Countdown To Extinction Bumped...

Nobody ever remembers that you slipped a film, but they will remember a bad film.

- Ed Catmull

The dinosaurs have dodged the meteor...

The prehistoric creatures will live to star in the Lamp's next film.  Just not in 2014.  The film "The Good Dinosaur" that was scheduled to open on May 30, 2014 will now open on November 25, 2015.  If that date sounds familiar it's because that was the release date for "Finding Dori".  And I mean was because it has now been bumped to summer 2016.

There still has been no decision on who will take the helm, although an announcement should be coming soon.  This leaves 2014 without a Pixar film.  But don't feel sad for long as you'll get two films in 2015.  John Lasseter and Ed Catmull are ultimately concerned about getting the story right, not meeting a release date.  If they could have met the original date they would have.

Now the dinosaurs have a little breathing room having escaped extinction...

Successful Flight...

I know a great many Disney fans were passionate about their dislike of "Planes" from DisneyToons...

Or maybe the correct word would be dispassionate.  Many have decried the effort to make this film.  Many of the same didn't even bother to see it.  A great argument was made that it would fail, with a few openly wishing as much.   Websites, blogs and commenters have written about its opening box office as proof of its failure.

And those that were bragging about this have turned out to be way, way wrong.

Success for the Mouse or any other studio isn't determined by what we like or what we want.  It's what the market wants.  It's what the world likes.  It what life has a taste for, not how we want an image of something we love to appear as.

The direct to DVD film which got a theatrical release cost around $50 million ("Elysium"which came out the same week cost twice as much) to make and has generated around $138 million so far.  This is in addition to the merchandising sales, home video sales and interactive media.  So all this is essentially gravy to the suits in Burbank.  This is why the property is considered an evergreen IP.  Which is why the sequels to it are on the way.

This is the future of the DisneyToons production schedule.  It's the structure that was set up when John Lasseter took over most animation at the company.  The plans for the Cheapquells was scrapped and a plan was constructed to have the studio handle Disney related properties that weren't the main iconic characters of the films.  They wouldn't tred on the main story, but instead would sort of dance around it.

This was how the Tinker Bell series was resurrected from the ashes of the original plan and this is how the Planes idea came to pass.  As well as the upcoming stories this division makes in the future.  While it's not my cup of tea, it does have an audience and the quality of the films is far above what we were getting with "Cinderella III" and most of the other offerings that came out of the company before the Lamp's bosses took over.

It's not the films I watch, but not everything the Mouse does is.  We should all remember that the studio makes entertainment for many people. We can all have our own piece of the pie without having to worry what others are eating.  

After all, there are plenty of films for us to enjoy over the next few years as Blue Sky let you know a couple months ago.  There are plenty of films and new series coming from Walt Disney Pictures for us to critique without having to worry about these little toys.

We have plenty to play with in the toy box...

Paper Trail...

Everyone is panicking about several recent events that have happened in the past few days...

From Bob Peterson being removed from "The Good Dinosaur", which actually occurred a while ago, to the recent news about John Kahrs' departure from WDAS.  Some are frightened the wheel are coming off.  The halo around John Lasseter has swollen his ego.  The Disney Suits are squashing the freedom and creativity that putting John and Ed in charge of animation was intended to foster.  Is this true?  Is the end nigh?

Absolutely not.

Far from it.  In fact, moral at the Hat Building is very high.  The lay offs and rehires that used to go on rarely happen and the work flow is running smoother than it has in a decade.  The success of films like "Tangled" and "Wreck-It Ralph" have created a confidence that was missing for years.  The feeling that their younger sibling was was getting all the credit is no longer something you might hear in th cubicles around the departments.

And speaking of the younger sibling, Pixar is not crumbling because of micomanaging involvement.  The biggest concern for the Lamp, as well as the Hat, is story.  It has to work no matter how much you like the guy directing it.  If it's not working out, you have to find someone that can make it work. There are hundreds of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars at stake.  Not to mention diminishing time.  John Lasseter goes with how he sees a project is progressing.  If it's not, after numerous attempts, something has to be done.  If the project can be saved, you have to bring in people to do it.  If the project can't be saved, then it will be canned or allowed to whither on the vine (see the article below this for proof).

So what about John Kahrs leaving Disney Animation?

It comes down to one word.  Slots.  With all the success that the studios are having, there are really only so many projects available.  And with all these talented people there comes a time when you have to move on and expand your wings.  And when you won an Oscar for Best Short there are going to be opportunities opening up for you.  There are only so many project at each company that need directors.  But there are other companies/opportunities out there.

John is simply one of those spreading his wings...

Lost In Space...

Not everything that starts out in the Hat Building always makes it out...

Just ask the creators of "My Peoples", "Musicana", "Hare in My Soup" or a number of orher animated films/shorts that started out blasting off the creative launch pad only to crash and burn years down the line.  But when projects die at Walt Disney Animation Studio, it's more like a slow, cold, isolated death.

There is usually no person to come in and tell you it's over and you're let go.  The words: "You're Fired!" rarely come out of the suit that's been avoiding you.  Instead, it's the loneliness of working on something that will never be seen.  It's the calls that aren't returned.  Or maybe the meetings that can never be set up.  The silence of walking down the hallway after working all night trying to get the kinks out of the story you've been working on for months, or years on some projects.  Such is the case of projects that just aren't working out, or of a creative falling out with the ones above you.

That appears to be the case on Dean Wellins "space race" film.  It was an attempt at something daring, but each passing version of it has fallen further from its goal.  While the film isn't dead, it is in the process that films go through before they fall off the chart as its creator moves on to another project or another studio.  No recognizable advancement has happened on the story for some time now.  It's moved further down the line as each project that is in better development moves ahead of it.

This shouldn't reflect badly on Dean.  He's a great animator and compelling storyteller.  Sometimes even a good idea can't find it's way out into the world.  It took "The Snow Queen" many years and several directors to make to the point someone was confident enough to green light it for production.  And even then, "Frozen" will bare little resemblance to the Hans Christian Andersen story, much less the first reels of the original animated version.  Sometimes stories move beyond their creators, and their creators simply move on.

There might be a story breakthrough on it.  There is time with so many films already in front of it.  But time isn't the main problem, story is.  While the project began like "Big Hero 6" as a story unlike any typical Disney animated film.  The Marvel project has moved forward, the adventurous attempt to capture Millenials with a tonal story involving science fiction, outer space and teen racing hasn't.  At least not enough to advance closer to production.  Several projects that were proposed after it have moved in front of it.

Hopefully this race doesn't get cancelled...

Not Extinct, But Evolving... (Exclusive)

The animation business can be a very chaotic experience...

The Lamp has had many films in production that would either shut down (Newt) because of similarity to another project (Rio), or drastically changed (Ratatouille) to make the release date. Word from my Bothans is that there is another having such difficulties.  It's not a good thing, but it is a normal, yet chaotic process.  Which film?

The Good Dinosaur.

The producer and director of the film had been removed, but the film is not as of yet in turnaround. John Lasseter has reportedly taken Bob Peterson off the film, and is attempting to still meet the 2014 release date.

This will not be an easy task, but they're hopeful that another director will be able to bring the project back in to better focus as the story wasn't coming together.  The meteor that killed the dinosaurs hasn't yet destroyed this film, but it has put it in jeopardy.

Developing...

The Mechanics Of Cars…

Pixar has had a long running streak of sucess in animation...

For most of its slate, the Lamp has not only had financial hits, but critical hits as well.  Out of these films the low bar by many is considered the "Cars" film series (yes, there will be more films from the inhabitants of Ornament Valley).  And even though the film is one of the least loved by animation fans, it's still a much better film than ninety-percent of everything out there.

There have been many critics of these films, but the one thing that can't be argued is the success of it among sales of merchandise.  It falls just behind the mouse and bear in terms of earnings.  There are a lot of fans out there of anthropomorphic metal creations.  And there are also a lot of people that hit a logical roadblock there as well.

A lot of people had this problem with the first film, and the second, and even the new DisneyToon Studios spinoff, "Planes" which opened this weekend.   Take the review of that film by Capone over at Ain't It Cool, or Drew McWeeny's review of the film over at Motion Captured.  There is a common thread of confusion or detachment from the ability to suspend disbelief in a world of talking vehicles.  While the Transformers get a pass, the cars, planes, trains and ships get no such break.

It all comes down to the question of where the humans are?  Or where did they go?  This is the psychological pothole in the road that has some people hitting the brakes on enjoying what happens next.  Well, I'm here to put an end to this question.  I'm here to tell you where the humans are in the world of Cars.  Or to put it more precisely, I'm going to define what humans are in this world/reality.

Humans are the souls of these cars.  The souls are the drivers, the conscience of the automobile.

That is why you don't see them, yet the cars seem to function as a repository for them.  We are watching the world through their experiences and that is reason they're not visible.  Souls can't be seen, but they're there.  What you see in the personality of the vehicles, is reflective of the human that owns it. The experiences you see are from the unliving objects point of view based on the guidance of the driver, the soul.

When you see Mater interacting with Lightning or Sally, you're getting a look into the unseen soul of the driver of that car, or plane.  The actions that they do are the result of the decisions of the soul.  He/she is the one that puts his/her foot on the gas and he/she is the one that decides the destination and makes the decisions.  When the wheels move, the heart follows.  The driver takes you on the journey.  So the next time you watch one of those films, imagine the souls guiding the action of the events that unfold.  Think about your soul: the one you know you have, but isn't really visible to the naked eye.  It's the driver of your actions, the lead foot on the gas pedal of your choices.  Even though it's not tangible to you, you know it's there.

Just like the unseen driver that is the soul in each piece of metal that rolls down the street chasing tractors for fun...

Big Six...

 

So after "Frozen" comes out the Mouse moves in a very different direction...

And today at the D23 Expo guest got a tease of how different that would be with the news about "Big Hero 6".  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be there this year. I have the real world pressing me so I had to make other plans. But luckily, I've seen what everyone else saw today.  And if you look around the web, you've noticed a reaction from people that have seen the clips and the concept art.  It is definitely Disney, but it is also different.

I've known about this for a while (I mean, what did you think Blue Sky meant when we said Don Hall was directing a marvelous film?), but they finally revealed the list of characters that are going to be in the film. And they're mostly from the second volume of the comic book, not the original comic. Keep in mind that these are adaptations of those characters, and they aren't exactly the same as the ones in the comics.  Don Hall wanted characters that weren't as well formed in the minds of comic book fans so that he could play with the characters more. He didn't want fans screaming at him that you didn't include this or you changed that.  So if you've read the comic, you'll enjoy the movie, but it will not exactly be the same.

Here are the list of characters in the film.  For those that know, and don't know:



Hiro Hamada  - Based on the comic character Hiro Takachiho, a brilliant teen with computer skills far beyond his age.

Baymax - The character is basically the same as the comic, he's almost like a robotic best friend, and is largely like the character in the comic, slightly Disneyfied.

Go Go - Known in the comic as GoGo Tomago, she is the bad girl of the group; the one with attitude and reflecting as an outsider in the group.  In the film she's a bike messenger.

Wasabi No Ginger - An assassin chef that is an expert knife thrower, think Bullseye if he were a cook.

Honey Lemon - She is the possible love interest for Hiro in the film, a chemist that he has a slight crush on.

Fred - Known in the comic as Fredzilla, he has the ability to transform into monstrous creature, thus explaining the name.  In the film he is a comic book geek.



A little note, if you watched the atmosphere teaser that came out a while ago, if you look inside the trolley going down the streets you can see Hiro's inside.  Just a little detail that you didn't know and might like.

And just wait until you see the first trailer…

Clear Road Ahead...

The future under The Hat Building is being revealed...

When the schedule was announced a couple of weeks ago, a lot of people were confused as so many of the films coming out from Walt Disney Animation Studios had the same name: "untitled".  Well, perhaps it should've just been said unrevealed.  Because now we will slowly start to give you a hint as to what lies ahead, and what you can be prepared to see over the next few years.

Other sites have started to get an inkling as to what is ahead, so I've been given permission to reveal a  little more of what's ahead by my Bothans.  After "Frozen" comes out this year (expect the actual trailer out around "Cloudy 2") we have next year's most unusual animated film yet with the Marvel adaptation of "Big Hero 6" to make an impression on Disney fans like no film before it.  WDAS takes a year break before starting back again on 2016 with Byron Howard's (sans Greno who was attached before his own project) "Zootopia" staring a very foxy Jason Bateman.  Then Nathan Greno's new twist on fairy tales entitled "Giants" which will show you how much his influence on "Tangled" truly was ends out 2016.

After a short break we'll finally get Ron and John's next feature, "Moana" which will be a Polynesian tale involving the island folk and the idols made famous the world over.  It will also mark the directing duo's first computer animated film, or at least computer hybrid animated film (think "Paperman").  Following that, if story issues are worked out Dean Wellin's teenage space race animated film will rush to the screens.  Wellin's film is an unusual story that is different from most Disney Animation, just as Big Hero 6 marks a change in perception of what comes from the Mouse.

After that there are a couple projects being developed right now that are way too early to really get into.  But as you can see, the list of animated films coming ahead are more than just fairy tales.  And John Lasseter is working hard to make sure that the quality and content are focused and entertaining the way that fans expect animated films from Burbank.  So to put it in chronological perspective for you here is the schedule:


Frozen (2013)

Big Hero 6 (2014)

Zootopia (2016)

Giants (2016)

Moana (TBA, likely 2018)

Untitled Dean Wellin's  animated feature ( TBA, likely 2018)


Just get some animated shorts in front of them...

A Change In Misdirection...

I've seen a lot of articles by people about the Lamp changing its strategy... But I don't think they're looking close enough at the very evidence that they're quoting. Some sites are reporting that Pixar is going to curb the output of sequels over the next few years. I can tell you that this is absolutely not so. But on the same note, they aren't increasing them either. How can this be? Simple. It's business as normal and for some reason a few reporters/writers/bloggers had misinferred a statement by Ed Catmull as a change in direction. It isn't. This is simply a statement of a business strategy that's been in place for some while now. Here's the statement from an interview at Buzzfeed:

For artistic reasons … it’s really important that we do an original film a year. Every once in a while, we get a film where we want or people want to see something continuing in that world — which is the rationale behind the sequel. They want those characters, which means we were successful with them. But if you keep doing that, then you aren’t doing original films.

We’re going to have an original film every year, then every other year have a sequel to something. That’s the rough idea.

   
Have you looked at the fourteen films that the Emeryville branch of Disney North has made?  How many original films?  How many sequels/prequels were there?  A lot of people want to think of John Lasseter's fertile garden as pure and pristine, without any hint of corporatism or desire for profits.  Wrong.  Only four years after their first film, "Toy Story" did a sequel come out.  "Toy Story 2" was the first sequel, but it was only their third film.  In other words, they had already planned a sequel by the beginning of production of their second film.  The difference between Pixar and other film studios is that they actually wanted to do films that had a story to them.  Lasseter and Catmull didn't want to churn out films for the sake of dollars, but wanted to have films worthy of those dollars the public spent.

Now, everyone is saying that they're going to slow down with the production of sequels.  There have been 14 Pixar films and four of them are sequels.  Now if you do the math it turns out that the number you come up with roughly is a little less than a third of films are sequels.  Now, look at where Catmull is talking about a new film once a year and a sequel every other year.  That would add up to ten new films in a decade, and five sequels in the same decade.  Out of fifteen films, that would mean a third would be sequels.  Does that seem like they're going to pull back on making sequels?  No, it looks like almost the same amount of new versus sequel films as what has been made over the past two decades.  It's simply a continuation of what has gone on for a while explained by one of the men responsible for it.  The only difference is that the production has ramped up to a film a year.

Now, I don't think this means we'll get an announcement of "The Incredibles 2" anytime in the near future.  When Brad Bird comes up with a story that he feels is worthy of making, he'll call up John and say let's make it.  And there is no way that Pixar wouldn't make the film if he had a story he wanted to film.  But we can look forward to seeing more adventures in the worlds Pixar created in the future.  See how simple that was?  A lot of smoke, no fire.  Pay no attention to these droids.  Nothing new to report here.

Move along, move along...

Hat Tip to /Film.

Blue Sky Buzz: The Coming Magic From The Hat...

What a difference a few years make...

Remember how DreamWorks Animation was firing on all cylinder and hiring people left and right?  It was the place to be with a long production schedule that meant a long tenure and job security.  And then the economic hardship that happened last year?  There have been a few layoffs at Disney over the past year or so, but not that many.  It's actually a fairly lean machine right now.

The Walt Disney Animation Studios has had a good bit of success over the past few years.  The dry spell that was a decade worth of films that topped off the Eisner years was over with the arrival of "Bolt"  It was a bit of a hybrid, coming from a story that Chris Sanders had conceived called "American Dog", up until he was sadly let go.  Lasseter brought in a fresh crew and they reworked the story more to his taste and what he felt audiences would like.  Then came "The Princess and the Frog" which hearkened back to the glory of the early 90's musicals in form, and glorious hand drawn, but with limited box office results.

Then came the first fully formed film of the Lasseter generation at Disney: "Tangled", which went on to become a huge success both critically, and financially.  This was the success that animators working in the Hat Building had been waiting for.  Many were tired of their younger sister up north getting all the credit for the great animated films coming out of the company.  They knew they could make them if just given the chance and this was their moment to shine.  But don't think that the new films of Disney Animation would just be fairy tales.  When you wish upon a star can mean more than just a tiara and a carriage made from a pumpkin.

The thoroughly modern, totally hip, and culturally relevant "Wreck-It Ralph" came out last year and showed that the films of the Mouse don't all have to be classic in approach as well.  But the times since Eisner left have resulted in Disney working on creating a better branding of itself.  Pixar has an identity that is clear when you see Luxo Jr. hopping across the screen.  You know what you're going to get.  With Disney, it used to be that way, but from the later 90's on it became less clear.  Some people had trouble defining what is and what should be a Disney animated feature.  Glen Keane has said it best I think (paraphrased):  Pixar's motto is "Wouldn't it be cool if" and Disney's motto is "Once Upon A Time".

This year we go back to the classic appeal of a fairy tale with WDAS's "Frozen", a story inspired by "The Snow Queen", but not a literal adaptation.  As Tangled wasn't exactly "Rapunzel", neither will this film be to the Hans Christian Andersen story.  That being said, it will be entertaining, lovely, funny and absolutely Disney.  The Disney that was started when John Lasseter was brought in.  It's taken a while to get the entire place moving as an organization that has a unique culture.  Especially since the 90's fractured that culture, and it takes time to rebuild it.  And you have to want to construct it back in the right way: the Disney way.

After this year's film, the studios next one is the most unusual story for a Disney film.  "Big Hero 6" has been in development for some time and if you've read our updates then you know that we've given you hints (marvelous new film) about it over the last couple of years.  But we couldn't reveal too much for the safety of our Bothans.  If you've seen the test shot that was released then you realize that this film is going to be headed in a different direction that what you're used to when you think of the name Disney.

And that is what you can expect over the next slate of Disney animated films.

They won't be from the same mold everyone is used to.  They will be absolutely Disney though.  Just remember that what we talk about here is "blue sky", which means it's what is planned and not what you will finally or necessarily get.  Things change during the development and certain films, or their ideas will have been changed by the time they make it to the big screen.  And the release dates are simply guide post, they're not written in stone and a few may change, but the list we gave you last week is the map ahead.  Barring any obstacles, it should remain mainly a consistent clue to the direction Disney Animation is headed for the foreseeable future.  Now you know that BH6 is the 2014 release and the list that was announced the other day started in 2016.  Did they forget to include the 2015 release?  No, they didn't.

There is no WDAS film for 2015.

This could change, but as of right now, the next film after 2014, is the new film from Byron Howard in 2016. This is the film you've heard the rumors about Jason Bateman starring in.  While I can't say much about it, lets just say that the story is evolving into a very funny, sweet take on wildlife from a different point of view.  After that the schedule isn't set, but several projects will be in a race to get that next slot at the end of 2016.

Right now Dean Wellins has a genre-hybrid film that he's working on that is lined up with Bob Iger's strategy of getting more of the young male demographic to seeing Disney films (Marvel and Star Wars were bought for this purpose).  But if it makes it in 2016 is entirely up to how the story is developing by then, and any trouble by Lasseter and his Story Trust (WDAS version of Pixar's Brain Trust) would mean that another film would get called up to the slot.  What other film could be next?  Or if not then, which one would be the next one released for 2018?

Another prime candidate would be Ron & John's new film.  If it's ready, it could be the later 2016 film, but as of now it's more likely to be the first 2018 release.  Their new film is of the Polynesian persuasion shall we say.  And it could turn out to be the duos first computer animated film.  It's not in concrete now, so don't everyone get upset.  They're currently working on the story for the most part, but test are being done to see how the characters act and look in computer form as well as a hybrid solution (think: Paperman).  A while ago, Ron and John pitched two different ideas to John and the Story Trust and this particular story they're working on was the one the Creatives gave the green light.  It's gone through several versions and will likely go through a few more before given the approval to move forward into actual production.

And before anyone asks, there is/was no movement on "King of the Elves" at this time.  It doesn't mean there won't be any, but as of right now, Chris Williams is busy helping on other projects right now and John and everyone feels that they'll just let this story sit for a while.  It doesn't mean that it's dead, I mean, look how long it took for "The Snow Queen" to actually make it into production.  And what it became is miles from where it started out, so who knows what it'll look like when/if it makes it to the silver screen.  Animated film take a long time to come together.  It doesn't mean that you won't see it be one of these films, but it's not one as of right now.

There are a couple other projects that are in very, very early stages that Lasseter has signed off on to develop, but not much will be known about these until they've been run through several story sessions.  So no news to report on these films since they're more of an idea at this point.

So that, in as brief an update as I can give you is what's happening with the current state of the current slate at the Hat Building.

Now, if they'll just approve a few more shorts to make for in front of those films...

An Untitled Slate...

Walt Disney Pictures has announced the line up for its major animation studios...

The studio has given a list of the release dates of both the Mouse and the Lamp.  The five year plan for Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios was put out to lay claim to those weekends.  Now, only the dates were published, not the titles.  That will only come as we get closer to the release date, and those dates are subject to change.  Nothing is chiseled in stone:

2016

Untitled Walt Disney animated film 3/4/16 in 3D.

Untitled Pixar animated film 6/17/16 in 3 D.

Untitled Walt Disney animated film 11/23/16 in 3D.

2017

Untitled Pixar animated film 6/6/17 in 3D.

Untitled Pixar animated film 11/22/17 in 3D.

2018

Untitled Walt Disney animated film 3/9/18 in 3D.

Untitled Pixar animated film 6/15/18 in 3D.

Untitled Walt Disney animated film 11/21/18 in 3D.



Now all we have to do is let the stories unfold...

Air Buds...

The trailer for "Planes" has finally been released...

The teaser released a few weeks ago was more of a montage of the scenes with some nice music laid down to give it some ambiance.  It didn't try to tell any of the story.  The animation itself is quite impressive, but the story looks like a flight we've been on before.  In a car.

It looks like a rehash of the basic "Cars" story, except with planes instead of automobiles.  Instead of the racing car "Lightning McQueen" we have the racing plane "Dusty."  Instead of Mater, we have the lovable Gee Bee plane to guide him.  It sounds like they're going back to the well with this one, but I do know that the Bothans that have seen it say it's impressive enough that John Lasseter felt it worthy of a limited theatrical release.  And the male demographic will love it.

And if this flies we can look forward to trains...

High & Low...

There's a new trailer for Disney's "Planes" film the Mouse just released...

The film, the first part of Disney Toon Studios' animated follow up to the "Disney Fairies" series was deemed good enough by John Lasseter that he and head suit, Bob Iger felt it was worthy of a theatrical release.  Now, we don't know if it's as good as they say, but the reports we're getting in, are that the screenings have gone very well, and it's a cut above what was expected to come out.

Keep in mind that, whether ou like it or not, the Fairy series was a far better offering for young girls and families that the Cheapquels that were produced under Eisner's regime   Lasseter has firmly put the storytellers in charge, and everything under the Hat Building and every other building in Burbank/Glendale that he controls knows that story is what drives it.

The Suits in marketing and Disney Consumer Products know they have things to push, but John and Ed Catmull have tried to raise the story level of each film/DVD that goes out to a higher level worthy of the Disney name.

From the look of this trailer they're succeeding...

Big Hero Secret...

Well the Mouse has finally announced the first animated Marvel film's release date...

If you've read our reports on Walt Disney Animation Studios, we were teasing that the studio was working on a "Marvelous" film.  The Bothans asked us not to reveal which one and we kept a lid on it till the Grid released the info about the project later in the year.  So now you all know about "Big Hero 6" for 2014.  And here is the first scene of what it will look like (this is one of a few test shots done for the film.) from the official site.

The director of "Winnie the Pooh", Don Hall is working on making a film that fits the mold of Disney, but falls within the world of comics.  But he wanted a project that didn't come with such a large built in fan base.  One where the animators could take the project and work it into a film that is classic Disney.  Don says:

“I was looking for something on the obscure side, something that would mesh well with what we do. The idea of a kid and a robot story with a strong brother element, it’s very Disney….Marvel properties take place in the real world. We were looking for something to do where we could make our own world — bring in the Japanese influences,  have recognizable landmarks mashed up with a Japanese aesthetic.”

If there was a film based on "Daredevil" or another established character, the fans would pick it apart for what it wasn't.  That's why they went with comic characters that had a lighter footprint in the Marvel universe.  Marvel's Joe Quesada is very involved in the story sessions and has been working on providing ideas for the story.  Here is the studios press release:

From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Big Hero 6,” an action comedy adventure about brilliant robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who finds himself in the grips of a criminal plot that threatens to destroy the fast-paced, high-tech city of San Fransokyo. With the help of his closest companion—a robot named Baymax—Hiro joins forces with a reluctant team of first-time crime fighters on a mission to save their city. Inspired by the Marvel comics of the same name, and featuring comic-book style action and all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, the CG-animated “Big Hero 6” hits theaters in 3D on November 7, 2014.

The film has gone through a couple screenings and Lasseter is very happy with the direction of the film, although several Bothans I talked to weren't as warm to the story.  But, animated films change monthly, as Lasseter's notes and the Story Trust work to refine the elements of the picture.  The first screenings of "Tangled" were very different from the final product.  And if you'd seen the original "Finding Nemo" it would be almost unrecognizable to the finished film.

But now Disney animation fans will get their first chance to step into the Marvel world...

Blue Sky Buzz: Pixar's Place In Disney's World...

I got time...

Let me tell you a story...

Two actually.  A tale really.  The tale of two, possible future worlds.  One is what the vision of Suits have for this world, and the other is what Creatives want for this world.  You see the see the Suits see only profit and opportunity.  The Creatives see ideas as the real treasure.  The trick is finding somewhere in the middle.  In a balanced world, the Creatives will find a way to prove to the Suits that their vision is what is needed, and creating something just for the sake of dollar signs isn't actually good for the bottom line in the end, as it diminishes what the Founder successfully created that made his company so profitable.

Translation is, originality and thinking outside the box to give the guest what they didn't know they wanted was how Walt Disney blazed his path to create a company that is now the pinnacle of, and largest deliverer of entertainment in the world.

This tale is of the Disney World part of that world.

There is a lot going on in that Florida haven right now.  Construction of the Fantasyland Expansion, the continued work on expansion of Disney's Animal Kingdom with the fantasy animal park coming to fruition with the "Avatar" land, and most importantly, the addition and bringing new life into Disney's Hollywood Studios that will happen in the next few years.

This park has been waining over the past decade+.  It has lost focus on what it is and where it is going.  It's in the process of trying to find what it is trying to entertain guests with, to tell who it is really.  It's beginning to shake off the narrative that it is the Mouse's alternative to Universal Studios and now trying to figure out what film experience it wants to tell to everyone entering it's gate.  While DAK is expanding to a full day park with the myth element (albeit, a sci-fi mythical creatures design, not a fantasy mythical creature design) of the park, DHS is now planning on moving away from being a movie "tour" park, and being a movie "experience" park.

I have great hope for Walt Disney World.  With the hiring of George Kalogridis, the languishing quality of WDW will finally be addressed.  The lower standards that are accepted there as the norm will hopefully, slowly be replaced by what we expect in a Disney Experience.  Kalogridis is a nuts and bolts guy, so we should expect operations, and quality to be made a much more prominent focus over the next few years.  If you're unhappy with what you get there, please make sure you let guest relations know so that it reaches Team Disney Orlando.  It has a much better chance of getting addressed with George now in charge.

Now, back to that vision thing.  Here's what the dilemma is.  Right now, actually the last few months of last year and into the new year, the company has been working with the decision of what path to move forward with on the expansion of Hollywood Studios.  You see everyone loves success since it's so elusive in business.  In a world where profit is king, you want to replicate what works.  In Burbank's case, this means clone it.  Duplicate it.  Copy it and hope lightning strikes twice, or even three times.  Such is the case with Cars Land, which is the single most profitable creation for the parks in twenty years.   The easy answer for the Suits is to clone it, the more difficult answer from the Creatives is to recreate what made it successful.

I'm sure you've read all the rumors floating around the Internet about cloning Cars Land down in Florida.  How it's going to go where the old Hollywood Backlot Area is and expand the Pixar Place area of the park.  This is partially true.  The Pixar Place area is where Imagineers expect to create the expansion of the park that I refer to, mainly at least.  But therein lies the fight.

One path is that one.  To clone Cars Land and expand the Pixar Place and give it a much grander imprint in the Hollywood Studios park.  The shadow of the Lamp will fall heavily on this gate if that choice is the direction they head.  It'll be destined to be a hit just like out here in California.  There will be no shortage of demands if the land is announced, with its immersive theming and escapist fun that literally draws you into an animated world.  This would make the Studio Backlot an inviting plot of real estate to put this WDI creation.  Instant hit: just add three years of construction, hundreds of millions of dollars, and in 2015 you'll have a swarm of people descend on the Florida resort for the experience we have out here.

Then there is the alternative.

Expand the Pixar Place, but not with a clone.  Imagine that?  Now what would/could it consist of?  Well, the area as pitched would have several other Pixar character creations.  This lists rings like a laundry list of the last decades hits for Disney animation via Emeryville.  Nemo ideas, lots of Toy Story ideas thrown around (including several attractions out of the "Toy Story Land" areas in Paris and Hong Kong), even talk of a Ratatouille clone like the one being built at Walt Disney Studios Paris (not likely, though, but not impossible).  But the new E-Ticket surrounding all of these minor C and D Ticket attractions would be something better.  Something incredible even.

Yes, that pun was intentional.  The proposal, which wasn't a done deal when I talked to my Bothans near the beginning of the year, would involve the Brad Bird creation.  If the Mouse decides to go the non-clone route, the largest part of the expansion would be an attraction based on "The Incredibles" film.

It's not the same one that was going to go into DCA when they were scrambling for something to stop the bleeding and the laughter, but it is a project that is designed to take you into the idealized world that Bird created where Supers were very real.  This one would feature cutting edge technology, with animatronics and possible 3D/4D effects that rival anything done with Cars or the new Ratatouille ride.

It's part of what Lasseter wanted with each park having its own original creations.  Attractions to make you want to travel to different parks for different reasons.  Imagine that?  The plan was to have two or three C-Tickets, budget permitting of course, and a large E-Ticket based on this film to define the entire area as a fully immersive experience of Pixar's imaginative stories.  A Pixar land so to speak.  Will that happen?  It's a matter of numbers, time and justification of money that comes down to a battle of Suits and Creatives trying to figure what will be best.  Cloning?  Or creativity?  So which side will win?

We'll likely find out what the answer is to that question sometime later this year...

Lost Again...

Dad is out looking for Harpo again...









So Andrew Stanton is going back to the well...

Deadline Hollywood, the site that doesn't like to credit non-approved websites for breaking stories has the breaking story. Stanton will film a sequel to his most famous creation: "Finding Nemo."

After the lackluster box office of "John Carter" because of the marketing departments totally inept campaign, the director is moving into familiar territory. Disney hadn't confirmed it as of this morning, but it makes sense. According to Deadline, the Lamp is very happy with the take that the director wants to take with the story.

Hopefully, it'll be more than just finding this time around...

UPDATE:

Sources are reporting that scribe Victoria Strouse (The Apostles of Infinite Love - Black List 2008), has been hired by the Mouse to write the script based on Stanton's idea. It looks like they're aiming for a 2016 release date.

Carmageddon...

Your Ad Here

I can't wait to see that animatronic Whoopie...



It appears that the Suits in Burbank finally got the crowds they were expecting for the Second Gate...

Not that you couldn't tell it was going to be a success, and long lines couldn't be have been see months ago. I'm sure Paul Pressler felt that Superstar Limo was supposed to have a six hour wait, but the park he planned wasn't what people expected out of a Disney theme park. Even with the warning signs, Eisner and his team went forward with what they thought was a surefire hit: California in California.

It wasn't.

Especially the idea of a contemporary, extreme sports type park that became dated before it opened. The Imagineers have taken that concept and twisted it into something that not only actually works, but appears as though it was actually planned that way. A view of California the way it was while Walt was here. Each area were nostalgic representations of the Golden State that no longer exist. From the Roaring Twenties when he arrived, to the Idealist Sixties when he left this world for the next.

Imagine what a child walking into this park over the next decade will think? The presentation they will experience and the attractions they will get to enjoy are an entirely different kind than guests got in 2001. Imagine what the park's fifteenth anniversary will bring? The improvements, plussing and additions that will further make DCA a worthy sister to Disneyland. The long lines we saw yesterday are an example of what happens when you create something that people desire to see. This was something lost on the bean counters a decade ago. But it wasn't lost on WDI when the rope dropped yesterday. You could tell that from the smiles on the Imagineers faces as they watched guests head into the reborn park. They did a great job turning a piece of coal into a diamond.

Good job, daydreamers...

More Wreckage...

Wakka, wakka, wakka...






The Mouse has released more pictures of Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Wreck-It Ralph" that comes out in November...

These images come via USA Today, so if you'd like uber-size images then head over there. That first one up top is of Ralph meeting at the central hub, known as Game Central Station, where his AA (Villain's Anonymous) meetings happen with several famous counterparts.



And here is the outside of their meeting place. You can get an idea from this as to how they all meet up in the arcade they occupy.



This one is when he meets up with Sarah Silverman's Vanellope von Schweetz, which is basically a fictional game version of Mario Karts.



And here is Jane Lynch's Sgt. Calhoun character that Ralph tries to get to whip him into shape so he can be a hero. As you would sumize, it doesn't go as Ralph expects. From the talks I've had with my Bothans, they're really positive on this film and those that have seen the Rich Moore film really like it. What do video games do when the lights go out at the arcade?

Come November you'll find out...

Seeing A Wreck...

Wreak the status quo....


Artwork copyright Disney


The Mouse has had test screenings of "Wreck-It Ralph" going on...

And reports are starting to make their way on the web. Some lucky guys over at The Rotoscopers were lucky enough to catch a sneak peek of the unfinished film. Take a listen to their podcast and see if they liked it. Here's a hint: four stars.

Game on Lamp...

Luxo In Tights...

With "The Avengers" ready to pass a billion dollars by the end of the weekend Marvel Studios has become an amazingly successful studio...

The only other current studio with that track record is the Lamp. Pixar, is similar and different at the same time, but the success model of control, and the autonomy to create their own projects is something that they share. To be fair, they both have different content: Pixar creates original properties that become pop-culture stories and Marvel takes pop-culture properties and creates original stories. Both are well written and follow a focused plan for success.

The many division of Walt Disney Studios operate almost as separate kingdoms (no pun intended) within a larger kingdom. The irony of this is the crown jewel, Walt Disney Pictures (the live-action division) is the one division that is run by the old Hollywood model. It's also the one which is the least successful in terms of hits, both critically and financially. And it's lead by... no one really. As of right now, it's a rudderless ship adrift in a sea of high concept confusion. The failed experiment that was Rich Ross is now gone. Hopefully, Sean Bailey will get the nod to take over in the near future if Iger wants to make a smart move. He's a smart guy and with the right amount of autonomy could generate some positive creativity at the Mouse.

While at the other divisions, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar have John Lasseter to guide it, Marvel Studios has Kevin Feige to lead it to the current state the comic book company finds itself in. I'm not saying that Feige is as creative as Lasseter, but he is as business smart and as deeply concerned about the characters and stories that he tries to bring to the silver screen. Disney's last division, Touchstone Pictures is essentially a label used to distribute DreamWorks films, and those are controlled by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider respectively.

All this has come about with what are many of Marvel's second tier characters. Since the heavy hitters like "Spider-Man," "X-Men," "Fantastic Four" and "Daredevil" are controlled by other studios, the studio has been limited in the direction they can take their stories, but that direction has followed a laser like focus. I try and imagine how films of the Web-Head, Mutants and Super-powered Misfits would be handled if Marvel actually controlled their presence on the screen.

I wonder if Bob Iger is somehow trying to work out deals to end all, or at least most of the agreements made with other studios for Marvel properties? If the buyout of Paramount Pictures was worth the investment, after the Avengers is it worth it to attempt to take back control of other properties? I can only imagine how a "Fantastic Four" film under the Marvel Studios banner would look compared to the weak attempt that Fox tried to make. With the disappointment of the latest "Ghost Rider" film, that property will likely fall back to Marvel just as the Punisher has now done. Spider-Man and X-Men could take a decade or more unless Iger is able to pull together a business deal that will make sense both financially and legally.

But with at least two Marvel films a year for the foreseeable future, it looks like we're going to get used to seeing men in tights for a long, long time. We have "Iron Man 3" and "Thor 2" in 2013 and "Captain America 2" and an untitled Marvel film (Uhhhant-man!! Excuse me) in 2014. The first film that will be coming out in 2015 will likely be "Avengers 2" and at least one other film later in the year. Maybe after the success of this superhero team, the Hulk will get another chance to shine in his own film again? And may I ask that Joss Whedon write the script since he seems to get the character better than previous versions. But the future looks bright for the Marvel way.

And being a DC Guy, that says a lot...