Enchanted

[quasimodo1384]

So here's the rundown on two new Disney movies that have just been announced, (sorry if this is overkill, but I didn't see a thread about this yet...) :

First off, the one I'm not very happy about (but still interested in), if only for the fact that it will be 3-D animation. It's called Rapunzel Unbraided and let me just say that it is about time Disney does a Rapunzel story! The only saving grace of this one may be the voice talent of our own little bundle of joy: Kristin Chenoweth. Looks like we'll have to wait for 2009 for this one though, I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing...

Next, comes Enchanted. I'll let you peak for yourself, but it is notable to say that Idina Menzel (that's right, from Wicked as well) 'will' be voicing someone in this project (that is, everywhere online it says she will be, but on IMDB.com it's not yet "official"). Not much on the story, but this will be part live action/part 2-D animation (YES!!!) and will feature the talents of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz (hurray!). It's set to come out in 2007 as of now, and already it has a lot people talking. Many are already saying that this movie will save Disney from the rut it's fallen into, but I think I'll just wait and see for myself.

here's what imdb had to say:

"The Walt Disney Co. is planning to revive traditional hand-drawn animation next year with its live-action/animated Enchanted, Disney watcher Jim Hill reported on his website today (Wednesday). A traditionally animated test sequence has already been created for the film by veteran Disney animator James Baxter, best known for his supervision of the character Belle in Beauty and the Beast, according to Hill. 'Those who have seen this particular piece of rough animation say that it is 'simply stunning. A wonderful throwback to the sort of films that Disney used to make.'' Baxter, Hill said, has been secretly working on the sequence with a small crew at his own studio in Pasadena, and, he added, his work is likely to be displayed by Pixar's John Lasseter and Ed Catmull as they make their well-known case for reviving hand-drawn animation to Disney chief Robert Iger. Said Hill: 'They're going to tell Iger: 'Doesn't that look terrific? People are really going to eat this picture up. They've been waiting for Disney to do a new film that features traditional animation. Which is why this movie is going to do HUGE box office next year.''" ~imdb.com

I will for sure be seeing Enchanted at least once in theatres so as to give Disney 2-D animation my money, and you all should do the same so there it is imho...feel free to comment!

[FrumiousBoojum]

BTW: The animation in Enchanted will not be done by WDFA.

I also wouldn't say that they have just been announced. We first heard of Rapunzel Unbraided back with the 2-D sector of WDFA was shut down. Enchanted -- it's been in development for about 10 years now.

[quasimodo1384]

yeah, but I didn't see any threads about it, and I thought maybe people would be excited/nervious/wanting to talk about it. There was also rumor that Cirlce 7 was going to be closing...either I missed everything (very possible) or nothing has been officially announced yet about that. I'm just happy Pixar got signed again and things are looking up...

[FrumiousBoojum]

Well, every news source but Jim Hill has said that Circle 7 is officially closed.

We'll see who's right....

[scorsese]

I have high hopes for Rapunzel, from what I've heard about its production so far. I really have no idea how Enchanted is going to turn out, but I don't have as high hopes for it.

Some quotes about Rapunzel's production from the boards at IMDB:

"The look of the film will be amazing. The style is pure, classic frigging Disney magic. The 3D characters look like… Disney characters… Glen Keane, the creator of Ariel, the Beast and Pocohontas is directing this one and doing the art production. He based the style on this picture.

He showed a still of Rapunzel in an environment that looked straight out of this picture, complete with swing and quirky lighting (minus the perv looking up her skirt.) Cool… Nice still.. very pretty. But THEN HE ROTATED THE CAMERA! A fully 3D environment straight out of this picture.

Then he went on to show a short (3-5 second) test clip of the animation… this movie is both BEAUTIFUL and truly, deeply, and recognizably a Disney Feature Length animation in the tradition of Snow White and Cinderella.

I am totally jazzed. The guy next to me was losing his mind over it.

I also saw some Chicken Little footage. Cute movie, but not like as magic as Rapunzel by far."



"Though the finished film will be entirely in computer graphics, (CG) Rapunzel Unbraided will have a unique look that will resemble traditional oil paintings on canvas."

"In Rapunzel Unbraided, Glen and his team hope to bring the unique style and warmth of traditional cell-animation to CG."


"I was looking to see if they could copy the fluid movement of a human ballerina. And they actually did that," Glen said. "Once I saw that test, I knew that producing 'Rapunzel' the way that I originally envisioned the picture was now possible in CG."

You see, in order for Disney Feature Animation to deliver on Keane's vision for "Rapunzel," the look of this film has to be lush. For Glen wants this story to be told in the classic way.

"I found my inspiration for the look of this film in a painting called 'The Swing,'" Keane continued. "It was painted by a French Rocco artist named Jean-Honore Fragonard. Just look at how rich this imagery is. It's like there's butter between the brush strokes."

Glen challenged "Rapunzel" art director Lisa Keane to come up with a look that was at least as rich as the world suggested in Fragonard's painting. And wonder of wonders, Lisa was actually able to pull that off in a CG format.

With these big steps forward, Glen was now able to start moving "Rapunzel Unbraided" in the direction that he wanted. Which was a Disney CG feature that -- while it still had all the strengths & virtues that a traditionally animated film had -- still looked and felt like nothing that Disney Feature Animation had ever done before.


"I was at Siggraph last week and I saw that same clip that the "Ain't it Cool News"-guy was so excited about. It's amazing! It seriously is that Fragonard painting in three dimensions. I have no idea how they did it, but I assume it worked off their Deep Canvas technology as it looked like real oil paint. The other clip, the animated one, was also very promising. I am happy to see that Disney only made the switch to CG after finding ways to do cartoony 2D animation in 3D."

[quasimodo1384]

yeah, I was looking at the message boards on imdb about Enchanted too, and a bunch of people are already saying it will "save disney." That's kind of why I brought it up, I was wondering what you guys thought about it...

I am really thrilled that it will be 2-D, I can't say that enough, but also bringing Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz on is very cool! I want to wait until I see more abour Repunzel until I decide...I've been waiting for Disney to do a Repunzel story forever, but in my world Pixar would do all the 3-D from here on out, and they'd bring back the amazing art that is 2-D!! Not that I don't like 3-D, but why can't we have both?

[Cmash95]

i didn't know disney needed saving.. with the pirates movies coming out and cars and even the shaggy dog, I think disney is doing fine. That beeing said, iI am looking forward to enchanted, not sure about rapunzel. I wish they would have done a traditional version and not some updated, twisted,version. Leave well enough alone. Rapunzel is a perfectly good fairytale along the lines of cinderella,sleeping beauty, and beauty and the beast. it's a shame Disney doesn't appreciate that anymore.

[FrumiousBoojum]

How's Rapunzel a twisted, updated version? The goal of the film changed long ago... it's no longer Disney's answer to Shrek.

[quasimodo1384]

I think Cmash95 just meant the basica story, I haven't heard a LOT about it, but it seems to be very different from the original Repunzel (I know, all the Disney princess movies are different from the originals, but this one seems more so).

And when I said "save diseny" I just meant a lot of the talk online was that 'Enchanted' will bring disney out of the sequel age and bring back 2-D. Seems like a good thing to me....

[Cmash95]

am i wrong or is the working title still rapunzel unbraided? sounds almost like an expose to me.

[quasimodo1384]

no, you're right...it's unbraided...and you'e also right that it sounds a little...um, shall we say 'adult?' or shall we say 'just weird?'

[ALIASd]

Originally Posted by quasimodo1384

So here's the rundown on two new Disney movies that have just been announced, (sorry if this is overkill, but I didn't see a thread about this yet...) :

Next, comes Enchanted. I'll let you peak for yourself, but it is notable to say that Idina Menzel (that's right, from Wicked as well) 'will' be voicing someone in this project (that is, everywhere online it says she will be, but on IMDB.com it's not yet "official"). Not much on the story, but this will be part live action/part 2-D animation (YES!!!) and will feature the talents of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz (hurray!). It's set to come out in 2007 as of now, and already it has a lot people talking. Many are already saying that this movie will save Disney from the rut it's fallen into, but I think I'll just wait and see for myself.

here's what imdb had to say:

"The Walt Disney Co. is planning to revive traditional hand-drawn animation next year with its live-action/animated Enchanted, Disney watcher Jim Hill reported on his website today (Wednesday). A traditionally animated test sequence has already been created for the film by veteran Disney animator James Baxter, best known for his supervision of the character Belle in Beauty and the Beast, according to Hill. 'Those who have seen this particular piece of rough animation say that it is 'simply stunning. A wonderful throwback to the sort of films that Disney used to make.'' Baxter, Hill said, has been secretly working on the sequence with a small crew at his own studio in Pasadena, and, he added, his work is likely to be displayed by Pixar's John Lasseter and Ed Catmull as they make their well-known case for reviving hand-drawn animation to Disney chief Robert Iger. Said Hill: 'They're going to tell Iger: 'Doesn't that look terrific? People are really going to eat this picture up. They've been waiting for Disney to do a new film that features traditional animation. Which is why this movie is going to do HUGE box office next year.''" ~imdb.com

I will for sure be seeing Enchanted at least once in theatres so as to give Disney 2-D animation my money, and you all should do the same so there it is imho...feel free to comment!

http://www.micechat.com/forums/showt...ight=enchanted

[FrumiousBoojum]

Originally Posted by quasimodo1384

no, you're right...it's unbraided...and you'e also right that it sounds a little...um, shall we say 'adult?' or shall we say 'just weird?'

No worse than the Muppets album "Kermit Unpigged."

[Cmash95]

from the time i heard about production of the rapunzel movie, it was" a classic fairytale with a twist" ala shrek. IF they told a disney version of the classic fairytale IE little mermaid. ( remember rapunzel did have twins out of wedlock.) then that wouldn't be too bad. but if they try and "jazz" it up like hoodwinked or shrek or even disney's hercules, then I think it will fail. I am one of the few people who doesn't like the " humor" in the shrek movies. to me it's simply katzenberg making fun of a former employer in the first movie and of california in the second. and I don't find put downs all that funny

[FrumiousBoojum]

Like I said, they abandoned their "Disney version of Shrek" angle a loooooong time ago. The story's been seriously reworked.