Encanto

[estefan]

I love the musical films and adaptations Disney Animation have done over the years, but I also love when they try new things. One of my favourite Disney animated films is Pinocchio, but so is Lilo & Stitch. Lilo & Stitch really stands out in the Disney canon as something different from them with its focus on aliens and even the way the whole film was designed, made to emulate Chris Sanders's exact drawing style. Not to mention the use of old Elvis songs on the soundtrack (although there were still a few original songs).

And while not conventionally Disney in the classic sense, I don't think it's similar to other animation studio house styles, either (although I feel the concept of house styles seems to be going away in many animation studios. Into the Spider-Verse isn't like Hotel Transylvania, nor is How to Train Your Dragon like Kung Fu Panda). It is unquestionably a Chris Sanders-Dean DeBlois film and yet it still fits right in with the Disney canon and the studio's commitment to telling stories that are funny, heartwarming and inspiring.

I don't think Disney Animation has lost its identity this past decade. Nothing about their recent projects has felt that un-Disney to me. Zootopia, with its large cast of wisecracking animals and the unique ways in which they communicate and navigate the world, owes a lot of debt to the likes of The Aristocats, Oliver & Company and Robin Hood (Byron Howard even cited Robin Hood as a direct influence on Zootopia). And when you boil it down, Wreck-It Ralph centers on a protagonist who feels unloved and it's only when he finds himself in a new location and meets new friends, that he learns his purpose. It's not just a film with video game references.

I am looking forward to Encanto (or whatever they end up being called) with its South American setting and new Lin-Manuel Miranda songs, but Raya and the Last Dragon also looks neat with its supposedly adventurous tone. I also hope Jennifer Lee takes a look at Fraidy Cat in the future and sees something there that maybe David Stainton and John Lasseter didn't, as I still think that project holds a lot of promise. And yeah, Gigantic being revived is also something I'd like to see. The artwork looks amazing and it would be a shame for Robert and Kristen Anderson-Lopez's songs to go to waste.

[DisneyFan97]

I wonder when we will larn the voice cast of this movie

[DisneyFan09]

I feel sorry for any Brazilian people who got excited about a Disney film set in their country.

Me too. At least Brazil would´ve been invigorating for Disney, since it´s a culture they´ve never explored before in Latin-America.

ah, so *Columbia? that does make more sense. I wonder if Shakira will get a role...

I know, right? Well, she wanted more parts from Disney after Zootopia, so at least it would´ve been a perfect synergy

Disney has taken on a lot of different subject matters over the decades to varying degrees of success. I think their best films (and the ones I enjoy the most) are either musicals and/or fairytale and literary adaptations. I don't think that's creatively limiting because it's such a broad spectrum. It still allows for uniqueness and differentiation between its output. I don't need WDAS to do everything. I can get other types of stories from other studios.

Well said. Disney doesn´t need to do everything, but when they´ve actually tried to do things they´ve not been not associated with, they´ve been usually panned for it (Pocahontas and Hunchback, regardless of how steeped they actually were in Disney´s trademarks components. The same goes for The Black Cauldron and Atlantis). Since Disney are practically synonymous with Disneyfication, it´s been an outrage when they´ve actually tried to do something new (while it sometimes have payed off, it has mostly backfired).

Not to mention when they do veer off, it's usually to copy other studios like DreamWorks and Pixar. Chasing after what's popular instead of leading the way is sad, unoriginal, and uncreative. I think WDAS should stick to what they do best and what they are known for. Every studio has an identity. Preserving theirs and honoring their legacy is something positive in my book. Muddling and diluting that identity and ignoring their legacy is not.

The sad irony is that the norm used to be entirely different during the Renaissance, as most studios were trying to emulate Disney and copying their formula and components. Now the tables have turned completely and most studios try to emulate Pixar or DreamWorks. I actually miss when other studios were pulling off Disney show-offs. And regardless of how they were panned for not topping Disney´s excellence, at least they were memorable and compelling on their own right.

It's a shame we haven't had a straight animal film in a long time either. Even more weird when you consider TLK, Bambi, The Jungle Book, Dalmatians, etc. are some of the studio's greatest films ever made.

I agree. They´ve been my favorites growing up and are among Disney´s greatest. Even The Fox and the Hound deserves to be credited among them. I miss them.

[Sotiris]

I actually miss when other studios were pulling off Disney show-offs. And regardless of how they were panned for not topping Disney´s excellence, at least they were memorable and compelling on their own right.

Me too. I enjoyed all of the Disney copycats (The Swan Princess, Anastasia, Quest for Camelot etc.) I wish that period lasted longer so we'd have more of them.

[JeanGreyForever]

I feel sorry for any Brazilian people who got excited about a Disney film set in their country.

Me too. At least Brazil would´ve been invigorating for Disney, since it´s a culture they´ve never explored before in Latin-America.

This reminds me of when Gigantic was set in Spain and the thing most people were excited about was the setting and sadly we lost even that. I hope they bring both Spain and Brazil back for future films because The Three Caballeros as the only source of representation for Brazil isn't good enough anymore.

[Disney's Divinity]

Me too. I enjoyed all of the Disney copycats (The Swan Princess, Anastasia, Quest for Camelot etc.) I wish that period lasted longer so we'd have more of them.

I really loved TSP. Really too bad Odette hadn't been a Disney princess, since I like her better than most of Disney's blonde princesses, personally. I like the music for Anastasia and some of the music from QFC. Bartok and Garrett were probably my favorite parts of those two other films, respectively. It is a shame the streak didn't last as long as this buddy roadtrip one is, since I enjoyed those films better, no doubt.

[DisneyFan09]

Me too. I enjoyed all of the Disney copycats (The Swan Princess, Anastasia, Quest for Camelot etc.) I wish that period lasted longer so we'd have more of them.

Me too. Do you like the hand drawn features from DreamWorks?

This reminds me of when Gigantic was set in Spain and the thing most people were excited about was the setting and sadly we lost even that. I hope they bring both Spain and Brazil back for future films because The Three Caballeros as the only source of representation for Brazil isn't good enough anymore.

Me too. There are several stories that could be set in Spain.

I really loved TSP. Really too bad Odette hadn't been a Disney princess, since I like her better than most of Disney's blonde princesses, personally. I like the music for Anastasia and some of the music from QFC. Bartok and Garrett were probably my favorite parts of those two other films, respectively. It is a shame the streak didn't last as long as this buddy roadtrip one is, since I enjoyed those films better, no doubt.

I´m glad to see more love for The Swan Princess around here!

[Sotiris]

Do you like the hand drawn features from DreamWorks?

Yep! I love them all!

[unprincess]

They can totally find some Colombian myths and folklore that involves magic and fantastical elements if they want to. But if it's set in modern times, it'll be more difficult to bring those elements in organically.

I checked upon some of the myths...a lot of them are similar to the folklore from other Latin American countries like La Llorona. I like the one about the shape shifting pink dolphin. They have their own version of the Nokk too, though its a mule and it pushes you off mountain ledges. Also there's the man eating evil chicken...

As for what types of films Disney should or shouldn't do, I'll admit I prefer myth/fantasy oriented things and I like talking animal stories too though I prefer ones set in epic naturalistic settings(like Lion King and Brother Bear) although I do like talking dog and cat and mice films (though I found Bolt and Secret Life of Pets really boring for some reason, in fact I dont like most talking animal films made these days b/c they're too crammed with pop culture jokes and crap writing/stories/characters.) I also just dont care for anthropomorphized animals much like Zootopia. I dont mind it in something like Rescuers b/c they're still living in a human world, but once you remove the human element it loses my interest, and I don't really know why that is.

Someone mentioned Fraidy Cat, is that the one about a kid who turns into a cat and its set during WW2? I would have loved to have seen that one made!

[JeanGreyForever]

They can totally find some Colombian myths and folklore that involves magic and fantastical elements if they want to. But if it's set in modern times, it'll be more difficult to bring those elements in organically.

I checked upon some of the myths...a lot of them are similar to the folklore from other Latin American countries like La Llorona. I like the one about the shape shifting pink dolphin. They have their own version of the Nokk too, though its a mule and it pushes you off mountain ledges. Also there's the man eating evil chicken...

As for what types of films Disney should or shouldn't do, I'll admit I prefer myth/fantasy oriented things and I like talking animal stories too though I prefer ones set in epic naturalistic settings(like Lion King and Brother Bear) although I do like talking dog and cat and mice films (though I found Bolt and Secret Life of Pets really boring for some reason, in fact I dont like most talking animal films made these days b/c they're too crammed with pop culture jokes and crap writing/stories/characters.) I also just dont care for anthropomorphized animals much like Zootopia. I dont mind it in something like Rescuers b/c they're still living in a human world, but once you remove the human element it loses my interest, and I don't really know why that is.

Someone mentioned Fraidy Cat, is that the one about a kid who turns into a cat and its set during WW2? I would have loved to have seen that one made!

There's a Brazilian version of a mermaid as well which is said to live in the Amazon rain forest.

Although I didn't care for Brother Bear, I wouldn't mind a film similar to that, something epic in its tone. I don't like the anthropomorphized animal films either like Robin Hood although I did enjoy Zootopia. I really like films like The Rescuers, An American Tail, and The Great Mouse Detective, where animals (particularly mice) live alongside humans in the human world but they've carved out their own niche.

https://lostmediawiki.com/Fraidy_Cat_(c ... 2004-2005)
Fraidy Cat was supposed to be a parody of a Hitchcock film and released in 2009 under Musker and Clements. The film was cancelled because executives felt it wasn't marketable enough because most kids wouldn't know Hitchcock or his films. I've never heard of a Disney film where a kid turns into a cat during WW2...do you have any more information on that?

[Sotiris]

I also just don't care for anthropomorphized animals much like Zootopia. I don't mind it in something like Rescuers b/c they're still living in a human world, but once you remove the human element it loses my interest, and I don't really know why that is.

I'm just like you in that department. I prefer it when humans exists in animal stories and animals behave like animals. I guess I don't find most animal-centered films that interesting or relatable. I think it has also to do with animation. Animals are generally easier to draw and animate and I'm more intrigued and impressed by animated human characters.

Someone mentioned Fraidy Cat, is that the one about a kid who turns into a cat and its set during WW2? I would have loved to have seen that one made!

No, that's The Abandoned. Fraidy Cat is about a cat who's blamed for the disappearance of a neighborhood pet so he sets out in the streets of London to find the real culprit and prove his innocence.

[DisneyFan97]

Maybe Sofia Vegera wil be a voice after all ABC is owned by Disney !

[Disney's Divinity]

Maybe Sofia Vegera wil be a voice after all ABC is owned by Disney !

Is she Colombian? If so, I'd love her to have a role in a Disney film.

[DisneyFan97]

I don’t know If She is is colombian herself, but her character Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on Modern Family is from Columbia

[JeanGreyForever]

I don’t know If She is is colombian herself, but her character Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on Modern Family is from Columbia

She's Columbian in real life as well.

[unprincess]

Someone mentioned Fraidy Cat, is that the one about a kid who turns into a cat and its set during WW2? I would have loved to have seen that one made!

No, that's The Abandoned. Fraidy Cat is about a cat who's blamed for the disappearance of a neighborhood pet so he sets out in the streets of London to find the real culprit and prove his innocence.

thanks for the correction, I figured I must have mixed it up with another cancelled film but couldn't remember which. Fraidy Cat's premise reminds me a bit of the German animated film Felidae.

[Disney's Divinity]

I don’t know If She is is colombian herself, but her character Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on Modern Family is from Columbia

I could see her playing a fun side character, sort of like Bernadette Peters' Sophie in Anastasia.

[DisneyFan09]

I'm just like you in that department. I prefer it when humans exists in animal stories and animals behave like animals. I guess I don't find most animal-centered films that interesting or relatable. I think it has also to do with animation. Animals are generally easier to draw and animate and I'm more intrigued and impressed by animated human characters.

Wow, I used to be the exact opposite during the majority of my childhood. I was mostly appealed by animation starring naturalistic animals. Perhaps it could be for my childhood love of animals. When I eventually became a tween, I was more compelled by the pictures starring humans (it was Pocahontas that became the transitional movie for me in that regard). Now as an adult, I rather prefer the movies with naturalistic animals, as opposed to the anthropomorphic ones. For some reason, I find it off-putting to see an entire anthropomorphic world in a full-length feature.

[Sotiris]

Official logo. I don't care for it. It's too generic. There's not enough character to it. I don't like the title either. It's too similar to Enchanted. I was hoping they'd change the name, but with the trademark application already filed, that's highly doubtful now.


Source: https://uspto.report/TM/90016810

[DisneyFan09]

Agreed. It´s too generic and underwhelming. But at least it´s some information.