General

Well, whaddya know? Another Why For!

Jim Hill answers only one JHM reader’s question this week. But what a question! This time around, Jim talk about Steve Jobs’ plans for Pixar, what the Walt Disney Company has just started to do with the Muppets, a one-of-a-kind Henson event that’s being held this weekend at the Brooklyn Academy of Music as well as his upcoming Disney World tours.

Published

20 years ago

November 18, 2004

Jim Hill

Peter S. writes in to ask:

Jim,

Do you have any news regarding the Pixar/Disney split, and/or Disney’s plans for The Muppets beyond “The Wizard Of Oz” TV special?

For the sake of movie audiences, I really hope Pixar and Disney can reach an agreement of some sort. If not, it’s Disney’s loss I think.

I assume the Muppets have no hope of ever going back to The Jim Henson Company which makes me wonder how long that company can stay afloat…

As a big fan of both Pixar and the Muppets I’m eager to learn as much as possable about these stories.

Thank you!

Paul.

Dear Peter —

Let’s start with Pixar. More importantly that animation studio’s CEO, Steve Jobs. Given that Mr. Jobs controls over 60% of Pixar’s stock, he can pretty do whatever he wants with that animation studio. And — to be honest — Hollywood still isn’t getting any clear signals about Steve wants to do with Pixar.

I mean, let’s take a look at that third quarter earnings webcast that Jobs chaired last Thursday. Steve threw out so many curve balls during that conference call that Pixar’s investors — as well as most of Wall Street — are still trying to figure what Pixar’s CEO actually has his sleeve.

The Reader’s Digest version of what Jobs said to investors is:

Pixar is no longer in negotiations with the Walt Disney Company regarding an extension of their existing coproduction / distribution agreement.
Over the past couple of months, Pixar representatives have been making the rounds in Hollywood. Meeting with representatives of other major studios for what are euphemistically being called “get acquainted sessions.”
Steve will not be making an official decision about which studio Pixar will be signing with until the Summer of 2005. (Which — not-so-co-incidentally — is when the Walt Disney Company will be announcing who its next CEO will be.)
Pixar has pushed back the release of its first post-Disney — “Ratatouille” — from the Fall of 2006 to the Summer of 2007.

So — given that Jobs has once again pushed back the time period for when he has to make a final decision about which studio will wind up releasing Pixar’s post-Disney pictures — Hollywood insiders are betting that what Steve really wants to do here is remain in business with the Mouse House. But ONLY if Disney’s CEO is A) a guy that Jobs can work with and B) that the new Big Cheese at Disney is willing to meet the sure-to-be extraordinary financial terms that Steve will be spelling out.

On the other hand, if Jobs ultimately opts not to have Disney continue as Pixar’s co-production/distribution partner … Well, that’s not really a bad thing either.

Which (I know) must sound like blasphemy to a lot of your Disneyana fans out there. But I like to take the long view, folks. And — if Disney goes from being Pixar’s partner to its rival … Well, that might finally force that that useless group of suits who currently run Walt Disney Feature Animation (I.E. The same bunch of boobs who recently chased off WDAF vet Pam Coats because — God Forbid! — she wanted Disney to once more make quality films with solid stories & memorable characters again. Rather than cost effective products that could be easily intergrated into the corporation’s pre-existing business units) to stop micro-managing and allow the studio’s remaining artists & storymen to make good movies again.

Besides, back in the 1930s – 1950s, Walt Disney Productions didn’t distribute its own films. Disney had the distribution units at two other major studios — United Artists (1932 – 1937) and RKO Pictures (1937 – 1956) — handle the logistics when it came to getting its shorts & features out to theaters. It wasn’t til 1954 ’til Disney eventually set up its own film distribution company: The Buena Vista Distribution Company, which later became known as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

And — given that things seem to have turned out well when Walt Disney finally got total control over how his pictures were distributed — I’d imagine that Pixar will continue to prosper, that the studio will continue to crank out entertaining films no matter who Steve Jobs eventually signs his distribution deal with.

Sure, it’d be nice if Pixar stayed with Disney. By that I mean: I know that John Lasseter and Pete Docter are huge Disneyana fans. And that these Pixar vets really get off on the idea that the characters that they created are now walking around inside Disney theme parks. That the films they made are serving as the basis for new rides & shows at Disneyland & Walt Disney World.

But let’s remember what Steve Jobs once said. That he didn’t just want to go into competition with the Walt Disney Company. Jobs wanted to become the NEXT Walt Disney. So — knowing that — and knowing that Pixar’s just recieved clearance to finally go ahead with its plans to double the size of its Emeryville, CA. campus … Well, who knows what direction we’ll see Steve take his animation company in next? Will we see Pixar follow Disney’s well-established path and ultimately move into the production of live action features, television shows and — dare I say it? — theme parks?

All I can tell you folks is that Pixar Animation Studio is currently sitting on top of a cash reserve of nearly 3/4th of a billion dollars. And that stack of money is sure to get a whole lot higher once the ticket receipts for “The Incredibles” and next year’s release, “Cars,” are finally tallied. And Jobs is sure to do SOMETHING with that huge pile of dough.

But — as to what exactly that might be … Well, as I said at the very start of this week’s “Why For” column, Steve’s been sending out an awful lot of mixed signals lately. So maybe Pixar will stick with Disney IF (And that’s a pretty big “If,” folks) Jobs likes the Mouse House’s new Big Cheese. But — to be honest — it isn’t helping matters when Mickey officially revealed earlier this week that the Walt Disney Company is moving forward with production of “Toy Story III.” A sequel that Steve is said to be deadset against.

So now, Peter S., can you understand why it’s been extremely difficult for even the most inside of Hollywood insiders to predict what Steve Jobs is going to do next. Which (according to Pixar staffers that I talk with) seems to suit Steve just fine.

Now — as for the second part of your questions — on the Muppet side of things … I have some much happier news.

You want some idea of what the Walt Disney Company is going to do with Kermit & Co? Here. Click on this link, which will take you straight to muppets.com. The newly redesigned, recently relaunched (“How recently?,” you ask. How’s Wednesday of this week strike you?) online home of Miss Piggy & pals.

Here, you’ll be able to see the logo as well as concept art for the Muppets’ first project-of-size for the Walt Disney Company, “The Muppet Wizard of Oz” (Which is still on track to debut on ABC in May of 2005 as a special “Sweeps” episode of “The Wonderful World of Disney”). There’s also lots of other fun spots to visit at the site — like the newstand (Where you can check out the latest Muppet-related headlines as well as bounce various objects off of the poor Muppet Newsman’s head) or you can poke around Miss Piggy’s trailer.

Clearly, Disney’s web designers put a lot of love & care into the creation of muppets.com. As I understand it, their goal was to create a site that would recapture much of the sense of fun & whimsy that Kermit & Co. have been so closely associated with over the past 40+ years.

Mind you, a lot of JHM readers have already written to me, thrilled with how pretty the muppets.com site is. As Janice’s Twin said:

“This site looks just like the way I pictured MGM’s “Muppet Studios” looking after I read your old “When You Wish Upon a Frog” series of stories over at LaughingPlace.com. You don’t suppose that muppets.com is just WDI’s way of field-testing what a new version of a “Muppet” land for Disney’s theme parks would look like?”

Well, that seemed like kind of a silly question, Janice’s Twin. But — just in case you were on to something — I made a call to a friend at Walt Disney Imagineering. He said:

“Admittedly, the site looks great. And a number of the ideas that the web designers used here are actually direct lifts from plans that the Imagineers previously made for Muppet-related shows & attractions for the parks. Like Miss Piggy’s trailer, for example. We built something just like that for the ‘Muppets on Location: Days of Swine & Roses” show at MGM.

But as for WDI actually building a new ‘Muppet’ land for one of the theme parks that looks just like this … Maybe in a few years, after Chris Curtin gets this franchise back up to full speed, we can talk about it. But — as for the immediate future — nothing this ambitious is going to happen, Jim. At least ’til Disney management determines that the company can actually make money off of the Muppets.”

Which I know has to be disappointing news to Janice’s Twin. But at least I got you an answer.

Now — getting to Peter S. ‘s original question. As in: What’s going to become of the Jim Henson Company now that the Henson family has sold off the Muppets to the Disney Corporation? … Well, Brian Henson is in the process of radically reinventing JHC. Changing that production company which — for decades now — has been closely associated with Miss Piggy & pals into a firm that produces fantasy & science fiction films that will appeal to a broad family audience.

If you’d like to learn more about what a Muppet-less Jim Henson Company will be like, Peter S., then I suggest that you head over to Henson.com. Where you can poke around and learn even more about what Brian Henson has planned for his father’s old company.

Speaking of Henson’s family: Jim’s daughters Lisa & Cheryl along with his widow, Jane, are all expected to make appearances at the Brooklyn Academy of Music this coming Saturday & Sunday. The Hensons — along with veteran muppeteers like Jerry Nelson, Carroll Spinney & Kevin Clash — will all be taking part an extra special event entitled “Muppets, Music & Magic: Jim Henson’s Legacy.” Co-sponsored by BAM and the Jim Henson Foundation, this two day event will feature screenings of rarely-seen footage, talks by long time Henson collaborators like writer Jerry Juhl, producer Martin Baker and historian Craig Shemin as well as puppet-building workshops.

This sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime event for Henson fans, doesn’t it? That’s why Joe Apel is heading to NYC this coming weekend. So that he can file a full report on “Muppets, Music & Magic: Jim Henson’s Legacy” at this website sometime next week.

On the other hand, if you’d prefer to experience the fun all for yourself, you can just head on up to the Brooklyn Academy of Music (which is located at 30 Lafayette Avenue) this weekend and purchase tickets to the various events. Speaking of which, if you’d like to learn more about what’s actually been scheduled for “Muppets, Music & Magic,” click on this link.

So there you have it, Peter S. In one marathon-length “Why For,” hopefully I’ve answered most of your Muppet & Pixar related questions.

Anyway … That’s it for this week, folks. Oops! Almost forgot … Scott Liljenquist of Mouseketrips wants me to remind you guys that I’ll be giving tours of the Magic Kingdom down at Disney World on Thursday, December 9th and Monday, December 13th. So — if you’re going to be in Orlando next month and would like to hear even more Disney-related stories straight from the horse’s ass … er … I mean “mouth,” click on this link.

Have a great weekend, okay? And we’ll (hopefully) see you all again next week at JHM.

jrh

General

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

Published

9 years ago

June 23, 2015

Jim Hill

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

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

… the postman delivering the mail …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the street musician playing for tourists …

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.

Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

… or — for that matter — out-of-time.

Photo by Jim Hill

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

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

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

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

General

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

Published

9 years ago

June 10, 2015

Jim Hill

Greeting from the 2015 Licensing Expo, which is being held
at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las
Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

I have to admit that I enjoy covering the Licensing Expo.
Mostly becomes it allows bloggers & entertainment writers like myself to
get a peek over the horizon. Scope out some of the major motion pictures &
TV shows that today's vertically integrated entertainment conglomerates
(Remember when these companies used to be called movie studios?) will be
sending our way over the next two years or so.

Photo by Jim Hill

Take — for example — all of "The Secret Life of
Pets" banners that greeted Expo attendees as they made their way to the
show floor today. I actually got to see some footage from this new Illumination
Entertainment production (which will hit theaters on July 8, 2016) the last time I was in Vegas. Which
was for CinemaCon back in April. And the five or so minutes of film that I viewed
suggested that "The Secret Life of Pets" will be a really funny
animated feature.

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that Expo
attendees remembered that there was another Illumination Entertainment production
coming-to-a-theater-near-them before "The Secret Life of Pets" (And
that's "Minions," the "Despicable Me" prequel. Which
premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival next week but
won't be screened stateside 'til July 10th of this year). Which is why they had
three minions who were made entirely out of LEGOS loitering out in the lobby.

Photo by Jim Hill

And Warner Bros. — because they wanted "Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice" to start trending on Twitter today — brought
the Batmobile to Las Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention full-sized macquettes of Batman, Superman and
Wonder Woman. Just so conventioneers could then see what these DC superheroes
would actually look like in this eagerly anticipated, March 25, 2016 release.

Photo by Jim Hill

That's the thing that can sometimes be a wee bit frustrating
about the Licensing Expo. It's all about delayed gratification. You'll come
around a corner and see this 100 foot-long ad for "The Peanuts Movie"
and think "Hey, that looks great. I want to see that Blue Sky Studios production
right now." It's only then that you notice the fine print and realize that
"The Peanuts Movie" doesn't actually open in theaters 'til November
6th of this year.

Photo by Jim Hill

And fan of Blue Sky's "Ice Age" film franchise are in for an even
longer wait. Given that the latest installment in that top grossing series
doesn't arrive in theaters 'til July
15, 2016.

Photo by Jim Hill

Of course, if you're one of those people who needs immediate
gratification when it comes to your entertainment, there was stuff like that to
be found at this year's Licensing Expo. Take — for example — how the WWE
booth was actually shaped like a wrestling ring. Which — I'm guessing — meant
that if the executives of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. didn't like
the offer that you were making, they were then allowed to toss you out over the
top rope, Royal Rumble-style.

Photo by Jim Hill

I also have to admit that — as a longtime Star Trek fan —
it was cool to see the enormous Starship Enterprise that hung in place over the
CBS booth. Not to mention getting a glimpse of the official Star Trek 50th
Anniversary logo.

Photo by Jim Hill

I was also pleased to see lots of activity in The Jim Henson
Company booth. Which suggests that JHC has actually finally carved out a
post-Muppets identity for itself.

Photo by Jim Hill

Likewise for all of us who were getting a little concerned
about DreamWorks Animation (what with all the layoffs & write-downs &
projects that were put into turnaround or outright cancelled last year), it was
nice to see that booth bustling.

Photo by Jim Hill

Every so often, you'd come across some people who were
promoting a movie that you weren't entirely sure that you actually wanted to
see (EX: "Angry Birds," which Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia
Pictures will be releasing to theaters on May 20, 2016). But then you remembered that Clay Kaytis —
who's this hugely talented former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator — is
riding herd on "Angry Birds" with Fergal Reilly. And you'd think
"Well, if Clay's working on 'Angry Birds,' I'm sure this animated feature
will turn out fine."

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, there were reminders at this year's Licensing Expo
of great animated features that we're never going to get to see now. I still
can't believe — especially after that brilliant proof-of-concept footage
popped up online last year — that Sony execs decided not to go forward
with production of Genndy Tartakovsky's
"Popeye" movie. But that's the
cruel thing about the entertainment business, folks. It will sometime break
your heart.

Photo by Jim Hill

And make no mistake about this. The Licensing Expo is all
about business. That point was clearly driven home at this year's show when —
as you walked through the doors of the Mandalay
Bay Convention Center
— the first thing that you saw was the Hasbros Booth. Which was this gleaming,
sleek two story-tall affair full of people who were negotiating deals &
signing contracts for all of the would-be summer blockbusters that have already
announced release dates for 2019 & beyond.

Photo by Jim Hill

"But what about The Walt Disney Company?," you
ask. "Weren't they represented on the show floor at this year's Licensing
Expo?" Not really, not. I mean, sure. There were a few companies there hyping
Disney-related products. Take — for example — the Disney Wikkeez people.

Photo by Jim Hill

I'm assuming that some Disney Consumer Products exec is
hoping that Wikkeez will eventually become the new Tsum Tsum. But to be blunt,
these little hard plastic figures don't seem to have the same huggable charm
that those stackable plush do. But I've been wrong before. So let's see what
happens with Disney Wikkeez once they start showing up on the shelves of the
Company's North American retail partners.

Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of Disney's retail partners … They were
meeting with Mouse House executives behind closed doors one floor down from the
official show floor for this year's Licensing Expo.

Photo by Jim Hill

And the theme for this year's invitation-only Disney shindig? "Timeless
Stories" involving the Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm brands that
would then appeal to "tomorrow's consumer."

Photo by Jim Hill

And just to sort of hammer home the idea that Disney is no
longer the Company which cornered the market when it comes to little girls
(i.e., its Disney Princess and Disney Fairies franchises), check out this
wall-sized Star Wars-related image that DCP put up just outside of one of its
many private meeting rooms. "See?," this carefully crafted photo
screams. "It isn't just little boys who want to wield the Force. Little
girls also want to grow up and be Lords of the Sith."

Photo by Jim Hill

One final, kind-of-ironic note: According to this banner,
Paramount Pictures will be releasing a movie called "Amusement Park"
to theaters sometime in 2017.

Photo by Jim Hill

Well, given all the "Blackfish" -related issues
that have been dogged SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment over the past two years, I'm
just hoping that they'll still be in the amusement park business come 2017.

Your thoughts?

General

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

Published

9 years ago

June 9, 2015

Jim Hill

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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