General

Could Disney have a shelf-ish reason for keeping “Musketeers” out of theaters?

Jim Hill fills us in on Hollywood’s new math. Where the amount of shelf space & in-store promotion that Walmart is willing to dole out to Disney’s theatrical releases now determines which video premieres get released to theaters.

Published

20 years ago

August 23, 2004

Jim Hill

I know that this will sound like a very unlikely tale. But trust me, folks. This info comes straight from a very connected someone very high up in the Mouse House’s food chain.

Over the past few months, there have been a lot of stories out there about why exactly the Walt Disney Company decided to deny “The Three Musketeers” a theatrical release. Some folks will tell that the Mouse did this because releasing this Buena Vista Home Entertainment’s video premiere to theaters didn’t really fit in with Michael Eisner to totally kill off Walt Disney Studio’s traditional animation operation. Still others will tell you this was all because Michael doesn’t really like Mickey & Co. That Disney’s CEO would much prefer to promote characters that were created on his watch (I.E. “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” “The Lion King” et al).

But you wanna know the REAL reason that “The Three Musketeers” went straight to video & DVD? I can sum it up in one word: Walmart.

“What does Walmart have to do with determining which BVHE home premieres get released to theaters?,” you ask. Well — to understand what’s actually going on here — first you have to wrap your head around a pretty amazing fact: 15 – 20% of all of the DVDs that are currently sold in the United States are sold at Walmart.

Okay. Now here’s where the story gets a little weird: You have to understand that one of the keys to Walmart’s success is standardization. As is: If you walk into any one of this retail giant’s 3000+ superstores nationwide. And you’re going to find the items that you’re looking for pretty much in the same place every time.

Yeah, the late Sam Walton (Walmart’s owner) is said to be an absolute nut when it comes to standardization. So — in order to keep things similiar between all those different stores — the company uses these formulas to determine what goes where. And among the more bizarre equations that Walmart execs allegedly use is the one which helps the retail giant determine which DVDs get the most shelf space, in-store promotion as well as space in the weekly flyer.

The key component of this formula (so says my sources) is a film’s box office performance. If a movie is a blockbuster (I.E. Grossing over $100 million during its initial domestic run), Walmart naturally expects to sell a ton of that product once that film goes to DVD. So — to properly support the sale of that DVD — Walmart will clear plenty of shelf space, feature the product prominently in the retail chain’s weekly flyer as well as poster banners at each of its stores’ entrances. All in an effort to make consumer aware that this movie is now available for purchase.

If — on the other hand — a film does NOT qualify for blockbuster status during its domestic run, Walmart will significantly scale back its promotional efforts for that picture once it debuts on DVD. Which means less shelf space for that product, a smaller picture of the DVD in the weekly flyer, etc. You’re getting the picture, right?

Alright. Now let’s talk about the Walt Disney Company. Which — for a while there, anyway — began to view the theatrical releases for these direct-to-video sequels like “The Tigger Movie,” “The Jungle Book II” and “Return to Neverland“ as very profitable promotions for those films’ sooner-rather-than-later releases on VHS and DVD.

As one unnamed Disney exec told me ‘way back in February of 2002 (Right about the time that the “Peter Pan” sequel first flew into theaters):

“This theatrical release? It’s found money for us, Jim. When ‘Return to Neverland’ was first greenlit, we never intended to release it to theaters. This ‘Peter Pan’ sequel was originally supposed to be a video premiere. Nothing more.

But nowadays, the feeling in-house is: Why not throw the really good looking video premieres out into theaters PRIOR to their showing up on store shelves. Build up consumers’ awareness of the product. Then — six months further down the line, when we put the DVD out on store shelves — we’ve already primed the pump so to speak.

We’ve gotten people all excited about the idea of picking up a copy of this film off of a store shelf. When that was where this video premiere was always headed in the first place.

So we’re really getting two bites from the same apple, Jim. The money we collected from these video premiere’s theatrical releases as well as the money we make when the film finally shows up on store shelves. Pretty slick, huh?”

That’s what I was told back then. But — when “Back to Neverland” was ready to make its retail debut in August of 2002 — the Walt Disney Company was in for a pretty rude awakening. When at its then-2900+ stores around the United States, Walmart did a pretty poor job of promoting this “Peter Pan” sequel.

Why for? Because — during its domestic release earlier in the year — “Back to Neverland” had only grossed $48 million. Which — to Walmart’s way of thinking — didn’t really qualify the “Peter Pan” sequel way for the blockbuster treatment. Which is why this BVHE video premiere got very little shelf space, the DVD wasn’t featured all that prominently in the weekly Walmart flyer and the film didn’t get all that much in-store promotion either.

This decision on Walmart’s part — as you might have guessed — made Disney executives absolutely crazy. Why for? Because — due to the market research that they had already done on the “Peter Pan” sequel — the folks at Buena Vista Home Entertainment knew that “Back to Neverland” was testing better than “The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.” And given that “Simba’s Pride” — ‘way back in 1998 — had sold more than 12.1 million units, it just stood to reason that BVHE expected to sell even more copies of the “Peter Pan” sequel.

But that wasn’t going to happen if Walmart wasn’t to give “Back to Neverland” the shelf space & the promotion that this picture deserved. And — sure enough — this “Peter Pan” sequel DID wind up being a real disappointment to the Walt Disney Company. This video premiere never even came close to earning what the Mouse’s accountants had predicted the picture (once it came out on DVD & VHS, that is) would eventually earn.

Hoping to avoid this situation in the future, in late 2002 / early 2003, Disney representatives supposedly opened a dialogue with Walmart’s representatives. With the hope that — by making the Mouse’s own market research information available to the retail giant — Mickey might then be able to change Walmart’s thinking regarding the chain’s formula for determining which DVDs got the good shelf space and in-store promotion.

But Walmart reportedly refused to budge on this issue. Which was finally allegedly forced Disney to reconsider its stance on the whole theatrical-release-first-followed-by-a-release-to-stores-three-to-six-months-later issue. The battle plan the company had put in place for BVHE’s more promising video premieres. After all, given that the retail giant WAS responsible for 15-20% of all the Disney DVDs sold in the U.S., the Mouse had to do what it could to insure that its product got the maximum store shelf space as well as in-store promotion that they could.

Which is why — over the past year or so — you’ve actually seen the Walt Disney Company step away from its once-common practice of sending Buena Vista Home Entertainment’s more promising video premieres out to theaters prior to appearing on store shelves. The last BVHE project to actually recieve this sort of treatment was “Teacher’s Pet” back in January. (But that film — which, in spite of some good reviews, only grossed $6.4 million during its entire domestic release — was only sent into theaters reportedly because the Walt Disney Company already has a contractual obligation to do so. Thanks to a pre-existing deal with “Teacher Pet” ‘s creators, Gary Baseman and Bill & Chery Steinkellner.)

Mind you, these doesn’t mean that the Mouse isn’t still trying to get Walmart to reconfigure the formula that the retail chain uses to determine which DVDs get the really good shelf space & in-store promotion. Over the past few months, Disney execs reportedly have been trying to sell Walmart officials on the idea that times have changed. That a film’s box office success no longer is a good indication of how a movie will do once it debuts on DVD.

Case in point: Disney’s own “Brother Bear.” When this traditionally animated feature initially bowed in theaters nationwide in October of 2003, it earned a very respectable $85 million. But — given that this WDFA production missed blockbuster status by $15 million — the film didn’t qualify (in Walmart’s eyes, anyway) for special treatment.

So — back in March of 2004 — the retail giant put this BVHE release out on store shelves without a whole lot of hoopla. Walmart’s initial expectation was that they’d move a fair number of “Brother Bear” DVDs in the first few weeks of April. Then this film would quickly fade from view.

Well, guess what, folks? Here we are — 21 weeks later — and “Brother Bear” is still selling steadily. To date, Buena Vista Home Entertainment has sold nearly 6 million copies of this film’s DVD. Which is certainly a whole lot more copies of this movie than Walmart ever expected to sell.

So what actually caused the steady sale of all those copies of “Brother Bear”? Theories abound. I’ve heard everything from consumers finally wised up (As in: Why should I spend $40 to take my family to the multiplex to see this movie once, when — if I wait three to six months — I can just buy the DVD for $15? Whereupon my kids can watch this new Disney movie over and over and over … ) to the idea that college kids are now embracing “Brother Bear” because they’ve just learned about the crazy commentary track that Rick Moranis & Dave Thomas recorded for this Disney DVD.

Whatever the reason, folks at BVHE & Walmart are genuinely intrigued by what’s been going on with “Brother Bear.” Is the extended sales period for this Disney DVD just a one-time thing or the start of a trend? That’s why all eyes are now on “Home on the Range,” which is due to make its DVD debut next month. On Tuesday, September 14th to be exact.

Should this BVHE release (Which — given that this film only pulled in $50 million during its initial domestic release back in April — “Home” hardly qualifies for Walmart’s blockbuster treatment) pull a “Brother Bear”? As in: Sell a whole lot more DVDs than initially expected, stay on stores shelves for much longer than projections say it should … Well, then maybe the retail giant WILL finally reconsider some of its formulas.

But — for now, anyway — Walmart is sticking to its guns. Which is why the Walt Disney Company is still playing it safe. Not even scheduling BVHE video premieres that are truly impressing people (Like 2006’s “Bambi and the Great Prince.” Which — based on what I’ve been hearing coming out of Disney Toon’s satellite studio in Sydney — is supposed to be simply stunning) for theatrical release.

So there you have it, folks. “The Three Musketeers” wasn’t actually kept out of theaters because that followed Michael Eisner’s agenda. But — rather — because Buena Vista Home Entertainment was trying to stay on Walmart’s good side. With the hope that this would then insure that Disney’s video premieres would then get all the shelf space and in-store promotion that the Mouse gelt that they deserved.

Pretty bizarre story, don’t you think?

Your thoughts?

General

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

Published

10 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