General

The next voice you hear …

… may not be the performer that Mickey originally wanted. Jim Hill talks about Disney animated films that didn’t actually get their dream casts.

Published

19 years ago

October 17, 2004

Jim Hill

I just got an e-mail from E. Roberts, a JHM reader who really loves his Platinum Edition “Aladdin” DVD. E wrote to say:

My favorite “extra feature” on this 2-disc set has to be Eric Goldberg’s pencil tests for the Genie. You know, those two brief scenes that Goldberg animated to cuts from Robin Williams’ “Reality … What a Concept” album?

I have to know: Did Disney really use this footage to try & sell Robin on the idea of playing the Genie? I mean, those scenes are great & all. But they’re so short. I kind of find it hard to believe that animating Williams’ “I’d like to talk you about schizophrenia” bit and his “We’ve used these words in a sentence” riff was enough to convince a super star like Robin to come on board this project.

Well, believe it or not, E. But those brief clips really were what closed the deal for Williams. As soon as Robin saw that second head coming popping up out of the Genie’s shoulder, he reportedly burst out laughing, then turned to “Aladdin” ‘s directors — Ron Clements & John Musker — and supposedly said “I’m in.”

And — given that this once-kept-under-tight-lock-and-key clip has finally made its way out of WDFA’s vaults — Disney animation fans are now asking: As other recent Disney animated films recieve the Platinum Edition” treatment, can we expect to see other animated “auditions” to pop up on upcoming DVDs?

Because — I’ll tell you, folks — the one that I’d really love to see is the animated version of Jack Nicholson that Musker & Clements had Andreas Deja put together for their “Hercules” pitch to the superstar. The way I hear it, this short sequence was animated to a piece of dialogue that Ron’n’John pulled out of Jack’s 1992 hit, “A Few Good Men.” During which Nicholson’s Col. Nathan Jessup tells another character in that film: “Take caution in your tone, Commander. I’m a fair guy, but this f***ing heat is making me absolutely crazy.”

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to see & hear that particular piece of dialogue coming out of the mouth of an animated Jack Nicholson? Particularly a Jack-as-Hades, seated on his throne in the Underworld?

Well, where this story gets interesting is — as Ron’n’John are pitching Nicholson on the picture, Jack spies a drawing of Phil. You know, Philoctetes? Hercules’ over-the-hill satyr trainer? This concept painting showed Phil lounging at poolside, resting in the arms of a lovely tree nymph. Nicholson reportedly turned to “Hercules” ‘s helmers, waggled his eyebrows over his ever-present sunglasses and said: “Now this looks like a really interesting character. How about I play him?”

Sadly, Jack wound up playing neither character. Though Jack was said to be definitely interested in voicing a role for “Hercules” (Here’s an interesting bit of trivia for all you animation buffs out there. Nicholson’s very first job in the film industry? Working as a messenger boy from MGM’s animated shorts unit. Strange but true. Anyway … ), the Mouse and the superstar were never able to come to terms over what Jack might get paid to play in this picture. Nicholson’s representatives supposedly asked for a fee significantly north of $10 million. Disney responded by offering an amount that was a 10th of what Jack’s agents were asking for. Which is why Nicholson (albiet reluctantly) passed up his chance to lord over the Underworld.

Once Jack was (literally) out of the picture, Musker & Clements searched high & low for a suitable Nicholson replacement. For a while, John Lithgow was “Hercules” ‘s designated Hades. But the “Third Rock from the Sun” star didn’t really have the sleazy-yet-sinister quality that Ron’n’John wanted for this role. Once Lithgow was let go, the directing team auditioned a number of A list actors for this part (Including Captain James T. Kirk himself, William Shatner!) before Musker & Clements finally hired James Woods to fill Hades’ smokin’ sandals.

Speaking of the Lord of the Dead … Much of “Hercules” ‘s comic relief comes from Hades abusing his minions, Pain and Panic. Disney animation fans can probably quickly name the two comic performers who voiced these roles: stellar stand-up Bobcat Goldthwait as the portly Pain and “Max Headroom” himself, Matt Frewer, as the always-frazzled Panic.

But how many of you know that — if Ron’n’John had had their way — Hades would have actually had two stand-up stars on his staff. Bobcat would still have played Pain, while the constantly-kvetching Richard Lewis would have provided neurotic vocals for Panic.

Interesting casting idea, don’t you think? Sadly, Lewis wasn’t really interested in doing animation. Which is how Frewer finally won this role.

Yeah, filling those sidekick parts in Disney’s animated films can sometimes be pretty tough. I mean, look at all the problems that Kevin Lima & Chris Buck had when they were trying to find just the right performer to portray Terk, Tarzan’s furry best friend in Disney Feature Animation’s Summer 1999 release.

Kevin & Chris thought they had found the perfect person to play Terk: Stand-up sensation Chris Rock. But Rock was actually said to be pretty offended when Lima & Buck offered him this part.

Why for? Well, the way Chris saw it … For Walt Disney Feature Animation to offer this Emmy award winning African-American performer the role of a gorilla (in a film that — even though it was set in Africa — didn’t feature an appearance by a single African!) somehow bordered on racism.

Understandably, Kevin & Chris were said to be shocked when Rock offered this explanation as to why he was taking a pass on the part of Terk. Out of concern that offering this role in “Tarzan” might offend other African American stars, Lima & Buck then reportedly decided to go another way with this animated character. Which is how talk show host Rosie O’Donnell wound up playing Tarzan’s best friend.

(By the way … It should be probably be pointed out here that — while Chris Rock may have found it demeaning to be asked to play a gorilla — that doesn’t mean that the star of “Bigger & Blacker” turned his back on any other animation gig that came his way. After all, Chris was perfectly happy to voice the title character in Warner Feature Animation’s 2001 release, “Osmosis Jones.” Rock is also said to be doing a bang-up job with Marty the Zebra in Dreamworks/PDI’s “Madagascar” [Which is currently slated to hit theaters in May 2005]. So it’s pretty obvious that this guy likes working in animation. Just don’t ever make the mistake of asking him to play a gorilla! Anywho … )

Speaking of Chris Rock … Chris Rock’s mentor — Eddie Murphy — of course voiced the role of Mushu in WDFA’s 1998 release, “Mulan.” But how many of you know that Eddie was NOT Disney’s first choice for the diminutive dragon? Earlier on in the production, the film’s directors — Tony Bancroft & Barry Cook — toyed with the idea of hiring “My Cousin Vinnie” star Joe Pesci to voice Mulan’s sidekick. Then — when Pesci didn’t pan out — Tony & Barry gave some thought to hiring “Frasier” star David Hyde Pierce to put a somewhat finicky spin on this ridiculous reptile.

But then word came down from on high (How high? The Team Disney Burbank building, to be exact) that Michael Eisner had had a brainstorm. Disney’s CEO thought that the star of 1984’s “Beverly Hills Cop” (FYI: That Paramount Pictures release — which made Murphy a movie star — was one of the very last projects that Eisner greenlit before leaving Paramount to go run Walt Disney Productions) would be the perfect performer to voice Mushu.

So — just as they did with Robin Williams & Jack Nicholson — the animators working on “Mulan” prepped a brief Mushu audition piece to show Eddie by using a cut that they pulled off Murphy’s debut stand-up album. (Though — if I’m remembering correctly — Tom Bancroft, the animator who was actually assigned this project, had a really hard time finding a single section of that recording that wasn’t loaded with swears. Anyway …)

Eddie was said to be really impressed with the Mushu audition scene that Tom created. Which is why he eventually agreed to take on the role. But — in the end — Disney Feature Animation staffers were said to be not all that impressed with Eddie’s work ethic.

How come? Well — the way I hear it — Murphy kept blowing off recording sessions for this film. Once — when “Mulan” was in the middle of crunch-time (literally weeks away from being released) — Eddie supposedly skipped out on one previously scheduled session in order to take his family to Tahiti for a vacation.

This might explain why — when you look over the cast listing for “Mulan II” — you’ll see that virtually every member of the film’s original vocal cast (Ming-Na as Mulan, B.D. Wong as Shang, Pat Morita as the Emperor, Harvey Fierstein as Yao, Gedde Watanabe as Ling, Jerry Tondo as Chien-Po, Soon-Tek Oh as Fa Zhou, June Foray as Grandmother Fa et al) has returned to work on this direct-to-video sequel. Everyone except Eddie Murphy, that is. Mushu’s role in this “Mulan” follow-up (Which is due in stores on February 1, 2005) is now being voiced by a Murphy soundalike, Mark Moseley.

And Eddie’s somewhat problematic reputation — at least in animation circles — is still following him around. How do I know? Well, how many of you saw that recent “Father of the Pride” episode where Murphy’s character from “Shrek” — Donkey — made a protracted cameo appearance? Some industry insiders are suggesting that this particular episode of that NBC sitcom was actually an elaborate in-joke that the folks at Dreamworks played on Eddie.

How so? Well, in this episode of “Father of the Pride,” Larry the Lion is desperate to get Donkey to make an appearance at his son’s school. How desperate? So desperate that he stuffs the “Shrek” star in a burlap sack and kidnaps him. Only once he gets home & opens the sack, Larry finds that he didn’t really kidnap Donkey. What the Las Vegas lion nabbed instead was Donkey’s lookalike stunt double, Jamie.

And — given that Donkey’s stunt double actually has more dialogue in this episode of “Father of the Pride” than the real Donkey does — Well, I’ll let you folks be the judge as to whether the gag that Dreamworks’ writers were trying to put across here was really on Mr. Murphy.

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