General

Universal Domination?

With media mogul Barry Diller reportedly waiting in the wings to take control of Universal Entertainment, things could get really interesting down in Orlando really soon.

Published

22 years ago

August 13, 2002

Jim Hill

Mark September 25th on your calendar, kids. Why? Because that’s the date of the next Vivendi Universal board meeting. A day that could have a truly significant impact on the theme park world.

How so? Well, on that date, Vivendi’s new chairman, Jean-Rene Fourtou, is expected to unveil his plans to dig that corporation out from under its multi-billion dollar debt load. Among the ideas that Jean-Rene is reportedly toying with is selling off all of Universal’s entertainment assets. Which would – – of course – include the company’s theme parks.

So the big question now is: Who’s going to end up with the keys to the three Universal Studios theme parks (Hollywood, Orlando & Japan), Islands of Adventure as well as Port Aventura in Spain? (And don’t put any stock in that ***-n-ball story that ran in last week’s papers about Disney supposedly being interested in buying Universal’s theme parks. That was just a smoke screen, kids. A desperate ploy by Mickey’s PR staff to temporarily distract the financial press from the real story: Which was the Walt Disney Company’s perpetually depressed stock price. I mean, Eisner already has problems enough with the four theme parks that his corporation currently owns and operates in Central Florida. So there’s no way that Uncle Mike would go looking for more trouble [I.E. Make a serious bid for USF and IOA]).

To date, only one strong candidate has emerged: Barry Diller, the head of Vivendi – Universal’s Entertainment group. Under a proposed acquisition scenario that’s been wafting around Wall Street, Diller is supposedly considering making a play for all of Universal’s entertainment assets through his own firm, USA Interactive. Should Barry actually manage to acquire Universal’s theme parks … Well, things could get really interesting in Central Florida.

How so? You see, Diller’s a major media mogul. Not to mention being a very ambitious guy. More importantly, back in the late 1970s/ early 1980s, Barry Diller used to be Michael Eisner’s old boss back when both of these two execs were working together at Paramount Pictures. And – ever since Eisner became the head of the Walt Disney Company – these two have been in competition with one another. And that rivalry has done nothing but intensify over the past 16 years.

So now – should Barry actually become master of Universal’s universe – Orlando will probably emerge as a key battlefield. The place where these two ultra-powerful media moguls will duke it out. Each jockeying for position. Each determined to prove that it is they – and not their poser pal – who is the real top dog in the crucial Central Florida tourism market.

Of course, should Barry take control of Universal Studios and its theme park operation anytime soon, he’ll be in an excellent position to quickly bloody Mickey’s nose. How so? Well, Universal’s Creative team is currently putting the finishing touches on three brand new attractions for the company’s Orlando Resort that are sure to rival anything that Disney currently has on display.

First and foremost is USF’s “Mummy” roller coaster, which is slated to be built inside of the soon-to-be-closed “Kongfrontation” show building. Those familiar with the design work that’s being done on this high tech horror-themed thrill ride insist that this attraction will rival Disney’s venerable “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride for its attention to detail and theming. Plus this indoor coaster will reportedly feature a finale sequence that will leave guests talking long after they’ve exited the attraction.

Over in Universal Studios Florida’s old “Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies” theater complex, a new multi-dimensional attraction is currently setting up shop. It’s a 3D film based on Dreamworks’ Academy Award winning animated feature, “Shrek.” And – given that last year’s summer blockbuster delighted in making fun of Disney – you can bet that this Universal attraction will also take a few well-aimed swipes at the Mouse. With a couple of particularly sharp pokes reserved for Disney’s theme park attractions.

Just across the street from “Shrek 3D,” another character from a recent hit feature length cartoon will soon be making Universal Studios Florida his home. It’s “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius,” the star of Paramount Pictures’ December 2001 release (Which was recently released in the DVD and home video format). In this new attraction (Which will be housed inside of the old “Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera” simulator theater), Jimmy will reportedly take guests on a rocket-powered trip through Nickelodeon Studios.

Okay, so these three new rides should hopefully help to get tourists to return to Universal Studios Florida. But what about its next door neighbor, Universal Studios’ Islands of Adventure? This is the theme park that industry experts consistently cite as being the very best in the U.S. – with rides and theming that easily surpass anything that Disney’s currently offering – but the place still hasn’t exactly caught on with the public.

So what has Universal reportedly got in the works to up IOA’s popularity? A number of new rides and shows are supposedly under consideration for this theme park. But – given how poorly the last new “Islands” attraction was received (The recently revamped “Poseidon’s Fury” show – radically reworked late last year for a reported $10 million – has been given universally poor marks from IOA visitors) – the resort’s creative staff wants to move cautiously before committing to any elaborate new rides and shows for the park.

But what Universal has decided to do is try and trick tourists into giving IOA another try. Which is why Universal lifted its month long “Halloween Horror Nights” celebration up out of its usual base of operations within the studio theme park and plopped it down inside “Islands.” The thinking is – by using IOA as the new home for Universal’s hugely popular “Horror Nights” program – tens of thousands of Central Floridians who haven’t been back to IOA since the park first opened back in the spring of 1999 will return to the place to take part in UF’s Halloween festivities. And – in the process – these folks will rediscover the fun of the “Islands” and will (hopefully) return to the theme park again sometime after October 31st.

Universal’s Central Florida resort has all this stuff going for it. Plus the new 1000-room Royal Pacific Resort hotel (which officially opened its doorback in June). Plus all those major motion pictures that Universal currently has in the pipeline that have huge theme park promotional / tie-in potential: Next summer’s “Incredible Hulk” movie, that $100 million live action version of “Peter Pan” that’s about to begin shooting in Australia as well as Peter Jackson’s long delayed big budget version of “King Kong.”

Yes, even as Universal Studios Florida is getting ready to pull the plug on its 12 year old “Kongfrontation” attraction, Universal Studios (the actual movie-making end of the company) is reportedly getting ready to produce an all-new “Kong” movie. Jackson (Best known these days as the director of the highly successful “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings”) has had a “King Kong” script that he’s been trying to get Universal to produce for years now. Well, now that Peter has proved conclusively that there’s big money to be made in big screen fantasies, Universal’s extremely eager to get in bed with Jackson and let him make his monkey movie. And – if there’s a new “King Kong” feature film in Universal’s production pipeline – you can bet that, even as the park’s tech department is getting ready to rip out the old Roosevelt Island tram-themed ride, that Universal’s creative team is already knocking around ideas for a new “Kong” attraction for the company’s theme parks.

Speaking of Peter Jackson: Here’s one reason that Disney’s infamous Imagineers envy the folks at Universal Creative: Universal has the theme park rights to use all of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” characters to build new shows and rides around. And here’s another reason why Mickey gets jealous whenever anyone ever brings up Universal: You know J.K. Rowling’s highly popular “Harry Potter” series. Universal Studios has the theme park rights to all of those characters as well.

So – with a highly competitive new boss for Universal potentially waiting in the wings as well as all of these great new rides and shows ready to roll out – what’s the Mouse doing to get its Central Florida Resort ready to go head-to-head with a reinvigorated Universal Orlando Resort? Surprisingly, very little.

And why’s this? Well, there’s a feeling among Walt Disney Company senior management that the U.S. theme park market is pretty much tapped out. Which is why the Mouse has quietly abandoned plans to build a fifth theme park in Central Florida and – instead – chosen to concentrate the company’s efforts on expanding its overseas empire (I.E. Hong Kong Disneyland).

Oh sure, there’s the occasional new big ticket attraction like Epcot’s soon-to-be-opening “Mission: Space” ride. But that’s only because Disney was able to find a corporate sponsor with deep enough pockets who was willing to blow big bucks on this Future World thrill ride. The only problem is – “Mission: Space” ‘s original sponsor was supposed to have been the Compaq Computer Corporation. But now that Compaq has been swallowed by Hewlett – Packard, Mickey’s hoping that HP will ultimately make good on Compaq’s original deal. However, given that the computer giant is soon expected to begin laying off tens of thousands of redundant employees in an attempt to make Compaq / Hewlett – Packard merger financially feasible, it may not the smartest move right now (PR-wise, that is) for HP to be seen pouring $100 million into the construction of a theme park ride. Which is why HP and Disney continue to talk, hoping that they’ll eventually be able to hammer out a deal …

But when Disney has to spend its own money in Florida these days, it tends to go cheap and small. Which is why WDW’s ended up with these pseudo-carny rides like Animal Kingdom’s “Tricera-Tops Spin” and the Magic Kingdom’s “The Flying Carpets of Aladdin.”

The only area that Disney seems willing to spend real money on these days in Orlando is on the expansion of its still-quite-lucrative “Disney Vacation Club” operation. Which explains why 208 new time share units were just added to Disney’s Yacht & Beach Resort as well as the multi-million dollar make-over that the Mouse has in works for the Disney Institute. Virtually this entire resort becomes a vacation villa for Mickey starting in 2004.

So – with Disney distracted with expanding its overseas empire as well as its Orlando time share operation (Also given that the company thinks that it’s now okay to go cheap with any new rides and shows that it wants to add to its Central Florida resort) – is it any wonder that Universal Orlando’s staff feels that its time may have finally arrived? That – once the company gets all of its management problems straightened out – that Universal may have an opportunity here to actually pull ahead of the Mouse, to emerge as Orlando’s premiere resort.

This is why Universal Creative is reportedly developing plans for a third and fourth theme park to be built at the company’s Central Florida resort. But where will these proposed new parks (and hotels and water parks and golf courses and … ) go? UC’s supposedly looking at that 2051 acres of land along I-Drive that Universal acquired from Lockheed Martin back in 1998. This enormous piece of real estate is reportedly where Phase II of Universal Orlando will eventually rise up.

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? The very idea that Disney might finally have some real competition down there in Central Florida? Makes you wonder what sort of E-Tickets Eisner will allow the Imagineers to unleash as the company struggles to regain dominance in the crucial Orlando marketplace? Would we finally get long-promised wonders like Dragon’s Tower, Fire Mountain and a Matterhorn for Epcot?

Right now, it’s hard to say. But things should be a lot clearer come September 25th when Barry Diller does (or does not) make his play for Universal Entertainment. Should that deal actually go through, look for things to get really interesting in and around Orlando over the next year or so.

So stay tuned, folks. This could be a lot of fun to watch.

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

10 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

10 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