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Monday Mouse Watch: There’d better be some treasure in that “Dead Man’s Chest.” Otherwise some Disney studio execs may soon find themselves “At World’s End”

Jim Hill explains why it’s going to be a rather nervous Fourth of July for Dick Cook and Nina Jacobson. As these two Mouse House honchos hope & pray that their $450 million (and counting) investment in back-to-back “Pirates of the Caribbean” sequels eventually pays off. PLUS Jim announces a brand-new JHM readers contest!

Published

18 years ago

on

In theory, “Pirates” is a can’t-miss proposition for the Mouse.


After all, all of the research that the Walt Disney Company has done to date on the latest installment of its “Pirates of the Caribbean” film franchise suggests that “Dead Man’s Chest” is going to be huge. A truly monstrous hit motion picture. The sort of movie that every studio hopes & prays for. But one that Mickey (which is just shaking off a six-month-long box office slump) particularly needs right about now.


In fact, if what Nikki Finke has been saying about this Gore Verbinski film turns out to be true, this “Pirates” sequel won’t just have the largest opening weekend gross ever for a movie produced by Walt Disney Studios. We’re talking about the biggest opening ever, period. Besting the $114.8 million that the first “Spiderman” film earned over its opening weekend back in May of 2002.


Mind you, were you to mention this particular prediction to anyone in senior management at Walt Disney Studios right about now, they’d immediately pooh-pooh the idea. Quickly dismiss whatever Ms. Finke has to say about the tracking on “Dead Man’s Chest.”



Copyright 2006 Disney/Pixar


Why For? Well, to be honest, a lot of Disney’s dismissive attitude toward this “Pirates” sequel can be traced back to “Cars.” Which — in spite of the fact that this new John Lasseter film has already earned an estimated $182 million (Which is more than the $162.7 million that “A Bug’s Life” earned during its entire initial domestic release) — “Cars” is still perceived as being something of a disappointment. All because the opening weekend gross for this new Pixar Animation Studios release failed to meet the investment community’s initial box office projections by as much as $10 – $15 million.


This is why senior Disney officials are now going out of their way to immediately denigrate any talk about possible financial projections for “Dead Man’s Chest.” If you ask these guys flat-out how they expect this film to do over its opening weekend, they’ll tell you that “We don’t know” and/or “We have high hopes” and/or “We’re hoping for the best” or words to that effect.


Which (to be polite) is a lie. The research that the Mouse already has in hand (Which was done by Nielsen NRG, the firm that most companies in the entertainment industry turn to when they want tracking info) suggests that “Dead Man’s Chest” is going to be the biggest hit of the summer. To be specific here: 90% of general audiences saw “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.” Of those folks, 80% of the people who saw Disney’s “Pirates” picture consider themselves to be fans. Which is why the intend-to-see numbers for this new Gore Verbinski film are simply off the chart.


And yet, even with this extremely positive information in hand … Disney Studio officials are doing everything they can to keep the investment community’s expectations for “Dead Man’s Chest” ‘s opening weekend grosses low. Partially because of the perception problems that continue to dog “Cars.” But also because … Well, because Mouse House officials are very freaked out by how “Superman Returns” just did at the box office over this past weekend.



Copyright 2006 Warner Bros. Studios


You see, initial tracking reports suggested that this Warner Bros. Studios release was going to own the long Fourth of July holiday weekend. That this new Bryan Singer film would hoover up every single dollar that went into your local multiplex through late Tuesday night.


But that didn’t happen. Since its opening on Wednesday, “Superman Returns” has done solid if not exactly spectacular business. Taking in an estimated $21 million on its opening day, this Warners Bros. Studios release is now on track to officially become a blockbuster (I.E. Selling a $100 million worth of tickets during its initial domestic release) late today or early tomorrow.


Which — under normal circumstances — would be seen as great news. But you see … Warner Bros. wasn’t looking for just a blockbuster. They wanted a record-breaking blockbuster. They wanted this Bryan Singer film to be such a huge hit that it would then effectively re-energize the entire “Superman” franchise. Kick-starting the sales of “Superman” -related merchandise, making people eager to own the upcoming “Superman Returns” DVD, etc. You get the idea.


So now — with “Superman Returns” only pulling in $84.2 million (And — yes — I will admit that it does seem somewhat bizarre to use “only” in such close proximity to “$84.2 million”) — the question that’s being asked around Hollywood changes from “How big a hit do you think Bryan Singer’s new film will be?” to “Do you think that ‘Superman Returns’ will actually be able to recover its production costs?” Which — given that this Warner Bros. Studios release reportedly cost $220 million to produce plus an additional $40 million to develop and another $50 million to promote … now suddenly seems less & less likely.


Which brings us back to “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.” Following Merissa Marr’s feature story in Friday’s Wall Street Journal, the cat’s now out of the bag about how much it actually cost Mickey & Jerry Bruckheimer to produce these two “Pirates” sequels. Originally budgeted to cost just $350 million, thanks to last year’s horrible hurricane season, the actual cost of producing “Dead Man’s Chest” and “At World’s End” eventually rose to $450 million. And then when you consider that Disney hasn’t actually finished shooting “Pirates III” yet, that the cast & crew of this still-uncompleted-film have to return to the Caribbean in August for an additional six-to-eight weeks of production … The combined cost of producing and then properly marketing these two motion pictures could eventually reach $600 million.


So with the combined cost of these two high profile projects possibly reaching that astromonical figure and the odd way that movie-goers have been behaving this summer coupled with the fact that the initial tracking reports for “Superman Returns” seem to have been so far off … Is it any wonder that Dick Cook, chairman of the Walt Disney Studios, and Nina Jacobson, president of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, are now feeling somewhat stressed out right about now? Oh, sure. Based on the tracking reports, “Dead Man’s Chest” & “At World’s End” will both be huge hits. So the Walt Disney Company will eventually get a sizable return on its enormous investment in the “Pirates” film franchise.


But then you have to remember that this is the summer where “Mission Impossible III” severely under-performed domestically and “Cars” (in certain circles, anyway) is being seen as a disappointment and even the return of Superman wasn’t enough to guarantee super-sized ticket sales … Which is why it’s hard to put all of one’s faith in tracking reports these days.


And unless there really is some treasure to be found in “Dead Man’s Chest,” Jacobson & Cook could wind up in the cinematic equivalent of “At World’s End.” The place where all studio heads who greenlight one-too-many projects that fail to meet expectations eventually go. Which is out the door.


But — on the other hand — if Disney’s tracking reports are right … Well, Nina & Dick could be in for the biggest successes of their careers.


Which is why the next five days are going to be kind of tough on Cook & Jacobson. As they struggle to keep a lid on Wall Street’s expectations for “Dead Man’s Chest,” while — at the same time — try to deal with some of the grumblings that’s been coming from fan boys who’ve already seen “Pirates II.”



Copyright 2006 Disney Enterprises


SLIGHT SPOILER AHEAD …


“Why are some fan boys already complaining about this Gore Verbinski film?,” you ask. Well, to be honest, “Dead Man’s Chest” ‘s cliffhanger ending isn’t sitting all that well with some “Pirates” fans. And these folks are supposedly upset because they now have to wait ’til May 27, 2007 (I.E. “Pirates III” ‘s release date) to find out what becomes of their favorite character.


In Disney’s defense, I’d like to point out that “Star Wars” fans had to wait from May 21, 1980 (I.E. The original release date for “The Empire Strikes Back”) ’til May 25, 1983 (I.E. The original release for “Return of the Jedi“) in order to find out whether Han Solo had actually survived being encased in carbonite. So to have some “Pirates” fans already bitching because they have to wait a whole 46 weeks before they discover what became of the Kracken’s snack … That seems fairly petty & small. Even for me.


NOW ENTERING SPOILER-FREE ZONE …


Anyway … Getting back to the way I started out today’s “MouseWatch” : If all goes according to plan and Disney’s initial tracking reports are correct, “Dead Man’s Chest” should have a huge opening weekend. Perhaps the largest ever in Hollywood history.


But as to what those initial box office estimates might be … Mickey ain’t talking. So do any of you have any predictions as to how “Dead Man’s Chest” will do over its opening weekend? I’m willing to make it worth your while.


To explain: The JHM reader who comes closest to predicting the actual figure that this new Gore Verbinski film earns over its first Friday, Saturday & Sunday in release will win a “Pirates of the Caribbean” gift pack. Which will contain many of the items that were used to illustrate last Tuesday’s “Disney Press loads up bookstores with a record number of ‘Dead Man’s Chest’ -related titles’ article.


All predictions must be posted in this article’s talkback no later than midnight EST this coming Thursday. The winner will then be announced at this website next Tuesday morning.


So ladies & gentlemen, let’s now hear your predictions about how you think “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” will do over its opening weekend.


Your thoughts?

Related Topics:

Jim Hill is an entertainment writer who has specialized in covering The Walt Disney Company for nearly 40 years now. Over that time, he has interviewed hundreds of animators, actors, and Imagineers -- many of whom have shared behind-the-scenes stories with Mr. Hill about how the Mouse House really works. In addition to the 4000+ articles Jim has written for the Web, he also co-hosts a trio of popular podcasts: “Disney Dish with Len Testa,” “Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor” and “Marvel US Disney with Aaron Adams.” Mr. Hill makes his home in Southern New Hampshire with his lovely wife Nancy and two obnoxious cats, Ginger & Betty.

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General

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

Published

9 years ago

on

June 23, 2015

By

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

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

… the postman delivering the mail …


Photo by Jim Hill

… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …


Photo by Jim Hill


Photo by Jim Hill

… the street musician playing for tourists …


Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.


Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen …


Photo by Jim Hill

… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

… or — for that matter — out-of-time.


Photo by Jim Hill

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


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

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

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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


Photo by Jim Hill

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

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

Published

9 years ago

on

June 10, 2015

By

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?

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

Published

9 years ago

on

June 9, 2015

By

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

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


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved

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


Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights
reserved

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


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

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

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


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved

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

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


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

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

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


Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

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

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


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

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

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


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

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

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


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

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

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


Copyright Lucasfilm / Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

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

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

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