General

Can “Cars” crash through the $75 – $80 million barrier?

An awful lot is riding on Pixar’s next film. Jim Hill details the industry’s lofty expectations for this new CG feature as well as the Mouse’s hope that John Lasseter’s movie will finally be the one to shake Walt Disney Studios out of its six-month-long slump

Published

19 years ago

June 4, 2006

Jim Hill

By this time next week, we’ll know.

By that I mean: By this time next Monday morning, we’ll finally have the preliminary box office results in hand for the opening weekend of “Cars.” And then we’ll know for sure if John Lasseter’s newest film has actually met Wall Street’s expectations.

“And what exactly are Wall Street’s expectations for ‘Cars’ ?,” you ask. Well, I just spent this past weekend working the phones. Talking with various investment analysts & entertainment industry observers about what the magic number might be. As in: What’s “Cars” actually going to have to earn over its opening weekend in order to please the investment community?

Mind you, none of these folks were willing to go on the record with me. Supposedly out of concern that something that they’d tell me might then come back to haunt them, offend the Mouse in some way.

But – that said – there was a fairly strong consensus among these folks about what the magic number for “Cars” had to be. And that was that Pixar Animation Studios‘ latest release has to earn at least $75 million over its opening weekend in order to be seen as a box office success.

Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC

“And how did these people come up with that number?,” you query. It’s simple, really. They started by looking at how Pixar’s last six pictures did over their opening weekends. And – as you can see by the chart below …

Film Title	Domestic Opening weekend gross
“The Incredibles”	$70.4 million
“Finding Nemo”	$70.2 million
“Monsters, Inc.”	$62.5 million
“Toy Story II”	$57.3 million
“A Bug’s Life”	$33.2 million
“Toy Story”	$29.1 million

… at least two of this animation studio’s films (I.E. “The Incredibles” & “Finding Nemo“) have earned over $70 million during their initial weekend in domestic release. So – taking into consideration the rise in theater admission prices well as adjusting for inflation — $75 million in 2006 dollars is roughly the equivalent of $70.2 / $70.4 million in 2003 / 2004 dollars.

So – in order to maintain the status quo (I.E. Not show any significant erosion in the perceived value of the Pixar brand) – “Cars” has to sell at least $75 million worth of tickets during its first weekend in domestic box office release. To earn anything less would send the wrong message to Wall Street. Like “Pixar’s hot streak is now over.” Or – worse than that – “Disney really did over-pay when it shelled out $7.4 billion for Pixar Animation Studios.”

Mind you, some investment analysts that I spoke with said that “Cars” has to earn over $80 million in order to totally silence the nay-sayers.But that was mostly because of what this film’s competition had already earned.

And when I say “competition,” I mean both what other non-Pixar computer animated films have earned over their opening weekends …

Film Title	Domestic opening weekend gross
“Shrek II”	$108.0 million
“Ice Age: The Meltdown”	$68.0 million
“Shark Tales”	$47.6 million
“Madagascar“	$47.2 million
“Ice Age”	$46.3 million
“Shrek”	$42.3 million
“Chicken Little”	$40.0 million
“Dinosaur”	$38.8 million
“Over the Hedge”	$38.4 million
“Robots”	$36.0 million

… as well as what other major motion pictures that have been released during the first half of 2006 have earned over their opening weekends.

Film Title	Opening Weekend	That weekend’s gross
“X-Men: The Last Stand”	May 26 – 28	$102.7 million
“The Da Vinci Code”	May 19 – 21	$77.0 million
“Ice Age: The Meltdown”	March 31 – April 1	$68.0 million
“Mission Impossible III”	May 5 – 7	$47.7 million
“Scary Movie 4”	April 14 – 16	$40.2 million
“The Break-Up”	June 2 – 4	$38.0 million
“Ice Age: The Meltdown” (2^ndweekend in release)	April 7 – 9	$33.8 million
“Madea’s Family Reunion”	February 24-26	$30.0 million
“Inside Man”	March 24-26	$28.9 million
“Big Momma’s House 2”	January 27-29	$27.7 million

The message that I kept hearing over & over wasn’t that “Cars” had to be No. 1. As in: That it had to beat either “Shrek II” ‘s $108.0 million and/or “X-Men: The Last Stand” ‘s $102.7 million. But – rather – that Pixar’s latest animated feature had to finish in the No. 2 position in order to be taken seriously. Or – at the very least – as a very strong No. 3.

Okay. Obviously, that’s a pretty high goal to shoot for. But given that there’s already pretty good buzz going about “Cars” (More importantly, that all the initial reviews for this new Pixar film have been generally positive) … That $75 – $80 million target for an opening weekend gross is still very achievable, right?

Well … In theory, yes. But according to a number of folks that I spoke with this past weekend, there has recently been a perceptible softening of audiences’ interest in animated features. Which could possibly have a significant impact on “Cars” opening weekend gross.

Don’t believe me? Okay, then check out the chart below. Which lists all of the significant animated features that has been released to theaters over the past 12 months.

Title	Film’s total Domestic Gross to date
“Madagascar“	$193.5 million
“Ice Age: The Meltdown”	$191.0 million
“Chicken Little”	$135.3 million
“Over the Hedge”	$112.3 million
“Curious George”	$58.3 million
“Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit”	$56.1 million
“Tim Burton’s The Corpse Bride”	$53.3 million
“Hoodwinked”	$51.3 million
“The Wild”	$35.3 million
“Valiant”	$19.4 million
“Doogal”	$7.4 million

Admittedly, the grosses for “Madagascar,” “Ice Age: The Melt Down,” “Chicken Little” and “Over The Hedge” are below impressive. But – if you look just below those four film titles – you should be able to quickly pick up on a pattern.

Yep, at least seven of these animated features actually ran out of gas before they were able to cross the $60 million threshold during their initial domestic releases. With two of these films crashing & burning before they were even able to sell $20 million of tickets.

Now as to why exactly that happened … To be honest, it’s hard to say. Given that four of these under-performing pictures were done in CG, two others were stop-motion while the seventh & final film was traditionally animated … Blanket statements like “Movie-goers have grown tired of seeing feature length cartoons like this” really don’t work in situations like this.

But that said … A significant number of animated films have already been released to theaters this year. And right behind “Cars” comes Sony’s “Monster House” & Warner Bros. “The Ant Bully” & Paramount’s “Barnyard” & Fox’s “Everyone’s Hero” & Sony’s “Open Season” & Dreamworks’ “Flushed Away” & Warner Bros. “Happy Feet.” And given that there’s now the Cartoon Network as well as Toon Disney along with animated television series in prime-time like “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy” and “American Dad” … Well, how much animation is too much animation? When does all this stuff stop seeming special?

I’ll say this much: Based on survey work that the Walt Disney Company has done, Pixar’s animated features are still considered appointment cinema. As in: A lot of movie-goers make a point of heading out for their local multiplex whenever a new Pixar picture is released. Rather than waiting ’til that same film is released on VHS & DVD. Which is evidently what happened with Disney’s last two traditionally animated features, “Brother Bear” and “Home on the Range.”

And Disney Company officials are certainly hoping that “Cars” turns out to be appointment cinema too. Given that the studio is currently trying to shake off a six-month-long box office slump.

“How long it been since the Mouse House has actually had a hit?,” you ask. “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” was released to theaters back on December 9, 2005. And that elaborate fantasy epic was the very last Disney film to achieve blockbuster status. Everything else that the studio has released since then …

Film Title	Release Date	Film’s total domestic gross (to date)
“Casanova”	January 6, 2006	$11.3 million
“Glory Road“	January 13, 2006	$42.6 million
“Annapolis“	January 27, 2006	$17.1 million
“Roving Mars”	January 27, 2006	$3.4 million
“Eight Below”	February 17, 2006	$81.5 million
“Tsoti”	February 24, 2006	$2.8 million
“GOAL! The Dream Begins”	March 3, 2006	$3.4 million
“The Shaggy Dog”	March 10, 2006	$58.1 million
“Stay Alive”	March 24, 2006	$22.7 million
“The Wild”	April 14, 2006	$35.3 million
“Kinky Boots”	April 14, 2006	$1.3 million
“Stick It”	April 28, 2006	$24.7 million
“Keeping Up with the Steins”	May 12, 2006	$2.1 million

… have under-performed. Mind you, “Eight Below,” “The Shaggy Dog” and “Glory Road” all did fair-to-middling business. But of the 13 films that Walt Disney Studios has released through its various production arms (I.E. Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures & Miramax Films), not a one of them became a blockbuster. As in: Selling over $100 million worth of tickets during its initial domestic release.

So Disney officials are really counting on “Cars.” Not only to silence all of the company’s critics who say that the Mouse paid far too much when it spent $7.4 billion to acquire Pixar. But also to arrest the studio’s slide at the box office.

Mind you, one wonders how much “Cars” will actually be able to pull in this summer. Given that – just 19 days after this new Pixar film first rolls into theaters – “Superman Returns” flies into your local multiplex (A full two days ahead of when this $300 million Warner Bros. film was originally supposed to debut). And then – just nine days after that – here comes Disney’s other big movie for the summer, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.”

I’d told that the folks at Pixar aren’t all that pleased that – just four weeks after it hits theater – “Cars” finds itself in direct competition with Captain Jack Sparrow. Which perhaps explains why – in the Summer of 2007 – this situation will be reversed. With Disney’s third “Pirates” picture (Tentatively subtitled “World’s End) bowing on May 25, 2007, while Pixar’s next animated feature, “Ratatouille” (A Brad Bird-directed opus which deals with the gastronomic adventures of Remy the Rat, who wishes to become one of France’s greatest chefs) will debut on June 29^th.

Mind you … If both “Cars” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” under-perform … Well, Walt Disney Studios still has a few cards up its sleeve. I’ve heard that Mark Wahlberg’s “Invincible” (Which tells the story of that unlikely NFL star, Vince Papale) has sleeper potential. Also Tim Allen’s “The Santa Clause III” ….

Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC

… and Mel Gibson’s Mesoamerican epic, “Apocolypto,” both look like they could make the Mouse’s holiday season brighter.

But – for now – all eyes are on “Cars.” To see if Pixar’s newest animated feature not only meets its initial box office projections (I.E. $75 – $80 million), but also to see if this automotive motion picture has legs. As in: Will “Cars” actually go on to earn as much as Pixar’s earlier pictures did?

Just to refresh your memory, here’s a chart that lists how well Pixar Animation Studio’s first six films did:

Title	Domestic Gross	Overseas Gross	Combined Gross
“Finding Nemo”	$339.7 million	$524.9 million	$864.5 million
“The Incredibles”	$261.4 million	$369.9 million	$631.4 million
“Monsters, Inc.”	$255.8 million	$269.4 million	$525.3 million
“Toy Story 2”	$245.8 million	$239.1 million	$485.0 million
“A Bug’s Life”	$162.7 million	$200.6 million	$363.3 million
“Toy Story”	$191.7 million	$170.1 million	$361.9 million

So what do you folks think? Will “Cars” actually be able earn more than $75 million during its initial weekend in domestic release? Or is it even fair of Wall Street movers & shakers and entertainment industry observers to set such a lofty goal for a film to achieve prior to its release to theaters?

Your thoughts?

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

10 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

10 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