Disney Takes Muppet Script Through Pixar

[beaker]

(I have to say that I did not like Antz too much. I liked A Bug's Life a lot better; it was brighter and a lot of research was done for the film. I'm still upset how Katzenberg stabbed Lasseter in the back with Antz. On that note, I've heard that there is reportedly an un-flattering caricature of Lasseter in Bee Movie.)

I'd have to say Bugs Life is the one Pixar film Im a bit bored with, next to Cars. While Antz had much cruder animation(actually besides Monsters Vs Aliens, most of DWA films have pretty dated and bland animation) as a huge Woody Allen fan I felt it just popped more. But the late 90's was the time when kids cgi films were just beginning to really take off, to the glut it is now(What was that one from that time, with the toy soldiers?)

I've said it before... America's next top Muppet was a terrible idea, and I;m glad nothing came out of it. It was the same vein as MupOz, and would turn us all away.

Why? That woulda been awesome. Do you have any idea how much ratings Americas Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance, American Idol, etc are?

Honestly, hand drawn. I like hand drawn animation better, lousy story or not.

Im with you on not being too big a fan of 3d animation, tho I LOVVVVED Up and Monsters Vs Aliens. To me its the best thing Pixar and DWA has done.

Im guessing you like Miyazaki? His stuff, like Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle has some of the most amazing hand painted animation Ive seen

 

[beaker]

Disney has unfortunately become more of a product turnstile and less of the innovator it once was. Pixar hasn’t fallen in that trap yet. They are brutal when it comes to pitching a story. No kid-gloves.

I actually see Disney going out of its way in the last year to go bold and reach a new level.

Princess and the Frog, Up...and what looks to be the most visionary looking movie since the Matrix(Tron Legacy) I know I cant be the only one that sense Disney has finally decided to up the ante.

Yeah... is it true that Newt was shelved because 2 lamer CGI animation studios basically ripped the idea right out from under them? I'm sure they really didn't like that, especially since Dreamworks did that twice to them. Though, i sheepishly admit, I kinda liked Antz just a tiny bit better.

Anyway, I have nothing BUT faith in Disney and the Muppets, unlike Henson. Disney only dumped 2 projects, and that's because they would never have been finished in time (and they sounded bleh to me), and one more on indefinite hiatus at least until the movie's finished filming. Sure, the movie isn't greenlit yet... but how long has it been? 2008... since the rumors cracked? That's nothing. How long have we waited to see the Fraggle Film?

Are you talking about Rango? I have to admit, that has risen to one of my top films Im looking forward to in 2011. Of course, in 2012 we will have the live action Ninja Turtles, Star Trek 2 and Batman 3

Also, don't worry about JHC stuff...you didnt really believe that stuff would *actually* get made, did you?

 

[JJandJanice]

Why? That woulda been awesome. Do you have any idea how much ratings Americas Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance, American Idol, etc are?

Those are "real reality shows" though and can not and should not be compare to a "Muppet reality show." I have to agree with DrTooth, I thought "America's Next Muppet" seemed like a silly idea and not good "Muppet silly" I mean "annoying silly." The idea of fictional characters jumping on the ever so popular "reality bandwagon" has already been done with Drawn Together and I don't feel the Muppets should ever jump on that bandwagon as well.

Anyhow back to the topic at head. I'm REALLY happy to hear this news, . It is yet more proof that Disney is indeed taking the right steps with the Muppets. I'm a HUGE fan of both the Muppets and Pixar, so I really couldn't be more excited about this.

 

[Mupp]

I actually see Disney going out of its way in the last year to go bold and reach a new level.

I agree with that. Actually, that has been happening for the past few years now.

Micheal Eisner is GONE, folks

Disney has gotten much better since Bob Iger became CEO.

Ever since John Lasseter became chief creative officer at Disney Animation, he has been the executive producer of every film from Disney Animation. That's a GOOD thing. He had made sure that STORIES are the top priority. I'm not lying.

As far as Disney's live-action films, they have not done very well lately. But they recently named a new chairman of Walt Disney Studios and they seem to be in the process of making good live-action movies again.

It seems that the only thing working against Disney these days is possibly a lack of trust....A problem that started when Eisner was in charge. But now they are working to correct past mistakes.

So, any guesses on when we might see a teaser trailer for the Muppet film. In front of Tron Legacy perhaps?

 

[theprawncracker]

So, any guesses on when we might see a teaser trailer for the Muppet film. In front of Tron Legacy perhaps?

I would be SHOCKED if we saw one before Christmas or early next year... but I've been wrong before, so who knows?

 

[Mupp]

I would be SHOCKED if we saw one before Christmas or early next year... but I've been wrong before, so who knows?

Yeah, I know it seems a bit early, although we all know how film studios love to promote their products well in advance.

Who knows?...

 

[theprawncracker]

Yeah, I know it seems a bit early, although we all know how film studios love to promote their products well in advance.

Who knows?...

I'm trying to think of when they first started showing the Toy Story 3 promos... I can't remember though. But if filming doesn't start until September (tentatively), then I find it hard to believe that we'd see anything until Christmas or later. But I suppose Tron would be a great place to showcase a promo for the new Muppet movie. *shrug* I guess we'll see what happens!

 

[frogboy4]

Eisner did revive Disney for the first half of his reign, but his reasoning became short-sighted. He killed off lucrative friendships and watered down brands for the sake of the bottom line. There's a time to cut your costs and there's a time to experiment with innovative thinking. He never understood that second part.

This new effort with the Muppets seems to be a ground-up rebuilding of their crumbled foundation. Nothing needs to be changed with the Muppets...just fixed from years of misuse, wear and tear. A renovation of what they once were in their prime so that old generations recognize them and new generations connect with them.

 

[Mupp]

I'm trying to think of when they first started showing the Toy Story 3 promos... I can't remember though. But if filming doesn't start until September (tentatively), then I find it hard to believe that we'd see anything until Christmas or later. But I suppose Tron would be a great place to showcase a promo for the new Muppet movie. *shrug* I guess we'll see what happens!

As I recall, the first teaser trailer for Toy Story 3 was shown when Up was released in theaters. (May 29, 2009)

I mean, teaser trailers don't necessarily show footage from the actual film. The could just whip up something brief to get the word out.

 

[Drtooth]

I still think that its a shame that Pajanimals seems to be finished. They had such hope for that.

When I heard that the Henson company had licensing partnerships with 4kids, I pretty much felt it was going to fail and fail big. Now, we can go about whining about how "terrible" their anime dubs are and blah blah blah... but the real thing I hate them for is their really bad lack of business sense. They have no confidence and are so afraid to take risks and wonder why their projects fail. There was supposed to be a wave of Kirby merchandise that never happened, for example. Other than what they did with TMNT, which was a boon to Turtle fan kind, they have no focus, they can't manage to make anything stick, and no one wants to back them.

Eisner did revive Disney for the first half of his reign, but his reasoning became short-sighted. He killed off lucrative friendships and watered down brands for the sake of the bottom line. There's a time to cut your costs and there's a time to experiment with innovative thinking. He never understood that second part.

Early Eisner was good. We wouldn't have had Ducktales, Darkwing Duck or any of those good 1990's movies without him. And I agree... he got just too snotty and greedy for his own good. No wonder why it was a tween fest for years. No wonder there's bad blood between Disney and the Milne family. Though, you think they could have been tougher with Widow Prima over Louie's voice. They basically threw shut up money at her, and let Jungle Book 2 suck even more than it had to.

That said, I'm not bad mouthing Iger, but it took him a while to get the company back on its feet after a LOT more tweeny bopping crap after he took over. But everything seems to be good now... still, it all started with a mouse not a bunch of shrill singers in cheap wigs... a mouse.