the ‘The Lost Open’ portion of the Special Features on this Blu-ray & DVD, we had this whole different opening sequence for ‘The Aristocats’ written and storyboarded. One where we used a comic song to introduce the audience to Edgar & Elvira,” Sherman explained. “But once Elvira was cut out of the picture, that song had to go. Along with a bunch of other numbers that — I think, anyway — cost this story some emotional heft. Made this material seem far more lightweight than it really needed to.”
Richard was quick to point out that he’s still a big fan of the finished version of this film. He also acknowledged that “The Aristocats” did exactly what it was supposed to. Because this animated feature was a box office success when it was initially released to theaters in December of 1970 … Well, that then prevented Disney’s board of directors from having an excuse to shut down the Studio’s feature animation unit. Which is why 1973’s “Robin Hood” (and the two full-length animated features which followed that film, 1977’s “The Rescuers” and 1981’s “The Fox and the Hound“) were then allowed to go into production.
Among the sequences that got cut from “The Aristocats” during its early-early productionphase was a scene where O’Malley tricked Edgar into following him down into the sewersof Paris. Woolie Reitherman spiked this sequence supposedly out of concern that allof the water & lightning effects necessary to properly pull off this scene would significantly increase “The Aristocats” production budget. CopyrightDisney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
But even so, Sherman still misses some of the more-heartfelt numbers that he and his brother wrote for this motion picture: “Pourquoi” (which was supposed to have been a cute duet between Madame Bonfamille and Duchess) and ” She Never Felt Alone” (which would have been the musical number that Duchess used to explain to O’Malley why she & her kittens couldn’t stay with him, why they had to hurry back home to Madame Bonfamille’). Not to mention “Le Jazz Hot,” the Sherman-written song which was eventually replaced by “Ev’rybody Wants to Be a Cat.”
“That song was actually cut out of the picture because the producers were worried that ‘The Aristocats’ was getting too French,” Sherman laughed. “Which is kind of a strange concern to have when your movie is set in and around Paris.”
It’s this somewhat schizophrenic production history that often makes it difficult for Disneyphiles & animation historians to decide how exactly to categorize “The Aristocats.” After all, Walt Disney did in fact help shape the story for this film back in the early 1960s. Only to then have Woolie Reitherman toss out many of the Ol’ Mousetro’s ideas. All because Woolie wasn’t looking to necessarily make the greatest full-length animated feature of all time. But — rather — just make a movie that the Studio’s feature animation team could actually deliver on time and (more importantly) on budget.
Another way that Woolie Reitherman kept down “The Aristocats” production costs is bychanging Duchess and her kittens from fluffy, long-haired Persian cats to Americanshorthairs. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
That said, me personally, I still think that there’s a lot to like about “The Aristocats.” Especially those two slapstick-heavy sequences where Edgar encounters Napoleon & Lafayette, those two hound dogs who are guarding that farm out in the French countryside. But now after having talked with Richard Sherman as well as having seen the Special Features on this new Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment release, I wonder if — by going the lighthearted romp route, rather than exploring the more emotional potential that Walt originally saw in this material — Woolie didn’t cost the Company a classic. A film more along the lines of “Lady and the Tramp,” which — thanks to its strong storyline and deeper, far more complex characters — still resonates with audiences today in a way that “The Aristocats” just doesn’t.
But what do you folks think of this 1970 Walt Disney Productions release? Is “The Aristocats” purr-fection to you or the animation equivalent of a hairball … er … airball?
Your thoughts?
General
Seward Johnson bronzes add a surreal, artistic touch to NYC’s Garment District
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.
General
Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues
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?
General
It takes more than three circles to craft a Classic version of Mickey Mouse
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
How Disney’s “Bambi” led to the creation of Smokey Bear
Introducing “I Want That Too” – The Ultimate Disney Merchandise Podcast
New Updates and Exclusive Content from Jim Hill Media: Disney, Universal, and More
Totting Up the Eisner Scorecard
Babes in Waltland : Part I
Attractions that make it easy to slip some education into your next Orlando-area vacation
Star Wars Spoof: Space Robots in Outer Space Ep X: Battle for the Halcyon: The Last Starcruiser
Jim Hill Turns Lady & the Tramp Inside Out for D23 Fanniversary
Jim Hill & Nancy’s most excellent adventure in Diagon Alley
-
News & Press Releases12 months agoStar Wars Spoof: Space Robots in Outer Space Ep X: Battle for the Halcyon: The Last Starcruiser
-
History11 months ago31 Long-Gone Rides, Shows & Attractions at Disney-MGM (Hollywood Studios)
-
News & Press Releases8 months agoDisney Will Bring D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event to Anaheim, California in August 2024
-
History3 months agoFrom Birthday Wishes to Toontown Dreams: How Toontown Came to Be
-
Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment11 months agoFrom Aladdin to Indy – How Did We Get an Indiana Jones Stage Show at Disneyland?
-
Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment12 months agoHow Did We Get “Aladdin’s Oasis” at Disneyland?
-
Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment10 months agoWhen WDW Had a Racetrack – The Creation of the Walt Disney World Speedway
-
Film & Movies10 months ago“Indiana Jones and the Search for Indiana Jones”