General

Don’t like the way your cartoon is turning out? Hit “rewind” & recast.

So what do you do when that big name performer that you hired isn’t quite in tune with the toon that you’re trying to make? Jim Hill talks about one of the lesser known aspects of feature length cartoon production: celebrity recasting.

Published

20 years ago

March 9, 2005

Jim Hill

I gotta tell you guys that I am really looking forward to “Chicken Little.“

Why for? Because — back in August, while Nancy and I were attending SIGGRAPH — I was lucky enough to see about 20 minutes of this Mark Dindal film. And based on what I saw, this is going to be one funny flick.

Of course, half of what made watching these scenes from “Chicken Little” so enjoyable was hearing the movie’s great vocal cast go through its paces. I mean, some of the people that Disney recruited to do voicework in this film — Steve Zahn as the Runt of the Litter, Gary Marshall as Buck Cluck, Joan Cusack as Abby Mallard (AKA the Ugly Duckling), Don Knotts as Turkey Lurkey — just do an incredible job with their characters.

But it’s Zach Braff (of TV’s “Scrubs” and last year’s Indy hit, “Garden State”) who — I think — is really going to surprise people. His vocal performance in “Chicken Little” is actually this delicate balancing act. By that I mean: Given that this film has some huge comic scenes, it’s important that audiences find the film’s title character funny. Which Braff pulls off with ease.

But — at the same time — because “Chicken Little” is really a story about a father & son who are trying to reconnect with one another … You also have to care about this little bespectacled bird.

Well, the good news is (based on what I’ve heard so far) Braff does brilliant work in the film’s quieter scenes. Where you see Chicken Little struggling to put the whole unfortunate “The Sky is Falling” incident behind him, where he aches to be accepted by the residents in Oakey Oaks and (more importantly) his dad again.

Which is why I can’t wait ’til November 4th to roll around. So that I can finally get a look at the rest of this movie.

But — at the same time — while I’m sure that (based on what I’ve seen so far) I’m going to enjoy Zach Braff’s performance as this film’s title character, a tiny part of me is still going to be wondering how Holly Hunter would have played Chicken Little.

What’s that? You didn’t know that Ms. Hunter was once the voice of Chicken Little?

Yep, back when this movie was built around a little girl chicken, Holly was busy recording vocals for the part. She supposedly worked on this film for about eight months before Disney decided to ditch Dindal’s original story for the film (Which had Chicken Little [Who — because of that whole “The Sky is Falling” incident — had been sent off to Camp Yes-We-Can] uncovering a nefarious plot that her camp counselor [Who was literally supposed to be this Wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing, voiced by Penn Jillette] was planning on pulling on her hometown) in favor of a whole new storyline. Which asked: “What would Chicken Little do if the sky really was falling?”

As this film was being reworked, “Chicken Little” then became much more action-oriented. And — since it was felt that it would be much easier for an audience to accept a male chicken as an action hero — the film’s title character underwent a sex change. Which was why Holly Hunter (in spite of the great work that she’d done to date in her “Chicken Little” recording sessions) was suddenly out and Zach Braff was eventually in.

Okay. I know. That’s kind of an interesting behind-the-scenes story. But — to be honest — this sort of thing happens all the time in Hollywood (I.E. Studios recasting roles because the celebrity that they originally hired — for somer reason or another — just isn’t working out).

Sometimes it’s done for unfortunate reasons. Take — for example — the reason that Lloyd Bridges was replaced as the voice of eccentric billionaire industrialist Preston Whitmore in “Atlantis: The Lost Empire.” Lloyd lost out on the “Atlantis” gig because the “Sea Hunt” star died while this film was still in production.

And — given that Bridges hadn’t finished recording all of Whitmore’s dialogue before he passed away — “A:TLE” directors Kirk Wise & Gary Trousdale had no choice but recast this role. Which is why they eventually hired “Frasier” star John Mahoney to play Lloyd’s part in the picture.

Other times, it’s more a case of the project suddenly shifting gears midway through production. This is what happened when “Kingdom of the Sun” underwent its meltdown in the late 1990s. Suddenly Owen Wilson’s sincere voicework didn’t really fit the film anymore.

So, while “Kingdom” was being radically retooled to eventually become “The Emperor’s New Groove,” John Goodman was hired to replace Wilson. Since it was felt that this “Roseanne” star’s personna would be more in tune with the picture’s new anything-for-a-laugh sensibility.

A somewhat similar thing happened while “Finding Nemo” was in production. Back when “Nemo” director Andrew Stanton was originally casting the role of the harried father figure in the film, he decided to go with an actor who had previously done a great job playing people under pressure: “Fargo” star William H. Macy.

The only problem was — while Macy was super at making Marlin sound just like a stressed-out parent — the Academy Award nominee reportedly had trouble making the father fish funny. Which (I’m told) made the early leica reels for this film a little grim to watch.

Stanton knew that the only way that “Finding Nemo” was going to win over audiences was if movie-goers actually liked Marlin. That they cared enough about this character to join him on his epic journey. Going all the way from the Great Barrier Reef to 42 Wallaby Way in an effort to save his son.

Which meant that — in order to do this — movie-goers had to enjoy spending time with Marlin. Consider him good company. And this just wasn’t happening with Macy’s take on the character. Who — the way I hear it — was genuinely floundering in his effort to make the adult clown fish more amusing.

Which is why — in the end — Andrew opted to let William H. go. Replacing him with a performer who had an obvious gift when it came to making stress funny: Comedian Albert Brooks.

Sometimes, it’s just a case of the film-makers no longer needing a star’s services because they’ve decided to cut the character that they’re voicing out of the picture. This is what happened when “Aladdin” directors Ron Clements & John Musker followed then-Disney studio head Jeffrey Katzenberg’s order to “86 the mom.” As in: remove all references to Aladdin’s mother from the film.

Given that Emmy Award winner Kim Stanley had already recorded some killer vocals for this character, Ron-n-John were understandably reluctant to do this. But — sure enough — the mom-free version of “Aladdin” did play better with test audiences. So — in spite of Stanley’s superb voicework — cutting that part out of the picture did turn out to be the right thing to do in the end.

Other times, it’s more a case of a studio trying to improve a picture not by cutting something out. But — rather — by trading up. As in: swapping out one voice performer in a picture for another performer who’s a bit more better known. With the hope that this decision will then make the finished film that much easier to promote.

This is reportedly what happened with the Stinky Pete character in “Toy Story II.” Back in the late 1990s, David Ogden Stiers spent a number of months recording vocals for that character (And did a really great job, or so I hear) when Kelsey Grammar supposedly suddenly indicated that he’d love to work on a Pixar project.

Well, Stiers (Who had already done superb voicework with Cogsworth in “Beauty & the Beast” as well as Governor Ratcliffe in “Pocahontas”) was a guy who had already obviously demonstrated that he could do a great job when voicing an animated character. But — that said — David didn’t exactly have big-time name recognition with the movie-going public. What with “M*A*S*H” having been off the air for 15 years at this point and all.

Whereas Kelsey Grammar was the star of a Top 10 sitcom at that time. Which meant that — when it came time to promote “Toy Story II” — Disney’s PR department would have no trouble in persuading the talent bookers at “Today,” “The Tonight Show” and “The Late Show with David Letterman” to clear some space on the couch for Kelsey. So that Grammer could then talk up the brand new movie that he’d just worked on with Katie, Jay or Dave.

Which was why — even though a lot of people at Pixar really liked Stiers’ performance as Stinky Pete (I’ve heard from a number of people who worked on that film that David actually did a better job with “Toy Story II” ‘s villain than Kelsey did) — the “Frasier” star was the one who finally won this role.

(Just so you know: There were no hard feelings on David Ogden Stiers’ part when he found out that he was being replaced with Kelsey Grammar. After all, Stiers has been in the block before. Having been in the business for 30+ years, he knew that these things sometimes happen. That — in spite of your best efforts — the studio will still decide to go with a bigger name.

Of course, what helped ease David’s disappointment is that he got a fairly sizable check for his six months worth of work. So that provided some consolation. More to the point, the folks at Pixar [Who had really enjoyed working with the “M*A*S*H” star. Finding Stiers to be a professional in every way] promised that they’d all soon work together on some other project.

And — true to their word — once they began casting “Cars,” the folks at Pixar immediately called up Stiers and asked him to come read for a role in that film. Which is how David wound up voicing the Mayor of Radiator Flats in this upcoming John Lasseter film.

So, you see? Every so often, one of these stories does end happily. Anyway …)

Of course, one of the reasons that Pixar agreed to replace Stiers with Grammar was that it was still relatively early in their production deal with Disney. So — at that point — Lasetter & Co. were still listening to WDFA executives when they said: “These pictures would be a whole lot easier for us to promote if you guys would just cast big name stars in your lead roles.”

Which why Pixar initially went after Al Pacino to play the part of Hopper in “A Bug’s Life.” Allegedly even going so far as to animate some sample footage to show Pacino. Which supposedly showed the villainous grasshopper in action, moving in perfect synchronization to a piece of dialogue that the animators had lifted from the soundtrack of “Scarface.”

The way I hear it, Al was really impressed by that demo. But — in the end — Pacino still wouldn’t agree to voice that role in “A Bug’s Life.” Which is how Kevin Spacey eventually won the part of Hopper.

But — as time went by (And — more importantly — as Pixar’s pictures began making more & more money) — the folks up in Emeryville began paying less & less attention to the casting “suggestions” that the suits back in Burbank would make. So, when Disney asked Brad Bird to find a star to voice Mr. Incredible, the director of “The Iron Giant” kind of went through the motions. By that I mean: They brought in both Harrison Ford & George Clooney to record some test dialogue for the film. To see if either of these two A-Listers could add anything to the mix with “The Incredibles.”

But — in the end — Brad went with the guy that he wanted all along: Craig T. Nelson. The “Coach” sitcom star who could bring just that right amount of humor, honesty & angst to his portrayal of this much-put-upon superhero.

If it’s any consolation, Disney and Pixar aren’t the only studios that regularly go through this sort of thing (I.E. This very expensive version of musical chairs, as film-makers struggle to find just the right actors to voice crucial roles in their animated films). For example: Dreamworks Animation seemed to have a hell of a time as it tried to put together the vocal cast for its upcoming feature release, “Madagascar.”

How so? Well, let’s talk about all the trouble that that studio had with casting the voice of Gloria, the female hippo in the film. For a while there, it seemed like every hot-looking woman in Hollywood was trying out for this part in “Madagascar.”

Initially, it was announced that Madonna had been signed to play this role. Then — suddenly — Madonna was out and Jennifer Lopez was in. Then J.Lo was replaced by Gwen Stefani. Then Stefani bailed out of the picture, only to be replaced by Jada Pinkett Smith.

And then there was the whole Melman-the-giraffe saga. Which — in a way — seemed an awful lot like what David Ogden Stiers and Kelsey Grammar went through on “Toy Story II.” Where the star of a once-hot sitcom (I.E. Jason Alexander of “Seinfeld” fame) who was originally voicing this part was suddenly replaced by another sitcom performer who was (back then) still appearing on a popular TV show (I.E. David Schwimmer of “Friends”).

And don’t even get me started on what happened with “Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.” Where the actor who was originally hired to provide the voice of that film’s title character (Russell Crowe) was reportedly let go because no one at Dreamworks Animation liked working with the guy.

Crowe was then followed for a brief time by George Clooney. But Clooney supposedly didn’t enjoy the whole working-all-alone-in-a-recording-booth-without-any-other-actors-around experience. Which is why George eventually exited the project, only to be replaced by his “Ocean’s 11” co-star, Brad Pitt.

Yeah, the history of modern feature animation is littered with stories like this. Of stars who don’t quite work out & films that suddenly drop characters and/or whole storylines. Meaning that perfectly good vocal performances winds up on the cutting room floor.

Still, I have to admit that I have a sort of fascination with all these what-might-have-been stories. Which is why (I guess) I’ve collected so many of them over the years.

Anywho … Here’s hoping that — as part of “Chicken Little” ‘s DVD release in 2006 — that the nice folks at Buena Vista Home Entertainment at least give us a little taste of what Holly Hunter’s take on that film’s title character might have been like.

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