"Disney is closing the book on fairy tales"

[pussinboots]

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/21 ... d-20101121

"Films and genres do run a course," said Pixar Animation Studios chief Ed Catmull, who along with director John Lasseter oversees Disney Animation. "They may come back later because someone has a fresh take on it … but we don't have any other musicals or fairy tales lined up." Indeed, Catmull and Lasseter killed two other fairy tale movies that had been in development, "The Snow Queen" and "Jack and the Beanstalk."

It goes on to say how they made Alan Menken tone it down, threw Glen Keane's Rapunzel overboard and made all kinds of similarly inspired decisions. All this from a man who wears Tiki Room aloha shirts.

I kind of get it, to be honest (and that wasn't easy to admit to), and I'd rather see them try something new rather than forever try to "bring back the Disney Renaissance" and failing. It could be a bit like the 101 Dalmatians era. The thing is of course that 101 Dalmatians actually was a lovely, fresh film, and not a tacky attempt to outdo other animation studios or corrupt any demographic into buying low-quality merchandise, but then I'm a pessimist.

On the plus side, it sounds like we might be seeing less Princess ware in the near future.

[dagobert]

I think it is a good move to change the genres, because there are already too many Disney Princesses. It's getting annoying. I just hope that WDAS will not produce movies like Dreamworks does.

But there is one quotation from Ed Catmull that makes me a little bit angry:
"If you say to somebody, 'You should be doing fairy tales,' it's like saying, 'Don't be risky,'" Catmull said. "We're saying, 'Tell us what's driving you.'"

I wonder if he knows what Pixar will release in the next years. This year it was Toy Story 3, next year it is Cars 2 and then Monsters Inc. 2. So it seems that Pixar is also on the safe side. They are just producing sequels for three years.

[pussinboots]

I get the princess thing too, but I think they're throwing out the baby with the bath water. Just because you're not doing another princess movie doesn't mean you can't have fairy tale movies or musicals.

I mean, why get rid of musical movies? Disney has always been able to count on the power of a catchy tune to capture audiences and keep them captured for decades after. People still hum along to "Whistle While You Work" for heaven's sake. That's a powerful thing! They made a huge mistake in tying Alan Menken's hands with Tangled, even though it's still a very good soundtrack. Every single critic of that movie so far has been lamenting the lack of a truly spectacular set of songs.

[dagobert]

I think that a balanced mix of different genres would be perfect. Disney never produced only fairy tales, although most of their movies are based on tales. And I also hope that traditional animation will still be part of WDAS after Winnie the Pooh.

Somehow I have the feeling the Disney is sabotaging their own movies. HP was just released, one of the most successful movies, and Disney opens Tangled just one week after that. Come on, do they really think they can compete with HP.

Last year they did the same with PatF.

[pussinboots]

Exactly, and then they'll say Tangled failed because it was too girly, or because it was too outdated, or because there were too little fart jokes, and next year they'll try to make up for it by releasing "Stitched," the revamped Winnie the Pooh film, a week after "Avatar 2" opens. Gah.

[dagobert]

I wonder if Disney or Pixar want the WDAS animated movies to be successful. I mean Disney releases their movies at the same time as other very successful movies, like Avatar or HP. Maybe they are searching for a reason to shut it down and focus on Pixar. Okay I know I'm entering the conspiracy world, but I was just thinking.

[Anthony]

and next year they'll try to make up for it by releasing "Stitched," the revamped Winnie the Pooh film, a week after "Avatar 2" opens. Gah.

That made me laugh. Scarily accurate.

The 101 Dalmatians era is a great call and I hope that's what they might try to step back towards. It's encouraging that the original Winnie the Pooh came from that period. What I really want Disney to make now is a Jungle Book - something without an oppressed heroine, a storyline more interesting than "living your dream". Memorable songs here and there, but not necessarily a full-blown Broadway musical. Perhaps that will in fact be Winnie the Pooh, though I can't imagine that'll ever have the same broad appeal.

What's worrying is that they're still talking about creative renewal. Wasn't that Bolt? Wasn't that Princess and the Frog? Surely WDAS has been creatively renewed to death by now. Fingers crossed Winnie the Pooh is their Rescuers Down Under...

[mattboywonder]

According to this, Disney are not planning to make any Princess/fairy tales movies.....at least for a while.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/ne ... ory?page=2

Personally I'm glad. . Disney have turned the traditional Princess into vain sororiety sisters! "Tangled" looks horrible. They can't call the movie Rapunzel as Barbie has done that one and she character seems pushy and obnoxious in the trailers/clips.

I think giving it a rest for a few years will pay off in the long run as someone will come along with a fresh idea.

[Soap]

Personally I'm glad. . Disney have turned the traditional Princess into vain sororiety sisters! "Tangled" looks horrible. They can't call the movie Rapunzel as Barbie has done that one and she character seems pushy and obnoxious in the trailers/clips.

I think giving it a rest for a few years will pay off in the long run as someone will come along with a fresh idea.

Have you seen the movie already?
It's not even close to the "dreamworks "kind of trailers.
It's so much better and much more in the old classic style of
storytelling and magic

[Anthony]

But in actual fact...

A headline in today’s LA Times erroneously reported that the Disney fairy tale is a thing of the past, but I feel it is important to set the record straight that they are alive and well at Disney and continue this week with Tangled, a contemporary retelling of a much loved story. We have a number of projects in development with new twists that audiences will be able to enjoy for many years to come. – Ed Catmull

A good bit of analysis about the effect of Tangled and more: http://progresscityusa.com/2010/12/07/t ... -in-green/

[pussinboots]

Thanks. Very good article, my thoughts exactly.

[Aveen2008]

I think Disney need to be very, very careful were they go from here. I don't think taking out another princess type film like Tangled so soon after releasing the Princess and the Frog last year, is such a great idea, however so many of Disney's major hit films were based on "fairy-tales", not nesscarily princess orientated ones but stories aka tales that were turned into very successful and much loved films such as Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Pinocchio!

I agree that Disney need to move with the times and can't stay static, which they haven't done with films like Pirates of the Caribbean or Pixars Wall.e, Toy story etc I just worry that if they dump the past and try to walk away from what made Disney so successful to start with they will loose the magic along with it and perhaps many fans. I love most of Disney's pixar films but at the same time I like them less than original Disney type films.

I have to say I was not a massive Fan of Disney's the Princess and the Frog and I am not surprised to read it didn't do too great, I don't believe it truely has to do with the fact it was another princess film but because of the story itself which in my humble opinion isn't great, in fact it doesn't even feel much like a princess film as the main characters of Tiana and Naveen spend the majority of the film as frogs. What actually made the film for me was the music and I do think it is brilliant to have a princess who is from a different race.

I think Disney would be very silly to walk away from musical type films as most of Disney's major successful films had rememberable and forever classic songs such as the lion king - the circle of life, can you feel the love tonight, Mary poppins - a spoon full of sugar, lady and the tramp - Bella note, Mulan - reflections (naming films that arent princess films). When I walk around Disneyland and hear the Disney music from films it just feels so magical but if we remove this element I think we remove a part of what makes Disney successful.

I think Disney should be able to make modern animated films, that don't nesscarily have princesses and princes in the storyline but have strong male and female characters who we could love and have amazing music that we will remember the film for and will be singing years from now, just like "the bare nesscities, when you wish upon a star, cruella devill etc

I just hope Disney don't try to run too far from their magical formula whilst trying to keep up with the times.

[butterbear]

i think disney should never have gone in with pixar,it was a huge mistake really,at least i think so anyway.the new movies just don't have the disney sparkle and i must admit that no pixar films are in my dvd collection.i think disney should stick with traditionally animated cartoons and i don't see a reason why they want to change.they'll just ruin it and then i won't have any new films to like,that's my thoughts anyway.i was sad to read that article.

[dagobert]

From an economic point of view, I wouldn't say that it was a mistake to buy Pixar. Their movies make a lot of money and in terms of quality all their movies, except "A Bug's Life", are a lot better than all WDAS movies since the "Lion King" and besides "Tangled". At least that's my opinion. And without Pixar John Lasseter wouldn't have an eye on the Disney Animation Studios and I'm sure Disney would still produce unsuccessful movies.

Winnie Pooh will be in traditional animation next year and in my opinion "Tangled" would have also been a great movie in traditional animation.

[butterbear]

i like winnie the pooh so i'm sure i'll love that and i agree tangled would have been a great movie in traditional animation.