Disney Films That Aren't (Part Two)...

The response to the last one of these was enough to warrant a sequel...

There are plenty of good movies out there that were made by others or even sometimes were turned down by the Mouse. I'm sure I won't get through all of them, but I figured we'd have another round of...

"This coulda' been a Disney film."

The last day of March we did "Part One" of this series so it's kind of appropriate that the last day of April we post "Part Two", don't you think? Without further ado...

Stuart Little

I know, I know... It's way too sweet, but it has an endearing quality to it and focuses on family values. The Littles are a family that plans to adopt a new family member. They wind up adopting an idealic, sweet young mouse named Stuart. A film about love and surviving the trials you face in a family disguised as a children's film. I've tended to shy away from all these CG films where they make realistic animals talk, but I must admit this one warmed me up to it. Now as for "South Of The Border"... I'll wait and see.

The Neverending Story

The story of a young man, Bastian, who retreats from the problems of our world into a book called “The Neverending Story”. The tale is an allegory involving the land of Fantasia whose existence threatened by an enigmatic force known as “The Nothing”. Great fun, beautiful scenes and a charming tale for families the world over.

Field of Dreams

This one could fall in the same line of films as "The Rookie", although it's far superior to that one. This "Capraesk" look at a small town farmer played with subtlety and charm by Kevin Costner, who hears a voice in his head that causes him to build a baseball field in the middle of his corn field is a great look at what makes a life have meaning. The heartwarming tale is filled with imagery and scenes that make you feel what is right about America and right about Disney.

Nanny McPhee

I actually was forced to watch this... and I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, it's a blatant rip-off of Mary Poppins even if it comes from original source material. But never-the-less, it's a truly touching family picture that's good for families and a great film to show your daughter or niece and not have to worry about being bored. Emma Thompson wrote the script as well as starred in this story of a magical nanny and if the result was an example of her writing skills, I think she has a future in this business.

The Goonies

Essentially, "The Little Rascals" for the 80's or picture "Stand By Me" as envisioned by Steven Spielberg. A fun, flawed story about friends growing up in a small Oregon town that find lost pirate gold along with a family of bumbling crooks. I'm smiling just thinking about it. Stories like this would be great for Walt Disney Pictures to explore if they find the right material... hint, it's out there.

Mouse Hunt

Granted, this could easily be a live-action Warner Bros. cartoon as well. But this weird and stylized tale of a mouse that ruins the lives of the brothers who inherit the house it lives in is a fun, zany romp. Gore Verbinski("The Ring" and the "Pirates" trilogy) had a stylish turn in this, his second film. While not deep in terms of character it has one thing going for it that no other film has... Christopher Walken as an insane pest inspector. Totally funny. Now that's a character I want to see roaming around the parks.

Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the WereRabbit

Ok, truthfully... ANYTHING that Nick Park does should be under the Disney label. The guy's a genius(he's the claymation Brad Bird) and his greatest creation of the eccentric inventor and his introspective dog are perfect characters for the Mouse. This story of Wallace falling for a woman, while a savage beast resembling a giant rabbit roams the land has all the trademarks of W & G's earlier shorts... and it's charming.

Big Fish

I know not everyone is a Burton fan, but I think that this story, with a few minor alterations would be great for Walt Disney Pictures. Ewan McGregor as the young version of Albert Finney's character; a father that has told so many tales his son can't determine which are true and which are make-believe. Billy Crudup is the skeptical son in this compelling story of love, pain and the need for belief... no matter what its price. There's no reason we can't have a Disney film with a little melancholy in it and Burton's films are doused in it.

Back to the Future

Now, you could include all three of these films and say it was the trilogy that should have been a part of the Mouse, but even though the sequels are fun and entertaining, they just don't have the magic that the original does. This film was pure fun. Plain and simple. The story of a young, everyboy teen who works odd jobs for an odd inventor that designs a time machine in a modern day version of the Edsel? With all its plot twists and clever banter between the way things were in the 50's and how they were in the 80's is great. Now, if Zemeckis would just fall in love with live-action film making again, sigh...

The Mummy(1999)

As I happen to love serials and my favorite film is "Raiders of the Lost Ark", I think it's apparent that this movie would come along sometime in this series were it to continue. This Stephen Sommers film doesn't take itself as serious as the Indy films and it does carry a lot of cheese, but it's a refreshing action yarn that is the perfect thing I expect when I sit down in the dark with my soda, popcorn and milkduds. Too bad no Disney logo was before this one... Oh, well.

Edward Scissorhands

Another Tim Burton film. Also my favorite Tim Burton film(just ahead of "Ed Wood"). This modern day version of "Pinocchio", I don't know if you caught that, but it is... this story about a sweet, shy man with scissors for hands that falls for a beautiful teen in an "Idealic" Burtonesk suburb is his most heartfelt project. I think what "E.T." is to Spielberg, this is to Burton. A marvelous film that would/could easily fit into the Disney canon of films.

Matilda

The tale of an endearing little girl, who's to be a genius, and her inspiring teacher as she deals with horrible parents and a school principal that is her worst nightmare. Sweet, if uneven tale, based on the book by Roald Dahl and adapted to the screen under Danny DeVito's direction. A treat, although not a perfect one... but worthy of entry into the "should of been" category for Disney.

Big Trouble in Little China

John Carpenter's classic, cheesy play on B-movies is a wonderful film and a textbook example of what a "movie night" at a friends house should be. The story of an American truck driver that gets dragged into a centuries-old mystical battle in China Town after going to help a friend is both funny and action packed. Filled from the bottom to the brim, it never lets up and never lets us take it too seriously. Good stuff.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Ok, is there someone out there that doesn't think this deserves to be a "Disney" film? Heck, even when Spielberg finished his cut of the movie he had "When you wish upon a star" as temp music for it. This tale of ordinary people all across the earth and their experience with strange lights in the sky is mesmerizing, beautiful and poetic in its portrayal of an alien invasion that really isn't. If there is one person other than Lucas that is the heir to the Disney throne, it's Spielberg and it's also a reason why so many of his films would wind up on a list like this.

Labyrinth

This Jim Henson directed film about a young girl named Sarah left home alone to babysit her little brother. While trying to get him to sleep, she tells him a fantasy story that inadvertently brings a Goblin King from a far off land to steals the child and whisk him away to a castle in the middle of a vast labyrinth. She is told to rescue him before midnight or the brother will became a goblin forever... Cinderella it ain't, but an entertaining fantasy it is... most worth, I say.

Gremlins

This one has a lot of great names attached to it. Spielberg produced it. Joe Dante directed it. Chris Columbus wrote it. It was actually his first movie... well before we would know him as a director for such things as "Harry Potter" and "Mrs. Doubtfire", a time when he was known by a word I first became aware of... "wonderkund". It even has a cameo by the great animation director Chuck Jones. This film about a young man, given a present from his father of a little creature that doesn't mix well with water and the hi-jinx that follows once rules are violated is a great example of an 80's high concept movie. Spielberg at his producing best and well worth of the label of the Mouse.

Gone In Thirty Seconds...

Unlike some of those bootleg YouTube videos we've been seeing of "The Dark Knight" and others, it appears that Paramount Pictures is releasing the television spots for "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" as a steady drip, drip, drip for Indy fans until the trailer hits this Friday. Check 'em out, they're cool and helping to keep up my addiction to the Man in the Hat. Thanks goes out to my drug dealer, Mr. George Lucas, you may have screwed up on the prequels, but I'm glad you've been trying to get out another Indy film... now if this one's any good I hope you don't waste too much time making another one. I don't want to see Indiana Jones using his whip from a wheelchair!

More...

Must...

Have...

More...

Originals Return To Reimagined Remake...

News for the 70's Disney Geeks/Fans...

The original Hannah Montana, Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann from the classic "Escape to Witch Mountain" will have cameos in the new "Race to Witch Mountain" starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Carla Gugino currently lensing...

Eisenmann will play a sheriff, while Richards will portray a waitress at a roadhouse called "Ray's" in a small town named Stony Creek. They wind up helping Las Vegas cabbie(Johnson) and his two tween powered aliens to escape an evil group out to capture them and exploit their powers.

Interested in seeing what they do with this. I hope it captures the magic of the original and expands on it rather than creating something that waste such a good idea.

Developing...

Blue Sky Alert-America (Anaheim): Becoming Paradise...

Well guys,

Since you had to wait so long for the last update, I thought I'd surprise you with this...

A mini-update as a bonus.

Please, please... don't all thank me at once. But I figure I'd give you a little more detail into what's going on in and around the Pier area.

Later this year when all the buzz has settled down from TSMM, the rest of the "Makeover" of Paradise Pier goes into high gear. You already know that the Sun Wheel is becoming Mickey's Fun Wheel and the work on the other areas of the PP(such as the Beer Garden and surrounding areas) start between fall and early next year, but what about that water show?

"Disney's World of Color".

We all know that it's going to be a big show. A cross between Fantasmic! and the water show in front of the Bellagio. We all know that there will be hundreds and hundreds of jet nozzles shooting water far into the sky with projected images surrounding this spectacle, but...

Did you know how much of the Pier will actually be used for these fountains? Most have said that it will just be in front of Mickey's Fun Wheel. No, no...

Try the entire water area of the Pier. That big. Really. When the PP goes down next year to be drained so that construction can begin on the new extended area and the placement of the water and lighting system is put in it will be extensive. This will have some form of fountain display all across the whole of the area. It's no wonder that the area around Ariel's Grotto is talked about being enclosed. Guest will get drenched sitting out under those exposed canopies. The WOC show will be very intimate for audiences. As well as that, when the displays and water jets are shooting up into the air, expect to see a very familiar Disney character floating in the Pier as he'll be part of the festivities. Mickey Mouse? Nope. Donald Duck? Nooooo. Ariel? No, but technically she'll be there(more on that in a minute).

Chernabog.

A giant Variation of the demon from "Night On Bald Mountain" will inhabit the PP show if everything goes as planed. He'll be one of the main displays on hand during the show. But he won't be the only one...

Now as over to the other side of the Pier where "The Little Mermaid" ride is going in, things are going swimmingly. Sorry, I couldn't help it. But work continues on this attraction and each day more and more details are being added. The structure and final building design have been approved and it's going to be more refined and glamorous than any of those crude pictures you've seen in the presentation last October. There's a reason why this ride's budget is up over a hundred million dollars. John Lasseter, Bob Weis and their crew are working to make sure this area is filled with tons of bells and whistles. There will be several show rooms in the ride displaying multiple scenes from the classic Disney film, but the main one, for the main song will be in the center of the building and will occupy the most space. Possibly over half of the building. It's going to be a room that is round/oval in shape and feature some of the most complex lighting and animatronics detail of any Imagineer project. The surrounding areas will feature lush foliage and trees sorely lacking in the initial creation of this park. Another glaring example of how much we need to take Paul Pressler and Michael Eisner out to the woodshed and give them a much deserved whuppin'.

Now that's not exactly a full BSA, but I thought I'd give you another kernel of what is going down instead of waiting a few weeks/a month or so before you see another update. Hope that helps to make up for the lull between Alerts.

Now a little business...

Many of you have asked for a WDW BSA and have wondered why there hasn't been one lately. I've mentioned it before, but perhaps it's worth repeating again and elaborating. Most of my connections are around the Anaheim projects. My few Bothan connections that work on WDW have dwindled as most are no longer working on projects for the Florida parks or have left the company. So I haven't really had enough info to put into a full blown BSA. Now, should I get in touch with more WDW Bothans we'll start to have more updates, but I don't intend on putting out an update that I don't have enough information about. I'd just as soon post nothing than try and fill an entire post with a few bits about Florida. Sorry if that disappoints you, but that's the way things go.

But as more info comes in I will try and work it into the other updates or commentaries... as for the next Anaheim Alert, it won't come before mid May at the earliest. Just want to give you a heads-up on that one fellas. As for other updates(Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong)? Time and content will determine when any and all are done. Right now, that means probably later in the summer for those.


TTFN

Disney Deco (Part One)...

Many of the resorts, hotels and building structures the Mouse has done over the years have had a decidely Art Deco influence. Mainly because it is a style that was a popular design movement when Walt Disney was running his studio at the height of its pre-live-action days. Anyone that has seen pictures of Walt's office or the Burbank studios in the late 30's/early 40's will recognize the style. If you like they stylings of the Maestro's headquarters you actually can decorate your home to reflect that. The Mouse recently authorized a line of furniture called the Walt Disney Signature Collection based on a latter part of the Art Deco movement known as Art Moderne.

Here are some lovely examples of what Imagineers do best when trying to capture the past...

Seeing Stars...

"You either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain" - Harvey Dent(Two-Face) to Bruce Wayne in "The Dark Knight"


Michael Eisner got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Yesterday.

I don't think anything else needs to be said... but I'll say it anyway. He does deserve it for taking the Mouse from where it was to where he left it in 1995 or so... of course, he then deserves to have it taken away for what he did the remaining ten years.

Go South Of The Border Tomorrow...

If you happen to be in the Bay Area(no, I don't mean in DCA) tomorrow, you might want to attend the San Francisco Film Festival...

For Disney Geeks/Fans there's a special treat.

“Walt & El Grupo” is premiering at the Festival. It will be screened at 1:15 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at 6 p.m. Monday, April 28 (with an extended Q&A) and at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 30 at the Kabuki Theater in San Francisco. Additional film festival screenings are planned in the weeks and months ahead in Seattle and other cities both stateside and abroad.

The documentary, directed by Ted Thomas(yes, son of Frank Thomas and director of the wonderful "Frank and Ollie" documentary) follows Walt Disney and Lillian Disney along with sixteen colleagues for 10 weeks in 1941 as they visited several Latin American nations to gather story material for a series of short films with South American themes.

Many of these experiences would be woven into the classic Disney films “Saludos Amigos” and “The Three Caballeros.”

So if you love history, love film and love Disney then see about attending one of these showings...

109 Seconds Of Pure Pleasure...

Ok, so here is one more reason to see "Iron Man" next Friday. As if we needed it...

The new trailer for "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" will be attached to it. I have three very short sentences for that...

I.

Can't.

Wait.

Or maybe it should be...

Bring.

It.

On.

Hat Tip to Hollywood Elsewhere.

Echoing Rumors...

There's a slightly interesting article in the OC Register today about an event that Ed Grier spoke at in the Orange County Forum. I say slightly because most of what it mentions are things that have been heard here and other sites in the blogosphere many times and months before it. The only news that's really new is the talk of a "Tinkerbell" attraction later this year. From what I've been told it's going to be a nice little tie-in but hardly anything close to an "E-Ticket", more of a meet and greet really. That being said, it'll be a nice thing for young girls and tweens... neither of which I am.

Ed is a nice enough fella, but he's a bit lacking in the charisma department and his people skills with the Cast Members aren't anywhere near what Matt Ouimet's were. They sometimes feel like he's detached and several just look at him as Jay's puppet. Don't know him well enough to confirm that but he will hopefully do a lot of bonding with Lasseter over the next few years. I can guarantee that John Lasseter will be there in four years, I can't say the same about Jay Rasulo...

and that's a good thing.

Tales With Issues...

Those of you that have never read a copy of Tales from the Laughing Place should really take a look at the latest issue. It's filled with some really nice stuff a Disney Geek/Fan will just go giddy over:

- A timely interview with Joe Rohde, Imagineering Czar of DAK about the development of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

- An interview with DCE's Steven Davison about the 25th anniversary parade of Tokyo Disneyland: "Jubilation!" with artwork found nowhere else.

- Hong Kong Disneyland’s "It’s A Small World" and its creation with Imagineers Tom Morris, Jody McLoughlin and Katie Olsen.

And much, much more. Go over and have a looksie... if you're a Mouse Lover like myself, it's an issue you'll really gotta have...

Prince In The Park...

The MySpace website "Trailerpark" has a new trailer up for "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" and it portrays the new film in the series as much more of an epic adventure showing what the Studio believes fanboys tend to need to see to get their butts in the seats.

Go over and have a looksie.

Hat Tip to Ain't It Cool News.

Far East Outposts...

There's an interesting article in Variety's Asia edition that focuses on the Mouse in the Far East. It talks mainly about Bill Ernest being promoted to "President and Managing Director, Asia", the small nugget that will perk up Disney Geeks/Fans is the quote from Toshio Kagami, chairman of the Oriental Land Company where he mentioned the OLC wanting to operate a park outside Japan. And stating that South East Asia was a top priority for the company. When pressed, a OLC spokesman said:

"We're celebrating our 25th anniversary and Mr. Kagami was speaking about new challenges for our next 25 years. A park outside Japan is one possible challenge, though nothing has been decided yet."

Hmmm...

This in interesting because it wasn't stated that the park outside Japan would be a "Disney" park. If this were to be a "franchised park" of the Mouse then the Oriental Land Company would have to renegotiate its contract with the Walt Disney Company. OLC is prohibited from even promoting the Tokyo Disney Resort outside of Japan so it is in all likely hood they're talking about a non-Disney themed park.

Time will tell...

Don't fear for Japan though, there will be another resort in Japan, just not in Tokyo. Word I'm hearing is that it could be somewhere in northern Japan. This will be a new kind of Disney park for the OLC, not necessarily the same as Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySEA. The new resort will take the Disney brand in Japan and try something new. Something different. This is that Urban Entertainment Center(UEC) concept we've talked a little about before. Expect to hear something about it by then end of 2008/early 2009. It's going to be interesting to see the final concept that they choose. Notice that this project is scheduled to be done around 2011...

There's that year again.

The World's Fourth Kingdom At Ten...

On this day...

Ten years ago, the largest Disney theme park in the world(over 500 acres) opened up in Walt Disney World. Disney's Animal Kingdom's gates swung out to welcome guests on this day a decade ago. It was a little lacking in rides, but hey... what theme park under Eisner wasn't after Euro Disneyland? Granted, one its two major lands(Asia) wouldn't open for another year, but the Mouse trudged forward with this new park.



And to be frank, out of all WDW's parks, the most beautiful and filled with the theming one expects from a Disney park... DAK is it. It is still lacking in any nighttime entertainment(River of Dreams is on hold), and several areas aren't what was or should have been built(Hello: Camp Minnie-Mickey!) and one area is surprisingly garish and carnie in nature(Dinoland U.S.A.), but this theme park is well worth the experience. Anyone that has seen its lush scenery, animals and Expedition Everest realize how wonderful and different this is from the normal Disney experience... and yet, it's still Disney.



Now the great news is this park is still young... and it has nowhere near the problems that DCA has. This is mainly due to the leadership of one Imagineer Czar that has watched over it since he pitched the idea to Eisner in the first place: Joe Rohde. Now, we can't blame Joe for the mess that is Dinoland or the out of place Camp Minnie-Mickey... he's a man that knows when and where to fight his battles. He got to build a good percentage of what he wanted and realized that the rest could come with time. That time may soon arrive over the next four to six years. By then it will hopefully reflect the original intention of the park: to have examples of animals that are real, extinct and myth... with Asian and Africa they have the living part, and Dinoland U.S.A. they have the extinct part, but the third land that was to represent the animals of myth never really materialized. Now some think that having the Yeti from Expedition Everest fills this category, but let's face it; Yeti's are real. I've seen them many a time when I was night skiing up in Big Bear and Parking City. The fact that alcohol was involved is purely coincidental.

Disney's Hollywood Studios will be getting the majority of the TLC over the next few years, but DAK will get some loving. One of the best bits of news for Disney Geeks/Fans in years is that "Beastly Kingdom" is not dead. It's not only dead, but the concept is apparently moving forward although slower than we'd like and is going to be different than what was originally conceived. Put that together with Steven Davison's(Vice President, Disney Creative Entertainment) plans to come up with a nighttime alternative to River of Lights and things could be downright rosy...



Come 2011(there's that year again!) or 2012 if plans shift and construction dates slip, Disney's Animal Kingdom will be the crown jewel of all five parks. Errr... oops, I meant four parks. Didn't I?

Anyways, happy birthday DAK. You don't look a day over nine...

Changing The Mouse's Nature...

As well as celebrating a decade of Disney's Animal Kingdom, the Walt Disney Company is changing the name of it's wildlife concervation fund from "Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund" to "Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund". So out goes "Wildlife" and in comes "Worldwide"... I know, it's a subtle name change, but the logo is still snazzy so I thought I'd post it.

Hat Tip to The Disney Blog.

Disney Gets Back To Nature...

The Walt Disney Studios today announced a new label dedicated to making films/documentaries about nature and our planet:

"Disneynature"

This is an extension or modern reinterpretation of the old "True-Life Adventures" series that Walt Disney started back in 1948 with "Seal Island". I personally love this idea and think it'll be a great addition to the Disney line of films. Not to mention it will a great synergy for Disney's Animal Kingdom. Hehe... I know, I know. Had to get all corporate on you there, but it's true and this could a very entertaining, educational and financially rewarding endeavor for the Mouse and us Disney Geeks/Fans. Clink on the link to the actual website for a pretty flashy and interactive introduction to Disneynature(a spiffy example of how Web 2.0 technology should work, btw).

Here's the official Press Release:

_________________________________________________

Burbank, California – April 21, 2008 -- The Walt Disney Studios is launching Disneynature, a prestigious new production banner that will literally go to the ends of the earth to produce major big screen nature documentaries, Studios Chairman Dick Cook announced.

In the great tradition established by Walt Disney himself, Disneynature will offer spectacular entertainment about the world in which we live. The significance of the new banner goes beyond the studio, with The Walt Disney Company embracing this new initiative around the world through a number of its businesses, including publications, licensing, parks and educational outreach. Disney veteran Jean-Francois Camilleri, who has served as senior vice president and general manager for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures France will head the new unit. Disneynature will be based in France, where Camilleri and his team will oversee the initiation, development and acquisition of high quality feature projects.

Among the first films to be released domestically under the new label will be Earth, from award-winning British producer/director Alastair Fothergill, whose credits include the landmark Planet Earth series for the BBC and The Discovery Channel and The Blue Planet. Earth, which is produced by BBC Worldwide and Greenlight Media and co-directed by Mark Linfield, will take us on a tour of our home planet as we’ve never seen it before. It will be narrated by renowned actor James Earl Jones and will premiere theatrically on Earth Day, April 22, 2009. The film will also be released under the Disneynature banner in Latin America.

“We love balancing heritage and innovation and Disneynature is a perfect example of this. We are placing the legacy of Disney’s ‘True-Life Adventures’ in the hands of great modern filmmakers using dazzling technology,” said Robert A. Iger, president and CEO, The Walt Disney Company. “Disneynature is a concept we look forward to building across the company and across the globe for years to come. And, we hope these films will contribute to a greater understanding and appreciation of the beauty and fragility of our natural world.”

Dick Cook added, “Our goal is for Disneynature to offer event films that will appeal to everyone who is captivated by the grandeur of nature and the wonder of great filmmaking. Thanks to today’s state-of-the-art creative tools, filmmakers have an unlimited ability to tell nature’s limitless stories. These stories are as engrossing as any works of fiction and are of a scale and scope that can only be fully appreciated on a big screen. At Disneynature, the sky is truly the limit.”

"Nature invents the most beautiful stories. Our role at Disneynature will be to tell these stories with passion and enthusiasm to the largest public possible around the world,” said Camilleri. “By working with the best wildlife directors, we will offer nature as never seen before, help the audience to discover the incredible beauty of our world but also understand the challenges for the future generations."

Alastair Fothergill added, “This is especially exciting because, thanks to the wide-ranging appeal of Disney, we can expect Earth, as well as Chimpanzee and Big Cats to be seen by the broadest possible audience. Disney has been an inspiration to wildlife documentarians for generations and it’s a genuine thrill to advance this extraordinary legacy under this new label.”

Among the other Disneynature projects currently in development or production are:



THE CRIMSON WING: Mystery of the Flamingos – Co-directed by Matthew Aeberhard and Leander Ward, and produced by Paul Webster (Kudos Pictures), this film will take viewers to the isolated shores of Lake Natron in northern Tanzania for a birds-eye view of the mysterious lives of flamingos. Worldwide roll-out begins December 2008



OCEANS -- Nearly three-quarters of the earth’s surface is covered by oceans. French co-directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud have set out to capture the full expanse of these waters that have played such a crucial and constant role in the history and sustenance of man. The deep and abundant oceans are places of great mysteries and dangers that this film will dare to explore. Domestic release 2010



ORANGUTANS: One Minute to Midnight – Directed by Charlie Hamilton James and produced by Frédéric Fougea, this film tells the true story of a six-year-old male orangutan and his little sister, who must take an incredible journey to find a home and a family. Worldwide release 2010



BIG CATS – Audiences will get to meet three mothers – a lioness, a leopard and a cheetah – as they explore their world on the great plains of Africa. Co-directed by Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergill and produced by Alix Tidmarsh, this film will show how these magnificent animals survive on their power and their cunning, while they protect and teach their cubs the ways of the wild. Worldwide release 2011



NAKED BEAUTY: A Love Story that Feeds the Earth – In this film, nature is ready for its close-up … a very close-up, as exacting macro photography takes us to the realm of flowers and their pollinators. Acclaimed filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg introduces us to a bat, a hummingbird, a butterfly and a bumblebee, demonstrating their intricate interdependence and how life on earth depends on the success of these determined, diminutive creatures. Naked Beauty is produced by Blacklight Films and Alix Tidmarsh. Worldwide release 2011



CHIMPANZEE -- Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield co-direct this intimate look at the world of chimpanzees, with Christophe Boesch, head of the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, serving as principal consultant and Alix Tidmarsh as producer. To be shot over three years in the tropical jungles of the Ivory Coast and Uganda, Chimpanzee will help us better understand this exceptionally intelligent species. Worldwide release 2012
About Jean-François Camilleri:

After beginning his career working in France with Warner Bros. International, which at the time distributed Disney films overseas, Camilleri came to Los Angeles in 1990 to work for Disney’s Buena Vista International (BVI). When Disney took over its own overseas distribution, he returned to Paris to help develop BVI’s offices in Europe. He then became in 1997 Vice President and general Manager for Gaumont BVI France. In 2004, BVI opened an office dedicated solely to the French market, with Camilleri as senior vice president and general manager. In this position, he also developed local co-productions and acquisitions, including The March Of The Penguins, which became the most successful French film ever in the US and won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. He will be serving as executive vice president and general manager of Disneynature.

About the filmmakers (in order of films):

Alastair Fothergill joined the BBC’s esteemed Natural History Unit in 1983, where, among many projects, he produced films with Sir David Attenborough. He served as head of the Natural History Unit from 1992-1998, when he chose to step down to work full-time on the award-winning Blue Planet. From 2002-2006, Fothergill was series producer of the landmark Planet Earth. He has entered a multi-picture deal with Disneynature.

Mark Linfield has had a prolific career, producing and directing many award-winning films, including The Battles of Braveheart, Orangutans: The High Society, The Temple Troop and The Life of Mammals with Sir David Attenborough. His most recent work has been the multi-award award winning Capuchins: The Monkey Puzzle and two episodes of Planet Earth, including the opening show, Pole to Pole, which won several Emmys.

Matthew Aeberhard worked with famed naturalist and filmmaker Hugo van Lawick on the feature films The Leopard Son and Serengeti Symphony before helming his own films on such subjects as golden jackals and baboons for National Geographic.

Leander Ward first encountered flamingos while filming in Mexico. He was cameraman on the BBC documentary Cape Buffalo: The African Boss, where he met Matthew Aeberhard and the two began developing the film that will become The Crimson Wing.

Academy Award nominee, Jacques Perrin, is a prolific French actor, director and producer. In 1968, he produced at age 27, the landmark film, 'Z'. In 2003, he produced the acclaimed film LES CHORISTES: both films were nominated for Best Foreign Film Academy Award. He also produced two of the most important natural history films ever made: MICROCOSMOS in 1996 and THE WINGED MIGRATION in 2001 which he also directed. Both received numerous awards around the world. Since 2005, he has been producing and co-directing Oceans.

Jacques Cluzaud is one of the leading French filmmakers working with innovative new cinematic technologies. In addition to traditional productions, he has created films for such formats as IMAX, water screens and a giant wall consisting of 850 monitors. While co-directing Oceans, he is also developing new technologies for sea and underwater shooting.

Charlie Hamilton James began his career as a wildlife filmmaker at age 16, working on David Attenborough's Trails of Life. He went on to serve as a cameraman working on such prestigious BBC productions as Life of Mammals, Wildlife on One, Andes to Amazon, Big Cat Diary and Planet Earth. At 26, James produced his first film with his wife Philippa Forrester – My Halcyon River – which won numerous international awards and elicited more requests for repeats than any other film in the BBC's history.

Frédéric Fougea is a nature documentarian and producer who has received more than 100 awards, including an International Emmy Award, Best Film at the European Nature Film Festival and the Gold Medal at the New York Film Festival. Among his provocative films are The Rise of Man, A Species Odyssey, The Fabulous Adventure of Man and Animal and Yeti, The Call of the Snowman.

Keith Scholey was born in Tanzania and raised in East Africa until his teens. He has returned to Africa to make a wide range of films, including Leopard: A Darkness in the Grass, The Great Rift and Big Cat Diary. He succeeded Alastair Fothergill as head of the BBC’s Natural History Unit from 1998 until 2003, being responsible for a wide range of award-winning films, including two David Attenborough productions and The Blue Planet. He is currently the Controller of Factual Production, responsible for all the BBC’s factual productions.

Louie Schwartzberg, as a director and cinematographer, has created some of the most iconic and memorable film moments of our time. His time-lapse, nature and aerial photography has brought audiences images never captured before. He has directed award-winning documentaries for National Geographic, The Hallmark Channel, The Discovery Channel and PBS, and his work has been featured in theatrical films ranging from War of the Worlds and Crash to American Beauty and E.T. In 2004, he produced and directed the award-winning Walt Disney Pictures release, America’s Heart & Soul.

For more updates on the newest production banner of The Walt Disney Studios, go to www.disney.com/nature (domestic) and www.disneynature.com (international).
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More to follow...

Blue Sky Alert-America (Anaheim): The Wheels Of Change...

First off, an apology. I've not posted a Blue Sky Alert in some time and I'm sorry about that, but the realities of the real world have prevented me having the time to communicate with my Bothans. See, in the real world I have deadlines and thankfully here in the blogosphere I can do things when I want(or can)...

I really can't believe how fast this year is going...

It seems like time slips by before you even have a chance to realize it. Bothans are precarious creatures. They take their time getting back to you and even when they do they're sometimes cryptic in their response so as to not jeopardize themselves or their colleagues. So here we are with another update...

A lot will be happening in this year as visitors to DCA can attest when they tried to get to "Sceamin'" from the pier area a short while ago... it wasn't a pretty sight. The signs were in the wrong places where people couldn't see them. But the irony is they were put there because when people did see them in their original place they still ran into them. People just didn't pay enough attention and sadly the lawyers paid too much attention... even in this Disney World there are way too many lawyers. But I digress...

But enough talk about Wall-Land talk, errrr i mean DCA talk.

The Disneyland Resort has been having a good year. Although not the banner year that the 50th or last year was... it's been a good year for the Mouse in Anaheim. DCA's attendance has kind of flattened out, but some of that is to be expected with all the intrusion of work and walls that have(and will) go up over the next few years.

Plans are still moving ahead for the expansion of Downtown Disney, but don't expect anything to be announced before fall or more likely the early part of next year. They're still trying to address how the GardenWalk is going to impact DD and that will likely play into the final design. Also as many of you have noticed from other sites that the Disneyland Hotel plans are going through another review. That's the reason we didn't see the announcement last fall or the pushed announcement to early this year which has been put off until a final decision is made about what to do with those three giant blocks known as the Disneyland Hotel. The cost of retrofitting and expanding the existing structures is running at such a high figure that the Suits are wondering if it is worth the theming or is it just better to start from zero and build anew. We're now reaping for what Pressler put off in the mid 90's when he chose to kick the can down the road on deciding on a plan for this aging collection of dated hotel towers. His decision to not add to the cost of the late 90's Disneyland Resort expansion will now cost the Mouse even more. They could have taken care of it then, but under his penny pinching style of leadership they felt they could hold onto the old relic for another decade or more with only some new paint an a few flashy trinkets. As with much of Pressler's other ideas he was wrong, wrong, wrong. He could have gone ahead with some of WDI's plans for an opulent, expansive(read: expensive) and detailed new version of the park's main hotel. If I had my way that's what I would do... create a new, grand experience for the original DLH. That's my vote, but I don't have a say in the matter. They're going to have to make a decision soon if they want to have the renovated or new hotel up by the tenth anniversary of DCA... or at least by the fall of that year. We should be hearing something by the end of this year as for the expansion that Disney wants to add to the GardenWalk, but an exact date isn't known since even Iger and the Suits haven't yet settled on one yet.

They've finally got all the kinks(most of them at least) out of the Monorail Red and it should be up running with guest by the end of the month/early May at the latest. I'm sure everyone's seen all those pictures of Monorail Blue arriving last week at the Resort. It had the work done on it before it came so we shouldn't worry about having any of the mishaps that happened to Red coming its way. Blue should be out and about by the end of May if current testing goes smoothly or at the very least by the time Mania opens. As for Orange, it's going to appear right at the height of summer and just in time as this summer promises to be one of the busiest ever.




Although the original theme park isn't getting as much TLC as DCA, it is getting a great deal of work... just imagine if the former management was still there. New banners and maybe a parade? While it won't get the 800-900 million that California Adventure is getting, let's be honest... it doesn't need that much, it will be getting around 400-500 million should Baxter's dreams come true.

It's great for Disney Geeks/Fans that Tony Baxter is in charge of Disneyland. A lot of people still wax longingly about Baxter's aborted "Tomorrowland 2055" project. While we won't be getting that exact project for Tomorrowland, we will be getting a variation and successor to it. The project that Baxter plans to makeover TL with will be layered in the detail we have become accustomed to from Tony Baxter. The project will also take a long time to complete. If it all gets approved then it will be done over phases. Broken into two or even three phases over a period of four years...

The first phase will be scheduled to be done by the time Disneyland's 55th anniversary comes around. Yes, only part of the proposal will be completed when the park celebrates that special milestone. The next phase will come the following year with final phase reaching completion around late 2012/early 2013.

The goal is still to have the Star Tours attraction revamped and up and running by the end of the first phase. The area around ST part will be rethemed to represent a more stylized view of what Baxter wants to turn Tomorrowland into. The small bit of art that I've seen reflects a more "retro" feel in what Tomorrowland will become at the end of the Makeover. Many of the elements of the original 98' makeover will be brushed away if the Suits approve his plans. There are also plans to put in a plussed "D-Ticket" where HISTA is by the end of the second phase and even talks about a makeover of Autotopia to reflect the changes in theming in the area. By the end of this part expect to see a return of the People Mover... at least a variation of it. But it appears that the Incredibles "Pod-Movers" have fallen out of favor in return for something else to match the new design. Plans are still in the early stages and the presentation won't be given to Burbank and the Suits until later this year for approval. The final third phase won't be completed until after DCA's Car's Land more than likely. It will be the final makeover or total removal of the Carousel of Progress. The Imagineers are planning a new elaborate "E-Ticket" for where this large piece of real estate occupies, but the construction of it will have to wait until the contract with the current sponsors of the place runs out. That'll be a few years from now, but when it's all said and done TL will have at least one new "E-Ticket" and at least one, more likely two "D-Tickets" in addition to the renovations that are supposed to take place on Star Tours.

In Fantasyland, the plans for a new indoor theater will also be up for approval later this year. If approved, we could see a new enclosed theater done in time for a new, extravagant stage show being developed for the park's anniversary. Baxter is working to make sure the exterior's theming reflects the Fantasyland area that it will be surrounded by.

There are early plans for a renovation/makeover of part of the area of Frontierland for a possible "wild west" show... this could be part of the proposed tie-in with the "Lone Ranger" movie that is supposed to be released between summer 2010 and the holidays, but right now it's very, very early.

Many of you will remember me talking about all the tie-ins for the new "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" a few Blue Sky Alerts ago. As next month rolls around you can expect plenty of merchandise and a new show in Adventureland. There will be actors roaming about doing skits and involving the guest in what will hopefully be a very popular and very entertaining adventure yarn. It's not going into the Aladdin theater from what I was told, but if the entertainment proves to work its magic on the guest then there are plans for something more permanent... over in TDS they're going to have a direct tie-in with the film since they have an entire land devoted with the "Man with the Hat" and a ride that follows the basics of the film. See what happens when good planning is done? Uhm.

The renovation for "It's A Small World" is a very extensive one from what I've been told. It's been in the planning for quite a while with much of the ride in disrepair. Anyone who had ridden it recently would have noticed the chipped paint, tiles with holes in them and the actual canals that the boats travel in. This is something that WDI has wanted to work on for more than a decade. It only really got serious five or six years ago. The plan, from the Bothans who have seen it, say that it is mainly structural; dealing with the aging interface and is not intended to be a major makeover so that it mimics the new one that is about to open in Hong Kong. That being said, there are several areas that they have planned on adding well known animated characters, just not as many as what were proposed for HKDL. The media storm has gotten the Mouse's press relations caught off guard(it shouldn't have been). The Suits inside are worried about bad publicity for the attraction, but also confident after the POTC makeover that most of the fuss will blow over once fans have had a chance to ride the new version. The Bothans I've spoken with aren't on the project, but said the people in charge really do care for IASW and they trust them. They said the "characterization/cartooning" is minimalist at best and most will not notice them. That said, Burbank is nervous... if you want to try and minimize the impact this will have on this classic attraction then keep up the pressure so they know your passion.




Planning continues in Disney's Wall Land. For the next four years we get walls to make up for Pressler's Hellspawn... even after these renovations/expansions are complete there will be plenty of work to do to DCA. When all is said and done in 2016 the park(and Resort, for that matter) will be quite lovely and quite grand, not to mention all the buzz Disney Geeks will be having about the construction going on across the street in what used to be the employee parking lot(that's a story for a much later day). But come the fifteenth anniversary of DCA, the Disneyland Resort will have finally become what it was supposed to be when Eisner first came up with the idea: a resort. A REAL Resort...

As anyone that has visited the park knows there's a lot of construction going on... trust me, it's going to get a lot worse a year from now. Worse in a good way, I mean. I mean there will be plenty of walls and confusion for guest but the end results will be worth it.

The first area to be done is the Paradise Pier section. The plans call for it to be done by spring 2010, but timetables slip as has happened with the stores and games next to the new Midway Mania ride. They were all supposed to be done when the ride opens up, but it may not get completed until late fall/early holiday if another infusion of cash doesn't come soon. There was a lot more spent on Midway than was expected and the result is there won't be enough money to complete it in the current fiscal quarter so the Suits may wait until the start of the new quarter to get going on this. There is also a plan which is awaiting approval to build a more permanent structure for King Triton's Carousel of the Sea, one that will take the place of the cheap tarp and exposed beams that decorate it now. Picture more of a gazebo type structure that is in line with the roof of the Midway Mania ride. It hasn't been approved yet as WDI is trying to convince management that there is need to go on and construct this so that by the fall it will blend in with the rest of the renovated pier. Then there is the remodel of the Orange Stinger. This one is going to try and create the feel of an open air swing set you would have found at a turn-of-the-century coastal pier along the lines of what one imagines Santa Barbara would have looked like. Gone will be the giant orange peel and in its place will be... well, nothing really. Don't get me wrong, it's supposed to be themed in detail to a Victorian area ride, but guest will be riding the swings right out in the open. There'll be flags and canopies around the outer edge and the elevator shaft will have a Victorian roof and siding to give it the borrowed appearance of something more permanent. By late spring of 2010 everything should be done around PP with the exception of The Little Mermaid ride. That should be in the early process of construction by then. Around this time Sunshine Plaza will be chaos with the closing of the entrance by summer at the latest if WDI is to have this front entrance done in time for the tenth anniversary.

Anyone that's seen Mr. Potato Head over in rehearsals at the TSMM ride will understand just how detailed and elaborate the AA's in the new Cars Land will be. And there will be plenty of them. There will be dozens, if the plans I saw go through of Audio Animatronic characters all throughout this land. Particularly on the main ride: "Radiator Springs Racers". The range and motion of all these characters will make this ride a stop for boys young and old each and everytime the park is entered. The sustainability of this land has been something that Imagineers have planned on for the remainder of the next decade as it will have several bells and whistles that will make this THE premiere land in Walt Disney's California... uhm. Scratch that. Let's just call it DCA for now since no name has been set in stone yet.

We've talked before about the areas in Golden State and the Expansion/Makeover of the Hollywood Backlot area, but most of that won't happen until 2012 or 2013 most likely. Plans for the Second Phase of the park really are in their earliest of stages as the Imagineers focus on what lies ahead in the next few years. By 2012 DCA will have come a long way... not as far as it should, but most will find the park a refreshing alternative to Disneyland, and yet an inviting sibling in terms of the experience guest get visiting the park...



One final note about DCA... expect when the Paradise Pier is open to have some of the lovin' that Disney gets to happen over in the Pier. By that I mean: premieres. Should the Makeover of PP be done by summer there are tentative plans to have the premiere of "Toy Story 3" there. Just like the Pirates events that happened over on the other side of the Esplanade, this little park is about to have some major events come 2010... and if you think that's big, just wait until Cars Land(boy, I hope they change that name) opens right around the same time as "Cars 2" comes out. Think of the gala they're going to have for this... can you imagine all those little boys that will be watching the film debut in Paradise Pier and then want to run over and ride through Radiator Springs? Oh, the lines... the lines. Good times are coming.

Have patience. Change is not always good, but in this case... it is.

And just so you know, Lasseter has amassed a great deal more power in the last two years than people thought. His image grows with his success... if you want to see bigger budgets and greater detailed attractions just a simple bit of advise: Go see "Wall-E". Not that I have to tell many of you, but the more success Pixar keeps having the less reason Iger and the Suits have to say no to his request for uber-budgets that would have been undreamed of during the Pressler and Eisner Era, not to mention more "plussing" for all the attractions in general. So I repeat:

Go see "Wall-E". Many times. Over and over. Nuff said...

Again, I'm sorry for the delay in this BSA, but since I live in the real world, it actually has to take precedence sometimes. I'll try and have another one out in early May. Not making any promises, but we'll try and take less time getting out the next one. It'll all depend on meeting/hearing from my Bothans as well as what amount of time I have available to construct it into something readable and, for the Disney Geeks, something worth knowing about...

TTFN

Disney"By The"Sea...

The Newport Beach Film Festival begins later this week(Thursday to be exact) and there are a couple events that Disney Geeks/Fans will find very interesting going on there...

"An Evening with Richard Sherman"

On April 25, Disney historian Jeff Kurti will be there with the legendary songwriter Richard Sherman for an evening of music and song that is sure to be memorable.


"An Evening of Disney Animation Rarities with Roy E. Disney and Don Hahn"

On April 30, Disney and Hahn will show a collection of short animated films that had limited theatrical releases( a few have never been put on DVD). Examples include: "Destino","How to Hook-Up Your Home Theater starring Goofy", "Redux Riding Hood", "The Little Match Girl"," Lorenzo", and several others.

Several other events are planned as well so go over to the site and take a looksie...

Two Versus One...

By now you've all seen the announcement of WDAS and PAS's film slate for the next four years. It's a pretty ambitious schedule with ten films over the next four years. If you're like me, you've noticed a little something that runs through all ten of these films...

Pixar Animation Studios:

Summer, 2008 "Wall-E" directed by Andrew Stanton.

May 29, 2009 "Up" directed by Pete Docter.

June 28, 2010 "Toy Story 3" directed by Lee Unkrich.

Summer, 2011 "Newt" directed by Gary Rydstrom.

Christmas, 2011 "The Bear and the Bow" directed by Brenda Chapman.

Summer, 2012 "Cars 2" directed by Brad Lewis.


And then we have the Mouse...


Walt Disney Animation Studios:

November 26th, 2008 "Bolt" directed by Chris Williams & Byron Howard.

Christmas, 2009 "The Princess and the Frog" directed by John Musker and Ron Clements.

Christmas, 2010 "Rapunzel" directed by Glen Keane and Dean Wellins.

Christmas, 2012 "King of the Elves" directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker.


Notice that?

Me too...

Other than Pixar's "The Bear and the Bow" holiday release in 2011 there is going to be a clear divide between Disney animated films and Pixar animated films.

Pixar films will be summer events.

Disney films will be holiday events.

And that's not all...

Pixar's films will be directed by one person.

Disney's films are all directed by two people.

Interesting,huh?

Has this got you thinking that Disney features are getting the slight? They don't trust putting a Disney film in the big summer season. Or perhaps, they don't trust Disney animators enough to let only one person be the sole director? Have you had that thought running through your Disney Geek brain?

Well I understand it as well, but fear not. Everything will be fine. Everything will be all right. Lasseter isn't trying to play favorites and he doesn't believe in treating Walt Disney Animation Studios as a second class step child.

Unsure about that?

Let me unpack what I'm talking about...

While up north in Emeryville, Lasseter has developed a more personal relationship with the directors that he's worked with at the Lamp. Simply put... he knows them better. He's worked there with many of them for two decades in one fashion or another. He's only been at the Mouse for a little more than two years. He's put together directors on projects there that have strengths that will compliment one another and possibly give each director a fresh perspective on the others work. So it's not that he doesn't have as much faith in Disney as he does in Pixar. He just happens to be using that phrase "Two heads are better than one"... An example would be Glen Keane who is directing the new "Rapunzel" movie that is the Mouse's big 2010 holiday release. It's not that he doesn't trust Glen. In fact, he trust Glen very much and both are friends from way back(he and Glen animated a test for Where the Wild things are decades ago). But Lasseter is a great judge of people's strengths and weaknesses. He chose a co-director for Keane that had the strengths to compliment Keane's shortcomings in story. Dean Wellins is a man that Brad Bird has praised as boarding almost all of the "Iron Giant" and if you don't know what boarding is, it's essentially the layout and tone of how a film will go. If you've seen that film you will see the inherent strength of having Wellins work with Keane. Together, they're going to make one heck of a film. The buzz I'm hearing is beyond my expectations and my expectations are very high for this one, friends.

The same is the case with many of the other directors that Lasseter has chosen to direct the rest of the film slate at Disney. He's taken the best strengths of the people that he's gotten to know and fused them together. He doesn't have the time to see these guys and bond with them over a decade or more before he can entrust them with a hundred plus million dollar budget the way he has with most of the Pixar directors. Will we ever see another Disney film directed by just one person? Of course, but don't mind the fact that two people are working on all these projects. After all, many of the hits from Disney's Second Golden Age were directed by two people.

As for the Summer versus Christmas releases? Well the Mousestro doesn't want films from both divisions competing with one another for dollars that's the main reason that one gets a summer release and the other gets a holiday release. Pixar will handle the slot used to compete with the normal summer blockbusters and Disney will take up releasing films that generate that holiday cheer we all feel around that time of the year. The only exception to this is 2011(there goes that year again). It just happens that the way the production of Disney films is lined up that there won't be time to have one released in time for a Christmas 2011 opening so with Pixar's production slate lined up with more films that have already gone through the process it was determined that one of their pictures would take the Disney slot for that year. And if you look closely you'll notice that the picture taking that slot is a fairy tale. Pixar's first. That is one of the main reasons that this particularly film was slotted in to this date. Although it may not be Disney, it does follow the narrative Lasseter seems to be trying to schedule for the holidays. Disney Magic will be expected during this joyous time of the year.

So look forward to the new schedule of films coming out from both divisions of the Mouse. And when it comes to the appointing of directors and favoritism don't smell a rat. It's all part of the plan.

Patience.

Fear Disney...

Scribes Jack Angelo and Sam Brown("Undateable" in development at WDS) have sold the comedy pitch "Fear Phil" to Disney, with Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot's Offspring Entertainment set to produce.

The Mouse bought the pitch for a high six versus a low seven figures. The tale follows an insurance salesman that makes a living preying on other people's fears. One day he wakes up to find that his own worst fears have coming true and hilarity ensues.

Adam Shankman is currently directing "Bedtime Stories," starring Adam Sandler for Disney.

Stanton Loves Wall-E...

The Lamp has put out a four minute Featurette about "Wall-E" hosted by Andrew Stanton himself. Take a look at this and try and not find some heart in that little fella.

I dare ya...

Hat Tip to "First Showing".

The Wisdom Of Indy...

USA Today has a nice interview with Indiana Jones himself, Harrison Ford. Give it a read. It's always nice to hear Ford speak and for me, you can never, ever have enough "Man with the Hat"...

To Everything A Season...

Everyone and everything experiences growing pains...

Companies just like people go through that awkward stage where they have to ask themselves: "Where do we go from here". This happens to be the case for Pixar Animation Studios, or Pixar Studios as it could likely be someday in the near future. After a decade of putting out one film after another, the company and those that run and work within it have started to feel the need to branch out and expand their creativity. Walt Disney creatively moved into other fields back in the late 40's with hybrids of animation and live-action and then full live-action films in the early 50's. Now it appears the time is at hand for Pixar and its directors to do the same.

Unlike other studios in the 90's, the Lamp became a haven for talent and creativity. Where business decisions were reflected on the story and not by what the Suits thought was demographically appropriate for audiences. Taking an art and breaking it down to a formulaic science isn't just difficult... it's impossible. Lasseter and his motley crew had the passion and talent to drive and sustain it right through the bureaucracy and someone like Steve Jobs to nurture and protect it.

As the end of its contract was running out, so were the limits it felt it could explore within its chosen field. Animated filmmakers love film just like everyone else. They don't confine their interest to a particular genre or medium. Question were asked and projects were talked about, but the ability to do something in live-action hadn't yet materialized. They knew it was in the future, but not how far in the future. The contract with Disney had everything up in the air.

The success that Pixar had in the animation, it wanted to take into live-action. It wanted to expand the way it was telling stories. It wanted to expand the kind of stories it could tell. Having no failures in its vault of hits allowed it to negotiate from a far stronger hand than many other creative studios. One of the understood byproducts of being bought by the Walt Disney Company was the unstated, unpublic agreement that Pixar would be able to move into live-action films. Slowly at first, but if success followed then many more would inevitably come. You can bet that if "1906" and "Princess of Mars" are hits... big hits, then the studio will move more agressively into live action with at least one or two pictures a year until it has a simular slate like Disney or Touchstone.

Once Jobs was able to bury the hatchet with Iger and the Lamp became part of the Mouse these plans were set in motion. A good number of Pixar's directors had already expressed an interest in making live action films. First among these was Brad Bird, who has made it no secret he wanted to movie into live-action filmmaking. Brad, unlike so many in Hollywood doesn't consider animation a bastard stepchild to live-action. Several projects he's been working on over the years like the sci-fi, film noir project "Ray Gunn" have been challenging for people to concieve of as animation. Not all of his ideas have been planned for animation... he's also had several things he's read that would make a good live-action film. A book about the Great Earthquake in San Francisco was just one of these projects. With the new power Pixar and more importantly, John Lasseter had within the company this desire he had was not only attainable, but achievable. Andrew Stanton has been wanting to make a live-action movie for a while too. Over the past couple years, he's been looking to do a big, sweeping, studio-type adventure. "Princesss of Mars" is that adventure and it's Stanton's next film. Lasseter helped secure the deal that brought the "John Carter" project back into the Disney fold. Ironically, that series was long in development at the Mouse during the early 90's for John McTiernan to direct during Jeffrey Kazenberg's tenure. Budget problems kept it from ever getting greenlit. And as most familiar with Hollywood know, the road to development hell is long and winding... in this case, it actually wound up back where it started and in very capable hands. Stanton will go full bore into "Princess of Mars" when he gets through with his publicity tour for "Wall-E" later this fall. Both are big projects that will be massive undertakings and won't be seen for a good while.

The beginning of the next decade will see Pixar emerge as a force in live action. Are these two directors the only ones the Lamp's animated studio will lose to live-action? Probably not. It's rumored that Pete Docter is grappling with this same decision right now. Brad Bird says that he plans on moving between animated and live-action. Time will tell. It's going to be difficult to come back into the laborious, slow world of animated films when you can stay in the just slow world of live-action films. I have no doubt we will see animated films that have the title "Executive Producer Brad Bird" or "Producer Brad Bird"... but "Director"? We will just have to wait and see. They may not be doing animated films, but they will still be making films that are a part of the Pixar family and also a part of the Disney family. Should things go as planned(and you know how often that happens), by the middle of the next decade Pixar will be a full partner with it's sister studios, Walt Disney Pictures and Touchstone Pictures.

We are in the process of watching something new unfold. Something that could blossom into a new and powerful force of creativity in film. It's safe to say that Pixar's spring has ended and the sun is about to shine on its promising summer.

Everything changes.

Everything moves, everything progresses or regresses... nothing last forever, but the fact is that time doesn't stand still. It moves on... it evolves... and to all this there is a season.

Even for the Lamp.

Long Time Running...

According to Hollywood Elsewhere the running tine of the new "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal" is a big, heavy 140 minutes. That's two hours and twenty minutes for you mathematically challenged.

So we get a lot of "Man in Hat" loving... Whoo Hooo!

I'm counting down the days.

The Man Who Bought The World...

Early in the morning, Forty-four years ago today, a lawyer named Robert Foster departs from New York on a flight to the sunny state of Florida...

Working secretly for Disney, he starts to buy up land in the Orlando area for a project Walt has been planning since his early (bad)experience with Disneyland. Foster begins acquiring property using various dummy companies under the alias "Robert Price".

Today we know of this land and the project as Walt Disney World...

The Good Life...

The Mouse's arthouse branch, Miramax Films and Scott Rudin are making the high-society memoir "Oh the Glory of It All" which Mike White will adapt from the book and produce.

Based on the memoire by Sean Wilsey, it chronicles growing up amid affluent San Francisco elite in the 80's. A bizarre, decadent and cold, almost nihilistic cast of characters populate the story of these rich socialites that globetrot and hobnob with everyone from actors to anarchist.

Quite a bit different from the other brands, eh? Rudin has an acquired and risky taste that seems to fit well with the Weinstein's old moniker...

In Memorium: The Last Of The Nine...

Wow...

Just, wow.

I can't believe it, but the day has come when all nine are gone. All of Walt Disney's Nine Old Men have now gone to join the Old Maestro in the heavens.

Ollie Johnston passed away today at the tender young age of 95. Not only was he an amazingly talented artist, he was one heck of a nice human being. A role model and someone animation lovers would look up to as a hero. A true loss for Disney and animation in general. Words truly escape me right now. I have so much I'd like to say, but really don't feel right going on and on about this man... this Legend. Sigh.

The sky will very blank tonight. When a star this bright burns out it will be very, very noticeable...

My thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family.

UPDATE:

Here is the Walt Disney Company's official press release for the passing of Ollie Johnston:

_________________________________________________
LEGENDARY DISNEY ANIMATOR OLLIE JOHNSTON,
LAST OF WALT DISNEY’S “NINE OLD MEN”, DIES AT AGE 95
PIONEERING FILMMAKER/AUTHOR BROUGHT THE ILLUSION OF LIFE TO SUCH DISNEY CLASSICS AS SNOW WHITE, PINOCCHIO, PETER PAN AND THE JUNGLE BOOK OVER 43-YEAR CAREER


Ollie Johnston, one of the greatest animators/directing animators in animation history and the last surviving member of Walt Disney’s elite group of animation pioneers known affectionately as the Nine Old Men, passed away from natural causes at a long term care facility in Sequim, Washington on Monday April 14th. He was 95 years old. During his stellar 43-year career at The Walt Disney Studios, he contributed inspired animation and direction to such classic films as Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Song Of The South, Cinderella, Alice In Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady And The Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, Sword In The Stone, Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Robin Hood, The Rescuers, and The Fox And The Hound.

In addition to his achievements as an animator and directing animator, Johnston (in collaboration with his lifelong friend and colleague Frank Thomas) authored four landmark books: Disney Animation: The Illusion Of Life, Too Funny For Words, Bambi: The Story And The Film, and The Disney Villain. Johnston and Thomas were also the title subjects of a heartfelt 1995 feature-length documentary entitled Frank And Ollie, written and directed by Frank’s son, Theodore (Ted) Thomas. In November 2005, Johnston became the first animator to be honored with the National Medal of Arts at a White House ceremony.

Behind every great animated character is a great animator and in the case of some of Disney’s best-loved creations, it was Johnston who served as the actor with the pencil. Some examples include Thumper’s riotous recitation (in Bambi) about “eating greens” or Pinocchio’s nose growing as he lies to the Blue Fairy, and the musical antics of Mowgli and Baloo as they sang The Bear Necessities in The Jungle Book. Johnston had his hand in all of these and worked on such other favorites as Brer Rabbit, Mr. Smee, the fairies in Sleeping Beauty, the centaurettes in Fantasia, Prince John and Sir Hiss (Robin Hood), Orville the albatross (The Rescuers), and more than a few of the One Hundred And One Dalmatians.

Roy E. Disney, director emeritus and consultant for The Walt Disney Company, said, “Ollie was part of an amazing generation of artists, one of the real pioneers of our art, one of the major participants in the blossoming of animation into the art form we know today. One of Ollie’s strongest beliefs was that his characters should think first, then act…and they all did. He brought warmth and wit and sly humor and a wonderful gentleness to every character he animated. He brought all those same qualities to his life, and to all of our lives who knew him. We will miss him greatly, but we were all enormously enriched by him.”

John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and a longtime friend to Johnston, added, “Ollie had such a huge heart and it came through in all of his animation, which is why his work is some of the best ever done. Aside from being one of the greatest animators of all time, he and Frank (Thomas) were so incredibly giving and spent so much time creating the bible of animation – Disney Animation: The Illusion Of Life – which has had such a huge impact on so many animators over the years. Ollie was a great teacher and mentor to all of us. His door at the Studio was always open to young animators, and I can’t imagine what animation would be like today without him passing on all of the knowledge and principles that the ‘nine old men’ and Walt Disney developed. He taught me to always be aware of what a character is thinking, and we continue to make sure that every character we create at Pixar and Disney has a thought process and emotion that makes them come alive.”

Glen Keane, one of Disney’s top supervising animators and director of the upcoming feature Rapunzel, observed, “Ollie Johnston was the kind of teacher who made you believe in yourself through his genuine encouragement and patient guidance. He carried the torch of Disney animation and passed it on to another generation. May his torch continue to be passed on for generations to come.”

Andreas Deja, another of today’s most acclaimed and influential animators paid tribute to his friend and mentor in this way, “I always thought that Ollie Johnston so immersed himself into the characters he animated, that whenever you watched Bambi, Pinocchio, Smee or Rufus the cat, you saw Ollie on the screen. His kind and humorous personality came through in every scene he animated. I will never forget my many stimulating conversations with him over the years, his words of wisdom and encouragement. ‘Don’t animate drawings, animate feelings,’ he would say. What fantastic and important advice! He was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, and it was an honor and joy to have known him.”

John Canemaker, Academy Award-winning animator/director, and author of the book, Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men & The Art Of Animation, noted, “”Ollie Johnston believed in the emotional power of having ‘two pencil drawings touch each other.’ His drawings had a big emotional impact on audiences, that’s for sure - when Mowgli and Baloo hug in The Jungle Book; when Pongo gives his mate Perdita a comforting lick in One Hundred And One Dalmatians; when an elderly cat rubs against an orphan girl in The Rescuers - Ollie Johnston, one of the greatest animators who ever lived, deeply touched our hearts.”

Born in Palo Alto, California on October 31, 1912, Johnston attended grammar school at the Stanford University campus where his father taught as a professor of the romance languages. His artistic abilities became increasingly evident while attending Palo Alto High School and later as an art major at Stanford University. During his senior year in college, Johnston came to Los Angeles to study under Pruett Carter at the Chouinard Art Institute. It was during this time that he was approached by Disney and, after only one week of training, joined the fledgling studio in 1935. The young artist immediately became captivated by the Disney spirit and discovered that he could uniquely express himself through this new art form.

At Disney, Johnston’s first assignment was as an in-betweener on the cartoon short Mickey’s Garden. The following year, he was promoted to apprentice animator, where he worked under Fred Moore on such cartoon shorts as Pluto’s Judgement Day and Mickey’s Rival. Johnston got his first crack at animating on a feature film with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Following that, he worked on Pinocchio and virtually every one of Disney’s animated classics that followed. One of his proudest accomplishments was on the 1942 feature Bambi, which pushed the art form to new heights in portraying animal realism. Johnston was one of four supervising animators to work on that film.

For his next feature assignment, Song of the South (1946), Johnston became a directing animator and served in that capacity on nearly every film that followed. After completing some early animation and character development on The Fox and the Hound, the veteran animator officially retired in January 1978, to devote full time to writing, lecturing and consulting. His first book, Disney Animation: The Illusion Of Life, written with Frank Thomas, was published in 1981 and ranks as the definitive tome on the Disney approach to entertainment and animation. In 1987, his second book, Too Funny For Words, was published and offered additional insights into the studio’s unique style of visual humor. A detailed visual and anecdotal account of the making of Bambi, Walt Disney’s Bambi: The Story And The Film, the third collaboration for Thomas and Johnston, was published in 1990. The Disney Villains, a fascinating inside look at the characters audiences love to hate, was written by the duo in 1993.

In addition to being one of the foremost animators in Disney history, Johnston was also considered one of the world’s leading train enthusiasts. The backyard of his home in Flintridge, California, boasted one of the finest hand-built miniature railroads. Even more impressive was the full-size antique locomotive he ran for many years at his former vacation home in Julian, near San Diego. Johnston had a final opportunity to ride his train at a special ceremony held in his honor at Disneyland in May 2005.

The pioneering animator was honored by the Studio in 1989 with a Disney Legends Award. In 2003, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences held a special tribute to him (and Frank Thomas), Frank And Ollie: Drawn Together, in Beverly Hills. Johnston and Thomas were lovingly caricatured, and even provided the voices, in two animated features directed by Brad Bird, The Iron Giant, and Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles.

Johnston moved from his California residence to a care facility in Sequim, Washington in March 2006 to be near his family. He is survived by his two sons: Ken Johnston and his wife Carolyn, and Rick Johnston and his wife Teya Priest Johnston. His beloved wife of 63 years, Marie, passed away in May 2005. Funeral plans will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations can be made to CalArts, the World Wildlife Fund, or National Resources Defense Council. The Studio is planning a life celebration with details to be announced shortly.
_________________________________________________

More Mouse Droppings...

That didn't sound right, did it?

Quint from Ain't It Cool News has his part two from Disney's New York Press Conference last Tuesday. In this one he focuses on the details about the upcoming Disney animated slate for the next four years. I'm looking forward to "Rapunzel" the most and after that "Princess", but I'm really optimistic about "King of the Elves".

Check it out...

Agent Of Change...

Fortune has a nice article about Bob Iger up online that has him talking about his perspective running the Mouse after close to three years now.

Good read. Have a looksie...

Unbound By Unbraided...

This is a film that has been in development almost as long as Rapunzel's hair. When Glen Keane first pitched the idea of doing this classic fairy tale he envisioned a classic telling of the beautiful girl with the endlessly long locks locked high up inside a tower by an evil Witch who one day has a handsome Prince climb her hair to save her. Actually, the Brother's Grimm version of this tale does end so quickly and the road to it is not so happily. In their version the Prince doesn't play as prominent a role. In fact, when he gets to the imprisoned girl, he's confronted by the Witch and cowardly jumps from the tower. As he runs away through a brush of thorns he becomes blinded. Years later he comes upon an older Rapunzel and she recognizes him she cries and her tears land in his eyes, restoring his vision...

And they lived happily ever after.

Not quite the Disney tale, huh? Eisner thought so as well. And being as this was the time that "Shrek" had just come out he had Keane take "Rapunzel" and turn it into a "Shrek-like" retelling where a modern girl and boy are transported back into the fairy tale. A modern edgy fantasy that became known as "Rapunzel Unbraider". Through the years of development we've seen more and more animated films with this pop-culture/edgy feel to it and the uniqueness of "Shrek" and this tale has dwindled. By the time Lasseter got there the only thing exciting about the story was the fact that Keane was directing it. The designs which he had literally spent years working on were/are amazing. It's like watching a moving painting. The Mousetro thought that it would be better to go back to the original plan that Glen had and do a classic version of the story. So off Glen Keane went to do another pass at the story. When he returned to Keane months later, Lasseter loved the version of the story Keane had brought him. He felt the first act was as good if not better than the best Disney films from the first and second Golden Age's of Mouse animation. But that was the first act... the second and third act needed work. So off the animator did again to work on the second and third acts. When he returned, what was the result? Lasseter still wasn't happy with the new middle and ending. So another pass was taking and this time it still didn't meet approvingly. Lasseter talked to Keane about possibly having another director with a fresh set of eyes co-direct this movie with him. At first, as expected, Glen Keane resisted... this was after all going to be his directorial debut. Eventually he chose Dean Wellins(The Iron Giant, Osmosis Jones), whom has worked closely with Keane on "Treasure Planet". Lasseter wanted to make sure the two could get along so he chose someone that the artist would feel comfortable with and whom Keane would not see as a threat to his vision or another example of the studio taking control of a project. After they collaborated, the resulting first showing of their story to Lasseter? He liked it... it was more in the direction he thought it should head and the finale was more focused, but it was not ready for a complete greenlight.

Thus is the case with the Pixar mode of story that is now being routinely practiced at the Hat Building. Story. Story. Story. What is the focus of the characters? Why are they doing what they are doing? Where is the narrative taking us? Those kinds of things get asked and re-asked until they are answered satisfactorily to Lasseter. The Story Trust also keeps commenting each time a film gets a showing when it goes "up on reels". Such is the case with "Rapunzel" right now. It's not totally there yet, but it's getting extremely close. Those that have seen it think it will be one of the strongest stories that Disney has put out. The first film of Lasseter's tenure at the Mouse may be "Bolt", but his stamp will be set when "The Princess and the Frog" comes out next year and the new seal of quality, style and direction will reach a pinnacle in 2010 when "Rapunzel" unfurls her blond strands of hair. By then, we will hopefully be in a Third Golden Age of Disney Animation...

By the end of the decade we'll have an answer to the question everyone was asking when Iger purchased the Lamp and brought its talent in to revive WDFA.

"Was Pixar worth the price Disney paid?"

With the new slate that was announced last week that fuzzy question is closer to having a clear answer. For the moment, it looks like they got a bargain...

Blustery Oscar...

On this day...

Thirty-nine years ago today the the 41st Academy Awards were held and Walt Disney Productions featurette "Winnie the Pooh
and the Blustery Day" wins the Short Subjects, Cartoon Oscar.

It's my favorite part of "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh"... pure innocence. It absolutely deserved the award. Disney Magic could be described no better.

New Prince, New Poster...

Walt Disney Pictures has released a new one-sheet poster of the main character from the new Narnia film. The emphasis is clearly on the lead character in this one, I'm sure the Mouse is aiming squarely at those tween girls that go to the Hanna Montana concerts and have pics of boy bands like the Jonas Brothers on their walls. From what I've heard the film is more mature and darker in nature than CON: TLTWATW, which should hopefully provide a reason for older Disney fans to go see it as well.

See, You Must...

It appears someone has put up a trailer on YouTube for the new "Star Wars: Clone Wars" animated film that comes out this fall...

I'll be glad when they post this up on Apple's trailer website in Quicktime.

UPDATE: YouTube has removed it unfortunately...

First Disney Magic, Now Pixar Magic...

We all know that Disney is getting back into the business of making shorts again, but remember that Pixar has been putting shorts in front of their motion pictures for the better part of this decade. They're the ones that started this revival. In all the hype about "Wall-E" we've forgotten to ask about what short would be before it.

Fear not...

It appears that Doug Sweetland, a supervising animator at the Lamp will make his directorial debut with the short "Presto"... and here is the first shot from it.

Enjoy.

"Short cartoon, from Pixar, released with Wall-E, on June 27, 2008. Presto DiGiotagione, a turn of the century magician, is famous for an astounding hat trick. Presto's apprentice rabbit, Alec, however, is dissatisfied as he shares none of Presto's wild success. While Presto is out eating lavish dinners, Alec is left behind, locked in a birdcage with a carrot torturously out of reach."

- From Dave Smith's book, Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia(New York, Disney Editions 2006)

Hat Tip to Cartoon Brew.

It's All About Family Films, Dude...

Walt Disney Pictures has acquired the spec script "Family Dude," in a preemptive strike from scribes Steven Gary Banks and Claudia Graziosi("Are We There Yet?"... I know, I know). It is described as a comedy. The story follows an uptight, successful finance Suit who gets his neighbor, a lovely single mother with three kids, to go with him to a Montana dude ranch and pretend they are a family so he can close a financial deal. Walt Becker will produce through his Walt Becker Prods. shingle. The Mouse plans on putting the production on the fast track in the hopes that it can avoid the coming SAG strike.

Homage?

Michael J. Ruocco's For The Birds Blog has a great compilation of Different Disney films that all seem to use the same scenes...

It is a homage? Or is it as Ruocco says: "Disney's Getting Lazy"?

Judge for yourself...

Disney's Getting Lazy 1, Disney's Getting Lazy 2, Disney's Getting Lazy 3.

Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Notes...

Want a clue to what's going to happen in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? Take a look at the track listing of the Soundtrack at Amazon...

1. Raiders March
2. Call of the Crystal
3. The Adventures of Mutt
4. Irina's Theme
5. The Snake Pit
6. The Spell of the Skull
7. A Whirl Through Academe
8. The Journey to Akator
9. "Return"
10. The Jungle Chase
11. Orellana's Cradle
12. Grave Robbers
13. Hidden Treasure and the City of Gold
14. Secret Doors and Scorpions
15. Oxley's Dilemma
16. Ants!
17. Temple Ruins and the Secret Revealed
18. The Departure
19. Finale

Hat Tip to Dark Horizons.

Fire Sale...

The Los Angeles Business Journal had article the other day about Disney buying back the Disney Stores from Children's Place... it seems the Mouse is getting them for a lot cheaper than previously reported. Also there's going to be about half as many stores under the Disney moniker when the sale is done.

Class Of 2012...

I just thought it'd be nice to document, that's all...

Someday Their Prince Will Come...

There's been a lot of focus on trying to find the lead Prince for Disney's big action adventurer "Prince of Persia"... They've apparently had an offer out to Orlando Bloom, that didn't go anywhere...

Now, according to Latino Review the part is being offered to Jake Gyllenhaal, whom I consider a good actor, but I really never pictured him for the part. I've always been on record as saying that Adrian Grenier from Entourage would be the perfect choice. He's easy on the eyes for the ladies, he can act and he looks the part from the way the character is described.

Latino Review has some cred in these parts as they had an early review of the script last year. My own review of the script can be found here.

The Mouse and Bruckheimer have to find an actor soon if the massive production is to keep its shooting schedule so that it can meet the film's release date.

Developing...

More Lamp Illumination...

Quint from Ain't It Cool News discusses his attendance at Disney's New York Press Conference yesterday. He focuses on the details about the upcoming Pixar animated slate for the next four years in this one. It would have been nice to have actually made it to this one but I've had my own deadlines to work with so, oh well.

Have a looksie...

A Note From The Past, A Glimpse Of The Future...

With all that was announced today, Disney has gone a long way toward revealing its roadmap for the next four years. It's an unusually aggressive line-up. WIth Four films from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Six films from Pixar Animation Studios and Four from DisneyToon Studios straight to video DVD/Blu-Rays. I've had a few people e-mail me about the films and the most asked question is: "What is this 'King of the Elves' story'?"

Philip K. Dick's "The King of the Elves" was a short story that appeared in Beyond Fantasy Fiction Magazine in September 1953 and was Dick's only real delving into the world of fantasy.

The story follows a man by the name of Shadrach Jones who lives in a small desolate town in the South. One night, a group of tired and weary Elves seek shelter from the rain for themselves and their ailing King. Shadrach is doubtful at first, but finally lets them into his home. They put the sickly King in Shadrach's bed hoping he will get better. Sadly, the King dies in bed and the Elves need a king. They convince Shadrach to be their king. At first he refuses, until they convince him of the need for a king in their battle with the Trolls.

Shadrach's neighbor, Phineas Judd tries to convince him that he's going insane. As the story unfolds, it is revealed that Phineas is indeed the evil Great Troll. Shadrach leads the Elves in battle against the Great Troll and his gathering. Once the Trolls were defeated in battle, Shadrach abandon's the Throne and goes back to his world, the real world.

Totally a PKD story where illusion and fantasy collide with a world that is real and the questions about what is perceived versus what is authentic. I'm sure Lasseter and the Story Trust will find the heart of the story and preserve what was best about Dick's story while molding it into something attainable to a modern audience. Just as Disney took the heart of "The Little Mermaid" and turned it into a Disney classic, it looks like this could become one as well...

It's way off, but it bears the striking quality that I've seen in brief glimpses we've gotten from "Rapunzel"...

Something to look forward to as the Mouse puts Disney fans under an animation version of Chinese water torture with each piece of artwork that it lets drip from inside Lasseter's little animation kingdom.

The New Slate...

I guess it would have good to mention the entire slate, huh? Sorry about that...

Here is a listing of the new line up from the Mouse's press release:

_________________________________________________

NEW YORK, April 8, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- The Walt Disney Studios unveiled a diverse and ambitious slate of 10 new animated feature films from Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios to be released through the year 2012 at a New York press conference held today by Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, and John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios.

The line-up includes new films from Disney and Pixar's accomplished team of filmmakers, and features vocal performances by such top celebrity talents as John Travolta and Miley Cyrus ("Bolt"), Reese Witherspoon, Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson ("The Bear and the Bow"), Anika Noni Rose and John Goodman ("The Princess and the Frog"), as well as return engagements by Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and the rest of the "Toy Story" vocal ensemble ("Toy Story 3"). The roster of new animated features includes six new films from Pixar Animation Studios, four from Walt Disney Animation Studios, and the first four in a series of direct-to-DVD films featuring Disney Fairies from DisneyToon Studios. Starting later this year with the release of Disney's "Bolt," all Disney and Pixar animated features will be presented in state-of-the-art Disney Digital 3-D(TM). Additionally, newly converted 3-D versions of the beloved classics, "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2," are set to debut in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

Among the upcoming animated films on the 2008 release schedule are "WALL*E" (Pixar) from Academy Award(R)-winning director/writer Andrew Stanton ("Finding Nemo") opening nationwide June 27th; "Bolt" (Disney) from the talented new directing team of Chris Williams and Byron Howard, due in theatres on November 26th; and the Disney DVD and Blu-ray release of "Tinker Bell," the first in a new franchise of original entertainment set in the world of Fairies, on October 28th. The Studio's 2009 animated slate includes the summer release of Pixar's first 3-D feature, "Up," from director Pete Docter ("Monsters, Inc.") and co-director Bob Peterson, the Christmas Day release of Disney's original animated fairy tale "The Princess and the Frog" from acclaimed veteran Disney directors John Musker and Ron Clements ("The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin," "Hercules,") and the Disney DVD and Blu-ray release of "Tinker Bell North of Never Land" (working title). 2010 brings the highly anticipated return of Buzz and Woody in the Disney Digital(TM) 3D summer release of Pixar's "Toy Story 3" directed by Lee Unkrich ("Finding Nemo," "Monsters, Inc."); followed by the Christmas arrival of Disney's version of the classic fairy tale, "Rapunzel," featuring the directing debuts of animation legend Glen Keane and directing partner Dean Wellins, and the Disney DVD and Blu-ray release of "Tinker Bell A Midsummer Storm" (working title).

In the summer of 2011, Pixar's "newt" marks the directing debut of multiple Oscar(R)-winning sound designer Gary Rydstrom. Christmas 2011 brings Pixar's first fairy tale, "The Bear and the Bow," from acclaimed filmmaker/writer Brenda Chapman ("The Prince of Egypt"). The Disney DVD and Blu-ray release of "Tinker Bell A Winter Story" (working title) also debuts in 2011. The year 2012 will mark the return of Lightning McQueen, Mater the tow truck, and an international cast of favorite and new car characters in Pixar's "Cars 2," directed by Brad Lewis (producer of "Ratatouille"). Scheduled for Christmas 2012 from Walt Disney Animation Studios is "King of the Elves," an adaptation of a Philip K. Dick short story, directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker ("Brother Bear").

Commenting on the announcement, Cook said, "We couldn't be more proud and excited about our upcoming line-up of feature projects. With so many great films literally on the drawing boards and computer screens, we felt that now was the perfect time to give moviegoers all over the world an update on the state of our art. In a year when our Studio is marking the 80th anniversary of Mickey Mouse, the character that started it all for us, it seems especially timely to share our plans for the future of animation. With John Lasseter and Ed Catmull guiding our creative efforts both at Emeryville and in Burbank, this is as exciting a time as any in our history."

Lasseter added, "This is an amazing time for animation at Disney and Pixar, and it's a thrill to be working on such a diverse and original group of films with such an all-star team of filmmakers. The thing I love best about my job is that I get to work at both Disney and Pixar with filmmakers who are passionate about their projects and who are the absolute best in the business. We're excited to be pushing the boundaries of 3-D and computer technology to tell our stories in the best possible way. At the same time, we're drawing on our past to emphasize memorable characters, original edge-of-your-seat stories, and believable worlds. Walt Disney and his creative team taught us how to blend comedy, powerful emotion, and action-filled excitement in our films, and this group of incredible filmmakers is bringing their own originality and sensibilities to the
process."

_________________________________________________

And then there was the detailed breakdown of each movie:


WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS/ PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS RELEASE SCHEDULE
2008 -- 2012:

2008:



WALL*E (Domestic Release Date: June 27th, 2008)
Pixar Animation Studios
Director/Screenwriter: Andrew Stanton
Producer: Jim Morris
Co-Producer: Lindsey Collins
Sound and Character Voice Designer: Ben Burtt
Composer: Thomas Newman, with an Original Song Performed by Peter Gabriel Voice Talent: Fred Willard, Jeff Garlin, Sigourney Weaver, John
Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy

What if mankind had to leave Earth and somebody forgot to turn off the last robot?

Academy Award(R)-winning writer-director Andrew Stanton ("Finding Nemo") and the inventive storytellers and technical geniuses at Pixar Animation Studios transport moviegoers to a galaxy not so very far away for a new computer-animated cosmic comedy about a determined robot named WALL*E.

After hundreds of lonely years doing what he was built for, WALL*E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) discovers a new purpose in life (besides collecting knick-knacks) when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL*E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet's future, and races back to space to report her findings to the humans (who have been eagerly awaiting word that it is safe to return home). Meanwhile, WALL*E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets into motion one of the most incredible comedy adventures ever brought to the big screen.

Joining WALL*E on his fantastic journey across a universe of never-before-imagined visions of the future is a hilarious cast of characters including a pet cockroach, and a heroic team of malfunctioning misfit robots.



BOLT (Domestic Release Date: November 26th, 2008, Disney Digital 3-D(TM))
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Directors: Chris Williams, Byron Howard
Producer: Clark Spencer
Voice Talent: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman

For super-dog Bolt (voiced by John Travolta), every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue -- at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the canine star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet -- a cross-country journey through the real world. Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and with the help of two unlikely traveling companions -- a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (voiced by Susie Essman), and TV-obsessed hamster in a plastic ball named Rhino -- Bolt discovers he doesn't need superpowers to be a hero. Miley Cyrus ("Hannah Montana") brings her vocal talents to the role of Penny, Bolt's human co-star on the television series.



TINKER BELL (Disney DVD and Blu-ray Release Date: October 28th, 2008)
DisneyToon Studios
Director: Bradley Raymond
Producer: Jeannine Roussel

Enter the magical world of fairies and meet the enchanting creatures of Pixie Hollow, who "nurture nature" and bring about the change of the seasons. Changing the colors of the leaves, moving a sunbeam to melt snow, waking animals from their winter slumber, or giving a patch of sproutlings a sprinkle of water are all within the realm of these seasonal specialists. Tinker Bell thinks her fairy talent as a "tinker" isn't as special or important as the other fairies' talents. But when Tink tries to change who she is, she creates nothing but disaster! With encouragement from her friends Rosetta, Silvermist, Fawn and Iridessa, Tink learns the key to solving her problems lies in her unique tinker abilities ... and discovers that when she's true to herself, magical things can happen.



2009:


UP (Domestic Release Date: May 29th, 2009, Disney Digital 3-D(TM))
Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Pete Docter
Co-Director: Bob Peterson
Producer: Jonas Rivera
Writer: Bob Peterson Voice Talent: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Jordan
Nagai

From the Academy Award(R)-nominated team of director Pete Docter ("Monsters, Inc.") and co-director Bob Peterson comes "Up," a comedic adventure taking off (and lifting spirits) in summer 2009. Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life. "Up" takes audiences on a thrilling journey where the unlikely pair encounter wild terrain, unexpected villains and jungle creatures. When seeking adventure next summer -- look "Up."



TOY STORY in 3-D (Domestic Release Date: October 2nd, 2009)
Pixar Animation Studios
Director: John Lasseter
Producers: Ralph Guggenheim, Bonnie Arnold
Composer: Randy Newman Voice Talent: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace
Shawn, John Ratzenberger

Originally released by Walt Disney Pictures in 1995, "Toy Story" was the first feature film from Pixar Animation Studios and director John Lasseter. The film went on to receive Oscar(R) nominations for Best Original Score, Best Original Song, and Best Original Screenplay, and earned Lasseter a Special Achievement Award (Oscar(R)) "for the development and inspired application of techniques that have made possible the first feature-length computer-animated film." The 3-D version of this landmark film is being personally overseen by Lasseter with his acclaimed team of technical wizards handling all the necessary steps in the conversion process.



THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG (Domestic Release Date: Christmas 2009)
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Directors: John Musker, Ron Clements
Producer: Peter Del Vecho
Composer: Randy Newman
Voice Talent: Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Jenifer Lewis, John Goodman

A musical set in the greatest city of them all, New Orleans, "The Princess and the Frog" marks Disney's return to the timeless art form of traditional animation. The film teams Ron Clements and John Musker, creators of "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin," with Oscar(R)-winning composer Randy Newman to tell the most beautiful love story ever told ... with frogs, voodoo, and a singing alligator.

TINKER BELL NORTH OF NEVER LAND - working title (Disney DVD and Blu-ray
Release Date: 2009)


DisneyToon Studios
Director: Klay Hall
Producer: Sean Lurie

In autumn, Tinker Bell is entrusted with crafting a great treasure that can rejuvenate the Pixie Dust Tree. But when her friend Terence offers to help, Tink's temper and stubbornness get the better of her, shattering both her creation and her friendship with Terence. To set things right again, she must embark on a journey far North of Never Land ... and along the way, she will discover an even greater treasure.



2010:

TOY STORY 2 in 3-D (Domestic Release Date: February 12th, 2010)
Pixar Animation Studios
Director: John Lasseter
Co-Directors: Lee Unkrich, Ash Brannon
Producers: Helene Plotkin, Karen Robert Jackson
Composer: Randy Newman Voice Talent: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Don
Rickles, Estelle Harris, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger

Originally released in 1999, "Toy Story 2" went on to become one of the most popular animated features of all time. The film picks up as Andy is heading off to Cowboy Camp and the toys are left to their own devices. When an obsessive toy collector named Al McWhiggin (owner of Al's Toy Barn) kidnaps Woody, and Woody learns that he's a highly valued collectable from a 1950s TV show called "Woody's Roundup," the stage is set for a daring rescue attempt by the gang from Andy's room. The film introduced such other memorable characters from "Woody's Roundup" as Jessie the cowgirl, Bullseye the horse, and the Prospector.


TOY STORY 3 (Domestic Release Date: June 18th, 2010, Disney Digital
3-D(TM))


Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Lee Unkrich
Producer: Darla K. Anderson
Writer: Michael Arndt
Composer: Randy Newman Voice Talent: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Wallace
Shawn, Estelle Harris, John Ratzenberger, Ned Beatty

The creators of the beloved "Toy Story" films re-open the toy box and bring moviegoers back to the delightful world of Woody, Buzz and our favorite gang of toy characters in "Toy Story 3." Lee Unkrich (co-director of "Toy Story 2" and "Finding Nemo") directs this highly anticipated film, and Michael Arndt, the Academy Award(R)-winning screenwriter of "Little Miss Sunshine," brings his unique talents and comedic sensibilities to the proceedings.



RAPUNZEL (Domestic Release Date: Christmas 2010, Disney Digital 3-D(TM))
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Directors: Glen Keane, Dean Wellins
Producer: Roy Conli

In this new telling of the classic fairy tale, "Rapunzel," audiences will be transported to a stunning CG fantasy world complete with the iconic tower, an evil witch, a gallant hero and, of course, the mysterious girl with the long golden tresses. Expect adventure, heart, humor, and hair ... lots of hair, when Rapunzel unleashes her locks in theaters for the 2010 holiday.

TINKER BELL A MIDSUMMER STORM - working title (Disney DVD and Blu-ray
Release Date: 2010)


DisneyToon Studios
Director: Carolyn Gair
Producer: Margot Pipkin

After being confronted by her antagonist Vidia, an irritated Tinker Bell retaliates by taking a photograph of Vidia ... without considering the consequences. Now, the two must set aside their differences and cooperate to prevent evidence of the existence of fairies from falling into human hands.



2011:



NEWT (Domestic Release Date: Summer 2011, Disney Digital 3-D(TM))
Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Gary Rydstrom
Producer: Richard Hollander
Writers: Gary Rydstrom, Leslie Caveny

What happens when the last remaining male and female blue-footed newts on the planet are forced together by science to save the species, and they can't stand each other? That's the problem facing Newt and Brooke, heroes of "newt," the Pixar film by seven-time Academy Award(R) winner for sound Gary Rydstrom, and director of Pixar's Oscar-nominated short, "Lifted." Newt and Brooke embark on a perilous, unpredictable adventure and discover that finding a mate never goes as planned, even when you only have one choice. Love, it turns out, is not a science.



THE BEAR AND THE BOW (Domestic Release Date: Christmas 2011, Disney
Digital 3-D(TM))


Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Brenda Chapman
Producer: Katherine Sarafian
Voice Talent: Reese Witherspoon, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson

A rugged and mythic Scotland is the setting for Pixar's action-adventure "The Bear and the Bow." The impetuous, tangle-haired Merida, though a daughter of royalty, would prefer to make her mark as a great archer. A clash of wills with her mother compels Merida to make a reckless choice, which unleashes unintended peril on her father's kingdom and her mother's life. Merida struggles with the unpredictable forces of nature, magic and a dark, ancient curse to set things right. Director Brenda Chapman ("The Prince of Egypt," "The Lion King") and the storytelling wizards of Pixar conjure humor, fantasy and excitement in this rich Highland tale.

TINKER BELL A WINTER STORY - working title (Disney DVD and Blu-ray
Release Date: 2011)

DisneyToon Studios

Producer: Sean Lurie

The fourth, as-yet-untold story of Tinker Bell and her fairy friends will take place in winter, completing the cycle of the seasons.



2012:



CARS 2 (Domestic Release Date: Summer 2012, Disney Digital 3-D(TM))
Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Brad Lewis

All the world's a racetrack as racing superstar Lightning McQueen zooms back into action, with his best friend Mater in tow, to take on the globe's fastest and finest in this thrilling high-octane new installment of the "Cars" saga. Mater and McQueen will need their passports as they find themselves in a new world of intrigue, thrills and fast-paced comedic escapades around the globe. "Cars 2" is being directed by Brad Lewis, producer of the Oscar(R)- winning film "Ratatouille."



KING OF THE ELVES (Domestic Release Date: Christmas 2012, Disney
Digital 3-D(TM))


Walt Disney Animation Studios
Directors: Aaron Blaise, Robert Walker
Producer: Chuck Williams

Legendary storyteller Phillip K. Dick's short story (his only experiment in the fantasy genre) becomes the basis for this fantastic and imaginative tale about an average man living in the Mississippi Delta, whose reluctant actions to help a desperate band of elves leads them to name him their new king. Joining the innocent and endangered elves as they attempt to escape from an evil and menacing troll, their unlikely new leader finds himself caught on a journey filled with unimaginable dangers and a chance to bring real meaning back to his own life.

Hat Tip goes to Cinematical

Cars, The 2012 Model...

It appears that Disney has officially announced the sequel to Cars. Merrick from Ain't It Cool News is reporting that Disney has announced this in New York. The timeline is summer 2012 for the release...

Why then?

Those familiar with this blog will note us talking about that date. It just happens to correspond with a new land opening up in DCA based on the Cars characters. Coincidence? Don't believe it... It's going to be interesting watching the premiere of Cars 2 in the new screening area in Paradise Pier and then going over to experience the land that the film occupies. This kind of synergy falls in line with what John Lasseter has been referring to. Whenever possible, he wants WDI to work with Walt Disney Pictures/Walt Disney Animation Studios/Pixar Animation Studios to maximize the experience of both films and attractions.

Stay tuned.

Hat Tip to Ain't It Cool News

Prepare To Be Assimilated...

Disney Interactive Studios, the Mouse's gaming division is acquiring another gaming firm. Chinese gaming company Gamestar, which has handled a lot of outsourcing of video game software development with locations in Shanghai and Wuhan, China will become the sixth company DIS has added to its growing gaming presence.

The fruit from all these purchases will not fully be born for another year or two... products and titles under Iger's stategy won't really saturate the market with "Disney" titles until 2009. Time will tell...

Ouch!

I don't know if you've seen what the editorial page over at the Los Angeles Times had to say about DCA a couple days ago, but it was blunt and brutal... this is the first time the Times has actually come out and said it this way. Perhaps this kind of criticism will keep the pressure on the Mouse?

One thing is for sure, the next park won't be designed by accountants, marketing salesmen and merchandisers. Instead, it will most likely be created by Imagineers? Imagine that...

Moses Was 84, You D@*# Dirty Apes...

Charlton Heston passed away early this morning at the ripe old age of eighty-four. Disney fans will remember him as the Narrator from the Uber-cheesy fest that was "Armageddon" and quite literally the Voice of the Gods in "Hercules". Personally, his narration was one of only two things about that Michael Bay movie that I enjoyed. He was a movie star, film legend and had a career up on the silver screen that most actors could only dream of today...

To go on and list his film achievements would be too long and to wax on about him would be useless since Harry Knowles over at Ain't It Cool News has posted a great eulogy to the man. Moriarty also chimes in on El Cid here.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

The Right Stuff...

Over the last few years the Mouse has had a good stretch at the box office. Between the Pirate movies, the Pixar films and several other smaller surprises the Disney brand, along with its Touchstone division to a lesser degree has enjoyed being at the top or near the top in terms of success and growth.

One wonders if this streak will continue or could the film division be just lucky? As in everything else, decisions are made at the top and head down hill. Success or failure comes from those that make the decisions affecting the whole of the company... that's why they make the big bucks of course. So in seeing how the near and far end future of the Mouse is concerned we'll have to take a look at the top. The main people running the Walt Disney Studios. That would start first and foremost with the Chairman of the company, Dick Cook.

Cook became the top exec at Walt Disney Studios in 2002, after Eisner named him to succeed Peter Schneider the former head of the studios. Here's an example(one of the few) of Eisner actually making a good decision, btw. Of note, Cook is the only high level executive to have worked for Disney since Eisner took over in 1984.

He's one of the most likable Suits in Hollywood today... this is a great asset in a town built on relationships. Johnny Depp, Nicholas Cage and many others regard Cook as a friendly bridge between management and talent. He's someone that can get an actor to look at something who normally wouldn't. And besides all this, he's something that you don't normally see in Hollywood. A truly nice guy.

Now right beneath him we have an enigma that is forming...

Oren Aviv, Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group President who succeeded Nina Jacobson in the "Big Cut" that happened in July of 2006. He's been moving to increase the Disney Brand of films, which is quite the opposite of what Eisner did back in the mid 80's(which Eisner was right to do back then, btw). The Touchstone Brand will still be active, but the focus will be on more family movies and to associate the Disney label with better quality movies. This might puzzle some, because many Disney Geeks will recall one of Aviv's famous(or infamous) statements about the kind of films he's looking to make:

"I want to make movies like The Pacifier"

I know, I know... just like you, that statement makes the hair on the back of my head raise up. That movie was nothing more than a glorified rip-off of "Kindergarden Cop" and an average one at that. But to be fair to Mr. Aviv, I think it may have been taken out of context. I have a feeling I know what he was trying to say, even though it probably didn't come across so well. The movies he's wanting to get into production are supposed to reach a certain audience and creating films that have a generational crossover appeal(especially internationally), are what he wants to market. Now many of the Disney faithful will find that this could include those dreaded "tween" movies that we don't care for. You know, the "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour", "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" and other things that have keep many a Disney fan from even venturing into clicking the remote to the Disney Channel for fear of running into "Raven" or "The Suite Life". While I agree that it ain't my cup of tea, I can understand why the Mouse wants to get this group of teens. Aviv understands this too. I tend to try and brush off this as the modern day equivalent of "The Absent Minded Professor", "That Darn Cat" or "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes". While movies like the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series or the "Narnia" series are representative of something along the line of "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" or "Treasure Island". I'm sure back in the 50's many an adult audience would have rather seen Marilyn Monroe in "Some Like It Hot" or another film that these films for their bobby-sox teenager. Things change and sometimes they don't...

Aviv understands the Disney style of movies it seems from some of the projects that have been greenlit over the past year or so. We have "Bedtime Stories", "Beverly Hills Chihuahua"(think "That Darn Cat"... hopefully), "The Chronicles of Narnia" Prince Caspian", and others set for the calendar year. Coming up next year are "When In Rome", "Fraggle Rock" and "Old Dogs", "A Christmas Carol" and a couple others. Not everything will fit my taste, but that's not his job. It's to fit the audience, both here in America and the world. And if he doesn't do that, well he won't be there long. We're about to find out as movies that are part of his philosophy begin taking up the majority of the Mouse's pipeline starting this summer. If his projects flop over the next year and a half then we'll know his taste is not the audiences and he'll be typing up one of those farewell letters that Suits tend to issue when they want to spend more time with their family.

Now across from the Walt Disney Studios lot in temporary headquarters of Walt Disney Animation Studios known as "The Hat Building" sits that figure that blurs the line between Suit and Creative. John Lasseter, the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios... essentially the head of almost anything animated at the Mouse. Now, he's an interesting hybrid, because as well as heading both of these animated units you, he'll be involved in live-action for the Pixar unit over the next few years with the co-production with Warner of "1906" and then Pixar's own "Princess of Mars" films. Should the animation unit in Burbank be blessed by his box office abilities at the Lamp and then the live action works succeed they you'll see more and more of his power seep over to Walt Disney Pictures. Aviv will have a powerful shadow looming over his desk. But come this fall we'll finally get to see the freshman work of Lasseter's tenure at Disney when "Bolt" comes to theaters this November. The reign of the "Mousetro" really starts kicking up dust next year when "The Princess and the Frog" debuts though... many inside the walls of TeamDisney are said to be very excited about that film and "Rapunzel" the following year. There are a couple of projects that could get the greenlit to move into story later this year as one already has moved into this position to follow Glen Keane's co-directorial debut. Lasseter's the monkey in the wrench, fly in the ointment that has the unknown quantity.

We'll find soon as to how things are going. By the end of this year the new leadership at Disney will have weathered it's first test of fire. If they survive past next year is something no one in Hollywood can know... because the life expectancy of a Suit in Tinsel Town is usually very short. Half a decade is an eternity for most. Dick Cook has already survived that... Oren Aviv is a question about to be answered... and John Lasseter, well he doesn't have to worry about problems for a while since he has the backing of that guy in Cupertino. He's got at least four or five years before he has to worry and that is only if just about everything he touches turns to "FLOP!". That ain't likely to happen.

This is a Disney Fairy Tale we're talking about, after all...

More Surrogates...

Jonathan Mostow's new film for Touchstone Pictures "The Surrogates" has lined up more actors. The production was supposed to start shooting in February but will lens the film this month instead.

They've added Ving Rhames, Radha Mitchell and Rosamund Pike to the cast of the Bruce Willis sci-fi thriller.

Mouse Buys Disney Guide...

Walt Disney Pictures has purchased the spec script "Self-Guided" in the mid-six figures by Jared Stern with David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman attached to produce through their Mandeville Films.

The tale focuses on a man who finds himself back in high school as a guidance counselor so he can give advice to his younger self.

In Memorium: Frank Wells...

On this day...

Fourteen years ago today...

The beginning of the end of Michael Eisner's reign as savior of the Mouse started...

While on a skiing trip in Nevada's 's Ruby Mountains, Disney's President and Chief Operating Officer Frank Wells is killed when his helicopter experiences mechanical problems and crashes into a slope at 7,500 feet. With Wells gone, Eisner has lost his balance and greatly over compensates...

Jeffrey Katzenberg now wants the top spot now that Wells is no longer there, Eisner doesn't give it to him and Katzenberg leaves the company shortly thereafter(a lawsuit later filed by Katzenberg will cost the Mouse millions). The first ten years under their leadership has been a stunning success, thus begins Eisner's downfall...

Of course, it would take twelve years and many disappointments before the axe finally came, but this is the event that set that all in motion.

Frank Wells will be missed. He was a very good leader, a fine Suit for the Mouse and well liked among his colleagues. He and his family were/are/will always be remembered in our hearts and prayers.

The Elephant Graveyard...

On March, 25th 2005, Bob Iger put to death a department within the Walt Disney Company that has long been despised by many Suits and Creatives alike inside the Mouse.

The Strategic Planning Group.

Known inside Disney as the place where good ideas go to die... an Elephant Graveyard, really. If you had an idea, plan or proposal that went there, it stayed there.

Here is a snippet from the original press release from the Mouse:


________________________________________________

March 25, 2005
THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY TO REORGANIZE STRATEGIC PLANNING DIVISION

BURBANK, Calif., March 25, 2005 – To address today's rapidly evolving global business landscape, Michael D. Eisner, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, and Robert A. Iger, president and chief operating officer and CEO-elect, today announced a restructuring of the company's Corporate Strategic Planning Division. The division will be restructured to more closely align with the company's growth priorities, including creativity and innovation, new technologies and international expansion.

Many of Strategic Planning's activities will be incorporated into the company's four business segments -- Studio Entertainment, Parks and Resorts, Consumer Products and Media Networks, as well as Disney's international organization. A smaller corporate group will continue to develop the corporate five-year plan and focus on acquisition opportunities, emerging businesses new to the company's existing portfolio and new technologies.
________________________________________________



And it was never, ever seen again(hopefully). This division of the company was like the KGB of the Mouse. When a memo was sent to you informing you that it was "evaluating" something of yours it was equivalent to the Soviet Secret Police coming to your home, knocking on your door and taking your idea/proposal away for questioning.

Yet another byproduct of that tragic helicopter crash which killed Frank Wells. Michael Eisner had great skills but great weaknesses also. Frank Wells was there to balance Eisner and give the Mouse and it's CEO a bit of perspective. the SPG was another growing example of how Eisner's ego grew when unchecked by Wells.

Several people at the Mouse are a result of the SPG. Among them are Jay Rasulo, President of Parks and Resorts(we all know my opinion of him), David Stainton, former President of Walt Disney Feature Animation(gone and thankfully forgotten), and Tom Staggs, Chief Financial Officer at the Mouse(Whom I've met only once and don't yet know enough about to justify praise or condemnation).

This group reported directly to Eisner and tended to bolster his need for justification of a project. If the SPG wanted to come to a conclusion that a proposal or particular part of the company was inefficient or unprofitable then the division would do the research it needed to come to that conclusion. It created the reality to back up its facts and I use the word "facts" very liberally here, friends. If the SPG wanted to prove the world was flat, it would begin doing research to prove it... not try and actually find out if the world is flat. Amazing, ain't it?

The company and particularly the SPG, through Eisner became increasingly "risk adverse" to the point of even telling one person in a meeting where it was pitched a cutting edge proposal that: ""we don't want to be the first into any new business... we'd rather be second or third, after the concept is proven." Now would Walt have ever succeeded if he had followed this model? Essentially, Eisner was using this division as his reasoning for "coasting" on the huge success and fortunes created by the company in the past. There was, perhaps, some creativity within the company but far less than a decade earlier and even more so than what had been there when Walt and Roy ran the company.

Want a shining example of what results from the Strategic Planning Group? It's something most of you all know...

Disney's California Adventure

In a letter that Roy E. Disney wrote when he was on his "Save Disney" campaign there was this little jewel:

"Strat Planning, in effect, "designed" Disney's California Adventure, by (1) setting a profit goal, (2) calculating how many people would attend, at what admission price, level of food consumption, and merchandise purchased, and then (3) capping the expenditure for the "show" at a figure which was almost guaranteed to produce a sub-standard park experience. The "real world" falls entirely outside of all these calculations, questions like "will I like this place?" or "Would I go there repeatedly?' simply are immaterial."

And we all know what happened. Roy knew what he was talking about. Having attended the openings of both DCA and Tokyo DisneySEA later in the same year, he could see which park was catering to its guest and which one was catering to the bottom line.

Thankfully the company is freed from such restraints now... is it perfect, though? No. There is still way too much bureaucracy. Much of it created by our good friend Jay Rasulo. All corporations tend to have layers of red tape and the Mouse still has more than its share, but it has been unburdened by a large creative impediment. Hopefully, the likes of Lasseter and others will overwhelm and simply outlast the remaining road blocks within the Mouse.

It's ironic that for the company to succeed the SPG must die... but even more ironic that the death of creativity at the Mouse was known as the Elephant Graveyard...

We all know an Elephant is supposed to be afraid of a Mouse, not the other way around.

Excelsior!

Stan Lee and the Mouse have three projects that have been developed from the colaboration between Disney and Lee's POW! Entertainment.

Richard LaGravenese (THE FISHER KING) will write and direct "Nick Ratchet," revolving around the adventures of a private eye.

Gary Goldman (NEXT) is writing the original script "Blaze", about which little is known.

Zoe Green("Wolverine & the X-Men" cartoon series) is working on a draft of "Tigress", is about a woman who starts to aquire animal feline instincts.

Stan and the Mouse want the properties to be potential franchises...

Time will tell.

Eisner Mounts Hostile Takeover Of Walt Disney Company!

Today it was announced in the New York Times business section that Michael Eisner has informed the Walt Disney Company Board of Directors that his investment group "The Tornante Company" intends to make an offer for controlling interest of the Walt Disney Company. Variety and the Hollywood Reporter are apparently preparing articles for tomorrow's edition since the news was revealed too late for publication in today's copy. Bob Iger is quoted as saying he was "stunned to hear Michael make such an announcement" and "the Walt Disney Company would be able to retain control of operations believing that shareholders would reject such an offer." Hollywood insiders are surprised that Eisner would make a play for the Mouse. "It appears he holds a grudge with the Board for having been forced out." said one Hollywood source. "Clearly, Michael felt embarrassed when the Board removed him as CEO and Michael never forgets who crosses him." Several sources are offering up varied opinions when it comes to the ability of Eisner's company coming up with the large amount of cash needed to wrest control of the daily operations of Disney. However several sources are stating that Eisner and Tornante have been secretly working over the past two years lining up a series of mysterious billionaire clients and at least one European conglomerate with his eyes set on returning to power and forcing the resignations of those on the Board. "Putting Steve Jobs on the Board was a big mistake for Iger to do" said a close Tornante Executive, "Michael hates that guy, if they wanted to start a war with him they've done it and this is Michael's first shot back." When asked for comments, several key employees at Tornante were suspiciously quite, referring question to their publicist, whom had yet to return calls to the Times. Blue Sky Disney has been in touch with several Disney sources and is awaiting confirmation from several of our contacts before addressing these shocking events. Wait, this just in...


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TTFN