General

Monday (Morning Quarterback) Mélange

Questions continue to roll in about Iger’s rapid ascension at the Walt Disney Company. Like: Why the rush? Wasn’t the search for the Mouse House’s CEO supposed to continue on into June? Jim Hill tries to get to the bottom of this still evolving story.

Published

19 years ago

March 13, 2005

Jim Hill

In the end, it was Meg that ultimately took Michael down a peg.

Meg Whitman, the chief executive of eBay, Inc. to be precise.

So, sure, it was Roy & Stanley who — by spreading around that story about how Disney CEO Michael Eisner was sitting in on interview sessions for his replacement — that turned up the heat on the board of directors. But it was Whitman who actually got the ball rolling. She was the one who began talking about how odd she thought it was that Eisner would choose to take part in these interviews. “Save Disney” grabbed that ball and began running with it … And the rest of the story, you know.

Now Disney Company officials are struggling to put as positive a spin as possible on the way that this whole thing all played out. But the fact of the matter is … A Saturday night meeting to deal with corporate succession issues? One that was called so hurriedly that it actually had to be held over the phone? That’s highly unusual, don’t you think?

Now some will tell you that the main reason that this meeting had to be held over the phone was because Disney Chairman George Mitchell had recently fallen and broken his arm. Which is all well & good. But as for the Saturday night part of the equation …

The fact of the matter, folks, is that members of Disney’s board of directors were starting to get concerned about bad publicity again. First there was James Stewart’s “DisneyWar” and all its unsightly revelations about how business was allegedly actually done inside the Mouse House under Michaer Eisner’s rule.

Then there was that scathing comment that News Corporation COO Peter Chernin, once a leading contender for the top spot at Disney, made. After reading Stewart’s book, Chernin said that he was struck by all “the insane personality stuff” that went on at the top corporate level at Disney.

Then — on last Thursday — came that broadside from “Save Disney.” Which revealed that Eisner had been sitting in on the CEO interview sessions as well as trying to get the press excited about the whole Disney-overpaid-for-the-Fox-Family-Channel issue again.

Members of Disney’s board of directors — who had long since written off “Save Disney” as a failed campaign and Disney & Gold as toothless complainers — were somewhat startled to see that the mainsteam media grab Roy & Stanley’s letter and run with it. The whole “Eisner-allegedly-sits-in-on-CEO-interview-sessions” was given considerable play by the press on Friday morning.

Then — late on Friday afternoon — when Ms. Whitman announced that she was taking herself out of the running for the top spot at Disney because (publicly) she said that the process was taking far too long but (privately) Meg was reportedly spooked by Eisner’s presence in the CEO interview sessions … Disney’s board of directors knew that something had to be done and fast.

Why for? Because the Mouse couldn’t afford to have any of this new bad news about the corporation & its dealings get any real traction. You see, even though the Walt Disney Company’s fortunes seemed to be on the upswing — with ABC’s ratings going through the roof and advance bookings for the resorts at the Disney theme parks tracking well ahead of projections — the fact of the matter is … Were you to do any real poking at Disney’s recent claims of success, you’d find that virtually all of these gains are actually paper thin.

To explain: ABC’s recent revival is based on the success on just a handful of new shows. While many of the network’s other programs (particularly its sad array of aging sitcoms) have been performing rather poorly lately and will soon be in need of replacement.

And as for all those people who are reportedly making plans to visit Disneyland and Walt Disney World to take part in “The Happiest Celebration on Earth” … As gas prices continue to climb, Disney officials have privately begun expressing concerns that many travelers will find it just too expensive to make that drive down to Anaheim & Orlando. Which could result in this year-and-a-half long event not meeting its financial projections.

So — as you can see — with Disney’s revival truthfully being as tenuous as it is, this wasn’t really a situation where the company could afford having the media turn the heat up. As in: Having the press suddenly paying extra close attention to every move that the Mouse was making. Out of fear of what all that extra attention might do to Disney’s stock price.

Which was why it was decided — after a frantic series of phone calls on Saturday morning — that the best thing to do was probably just get it over with. Put an end to the months of rumors & speculation about who Eisner’s successor might be by quickly putting the matter to a vote and then just giving the job to Iger.

As you might expect, this announcement drew the predictable response from Roy & Stan. On the heels of those first reports in the press early Sunday morning that Bob had officially been named as Michael’s replacement, “Save Disney” issued yet another missive. This time around, Disney & Gold blasted George Mitchell & Disney’s board for reneging on their earlier pledge to conduct ” … a bona fide search” for a new CEO. They insisted that Mitchell’s earlier promise was just a ruse to avoid a floor fight at Disney’s 2005 annual meeting.

For his defense, Disney’s Chairman insisted that the company had in fact mounted a legitimate search for a new CEO. In interviews that he held with the press yesterday, Mitchell described how Disney had actually deliberately held off meeting with outside candidates until the board had gotten back from Minneapolis. So that they could then concentrate on this all important task without any outside distractions.

Disney’s chairman then went on to describe how the board met 11 separate times to discuss succession issues. So that they could then take a careful, measured approach to the selection process. Which wasn’t originally slated to wrap up ’til sometime in June.

“But if that was really the case, then why the rush job?,” you query. “Why was it necessary for Disney’s board of directors to hurriedly convene on a Saturday night and announce the company’s CEO three months ahead of the previously announced schedule?” These are all excellent questions, folks. Ones that the Walt Disney Company genuinely hopes that mainstream reporters won’t be asking anytime soon.

As for how the Mouse would like to see this all play out … Michael Eisner now gets his victory lap. Disney’s out-going CEO presides over the May 5th launch of “The Happiest Celebration on Earth.” Michael also gets to stand in the media spotlight for Disneyland’s actual birthday on July 17th as well as Hong Kong Disneyland’s grand opening on September 12th before riding off into the sunset on September 30th. A full year ahead of schedule.

Which — I have to admit — kind of took me by surprise. The very idea that Uncle Mikey would voluntarily give up power prior to the official September 2006 expiration date of his contract with the Walt Disney Company.

But — based on the letter that Eisner sent to Disney’s board of directors yesterday — it really does seem like the once-embattled CEO is eager to exit. “As much as I have loved nearly every minute of my tenure at Disney,” Michael wrote,”two decades is enough time to spend as a chief executive officer of one company. I’m ready to move on and climb new mountains.”

Of course, those of you who are looking for hidden meanings here may find particular significance in the next passage of Eisner’s letter. Which reads: ” … while always being available to help Disney in any way I can.” Some Disney watchers are already suggesting that this is Michael’s less-than-subtle hint that he wishes to hang onto some sort of power at the Mouse House.

And — yet — in other portions of this same letter, Eisner seemed quite definitive about wanting to put his days at Disney behind him. “Although I intend to remain as a Disney director until the annual meeting of 2006,” Disney’s out-going CEO goes on to say, “I will not make a request of the board to nominate me for an additional term nor will I seek the chairmanship of the company after the retirement of George Mitchell.”

To some Disney watchers, the key word in the above sentence is “request.” As in: “I will not request the position of chairman. But — should Disney’s board of directors decide to nominate me anyway … Well, what the hey. I’ll take the job.”

Me personally? I don’t know if I really want to buy in with the Disney conspiracy theorists are saying on this issue. Though I will say that it’ll be genuinely intriguing to see who will eventually emerge as a viable candidate for Chairman of the Board position after Mitchell officially steps down in September of 2006.

So what happens now? Well, Disney’s PR staff is going to stand by and hope that the mainstream press accepts this rather hurried changing-of-the-guard without asking too many embarassing questions.

Roy & Stanley will also probably carefully consider their options. Weighing whether it would be wise to actively continue their “Save Disney” campaign now and possibly be viewed as spoilers. Or to just hang back for a while, wait ’til Iger has been in power for a number of months and actually made a few mistakes, then come back with a “The Walt Disney Company needs better leadership” campaign.

As for the immediate future … Well, Iger’s appointment doesn’t officially become effective ’til October 1st of this year. The transition process begins today, though. With Eisner supposedly showing Iger the ropes and slowly handing off his CEO duties to Bob over the next six months.

I’m told that some very powerful people in Hollywood have already called Iger, congratulating him on finally securing the top spot at Disney. Though — that said — I’ve also heard that there are already a couple of jokes bouncing around Burbank about the way this deal went down.

Here’s my favorite (so far): “Give that Bob only got this job because Meg opted to bail out of the interview process, would it be really tacky of me to buy Iger’s congrats-you-got-the-gig gift off of eBay?”

Which — I have to admit — is kind of funny. Though I’d imagine that Roy & Stanley can’t be all that amused with the way this all played out. Certainly, when they began talking up the whole Eisner-is-sitting-in-on-the-CEO-interview sessions last Thursday, this can’t be how Disney & Gold imagined this situation would eventually unfold.

Which is why — in spite of the fact that Disney’s PR office is insisting that this whole succession issue has been dealt with in a peaceful & professional manner — I can’t help but think that this story really isn’t over yet.

So JHM will continue to keep a close eye on this Iger-in-Eisner-out situation in the weeks ahead. And — should anything interesting happen — we’ll be sure to write about it here.

But — for now — what are your thoughts on how this all went down? Doesn’t this strike you as odd that Disney’s board of directors had to resolve this matter so quickly on a Saturday night? I mean, why the rush?

Your thoughts?

General

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

Published

9 years ago

June 23, 2015

Jim Hill

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

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

… the postman delivering the mail …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the street musician playing for tourists …

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.

Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

… or — for that matter — out-of-time.

Photo by Jim Hill

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

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

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

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

General

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

Published

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