General

A course correction for Kermit & Co.

Tired of watching the Muppet franchise drift ever closer to the rocks, Jim Hill talks with Ken Plume, journalist and longtime Muppet fan. Plume then offers up an intriguing plan as to what Disney can do to quickly get these characters back on track.

Published

19 years ago

May 29, 2005

Jim Hill

Let’s review, shall we?

In the wake of the less-than-stellar ratings that “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz” pulled down earlier this month, Mouse House PR flaks are now aggressively trying to spin this story in a more positive direction. Insisting that ABC officials were still supposedly pleased with “Oz” ‘s solid performance, which is why the Alphabet network is reportedly already getting ready to greenlight a follow-up project … Which means that Mickey’s plans to turn the Muppets into a brand that will (by 2009) be making $300 million annually for the Walt Disney Company are still right on track. More importantly, there’s no need for anyone to question Disney’s efforts (to date) to relaunch Miss Piggy & pals as a viable franchise.

Which is all well & good. Except that … Well … This isn’t what my sources inside the Mouse House have been saying.

The stories that I’ve heard coming out of Burbank these past 10 days paint a far different picture. That ABC officials — particularly given that “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz” had received six months of promotion prior to its primetime premiere on May 20th — had expected this TV movie to at least win its time slot. And when “Oz” came in second — a rather lackluster second at that (particularly during the crucial May sweeps period) … Well, that was a huge disappointment for network execs.

Which is why these ABC guys are now understandably reluctant to move forward with Phase II of Disney’s Muppet revival plan. Which supposedly involves the Alphabet network airing at least six episodes of a new reality series called “America’s Next Muppet.”

Said one unnamed exec:

“We promoted the hell out of ‘Oz,’ only to have half the audience that we expected show up to watch that TV movie. Now Disney wants to further jeopardize ABC’s comeback by forcing us to air this ‘America’s Next Muppet’ thing. A show that the network has zero confidence in. A series that Disney’s own surveys say has little or no appeal to viewers. What’s the sense in doing something like that?”

Then add to this the fact that the Muppets’ biggest booster — Disney CEO Michael Eisner — will be exiting the company on September 30th … And is it any wonder that the folks in the Muppets Holding Company LLC offices (I.E. The division of the Disney corporation that decides what gets done next with Kermit & Co.) are feeling kind of nervous right now?

According to what I’ve been hearing, these folks are desperately casting about for a bold new idea. Looking for something — anything — that will make the Muppets once again seem like a hot property before October gets here. Otherwise … Well, their main concern is that Disney’s CEO-to-be Bob Iger may not share Eisner’s enthusiasm for Jim Henson’s creations. Which may result in the Muppet Holding Company getting its budget cut. More importantly, that its impressive slate of pending Muppet-related projects may get significantly scaled back.

Which means no new Muppet theatrical release in 2007. No “Muppet Show Live” for Broadway. No “Muppet Studios” expansion project for Disney-MGM.

Clearly, the guys in the Muppets Holding Company LLC office need some help right about now. Which is why I’m hoping that they’ll listen to Ken Plume.

“Who’s Ken Plume?,” you ask. Well — besides being a pal of mine — Ken is a longtime writer/interviewer for IGN FilmForce. He is also a veritable font of info when it comes to the Muppets.

Thanks to his ties to many of the movers and shakers in the Jim Henson organization over the years, Plume has been able to interview nearly every key member of the Muppeteering team, including spending nearly a month as a fly on the wall on the set of “Muppets from Space.” Even more important, though, is that Ken loves the Muppet franchise with a passion. And — for that very reason — he’s been exceptionally critical of the characters’ mishandling under Brian Henson as well as Disney’s unfocused effort to relaunch this franchise.

So what’s the first thing that Ken says that the Walt Disney Company should do in in order to ensure the future success of the Muppet franchise? Embrace the failure of “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz.”

Say what?

“The people at Disney seem to have forgotten that the public once thought of the Muppet characters as this lovable bunch of losers, these misfits who could barely manage to produce a weekly television series out of their old rundown theater,” Plume explained. “And that’s the place where these characters need to get back to emotionally. The point where the audience can once again empathize with the Muppets, where they can feel some sort of emotional connection with these characters, where they can once again root for them to succeed.”

Which is why Plume is suggesting that Disney immediately send Kermit and the gang out to do another round of talkshow appearances. Where the Muppets can then basically apologize to the viewing audience for foisting “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz” on them.

“In acknowledging to the public that ‘The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz’ was a bit of a botch,” Ken continues, “It gives the Muppet Holding Company this great opportunity to reposition the characters and create this distinct place in Disney’s corporate empire that the Muppets can then occupy.”

According to the scenario that Plume is now spinning out: In the wake of “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz” tanking in the ratings, Kermit & Co. have now become the redheaded stepchildren at the Walt Disney Company. Which means that the characters have been forced to give up their primo spots in Disney’s parking garage. That they’ve been kicked out of their cushy new offices in the Team Disney Burbank building … Which means that the Muppets have now been forced to set up shop in some rundown buildings in a remote corner of the Disney lot. Where — because “Oz” did so poorly in the ratings — production of their big budget follow-up project, “The Muppets’ War & Peace,” has been suddenly shut down.

By setting up this kind of backstory, you can then create the mythology that the Muppets are now second class citizens at the Mouse House. That these characters aren’t considered to be all that valuable by Disney Company managers anymore. Which means that they are always inches away from having their contracts tore up, from being tossed off the lot.

“By backing the Muppets into this sort of corner, you create the opportunity for a lot of comedy,” Plume explains. “By embracing the underdog quality which was evident in the original Muppet canon – be it their attempt to make it to Hollywood in ‘The Muppet Movie’ or just the simple act of putting on a show in the Muppet theater – you bring these characters back to their source. You don’t do that by having your major relaunch be a vehicle where they’re playing other characters as second fiddles to a pop star. In returning them to their roots, you can have the characters constantly chafing under Disney’s corporate control — as they’re being always asked to do all sorts of things that they’re not really comfortable with doing — and play the inherent humor in that.”

This — to Ken’s way of thinking — would then be the ideal way for Disney to promote the “America’s Next Muppet” TV show. To set up the premise that Mouse House managers were forcing the Muppets to freshen up their line-up. To bring in new characters that would be much more appealing to the public or risk having their Disney deal revoked.

“You then get to portray the Muppets as they used to be on the old ‘Muppet Show,’ ” Ken says. “This desperate bunch of characters who are always just an inch or so away from disaster who are still trying to put on a successful show.”

To get additional good will & promotion for the “America’s Next Muppet” project (as well as the upcoming DVD releases of “The Muppet Show: The Complete First Season” & “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz”) Ken suggests that Disney get ahold of the folks who run the San Diego Comic Con ASAP, to see if they’d be willing to allow the Muppets to make an appearance at this year’s con. Better yet, have veteran Muppeteers appear on a panel and talk about upcoming projects … like the new TV series on ABC as well as the DVDs.

“Major entertainment companies know that — if they want to get good buzz going on an upcoming project — that they now have to put in a memorable appearance at the San Diego Comic Con,” Plume explains. “By putting together a killer Muppet panel or by running a Muppet film festival during this year’s con, that would go an awful long way to reenvigorating the fan community, and getting people excited about the idea that the Muppets are back on TV and DVDs are on the way. You have to remember that Comic Con draws attendees from around the world, each of which — after seeing this ‘killer’ Muppet presentation — will be carrying that buzz back home with them.”

Of course, this is what the Walt Disney Company can be doing out front to reposition these characters, to get the public as well as the fan community excited about what the Muppets are up to these days. But behind-the-scenes, equally drastic measures have to be taken.

“Disney has to acknowledge that significant mistakes were made on this last project,” Ken continues. “That the wrong people were calling the shots on ‘The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz.’ Which was why — in spite of all the hip, edgy humor that they tried to shoehorn into the script — that this TV movie fell flat.”

If the Walt Disney Company wants the Muppets to be what they were in their glory days of the 1970s & 1980s (I.E. A set of characters that the public really connected with), then Plume feels that it’s crucial that the Muppet Holding Company bring together as many of the Henson veterans as possible.

“Disney should be reaching out to people like Frank Oz, Jerry Juhl and Craig Shemin. People who got pushed away from the table when Brian Henson was still running the show,” Ken went on. “These are people who understand who the characters really are and how to write for them.”

Were the Walt Disney Company to do something like this, Plume concludes:

“Well, it won’t instantly undo the damage that’s been done over the past 15 years, but it will put the Muppets on the road to recovery. Making it that much easier for Disney to move them back into the mainstream and — because I know that this is important — make money in the process.”

Mind you, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Ken’s ideas as to how the Walt Disney Company can reposition the Muppets. But what do you folks think? Would you like to see the Mouse actually put some of Plume’s proposals into action?

General

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

Published

9 years ago

June 23, 2015

Jim Hill

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

… 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

Published

9 years ago

June 10, 2015

Jim Hill

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

Published

9 years ago

June 9, 2015

Jim Hill

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.' "

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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?

"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