General

Movies That Never Got Made: Disney’s “Einstein”

Jim Hill talks about the never-produced project that Disney Company execs once saw as the logical follow-up to “TRON,” a big screen bio of the noted physicist that was to have used computer animation to help illustrate Einstein’s theories.

Published

19 years ago

November 29, 2004

Jim Hill

You could say that the Walt Disney Company has kind of a thing when it comes to Albert Einstein.

As early as 1941, the good doctor had begun popping in pictures that Walt Disney Productions was producing. You’ll find Albert in the “Baby Weems” segment of “The Reluctant Dragon.” Where the brilliant babe discovers an error in the Princeton professor’s theory of Relativity. Only to have Albert quickly shoosh Baby Weems and whisper “Don’t tell nobody.”

Einstein also figures prominently in “The Fifth Freedom.” You know, that enormous mural that you’ll find in the post-show area of Disneyland’s “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” attraction? Where the good doctor is pictured with such luminaries of the 20th Century as the Wright Brothers, George Washington Carver, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Alva Edison, Robert Goddard, David Sarnoff and (of course) Walt Disney.

This brilliant physicist also makes cameo appearances in two Epcot attractions: “The American Adventure” (Where you’ll see a quick image of Albert in the film montage that “Golden Dreams” plays under) as well as “Ellen’s Energy Adventure” (Where Einstein goes head-to-head with Ms. DeGeneres & Jamie Lee Curtis in a game of “Jeopardy”). You’ll also find his name used for comic effect in Walt Disney Pictures’ 1988 animated release, “Oliver & Co.” Where Einstein is the name of the addled Great Dane that sitcom star Richard Mulligan (“Empty Nest”) provided the vocals for.

Even today, Mickey’s obsession with Albert continues. In fact, according to some Disney insiders that I’ve spoken with, one of the main reasons that the Walt Disney Company bought Baby Einstein (a Denver-based firm that produced books, toys & videos aimed at infants and toddlers) back in November of 2001 was because … Well … CEO Michael Eisner just liked the idea of having the Disney name linked to such a brilliant man.

So — given Disney’s decades-long love affair with this brilliant theoretical physicist — is it really a surprise to learn that Walt Disney Productions once considered producing a big-budget big screen biography of the good doctor? As a follow-up to “TRON,” no less.

Strange but true, folks. The time was the early 1980s. And Walt Disney Productions had just invested millions in the creation of a computer animation production pipeline for this Steven Lisberger film. And — once “TRON” was released in July of 1982 — Disney Studio execs obviously wanted to continue to make use of this very expensive asset.

The only problem was … Walt Disney Productions really didn’t know what else to do with CG back in 1982. Given the public’s somewhat tepid response to “Tron” (This special effects tour de force only grossed $33 million during its initial domestic run. Which — when you factor in the cost of producing & then marketing this ambitious motion picture — meant the Mouse [at best] broke even on “TRON”) as well as 1979’s “The Black Hole,” it didn’t seem wise for the studio to attempt another sci-fi feature.

And — at this time time, anyway — using computer animation for the background elements and/or props in the studio’s traditionally animated features just seemed … Well, impractical.

Mind you, WDFA did do a 30 second test (making use of the talents of then-new Disney studio employees John Lasetter and Glen Keane) for a proposed “Where the Wild Things Are” featurette. And the end result was admittedly impressive. But — given the projected costs of completing this featurette — it seemed highly unlikely that “Where the Wild Things Are” would ever recover its production costs.

So that promising project was shelved. And — though CG was used for some elements in 1985’s “The Black Cauldron” — it would be another four years before Disney’s animators finally officially made that big bold leap into the digital age with the Big Ben sequence in 1986’s “The Great Mouse Detective.”

Anyway … Let’s get back to 1982, shall we? When Disney has this brand new expensive tool on its hands. But studio execs have virtually no clue as to what to do with CG.

This is when Ron Miller, the then-President of the Walt Disney Motion Picture and Television Production Division began asking: “Well, what is computer animation actually good for?” And the general concensus at the time was CG was great when it came to illustrating abstract concepts. And computer animation also made it possible to accomplish these seemingly impossible camera moves. Like circling around a rocket as it roared across the galaxy.

I’m told that it was Miller himself who made the connection here. That Ron was the one who connected CG, abstract theory and space flight and came up with the idea of Walt Disney Productions doing a film about the life of Albert Einstein.

Miller (Who was NEVER actually the dumb jock that Michael Eisner & Roy E. Disney have always claimed him to be. The Disney Channel? That was Ron Miller’s idea. Touchstone Pictures? Also Ron. And “Splash,” that 1984 Ron Howard film that signalled to Wall Street that Walt Disney Productions was finally on its way back? That film was greenlit by Miller. NOT Eisner. Anywho …) saw the “Einstein” project as Disney’s opportunity to make a break from all those mediocre movies that the studio had made back in the late 1970s / early 1980s. Those half-hearted unnecessary sequels like 1979’s “The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again” and 1980’s “Herbie Goes Bananas.”

Here was a prestige project. A film that would finally force the Hollywood elite to start taking Disney Studios seriously again. Which perhaps explains the following description of Disney Studio’s upcoming production slate that Ron Miller insisted be included in the company’s 1981 annual report:

In striving to expand our film and television audiences, we have turned to the Company’s great traditions.

The name Disney has always meant fantasy, escape, high adventure and optimism — whether in comedy or drama. Perhaps more importantly, the name means innovation, originality, technical virtuosity and taking chances on new ideas.

Well, Walt Disney Productions was certainly looking to take a chance with “Einstein.” I mean, take a look at the way that this proposed film was described in Disney’s 1981 annual report:

“Einstein” combines the story of one of mankind’s greatest figures with the genuis of Disney special effects. From an early-life biography of the man who reshaped our view of the universe, we will travel into his vast imagination through a series of spectacular visions. The sate-of-the-art computer effects of “TRON” will be taken a step further in this innovative feature.

What Miller had in mind here was a film unlike anything that Walt Disney Production had attempted to date. A major motion picture that would actually be shot on location in Munich. Berlin, Bern & Zurich. That would have recreated key moments in Einstein’s life by filming in the actual locations where Albert had lived and taught.

But the big hook for this film was supposed to have been that — as Einstein actually came up with his theories — the film would suddenly swing to CG. And seemingly boring equations like “E=MC2” would become the jumping off points for eye-popping special effects sequences. Where computer graphics would be used to make even the most complex theories accessibles (And — more importantly — entertaining) to the average moviegoer.

Obviously, “Einstein” was to have been an ambitious film. But even Miller recognized that the movie’s subject matter was going to be hard to sell. Which is why Ron knew that he’d really need a star in the title role if he was going to make this proposed picture a reality. So he set his sights on one of the biggest stars of the 1980s: Academy Award winner Richard Dreyfuss.

Of course, it had been over four years since Dreyfuss’ Oscar-winning turn in “The Goodbye Girl.” And — given that Richard’s follow-up films (I.E. 1978’s “The Big Fix,” 1980’s “The Competition” and 1981’s “Whose Life is It Anyway?”) hadn’t performed all that well and that Hollywood was awash with rumors that the actor had a serious cocaine problem at the time — Dreyfuss was really in need of work at the time. Which is why he agreed to go to Disney to meet with Miller to discuss the project.

And — at first glance — Richard really did seem to be an inspired choice to portray Albert. After all, Dreyfuss already bore a physical resemblance to Einstein. And the two men were both left handed in addition to having similiar heritages. Plus there was no denying that the Academy Award winner had a real gift when it came to portraying characters with fierce intellects.

So imagine Ron Miller’s surprise when Richard Dreyfuss arrived at Disney Studios and — instead of Miller trying to sell Dreyfuss on the idea of playing Albert Einstein — Richard pulled a switcheroo. The way I hear it, the Oscar winner used this meeting to pitch his own idea for the bio pic that Walt Disney Productions should be producing. And that was the life story of Walt Disney!

And who did Richard envision as playing kindly old uncle Walt? You guessed it. Dreyfuss wanted to play Disney.

As you can probably understand, this wasn’t exactly the way Ron Miller had wanted this encounter to go. I’m told that Miller tried mightly to get this meeting back on track. But Dreyfuss could not be dissuaded. While he was flattered to be offered the part of Albert Einstein, the role that Richard really wanted to play was Walt Disney. Particularly the young Walt Disney. The guy who kept risking it all in pursuit of his dreams.

Speaking of pursuing your dreams … Ron Miller still had hopes of producing an Albert Einstein bio pic when he was unceremoniously booted out of Walt Disney Productions in the Fall of 1984. And Miller’s successor — Michael Eisner — hasn’t really shown much interest in Disney Studios doing film biographies. Over the past 20 years, the studios has attempted a handful of movies in this difficult genre (EX: 1994’s “Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale,” 1995’s “Pocahontas” and 1996’s “Nixon”). But — for the most part — the Mouse prefers to produce more mainstream fare.

Though — that said — Eisner did really take to Ron Miller’s idea of having Richard Dreyfuss appear in Disney-produced films. Over the two decades, Dreyfuss has appeared in no less than ten Mouse House projects. These include his on-screen performance in 1986’s “Down and Out in Beverly Hills,” 1987’s “Stakeout,” 1991’s “What About Bob?” and 1995’s “Mr. Holland’s Opus.” As well as Richard’s great vocal performance as the Centipede in Henry Selick’s stop motion masterpiece, “James and the Giant Peach.”

Still, as fun as all those films are … I can’t help but think about the Richard Dreyfuss movie that we all missed out on: Disney’s “Einstein,” the film that was going to try and make physics fun.

Your thoughts?

General

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

Published

8 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

8 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

8 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