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He’s ba-a-ack. After taking a six month sabbatical from the Mouse House, master animator Glen Keane is back. Keane – who stepped down from his directorial position on “ Rapunzel ” last October due to health-related reasons – is now back supervising animation on that project. Master animator Glen Keane...

Is it just me? Or does it seem like – every other week – someone new is inventing yet another reason to go after “ The Princess and the Frog ”? Almost from the moment that this Walt Disney Animation Studios’ production was officially announced back in March of 2007, there have been individuals &...

Okay. Quick show of hands. How many of you remember the story that JHM posted back on June 24 th , where this site revealed that The Walt Disney Company had purchased the following domain names: BEVERLYHILLSCHIHUAHUATWO.COM CHIHUAHUA2.COM The reason I bring this up now is – earlier this week – the California...

I’ve been spending a fair amount of time in Disney’s old Animation Building recently. A visit to the second floor always provokes a flood of memories. The structure has been renovated, and yet things look pretty much the same. At least enough remains to remind this Disney veteran of a time long gone...

Are you a fan of “ Beauty and the Beast ”? I hope so. Because – over the next few years – three different versions of this “Tale as Old as Time” are going to turn up at theaters near you. First up is the re-rendered version of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 1991 hit. Which turns this Academy Award-winning...

How many of you remember what happened back in March? When the premiere issue of Disney twenty-three hit newsstands and then all the Internet movie news sites went crazy because that magazine featured an article on Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" ? Scans of the pictures that accompanied that piece...

Earlier this week, it was kind of ironic that – in a headline that talked up how well “Up” was doing at the domestic box office – Variety mentioned “ The Incredibles .” Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc and Pixar Animation Studios. All Rights Reserved “Ironic how?,” you ask. Well, in a time where this...

I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue And it's hey to the starboard, heave-ho Look out, lad, a mermaid be waiting for you In mysterious fathoms belo w ... Twenty or so years ago, I gathered with a small group in a Walt Disney Animation Studios screening room in Glendale, CA. Directors John Musker...

Some years ago, I watched helplessly as Walt Disney's animation department was moved out of their old building on the Burbank lot. You see, the new management needed room to expand, and animators took up space. So clearly somebody had to go. The Animation Building on Disney's Burbank Lot. You can wait...

I’m going to apologize in advance for today's column because I'm sure that it's going to make a lot of people angry. I have a plan that some might call radical. But it’s a plan that I’m afraid we need. Tough times demand tough decisions, and here’s one to consider: Get rid of digital animation at Walt...

In response to last week's review of Jeff Kurtti 's newest book , " Walt Disney's Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park ," I got the following e-mail: Not everyone who reads JimHillMedia is interested in the Disney theme parks. Some of us come to your site because we want to learn...

Twilight is traditionally a time of shadows. But from what I hear, no one at Walt Disney Pictures dreamed that " Bolt " would be so totally overshadowed by “ Twilight ” at the box office this past weekend . As recently as 10 days ago, Mouse House marketing types were quietly putting out the word that...

The start of 1994 was an amazing time for the production crew of Disney's " The Hunchback of Notre Dame ." We were all energized and couldn't wait to move our film into production. As the team moved into its new quarters, I made it a point to learn the names and talents of my colleagues. Because Disney...

Though not an overwhelming success, I think " The Hunchback of Notre Dame " was one of the most sophisticated animated films I've ever worked on. I actually went to my old pal, Gary Trousdale when I got word that he and his co-director Kirk Wise might be adapting this Victor Hugo novel for the screen...

Anne L. writes in to ask: "This past week, I couldn't help but notice that -- out of all the major Disneyana sites on the Web -- JHM is the only one that hasn't mentioned DCA 's Blue Sky Cellar yet. Why is that?" To be honest, Anne, you kind of answered your own question. Given that everyone else out...

Are you confused about where animation is going these days? If so, join the club. What with the rise of performance capture, the revival of hand-drawn animation over at Disney, not to mention CG going 3D, animation students aren't sure what they should be doing these days in order to properly prepare...

By now, I'm sure that you're heard that Glen Keane is no longer the co-director of "Rapunzel." That he and Dean Wellins will be turning the reins over to Byron Howard & Nathan Greno , who were the co-director and head of story on " Bolt " respectively. To be honest, this change couldn't have come...

Picking up where we left off last week ... "Wild Life" had been in development for nearly two years, and now it was finally moving toward production. The crew was delighted when word got out that two sequences had been given the green light for production. In spite of the obvious story and theme issues...

As I watched last night's debate, I was reminded of that old joke : "People who like sausage and appreciate politics shouldn't watch either one being made." Mind you, those of us who have been following " Bolt " 's production have sometimes wondered if -- just like with politics & sausage -- it might...

Because of a quirky accident, an elephant from a local zoo is transformed into a singing, dancing diva. The appearance of this pop icon kicks off an incredible story of love, revenge and intrigue. Better yet, it's a new animated, digital motion picture from Walt Disney Feature Animation . Wait a minute...