General

Happy Topsy Turvy Day!!

In honor of January 6th (AKA the “Feast of Fools”), Jim tells you why a particular sequence ended up getting cut out of Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

Published

22 years ago

January 5, 2003

Jim Hill

Tess Turbo22 recently wrote to ask:

Dear Jim:
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” has always been one of my favorite Disney animated films. But there’s a moment in the movie that I don’t quite get.
What am I talking about? It’s this short sequence right before the film ends. Phoebus has just saved Quasi’s life by catching the hunchback as he was plummeting by a window in the cathedral. As the soldier pulls him to safety, Esmeralda comes rushing in. The three of them share a smile, then Quasimodo takes Esmeralda and Phoebus’ hands. The hunchback then makes a big show of placing his hands on top of and underneath theirs. It almost looks as if Quasi is giving his blessing to the soldier and the gypsy girl.
Don’t get me wrong, Jim. I mean, I understand the emotional effect that the filmmakers were trying to achieve at that moment in the movie. They wanted the audience to believe that Quasimodo’s now okay with the idea of Esmeralda & Phoebus being together. That the hunchback won’t let his own feelings for the gypsy girl get in the way of her chance of happiness with the soldier.
But still, it feels (at least to me, anyway) like there’s something missing here, Jim. Given the way this particular sequence is staged, I can’t help but think that this is the payoff for some other moment in the movie that we didn’t get to see.
Am I right, Jim? Was there originally supposed to be another scene in Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” that set up this whole Quasi-takes-Esmeralda-and-Phoebus’-hands bit? Or am I just reading too much into this moment in the movie.
I figured that – if anyone would know about this – it would be you, Jim. So whaddaya say, oh knower of all things Disney? Is there really a story here?

Actually, there is, Tess. There originally was supposed to have been an earlier moment in Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” that would have set up that Quasi-takes-Esmeralda-and-Phoebus’-hands bit toward the end of the movie. As to the reason that this particular sequence ended up getting cut out of the finished version of the film … well, you can blame the fidget factor.

To explain: Had Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” stuck with the original storyline that screenwriters Irene Mecchi, Tab Murphy, Jonathan Roberts, Bob Tzudiker and Noni White had mapped out, the movie’s “Court of Miracles” sequence would have been much, much longer than it does now.

Just to refresh your memory (for those of you who may have forgotten the storyline of Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”): The “Court of Miracles” is this special hideaway that the thieves and the underclass of Paris retreat every night. Judge Claude Frollo has been searching for years for the gypsies’ secret hideout to no avail.

But Quasimodo and Phoebus — thanks to a handy clue that Esmeralda provides them with — are eventually able to find the super secret entrance to the “Court of Miracles.” Unfortunately, as soon as they enter the gypsies’ underground lair, they are captured, gagged and brought before Clopin. He immediately orders them executed.

Nooses are quickly thrown around Phoebus and Quasimodo’s necks. And Clopin is just about to pull the switch that releases the trapdoor on the gallows when Esmeralda appears. She explains that these two are her friends (friends to all the gypsies, actually) which is why they don’t deserve to be hanged.

With that, Clopin turns to the gagged Phoebus and Quasimodo and says “Why didn’t you say so?” He then releases the two intruders …

At least that’s how this sequence now goes in the finished version of Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” But — had the animators stuck with the original expanded storyline for this sequence — the hunchback and the soldier wouldn’t have gotten off quite so easy.

To explain: Borrowing a story idea from Hugo’s original novel (where Esmeralda takes pity on the poet Gringoire — who is about to be hanged by Clopin, the King of Thieves, for accidentally discovering the whereabouts of the “Court of Miracles” — and marries him, thereby saving him from the gallows), Clopin was going to insist that the only way that Phoebus would be able to escape death now was if he became a gypsy himself.

Of course, the only way you can become a gypsy is if you are born into this way of life and/or if you marry into it. Which is how Phoebus finds himself plucked from the gallows and plopped in front of the preacher. Who of course, is Clopin.

Now the soldier starts to squawk until he realizes that his bride-to-be is actually Esmeralda. Which somehow makes this punishment much more palatable.

Now you may be wonder why these same rules didn’t apply to Quasimodo. Well, according to the original screenplay of Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” just because Quasi had recently been elected “King of Fools,” the gypsies consider him exempt from this particular punishment.

Still, as the newly crowned King of Fools, he is expected to officiate at Phoebus and Esmeralda’s wedding. In particular, Quasimodo must give the final blessing at the end of the service.

Now keep in mind that — at this point in the picture — Quasi is still carrying a huge torch for Esmeralda. And the fact that Clopin and the rest of the gypsies are now insisting that he play such a prominent part in Phoebus and Esmeralda’s wedding is just tearing the hunchback up inside.

Perhaps my favorite moment in this entire sequence comes when Quasi — clearly heartbroken — tries to slip away from the ceremony. As the hunchback attempts to step back into the shadows and flee, Clopin spies him.

CLOPIN: Where are you going?

Taking Quasimodo’s arm, Clopin leads him back to the banquet table.

CLOPIN: Has no one offered you a drink?

Clopin picks up two goblets, one of which he hands to Quasimodo.

CLOPIN: Here.

Clopin then lifts his glass to Phoebus, Esmeralda and the rest of the assembled guests.

CLOPIN: A toast to love.

Phoebus then lifts up a goblet of his own and turns toward Quasimodo.

PHOEBUS: A toast to Quasimodo. Without your help, my friend, I would never have found my one true love.

ESMERALDA: Thank you, Quasimodo.

For just a moment, Quasimodo clearly doesn’t know what to do or say. In his goblet, the hunchback catches a quick glimpse of his own reflection. The curved shape of the glass distorts Quasi’s image, making him look — just for an instant — like a regular guy. A normal man with relatively handsome features.

All sorts of emotions quickly play over Quasi’s face. His heartbreak at losing Esmeralda. His embarrassment of being forced into this extremely awkward position. The sad knowledge that — had he looked anything like his reflection in the goblet did — the homely hunchback might have actually had a shot at winning the fair gypsy’s heart.

Shaking all of this off, Quasimodo suddenly raises his goblet.

QUASIMODO: To love and friendship.

CLOPIN: Spoken like a true gypsy.

With the wedding toast complete, all that must be done now to complete the ceremony is for the King of Fools to give his blessing to the happy couple. Quasi is clearly reluctant to do this. But thanks to Clopin’s constant prodding, the hunchback is just about to take Esmeralda and Phoebus’ hands when Frollo and his troops coming rushing in and interrupt the wedding.

So you see. you WERE right, Tess. That sequence toward the end of Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” really was the pay-off for a scene that you never got to see: Esmeralda and Phoebus’ aborted gypsy wedding. By freely taking their hands in that manner and finally giving the soldier and the gypsy girl his blessing, Quasimodo really is indicating that he now thinks that it’s alright for these two to get together.

And that whole gypsy wedding sequence sounds pretty moving, doesn’t it? So why did this particular portion of the “Court of Miracles” sequence of Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” make it into the finished film? As I mentioned earlier, the fidget factor played a big part in this decision.

“And what, pray tell, is the fidget factor?” you might ask. To be honest, it’s based a lot on how kids in test audiences react to various sequences in early work-in-progress versions of the movie. If a particular scene or song in a movie really doesn’t hold the attention of the under-5 crowd, it’s usually targeted for tightening — if not outright elimination from the feature.

Some of you make recall that this is what happened to Disney’s “Pocahontas” and its love ballad, “If I Never Knew You.” Arguably one of the more achingly beautiful songs ever written for a Disney feature length animated film, “If I Never Knew You” went over like a lead balloon with the kiddies during “Pocahontas” test screenings. I’ve heard stories about how children were literally racing up and down the aisles right after Mel Gibson and Judy Kuhn began belting Alan Menken and Stephen Schwarz’s truly beautiful tune. Which is why this rather sweet song ultimately ended up on the cutting room floor.

With Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” Schwartz and Menken actually wrote two different ballads for the movie’s gypsy wedding sequence: “In a Place of Miracles” and “As Long as There’s a Moon.” With the hope that at least one of them might catch on with test audiences and help prevent this particular sequence in the movie from getting cut.

Alas, it was not meant to be. As nice as “In a Place of Miracles” and “As Long as There’s a Moon” might be (and they’re actually both pretty terrific songs. So much so Alan and Stephen had hoped that one or both of these tunes might become the film’s liftable ballad. That song — like “A Whole New World” from “Aladdin” and/or “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from “The Lion King” — that has a life outside of the movie. That tune that finds its way into the Top 40, that helps promote the project to teens and adults), kids in the test audiences really began to fidget as soon as the gypsy wedding sequence got underway. It was only when Frollo and his men entered the “Court of Miracles” that the film finally won back their attention again.

Which ultimately, is why the gypsy wedding section of the “Court of Miracles” sequence of Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” ended up getting cut. Which is why that hand clasping moment between Quasimodo, Phoebus and Esmeralda later on in the film doesn’t pay off nearly as well as it probably should.

Now aren’t you glad that you asked, Tess?

General

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

Published

9 years ago

June 23, 2015

Jim Hill

Greetings from NYC. Nancy and I drove down from New
Hampshire yesterday because we'll be checking out
Disney Consumer Products' annual Holiday Showcase later today.

Anyway … After checking into our hotel (i.e., The Paul.
Which is located down in NYC's NoMad district), we decided to grab some dinner.
Which is how we wound up at the Melt Shop.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is this restaurant that only sells grilled cheese sandwiches.
This comfort food was delicious, but kind of on the heavy side.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is why — given that it was a beautiful summer night
— we'd then try and walk off our meals. We started our stroll down by the Empire
State Building
…

Photo by Jim Hill

… and eventually wound up just below Times
Square (right behind where the Waterford Crystal Times Square New
Year's Eve Ball is kept).

Photo by Jim Hill

But you know what we discovered en route? Right in the heart
of Manhattan's Garment District
along Broadway between 36th and 41st? This incredibly cool series of life-like
and life-sized sculptures that Seward
Johnson has created.

Photo by Jim Hill

And — yes — that is Abraham Lincoln (who seems to have
slipped out of WDW's Hall of Presidents when no one was looking and is now
leading tourists around Times Square). These 18 painted
bronze pieces (which were just installed late this past Sunday night / early
Monday morning) range from the surreal to the all-too-real.

Photo by Jim Hill

Some of these pieces look like typical New Yorkers. Like the
business woman planning out her day …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the postman delivering the mail …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the street musician playing for tourists …

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.

Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there were also statues representing people who were
from out-of-town …

Photo by Jim Hill

… or — for that matter — out-of-time.

Photo by Jim Hill

These were the Seward Johnson pieces that genuinely beguiled. Famous impressionist paintings brought to life in three dimensions.

Note the out-of-period water bottle that some tourist left
behind. Photo by Jim Hill

Some of them so lifelike that you actually had to pause for
a moment (especially as day gave way to night in the city) and say to yourself
"Is that one of the bronzes? Or just someone pretending to be one of these
bronzes?"

Mind you, for those of you who aren't big fans of the
impressionists …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there's also an array of American icons. Among them
Marilyn Monroe …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and that farmer couple from Grant Wood's "American
Gothic."

Photo by Jim Hill

But for those of you who know your NYC history, it's hard to
beat that piece which recreates Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous photograph of V-J Day in Times Square.

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, a 25-foot-tall version of this particular Seward
Johnson piece ( which — FYI — is entitled "Embracing Peace") will actually
be placed in Times Square for a few days on or around August 14th to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day).

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, if you'd like to check these Seward Johnson bronzes in
person (which — it should be noted — are part of the part of the Garment
District Alliance's new public art offering) — you'd best schedule a trip to
the City sometime over the next three months. For these pieces will only be on
display now through September 15th.

General

Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues

Published

9 years ago

June 10, 2015

Jim Hill

Greeting from the 2015 Licensing Expo, which is being held
at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las
Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

I have to admit that I enjoy covering the Licensing Expo.
Mostly becomes it allows bloggers & entertainment writers like myself to
get a peek over the horizon. Scope out some of the major motion pictures &
TV shows that today's vertically integrated entertainment conglomerates
(Remember when these companies used to be called movie studios?) will be
sending our way over the next two years or so.

Photo by Jim Hill

Take — for example — all of "The Secret Life of
Pets" banners that greeted Expo attendees as they made their way to the
show floor today. I actually got to see some footage from this new Illumination
Entertainment production (which will hit theaters on July 8, 2016) the last time I was in Vegas. Which
was for CinemaCon back in April. And the five or so minutes of film that I viewed
suggested that "The Secret Life of Pets" will be a really funny
animated feature.

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that Expo
attendees remembered that there was another Illumination Entertainment production
coming-to-a-theater-near-them before "The Secret Life of Pets" (And
that's "Minions," the "Despicable Me" prequel. Which
premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival next week but
won't be screened stateside 'til July 10th of this year). Which is why they had
three minions who were made entirely out of LEGOS loitering out in the lobby.

Photo by Jim Hill

And Warner Bros. — because they wanted "Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice" to start trending on Twitter today — brought
the Batmobile to Las Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention full-sized macquettes of Batman, Superman and
Wonder Woman. Just so conventioneers could then see what these DC superheroes
would actually look like in this eagerly anticipated, March 25, 2016 release.

Photo by Jim Hill

That's the thing that can sometimes be a wee bit frustrating
about the Licensing Expo. It's all about delayed gratification. You'll come
around a corner and see this 100 foot-long ad for "The Peanuts Movie"
and think "Hey, that looks great. I want to see that Blue Sky Studios production
right now." It's only then that you notice the fine print and realize that
"The Peanuts Movie" doesn't actually open in theaters 'til November
6th of this year.

Photo by Jim Hill

And fan of Blue Sky's "Ice Age" film franchise are in for an even
longer wait. Given that the latest installment in that top grossing series
doesn't arrive in theaters 'til July
15, 2016.

Photo by Jim Hill

Of course, if you're one of those people who needs immediate
gratification when it comes to your entertainment, there was stuff like that to
be found at this year's Licensing Expo. Take — for example — how the WWE
booth was actually shaped like a wrestling ring. Which — I'm guessing — meant
that if the executives of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. didn't like
the offer that you were making, they were then allowed to toss you out over the
top rope, Royal Rumble-style.

Photo by Jim Hill

I also have to admit that — as a longtime Star Trek fan —
it was cool to see the enormous Starship Enterprise that hung in place over the
CBS booth. Not to mention getting a glimpse of the official Star Trek 50th
Anniversary logo.

Photo by Jim Hill

I was also pleased to see lots of activity in The Jim Henson
Company booth. Which suggests that JHC has actually finally carved out a
post-Muppets identity for itself.

Photo by Jim Hill

Likewise for all of us who were getting a little concerned
about DreamWorks Animation (what with all the layoffs & write-downs &
projects that were put into turnaround or outright cancelled last year), it was
nice to see that booth bustling.

Photo by Jim Hill

Every so often, you'd come across some people who were
promoting a movie that you weren't entirely sure that you actually wanted to
see (EX: "Angry Birds," which Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia
Pictures will be releasing to theaters on May 20, 2016). But then you remembered that Clay Kaytis —
who's this hugely talented former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator — is
riding herd on "Angry Birds" with Fergal Reilly. And you'd think
"Well, if Clay's working on 'Angry Birds,' I'm sure this animated feature
will turn out fine."

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, there were reminders at this year's Licensing Expo
of great animated features that we're never going to get to see now. I still
can't believe — especially after that brilliant proof-of-concept footage
popped up online last year — that Sony execs decided not to go forward
with production of Genndy Tartakovsky's
"Popeye" movie. But that's the
cruel thing about the entertainment business, folks. It will sometime break
your heart.

Photo by Jim Hill

And make no mistake about this. The Licensing Expo is all
about business. That point was clearly driven home at this year's show when —
as you walked through the doors of the Mandalay
Bay Convention Center
— the first thing that you saw was the Hasbros Booth. Which was this gleaming,
sleek two story-tall affair full of people who were negotiating deals &
signing contracts for all of the would-be summer blockbusters that have already
announced release dates for 2019 & beyond.

Photo by Jim Hill

"But what about The Walt Disney Company?," you
ask. "Weren't they represented on the show floor at this year's Licensing
Expo?" Not really, not. I mean, sure. There were a few companies there hyping
Disney-related products. Take — for example — the Disney Wikkeez people.

Photo by Jim Hill

I'm assuming that some Disney Consumer Products exec is
hoping that Wikkeez will eventually become the new Tsum Tsum. But to be blunt,
these little hard plastic figures don't seem to have the same huggable charm
that those stackable plush do. But I've been wrong before. So let's see what
happens with Disney Wikkeez once they start showing up on the shelves of the
Company's North American retail partners.

Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of Disney's retail partners … They were
meeting with Mouse House executives behind closed doors one floor down from the
official show floor for this year's Licensing Expo.

Photo by Jim Hill

And the theme for this year's invitation-only Disney shindig? "Timeless
Stories" involving the Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm brands that
would then appeal to "tomorrow's consumer."

Photo by Jim Hill

And just to sort of hammer home the idea that Disney is no
longer the Company which cornered the market when it comes to little girls
(i.e., its Disney Princess and Disney Fairies franchises), check out this
wall-sized Star Wars-related image that DCP put up just outside of one of its
many private meeting rooms. "See?," this carefully crafted photo
screams. "It isn't just little boys who want to wield the Force. Little
girls also want to grow up and be Lords of the Sith."

Photo by Jim Hill

One final, kind-of-ironic note: According to this banner,
Paramount Pictures will be releasing a movie called "Amusement Park"
to theaters sometime in 2017.

Photo by Jim Hill

Well, given all the "Blackfish" -related issues
that have been dogged SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment over the past two years, I'm
just hoping that they'll still be in the amusement park business come 2017.

Your thoughts?

General

It takes more than three circles to craft a Classic version of Mickey Mouse

Published

9 years ago

June 9, 2015

Jim Hill

You know what Mickey Mouse looks like, right? Little guy,
big ears?

Truth be told, Disney's corporate symbol has a lot of
different looks. If Mickey's interacting with Guests at Disneyland
Park (especially this summer, when
the Happiest Place on Earth
is celebrating its 60th anniversary), he looks & dresses like this.

Or when he's appearing in one of those Emmy Award-winning shorts that Disney
Television Animation has produced (EX: "Bronco Busted," which debuts
on the Disney Channel tonight at 8 p.m. ET / PT), Mickey is drawn in a such a
way that he looks hip, cool, edgy & retro all at the same time.

Looking ahead to 2017 now, when Disney Junior rolls out "Mickey and the
Roadster Racers," this brand-new animated series will feature a sportier version
of Disney's corporate symbol. One that Mouse House managers hope will persuade
preschool boys to more fully embrace this now 86 year-old character.

That's what most people don't realize about the Mouse. The
Walt Disney Company deliberately tailors Mickey's look, even his style of
movement, depending on what sort of project / production he's appearing in.

Take — for example — Disney
California Adventure
Park's "World of Color:
Celebrate!" Because Disney's main mouse would be co-hosting this new
nighttime lagoon show with ace emcee Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Goldberg really had
to step up Mickey's game. Which is why this master Disney animator created
several minutes of all-new Mouse animation which then showed that Mickey was
just as skilled a showman as Neil was.

Better yet, let's take a look at what the folks at Avalanche Studios just went
through as they attempted to create a Classic version of Mickey & Minnie.
One that would then allow this popular pair to become part of Disney Infinity
3.0.

"I won't lie to you. We were under a lot of pressure to
get the look of this particular version of Mickey — he's called Red Pants
Mickey around here — just right," said Jeff Bunker, the VP of Art
Development at Avalanche Studios, during a recent phone interview. "When
we brought Sorcerer Mickey into Disney Infinity 1.0 back in January of 2014,
that one was relatively easy because … Well, everyone knows what Mickey Mouse
looked like when he appeared in 'Fantasia.' "

"But this time around, we were being asked to design
THE Mickey & Minnie," Bunker continued. "And given that these Classic
Disney characters have been around in various different forms for the better
part of the last century … Well, which look was the right look?"

Which is why Jeff and his team at Avalanche Studios began watching hours &
hours of Mickey Mouse shorts. As they tried to get a handle on which look would
work best for these characters in Disney Infinity 3.0.

"And we went all the way back to the very start of Mickey's career. We began
with 'Steamboat Willie' and then watched all of those black & white Mickey shorts
that Walt made back in the late 1920s & early 1930s. From there, we
transitioned to his Technicolor shorts. Which is when Mickey went from being
this pie-eyed, really feisty character to more of a well-behaved leading
man," Bunker recalled. "We then finished out our Mouse marathon by
watching all of those new Mickey shorts that Paul Rudish & his team have
been creating for Disney Television Animation. Those cartoons really recapture
a lot of the spirit and wild slapstick fun that Mickey's early, black &
white shorts had."

But given that the specific assignment that Avalanche Studios had been handed
was to create the most appealing looking, likeable version of Mickey Mouse
possible … In the end, Jeff and his team wound up borrowing bits & pieces
from a lot of different versions of the world's most famous mouse. So that
Classic Mickey would then look & move in a way that best fit the sort of
gameplay which people would soon be able to experience with Disney Infinity
3.0.

"That — in a lot of ways — was actually the toughest
part of the Classic Mickey design project. You have to remember that one of the
key creative conceits of Disney Infinity
is that all the characters which appear in this game are toys," Bunker
stated. "Okay. So they're beautifully detailed, highly stylized toy
versions of beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm characters. But
they're still supposed to be toys. So our Classic versions of Mickey &
Minnie have the same sort of thickness & sturdiness to them that toys have.
So that they'll then be able to fit right in with all of the rest of the
characters that Avalanche Studios had previously designed for Disney Infinity."

And then there was the matter of coming up with just the
right pose for Classic Mickey & Minnie. Which — to hear Jeff tell the
story — involved input from a lot of Disney upper management.

"Everyone within the Company seemed to have an opinion
about how Mickey & Minnie should be posed. More to the point, if you Google
Mickey, you then discover that there are literally thousands of poses out there
for these two. Though — truth be told — a lot of those kind of play off the
way Mickey poses when he's being Disney's corporate symbol," Bunker said.
"But what I was most concerned about was that Mickey's pose had to work
with Minnie's pose. Because we were bringing the Classic versions of these
characters up into Disney Infinity 3.0 at the exact same time. And we wanted to
make sure — especially for those fans who like to put their Disney Infinity
figures on display — that Mickey's pose would then complement Minnie.

Which is why Jeff & the crew at Avalanche Studios
decided — when it came to Classic Mickey & Minnie's pose — that they
should go all the way back to the beginning. Which is why these two Disney icons
are sculpted in such a way that it almost seems as though you're witnessing the
very first time Mickey set eyes on Minnie.

"And what was really great about that was — as soon as
we began showing people within the Company this pose — everyone at Disney
quickly got on board with the idea. I mean, the Classic Mickey that we sculpted
for Disney Infinity 3.0 is clearly a very playful, spunky character. But at the
same time, he's obviously got eyes for Minnie," Bunker concluded. "So
in the end, we were able to come up with Classic versions of these characters
that will work well within the creative confines of Disney Infinity 3.0 but at
the same time please those Disney fans who just collect these figures because
they like the way the Disney Infinity characters look."

So now that this particular design project is over, does
Jeff regret that Mouse House upper management was so hands-on when it came to
making sure that the Classic versions of Mickey & Minnie were specifically
tailored to fit the look & style of gameplay found in Disney Infinity 3.0?

"To be blunt, we go through this every time we add a new character to the
game. The folks at Lucasfilm were just as hands-on when we were designing the
versions of Darth Vader and Yoda that will also soon be appearing in Disney
Infinity 3.0," Bunker laughed. "So in the end, if the character's
creators AND the fans are happy, then I'm happy."

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 9, 2015