Disney Back to 2D with "The Frog Princess"

[Simba3]

I think Alan Menken would definately benefit the project immensely. Hopefully the final project will remain in 2D form with some great music none the less.

[ichabod]

http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/ ... round.html

Looks like as much of the production of Frog Princess will be done in house.

[Atlantica]

gosh, i feel really, well kinda......betrayed by John that he would get rid of Alan just like that. is it a case of.....Newman is my friend, and he has worked with me before, and you havn't!!?? This is the first massivly wrong step he has taken. But, again we dont want Alan spread too thin. He could have got Stephen Schwartz, or someone like that!!!

[Disney Duster]

Okay, if John Lasseter is worried the movies being to similar just because they have the same composer, yes, look at The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast! They were all scored by him, made smash songs, and were distinguishable from one another! And what about this quote:

Which is why Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz are handling the music for Kevin Lima's movie, Jeanine Tesori is writing songs for Glen Keane's directorial debut and Randy Newman just got assigned to work with John Musker & Ron Clements.

Doesn't that show that Alan Menken will only be doing one half-animated/half-live-action movie and one fully animated movie? That's not spreading him to thin or running the risk of being too similar. He working on only two animated movies, and one's mostly live-action!

[yamiiguy]

If he was that worried I would rather that he kept Menken on the Frog Princess and put Randy Newman on Enchanted

[myr_heille]

If he was that worried I would rather that he kept Menken on the Frog Princess and put Randy Newman on Enchanted

I agree with that! I'm not much interested in Enchanted but Frog Princess seemed great

[Wonderlicious]

If he was that worried I would rather that he kept Menken on the Frog Princess and put Randy Newman on Enchanted

But Enchanted is almost completed, whereas The Frog Princess isn't.

In all honesty, I've come to this conclusion. Whilst I would have prefered Menken, I don't mind Randy Newman writing songs as long as he doesn't sing them. I don't mind his voice and I felt it worked in the world of Toy Story, but I predict that a fairy tale and Randy's voice do not a good movie make.

[totallyminnie86]

Doesn't that show that Alan Menken will only be doing one half-animated/half-live-action movie and one fully animated movie? That's not spreading him to thin or running the risk of being too similar. He working on only two animated movies, and one's mostly live-action!

I'm a bit confuesed, so Alan Menken has obviously finished (or just about finished) work with Enchanted right? Other than "frog princess" was there another animated feature he was working on?

[Jules]

This is disturbing. John...why did you do this? What about Rapunzel? Who's composing the music for that one? Is it going to be a musical?

[Disney Duster]

What about Rapunzel? Who's composing the music for that one? Is it going to be a musical?

According to Jim Hill's article, Jeanine Tesori will be scoring Glen Keane's Rapunzel. And check out the quote I got from here:

Ms. Tesori is writing a new animated feature musical motion picture for Disney based on RAPUNZEL which is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release in 2006.

That is obviously outdated...but anyway, she is known for scoring musical theater.

[Jasmine1022]

im sorry that this is kind of OT, but i dont think this sounds like a good movie idea. i own 'the frog prince' and i asked my friend if it was the same thing, or related. he said no and i was like ewwwww when he told me that it was a princess getting turned into a frog. it just sounds gross and not like something i would want to waste money on. yes, waste. the fact that it sounds like a bad idea AND its randy newman. hello-- bad idea and bad music? whatever. just comments.

[Simba3]

I think the story line has wonderful potential. The music by Alan Menken would have been awesome, but who knows, Randy Newman could do a decent job with it as well. I'm just going to cross my fingers and hope for the best.

[Maerj]

Uh guys... hate to tell you this but I don't think that the Frog Princess is not going to be a 'Princess' movie like you are thinking. Not a castle/fairytale type of movie. Here is a link to a blog with the info:

http://theseaofwakingdreams.blogspot.com/


Basically it says that it will have a jazzy score and be about an African American girl in New Orleans. So, I think that it could still be a cool movie, but I think the fans were looking for another Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty & the Beast type of movie. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[ordisney]

i search on the internet some rumors or anything els about the "princess frog". some of them tell me that isn't a princess this is a prince, but i know that is gonna be a disney princess. and if is not enugh - i found a picture that it pruth disney is really work on the movie but somthing in the picture look for me that she took from a diffrent disney movie but from? or maby it's true? however decide about it.. (and i told you that the drawing belong to disney) what are you think about it and maby is this picture it is a real from the movie>>>???

<img src="http://files.tmp.co.il/5_3220cti9i.bmp">

[Timon/Pumbaa fan]

Uh guys... hate to tell you this but I don't think that the Frog Princess is not going to be a 'Princess' movie like you are thinking. Not a castle/fairytale type of movie.

But when Disney first announced 2D animation was discontinued and fans started complaining, I never heard demands it had to be a "Princess Fairy Tale". I just heard the same old "It's not the medium, it's the stories that sell"(which I don't agree as I don't believe Shrek or Finding Nemo, the tip of the iceberg, are really "good"). No one gave specific details of what the story had to be.

Now Disney has supposably(I put supposably as there's still no proof 2D animation is even close to coming back at Disney yet) brought back 2D animation, but now people are complaining it has to be a "Princess Fairy Tale".

That just proves my theory that Disney is in a situation that no matter what they do they can't be praised even a little.

[Disney's Divinity]

<img src="http://files.tmp.co.il/5_3220cti9i.bmp">

I'm pretty sure that that's Merlin from The Sword in the Stone (although I could be wrong). I wouldn't call that proof that Disney's working on the movie.

Personally, I don't care if the next Disney film is a "princess" film (though I think those usually have a more universal appeal about them). I'm only disturbed by the idea of Randy Newman handling the project. And doubly concerned that the movie's going to have a jazz influence (I don't enjoy that too much). @_@ I won't judge it until I've seen it, but, so far, I'm not setting my hopes too high.

[Simba3]

To me the most important part is that Disney goes back to 2D animation. That is what is most exciting to me. Of course I'm hoping the music and the script are really great (which I'm sure they will be) but I'm not as concerned with the plot as I am with the animation.

[ordisney]

yeah i guess your right Disney's Divinity. but it doesn't matter if is Randy or Alan ,disney must keep is magic well and if it's gonna be like a little mermaid or aladin i promess to you this movie is going to be a sucessful. and yeah we must waiting to the movie and then decide if the magic as return...

[Disney Duster]

The French really know how to find information. I went onto this French equivalent of our Disney Forum, Disney Central Plaza, and I found out the biggest information we ever could about this movie. I'm not entirely sure if we should believe it, maybe people who are smart and actually care about this movie can check the credibility? From Manhattan Theater Source Forum:

THE FROG PRINCESS . Animated Feature Film SAG
Directors: John Musker, Ron Clements Composer: Randy Newman
Casting Director: Jen Rudin Pearson Casting Assistant: Phoebe Rosenberg
Interview Dates: In New York November 13-17 Shoot/Start Date: January 2007
SUBMIT HARDCOPY WITH COVER LETTER. NO FAXES OR PHONE CALLS.
JEN RUDIN PEARSON WALT DISNEY FEATURE ANIMATION
500 SOUTH BUENA VISTA STREET BURBANK, CA 91521-4970
ATTN: THE FROG PRINCESS
"The Frog Princess" is an animated American fairy tale musical, set in New Orleans, in the 1920's Jazz Age. SINGING ROLES:
[MADDY] A 19-year-old African American chambermaid. Bright, resourceful, ambitious, intense. A little too grown-up for her age. Dialect: Mild southern colloquial.
[CHARLOTTE] 18 years old. A spoiled, southern debutante. A diva. Comic "steel magnolia". Bossy but insecure. Dialect: Southern belle.
[DR. DUVALIER] A 30-40 year old Voodoo magician/fortune teller. African American. Charming, charismatic, smooth and a sinister bad guy. Theatrical and grandiose. Dialect: Elegant, possibly New Orleans Creole.
[MAMA ODIE] An elderly, 200 year old Voodoo priestess/fairy god-mother. African American. Broad, comic, eccentric. Benevolent, wise and all knowing. A mixture of Moms Mabley & Yoda. Dialect: Southern colloquial.
[RAY] A 25-35 year old lovesick Cajun firefly. Warm, friendly, laid back and easygoing. Comically obtuse. Missing front tooth, has a lisp and occasionally speaks in Cajun French. LOOKING FOR AUTHENTIC CAJUN ACTORS.
[LOUIS] A 20-40 year old Jazz singer alligator. Comic, manic, high strung. Can be African American or white. Has extraordinary jazz singing voice since he, in effect, "sold his soul" to get it. Dialect: New Orleans hipster.
NON-SINGING ROLES:
[PRINCE HARRY] A gregarious, fun-loving European Prince, in his early twenties. A young Cary Grant. Charming, witty but irresponsible and immature. Loves jazz. Dialect: British upper-class.
[LAWRENCE] Harry's pompous roly poly valet. In his forties. Stiff, snobbish and sarcastic. Secretly envious and resentful of Harry. Dialect: Overly affected British upper crust.
[BIG DADDY LA BOUFF] Wealthy, Southern plantation landowner. Doting father of Charlotte La Bouff. A "good ol' boy." Warm, affable, courtly, imposing and powerful. Dialect: Thick southern drawl.
[EUDORA] Maddy's mother. In her fifties. Eudora used to be Charlotte's nurse maid. Warm, homespun and nurturing. Overly fretful.
[GEORGE] The cook for the La Bouff family. African American 50s-60s. Curmudgeonly.
[YOUNG MADDY] Six years old, African American.
[YOUNG CHARLOTTE] Six years old.

Ummm...there was a former Disney Channel star named Shia LaBeouf, which looks like La Bouff. I'm just noticing.

[Super Aurora]

The French really know how to find information. I went onto this French equivalent of our Disney Forum, Disney Central Plaza, and I found out the biggest information we ever could about this movie. I'm not entirely sure if we should believe it, maybe people who are smart and actually care about this movie can check the credibility? From Manhattan Theater Source Forum:

THE FROG PRINCESS . Animated Feature Film SAG
Directors: John Musker, Ron Clements Composer: Randy Newman
Casting Director: Jen Rudin Pearson Casting Assistant: Phoebe Rosenberg
Interview Dates: In New York November 13-17 Shoot/Start Date: January 2007
SUBMIT HARDCOPY WITH COVER LETTER. NO FAXES OR PHONE CALLS.
JEN RUDIN PEARSON WALT DISNEY FEATURE ANIMATION
500 SOUTH BUENA VISTA STREET BURBANK, CA 91521-4970
ATTN: THE FROG PRINCESS
"The Frog Princess" is an animated American fairy tale musical, set in New Orleans, in the 1920's Jazz Age. SINGING ROLES:
[MADDY] A 19-year-old African American chambermaid. Bright, resourceful, ambitious, intense. A little too grown-up for her age. Dialect: Mild southern colloquial.
[CHARLOTTE] 18 years old. A spoiled, southern debutante. A diva. Comic "steel magnolia". Bossy but insecure. Dialect: Southern belle.
[DR. DUVALIER] A 30-40 year old Voodoo magician/fortune teller. African American. Charming, charismatic, smooth and a sinister bad guy. Theatrical and grandiose. Dialect: Elegant, possibly New Orleans Creole.
[MAMA ODIE] An elderly, 200 year old Voodoo priestess/fairy god-mother. African American. Broad, comic, eccentric. Benevolent, wise and all knowing. A mixture of Moms Mabley & Yoda. Dialect: Southern colloquial.
[RAY] A 25-35 year old lovesick Cajun firefly. Warm, friendly, laid back and easygoing. Comically obtuse. Missing front tooth, has a lisp and occasionally speaks in Cajun French. LOOKING FOR AUTHENTIC CAJUN ACTORS.
[LOUIS] A 20-40 year old Jazz singer alligator. Comic, manic, high strung. Can be African American or white. Has extraordinary jazz singing voice since he, in effect, "sold his soul" to get it. Dialect: New Orleans hipster.
NON-SINGING ROLES:
[PRINCE HARRY] A gregarious, fun-loving European Prince, in his early twenties. A young Cary Grant. Charming, witty but irresponsible and immature. Loves jazz. Dialect: British upper-class.
[LAWRENCE] Harry's pompous roly poly valet. In his forties. Stiff, snobbish and sarcastic. Secretly envious and resentful of Harry. Dialect: Overly affected British upper crust.
[BIG DADDY LA BOUFF] Wealthy, Southern plantation landowner. Doting father of Charlotte La Bouff. A "good ol' boy." Warm, affable, courtly, imposing and powerful. Dialect: Thick southern drawl.
[EUDORA] Maddy's mother. In her fifties. Eudora used to be Charlotte's nurse maid. Warm, homespun and nurturing. Overly fretful.
[GEORGE] The cook for the La Bouff family. African American 50s-60s. Curmudgeonly.
[YOUNG MADDY] Six years old, African American.
[YOUNG CHARLOTTE] Six years old.

Ummm...there was a former Disney Channel star named Shia LaBeouf, which looks like La Bouff. I'm just noticing.

Two things:
1. After reading and seeing that it takes place in the South, about African Americans, and even has a plantation owner, they better damn rerelease Song of the South!

2.Judging from what I read, look like this is going to be one big hip mood swing! Something Marc Davis' Chanclar should of been.

Also about that RAY dude, is he white or black? doesn't say but I have the feeling he's white. Kinda reminding me of Kyouraku Shunsui, from RAY's description.

Don't know who I'm talking about? this is the guy I'm talking about: http://www.basehead.org/download.php?id=19434