General
Don’t be too quick to judge whether “Frankenweenie” is a box office mutt or a pure bred
Director Rob Reiner told this great story earlier this month at the 50th New York Film Festival about how he didn't want "The Princess Bride" to wind up like "The Wizard of Oz."
"And why exactly would he say something like that?," you ask. Given how popular that fantasy film is today, few people realize that "Oz" wasn't exactly considered a hit when it originally opened in theaters back in August of 1939. Sure, it won two Academy Awards and got lots of great reviews. But "Oz" cost so much to make & market that MGM actually lost money on this motion picture during its initial domestic release. It was only when "Wizard" was re-released to theaters in 1949 that this now-legendary film finally recovered its production costs. More to the point, it wasn't 'til "Oz" began airing annually on television in 1956 that the public really began embracing this classic studio system product.
Copyright MG Studios. All rights reserved.
"I didn't want to wait 15 – 20 years for 'Princess Bride' to be recognized as a classic. I wanted this movie to be a smash hit right out of the box," said Reiner from the stage at Alice Tulley Hall. "But that's not what happened."
Indeed, when this 20th Century Fox release arrived in theaters in September of 1987, "The Princess Bride" only earned $4.4 million over its opening weekend. And over the course of its entire domestic run, "Princess" only pulled in $30 million. Which was hardly what Hollywood would have considered a smash hit, even back during the late 1980s.
That said, once "The Princess Bride" was released on VHS by Nelson Entertainment in 1988 (more to the point, once this Rob Reiner film began airing regularly on cable), that's when the perception of this now-beloved motion picture began changing. It gradually went from being this box office disappointment to a cult classic to what it is today; one of the more highly quoted movie comedies / love stories of the past 50 years.
"I guess you can't tell an audience when it should fall in love with your movie," Reiner concluded.
(L-R) Rob Reiner, Robin Wright, William Goldman, Wallace Shawn on stage at Alice Tulley Hall in New York City.
Photo by Florence Doyle
I bring this up because — in this Twitter / Facebook age — everyone seems to be in such a big rush to be the first to get online and then weigh in with their opinion. And given that "Tim Burton's Frankenweenie 3D" isn't exactly racking up record grosses (to date, this Walt Disney Pictures release has only earned $22 million). Which has many in the entertainment industry now calling this stop motion movie as a disappointment or — worse yet — a flop.
Me personally, I think it's touch premature to label "Frankenweenie" a failure. Especially since this Tim Burton movie (which allegedly only cost $38 million to make) has yet to open up in most overseas markets. Which is where this director's films traditionally make the bulk of their box office.
But you know what I find particularly interesting? The number of movie critics & film fans who have been so quick to say "Well, 'Frankenweenie' is certainly no 'Nightmare Before Christmas.' " Which suggests that they think that that Henry Selick film was a hit straight out of the box.
Which wasn't exactly what happened. Those of us who are old enough to remember what really happened when "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" was originally released to theaters back in October of 1993 will tell you that this Touchstone Pictures release had kind of a rough go during its initial domestic release.
Copyright 1993 Skellington Productions, Inc.
And — to be honest — part of the problem was that Disney Studio execs didn't have all that much confidence in "Nightmare." As early footage for this Tim Burton production began trickling back to Burbank from San Francisco in 1992, Mouse House managers just didn't know what to make of "Nightmare." Seen in bits & pieces like this, "Nightmare" looked … Well, nightmarish. This Henry Selick film just seemed too dark & weird for the traditional Disney audience. Which is why — a full year before "Nightmare" was supposed to be released to theaters — a decision was made internally that this Tim Burton production would now go out into theaters under the Touchstone Pictures banner, rather than as an official Walt Disney Pictures release.
Which — based on what some Company insiders have told me over the past 15 years or so — might have wound up costing "Nightmare" $20 – $30 million at the box office during its initial domestic release. That — without that Disney label out in front of this Henry Selick film — a significant number of parents hesitated when it came to taking their kids to see "Nightmare" during its original theatrical run.
Of course, what's kind of ironic about all this is — that while Walt Disney Studios was extremely reluctant to embrace "Nightmare" back in 1993 — the Disney Store had no such qualms. That retail chain had tons of Tim Burton-inspired merchandise available for purchase in and around the 1993 holiday season. But again, because "Nightmare" went out into theaters under the Touchstone Pictures banner rather than Walt Disney Pictures, Disney Store customers kind of turned up their noses when it came to Jack Skellington & friends. Which is why a lot of that first wave of "Nightmare" merch wound up being remaindered and/or returned.
Now jump ahead 19 years or so, and those initial pieces of "Nightmare" merchandise now command top dollar on eBay. All because very few people actually purchased these items when they initially appeared on Disney Store shelves back in the Fall of 1993.
Copyright Walt Disney Enterprises. All rights reserved.
Anyway … Getting back to "The Nightmare Before Christmas" 's initial box office performance in 1993: This Henry Selick film only wound up earning $50 million. Now if you compare that to the $312 million that "The Lion King" made when it bowed in theaters just seven months later … Well, you can understand why Disney execs didn't originally consider this Tim Burton production to be all that successful.
"But what about when 'Nightmare' was re-released to theaters?," you ask. "Particularly those 3D versions, when audiences had to pay extra in order to see a dimensional version of this movie, Surely those versions of 'Nightmare' helped bump up overall box office totals for this Tim Burton production."
Well, yeah. They did. But not by as much as you might think. If you took "Nightmare" 's original box office take from 1993 and then combined that amount with all of the money that this Henry Selick film has earned over the past six years when it's been re-released in 3D, you'd still only wind up with $75 million domestic. Which is still well short of the $100 million worth of tickets that a movie must sell before industry insiders will then consider that project to be a genuine Hollywood blockbuster.
That said, if you were to ask any executives at The Walt Disney Company today if they considered "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" to be a success, they'd immediately say "Yes." Pointing to the tens of thousands of people who make special trips to Disneyland Park and/or Tokyo Disneyland every year so so they can then experience "Haunted Mansion Holiday." Or — for that matter — all of the WDW Guests who stood in 3 hour-long lines at Downtown Disney earlier this month during "Frankenweenie Weekend," just so they could then get their picture taken with the walk-around theme park versions of Jack Skellington & Sally.
And let's not forget about how many copies of "Nightmare" have been sold over the past 18 years on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray. Or how well t-shirts, coffee mugs and other collectibles featuring Jack's boney face continue to sell today.
In short, when it comes to some Tim Burton films, there's often kind of a time release factor involved. That it can sometimes take moviegoers quite a while before they finally cozy up & then embrace his characters.
Of course, it's worth noting here that the characters associated with the other stop motion movie that Tim Burton made with Henry Selick — 2007's "The Corpse Bride" — have yet to be embraced by audiences in the way that Jack & Sally have. But that may be because "Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride" was produced by Warner Bros. And the folks at Warners just lack Disney's skill (more importantly, don't have the same sort of promotional machine in place. Or — for that matter — have access to the same assortment of stores, theme parks and cable channels. The sort of platforms that are absolutely essential if you're looking to leverage an IP) when it comes to keeping franchisable characters like Jack Skellington & friends evergreen.
So when it comes to "Frankenweenie 3D," I wouldn't be so quick — if I were you, that is — to label this Tim Burton film a failure or a flop. Given that there currently isn't a single Sparky plush available for purchase at any of the stateside Disney theme parks (the only huggable version of a character from "Frankenweenie" that's still in stock is Persephone, that black French Poodle with the Bride-of-Frankenstein-like white streaks running through her hair) … It's pretty obvious that there are plenty of people out there who already have a soft spot when it comes to this stop motion movie.
Copyright 2012 Walt Disney Enterprises. All rights reserved.
Mind you, it's not that I'm saying that "Frankenweenie" will eventually come to be seen as the next "Wizard of Oz" or "The Princess Bride." But given what "The Nightmare Before Christmas" has taught us about Tim Burton's stop motion projects (especially those that have been released by the Mouse House) … Well, we all might want to wait a few years — like at least 3, more likely 5 — before the popular culture verdict finally comes in as to where "Frankenweenie" stands in the cinematic pantheon. Whether this motion picture is a purebred or a mutt.
Your thoughts?
Greetings from NYC. Nancy and I drove down from New
Hampshire yesterday because we'll be checking out
Disney Consumer Products' annual Holiday Showcase later today.
Anyway … After checking into our hotel (i.e., The Paul.
Which is located down in NYC's NoMad district), we decided to grab some dinner.
Which is how we wound up at the Melt Shop.
Photo by Jim Hill
Which is this restaurant that only sells grilled cheese sandwiches.
This comfort food was delicious, but kind of on the heavy side.
Photo by Jim Hill
Which is why — given that it was a beautiful summer night
— we'd then try and walk off our meals. We started our stroll down by the Empire
State Building
…
Photo by Jim Hill
… and eventually wound up just below Times
Square (right behind where the Waterford Crystal Times Square New
Year's Eve Ball is kept).
Photo by Jim Hill
But you know what we discovered en route? Right in the heart
of Manhattan's Garment District
along Broadway between 36th and 41st? This incredibly cool series of life-like
and life-sized sculptures that Seward
Johnson has created.
Photo by Jim Hill
And — yes — that is Abraham Lincoln (who seems to have
slipped out of WDW's Hall of Presidents when no one was looking and is now
leading tourists around Times Square). These 18 painted
bronze pieces (which were just installed late this past Sunday night / early
Monday morning) range from the surreal to the all-too-real.
Photo by Jim Hill
Some of these pieces look like typical New Yorkers. Like the
business woman planning out her day …
Photo by Jim Hill
… the postman delivering the mail …
Photo by Jim Hill
… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …
Photo by Jim Hill
Photo by Jim Hill
… the street musician playing for tourists …
Photo by Jim Hill
Not to mention the tourists themselves.
Photo by Jim Hill
But right alongside the bronze businessmen …
Photo by Jim Hill
… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …
Photo by Jim Hill
… there were also statues representing people who were
from out-of-town …
Photo by Jim Hill
… or — for that matter — out-of-time.
Photo by Jim Hill
These were the Seward Johnson pieces that genuinely beguiled. Famous impressionist paintings brought to life in three dimensions.
Note the out-of-period water bottle that some tourist left
behind. Photo by Jim Hill
Some of them so lifelike that you actually had to pause for
a moment (especially as day gave way to night in the city) and say to yourself
"Is that one of the bronzes? Or just someone pretending to be one of these
bronzes?"
Mind you, for those of you who aren't big fans of the
impressionists …
Photo by Jim Hill
… there's also an array of American icons. Among them
Marilyn Monroe …
Photo by Jim Hill
… and that farmer couple from Grant Wood's "American
Gothic."
Photo by Jim Hill
But for those of you who know your NYC history, it's hard to
beat that piece which recreates Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous photograph of V-J Day in Times Square.
Photo by Jim Hill
By the way, a 25-foot-tall version of this particular Seward
Johnson piece ( which — FYI — is entitled "Embracing Peace") will actually
be placed in Times Square for a few days on or around August 14th to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day).
Photo by Jim Hill
By the way, if you'd like to check these Seward Johnson bronzes in
person (which — it should be noted — are part of the part of the Garment
District Alliance's new public art offering) — you'd best schedule a trip to
the City sometime over the next three months. For these pieces will only be on
display now through September 15th.
General
Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues
Greeting from the 2015 Licensing Expo, which is being held
at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las
Vegas.
Photo by Jim Hill
I have to admit that I enjoy covering the Licensing Expo.
Mostly becomes it allows bloggers & entertainment writers like myself to
get a peek over the horizon. Scope out some of the major motion pictures &
TV shows that today's vertically integrated entertainment conglomerates
(Remember when these companies used to be called movie studios?) will be
sending our way over the next two years or so.
Photo by Jim Hill
Take — for example — all of "The Secret Life of
Pets" banners that greeted Expo attendees as they made their way to the
show floor today. I actually got to see some footage from this new Illumination
Entertainment production (which will hit theaters on July 8, 2016) the last time I was in Vegas. Which
was for CinemaCon back in April. And the five or so minutes of film that I viewed
suggested that "The Secret Life of Pets" will be a really funny
animated feature.
Photo by Jim Hill
Mind you, Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that Expo
attendees remembered that there was another Illumination Entertainment production
coming-to-a-theater-near-them before "The Secret Life of Pets" (And
that's "Minions," the "Despicable Me" prequel. Which
premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival next week but
won't be screened stateside 'til July 10th of this year). Which is why they had
three minions who were made entirely out of LEGOS loitering out in the lobby.
Photo by Jim Hill
And Warner Bros. — because they wanted "Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice" to start trending on Twitter today — brought
the Batmobile to Las Vegas.
Photo by Jim Hill
Not to mention full-sized macquettes of Batman, Superman and
Wonder Woman. Just so conventioneers could then see what these DC superheroes
would actually look like in this eagerly anticipated, March 25, 2016 release.
Photo by Jim Hill
That's the thing that can sometimes be a wee bit frustrating
about the Licensing Expo. It's all about delayed gratification. You'll come
around a corner and see this 100 foot-long ad for "The Peanuts Movie"
and think "Hey, that looks great. I want to see that Blue Sky Studios production
right now." It's only then that you notice the fine print and realize that
"The Peanuts Movie" doesn't actually open in theaters 'til November
6th of this year.
Photo by Jim Hill
And fan of Blue Sky's "Ice Age" film franchise are in for an even
longer wait. Given that the latest installment in that top grossing series
doesn't arrive in theaters 'til July
15, 2016.
Photo by Jim Hill
Of course, if you're one of those people who needs immediate
gratification when it comes to your entertainment, there was stuff like that to
be found at this year's Licensing Expo. Take — for example — how the WWE
booth was actually shaped like a wrestling ring. Which — I'm guessing — meant
that if the executives of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. didn't like
the offer that you were making, they were then allowed to toss you out over the
top rope, Royal Rumble-style.
Photo by Jim Hill
I also have to admit that — as a longtime Star Trek fan —
it was cool to see the enormous Starship Enterprise that hung in place over the
CBS booth. Not to mention getting a glimpse of the official Star Trek 50th
Anniversary logo.
Photo by Jim Hill
I was also pleased to see lots of activity in The Jim Henson
Company booth. Which suggests that JHC has actually finally carved out a
post-Muppets identity for itself.
Photo by Jim Hill
Likewise for all of us who were getting a little concerned
about DreamWorks Animation (what with all the layoffs & write-downs &
projects that were put into turnaround or outright cancelled last year), it was
nice to see that booth bustling.
Photo by Jim Hill
Every so often, you'd come across some people who were
promoting a movie that you weren't entirely sure that you actually wanted to
see (EX: "Angry Birds," which Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia
Pictures will be releasing to theaters on May 20, 2016). But then you remembered that Clay Kaytis —
who's this hugely talented former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator — is
riding herd on "Angry Birds" with Fergal Reilly. And you'd think
"Well, if Clay's working on 'Angry Birds,' I'm sure this animated feature
will turn out fine."
Photo by Jim Hill
Mind you, there were reminders at this year's Licensing Expo
of great animated features that we're never going to get to see now. I still
can't believe — especially after that brilliant proof-of-concept footage
popped up online last year — that Sony execs decided not to go forward
with production of Genndy Tartakovsky's
"Popeye" movie. But that's the
cruel thing about the entertainment business, folks. It will sometime break
your heart.
Photo by Jim Hill
And make no mistake about this. The Licensing Expo is all
about business. That point was clearly driven home at this year's show when —
as you walked through the doors of the Mandalay
Bay Convention Center
— the first thing that you saw was the Hasbros Booth. Which was this gleaming,
sleek two story-tall affair full of people who were negotiating deals &
signing contracts for all of the would-be summer blockbusters that have already
announced release dates for 2019 & beyond.
Photo by Jim Hill
"But what about The Walt Disney Company?," you
ask. "Weren't they represented on the show floor at this year's Licensing
Expo?" Not really, not. I mean, sure. There were a few companies there hyping
Disney-related products. Take — for example — the Disney Wikkeez people.
Photo by Jim Hill
I'm assuming that some Disney Consumer Products exec is
hoping that Wikkeez will eventually become the new Tsum Tsum. But to be blunt,
these little hard plastic figures don't seem to have the same huggable charm
that those stackable plush do. But I've been wrong before. So let's see what
happens with Disney Wikkeez once they start showing up on the shelves of the
Company's North American retail partners.
Photo by Jim Hill
And speaking of Disney's retail partners … They were
meeting with Mouse House executives behind closed doors one floor down from the
official show floor for this year's Licensing Expo.
Photo by Jim Hill
And the theme for this year's invitation-only Disney shindig? "Timeless
Stories" involving the Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm brands that
would then appeal to "tomorrow's consumer."
Photo by Jim Hill
And just to sort of hammer home the idea that Disney is no
longer the Company which cornered the market when it comes to little girls
(i.e., its Disney Princess and Disney Fairies franchises), check out this
wall-sized Star Wars-related image that DCP put up just outside of one of its
many private meeting rooms. "See?," this carefully crafted photo
screams. "It isn't just little boys who want to wield the Force. Little
girls also want to grow up and be Lords of the Sith."
Photo by Jim Hill
One final, kind-of-ironic note: According to this banner,
Paramount Pictures will be releasing a movie called "Amusement Park"
to theaters sometime in 2017.
Photo by Jim Hill
Well, given all the "Blackfish" -related issues
that have been dogged SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment over the past two years, I'm
just hoping that they'll still be in the amusement park business come 2017.
Your thoughts?
You know what Mickey Mouse looks like, right? Little guy,
big ears?
Truth be told, Disney's corporate symbol has a lot of
different looks. If Mickey's interacting with Guests at Disneyland
Park (especially this summer, when
the Happiest Place on Earth
is celebrating its 60th anniversary), he looks & dresses like this.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved
Or when he's appearing in one of those Emmy Award-winning shorts that Disney
Television Animation has produced (EX: "Bronco Busted," which debuts
on the Disney Channel tonight at 8 p.m. ET / PT), Mickey is drawn in a such a
way that he looks hip, cool, edgy & retro all at the same time.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights
reserved
Looking ahead to 2017 now, when Disney Junior rolls out "Mickey and the
Roadster Racers," this brand-new animated series will feature a sportier version
of Disney's corporate symbol. One that Mouse House managers hope will persuade
preschool boys to more fully embrace this now 86 year-old character.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved
That's what most people don't realize about the Mouse. The
Walt Disney Company deliberately tailors Mickey's look, even his style of
movement, depending on what sort of project / production he's appearing in.
Take — for example — Disney
California Adventure
Park's "World of Color:
Celebrate!" Because Disney's main mouse would be co-hosting this new
nighttime lagoon show with ace emcee Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Goldberg really had
to step up Mickey's game. Which is why this master Disney animator created
several minutes of all-new Mouse animation which then showed that Mickey was
just as skilled a showman as Neil was.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved
Better yet, let's take a look at what the folks at Avalanche Studios just went
through as they attempted to create a Classic version of Mickey & Minnie.
One that would then allow this popular pair to become part of Disney Infinity
3.0.
"I won't lie to you. We were under a lot of pressure to
get the look of this particular version of Mickey — he's called Red Pants
Mickey around here — just right," said Jeff Bunker, the VP of Art
Development at Avalanche Studios, during a recent phone interview. "When
we brought Sorcerer Mickey into Disney Infinity 1.0 back in January of 2014,
that one was relatively easy because … Well, everyone knows what Mickey Mouse
looked like when he appeared in 'Fantasia.' "
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved
"But this time around, we were being asked to design
THE Mickey & Minnie," Bunker continued. "And given that these Classic
Disney characters have been around in various different forms for the better
part of the last century … Well, which look was the right look?"
Which is why Jeff and his team at Avalanche Studios began watching hours &
hours of Mickey Mouse shorts. As they tried to get a handle on which look would
work best for these characters in Disney Infinity 3.0.
Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
"And we went all the way back to the very start of Mickey's career. We began
with 'Steamboat Willie' and then watched all of those black & white Mickey shorts
that Walt made back in the late 1920s & early 1930s. From there, we
transitioned to his Technicolor shorts. Which is when Mickey went from being
this pie-eyed, really feisty character to more of a well-behaved leading
man," Bunker recalled. "We then finished out our Mouse marathon by
watching all of those new Mickey shorts that Paul Rudish & his team have
been creating for Disney Television Animation. Those cartoons really recapture
a lot of the spirit and wild slapstick fun that Mickey's early, black &
white shorts had."
But given that the specific assignment that Avalanche Studios had been handed
was to create the most appealing looking, likeable version of Mickey Mouse
possible … In the end, Jeff and his team wound up borrowing bits & pieces
from a lot of different versions of the world's most famous mouse. So that
Classic Mickey would then look & move in a way that best fit the sort of
gameplay which people would soon be able to experience with Disney Infinity
3.0.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved
"That — in a lot of ways — was actually the toughest
part of the Classic Mickey design project. You have to remember that one of the
key creative conceits of Disney Infinity
is that all the characters which appear in this game are toys," Bunker
stated. "Okay. So they're beautifully detailed, highly stylized toy
versions of beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm characters. But
they're still supposed to be toys. So our Classic versions of Mickey &
Minnie have the same sort of thickness & sturdiness to them that toys have.
So that they'll then be able to fit right in with all of the rest of the
characters that Avalanche Studios had previously designed for Disney Infinity."
And then there was the matter of coming up with just the
right pose for Classic Mickey & Minnie. Which — to hear Jeff tell the
story — involved input from a lot of Disney upper management.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved
"Everyone within the Company seemed to have an opinion
about how Mickey & Minnie should be posed. More to the point, if you Google
Mickey, you then discover that there are literally thousands of poses out there
for these two. Though — truth be told — a lot of those kind of play off the
way Mickey poses when he's being Disney's corporate symbol," Bunker said.
"But what I was most concerned about was that Mickey's pose had to work
with Minnie's pose. Because we were bringing the Classic versions of these
characters up into Disney Infinity 3.0 at the exact same time. And we wanted to
make sure — especially for those fans who like to put their Disney Infinity
figures on display — that Mickey's pose would then complement Minnie.
Which is why Jeff & the crew at Avalanche Studios
decided — when it came to Classic Mickey & Minnie's pose — that they
should go all the way back to the beginning. Which is why these two Disney icons
are sculpted in such a way that it almost seems as though you're witnessing the
very first time Mickey set eyes on Minnie.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved
"And what was really great about that was — as soon as
we began showing people within the Company this pose — everyone at Disney
quickly got on board with the idea. I mean, the Classic Mickey that we sculpted
for Disney Infinity 3.0 is clearly a very playful, spunky character. But at the
same time, he's obviously got eyes for Minnie," Bunker concluded. "So
in the end, we were able to come up with Classic versions of these characters
that will work well within the creative confines of Disney Infinity 3.0 but at
the same time please those Disney fans who just collect these figures because
they like the way the Disney Infinity characters look."
So now that this particular design project is over, does
Jeff regret that Mouse House upper management was so hands-on when it came to
making sure that the Classic versions of Mickey & Minnie were specifically
tailored to fit the look & style of gameplay found in Disney Infinity 3.0?
Copyright Lucasfilm / Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
"To be blunt, we go through this every time we add a new character to the
game. The folks at Lucasfilm were just as hands-on when we were designing the
versions of Darth Vader and Yoda that will also soon be appearing in Disney
Infinity 3.0," Bunker laughed. "So in the end, if the character's
creators AND the fans are happy, then I'm happy."
This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 9, 2015
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