Disney's "The Snow Queen" in 2013?

[DisneyJedi]

Yeah, but The Princess and the Frog wasn't really a failure. So Disney should be happy that they've made $167 million (or was it $178 million?) worldwide on this movie so far!

And I swear, if they cancel The Snow Queen, then they'll have dropped an anvil on everything.

[rs_milo_whatever]

The plot for the Alvin movies are pretty boy-centric, but a lot of girls (not me stereotyping..I've heard them) like them because of the cute and cuddly chipmunks.

I say none of us go watch Rapunzel

[IagoZazu]

I would be incredibly saddened by this news; after finally having read The Snow Queen, I've been really looking forward to a 2D Disney film based on it.

Still, I wouldn't be surprised. Disney's become incredibly insatiable, and I don't think TP&TF made enough to assure them of 2D animation's lucrativeness. I'd hate to think Rapunzel is the future; all I can say is I won't continue seeing their animated films if it is (and considering most of their live-action ones are crap, that means I would be pretty much done with Disney's future efforts). Unless 3D animation actually starts to look good, which could take a while.

I've never read The Snow Queen until several months ago and when I finally did I thought about how it would make a very good 2D Disney film. It had the charm and characters to be so, but if this news becomes true than a wonderful opportunity would be lost. It makes me sad and mad that Disney would just give up like that.

If Rapunzel and CGI is Disney's future (as it is with all the other studios) then it'll take a lot of convincing for me to hop on the computer-animated bandwagon. Pixar is good, but I think Disney would be best with sticking to 2D so the animation can be balanced between Disney and Pixar. Dumping 2D would be like dropping Disney's values, and I can't stand that. It would be hard for me to imagine not watching any more future Disney films and stay in the past, but it seems to me as though Disney is just getting worse. TPatF didn't even do that bad at all, yet it didn't reach its lofty goals and is thus a disappointment. Shame.

[blackcauldron85]

Yeah, but The Princess and the Frog wasn't really a failure. So Disney should be happy that they've made $167 million (or was it $178 million?) worldwide on this movie so far!

TPatF didn't even do that bad at all, yet it didn't reach its lofty goals and is thus a disappointment. Shame.

I agree. I think it more than made up for its production costs, and, hello, merchandise sales!!! And hello soon-to-be home video sales!

I say none of us go watch Rapunzel

Uh, yeah, this will be Disney then: "Rapunzel did so poorly, it must've been because it was a CGI Disney Princess film. Let's never do a fairy tale again, never make a CGI film again, heck, never make a Disney film again. Pixar brings in all the cash, let's just rely on them. NOOOOO!!!

*edit*

I was going to go to bed, but I have too many thoughts!

I wonder how a) The Bear and the Bow will be marketed, and b) how it will perform at the box office. I mean, Rapunzel will show if people are still interested in Disney's fairy tales, but TB&tB will show if people are interested in fairy tales at all, since apparently Pixar can do no wrong.

Disney can't win. Atlantis, Treasure Planet, Meet the Robinsons (?) (I think it performed alright, but not as well as Disney wanted, right?), and Bolt- what happened? Those are boy-centric films, and they did poorly. What, not action-packed enough? Not crude enough?

I think a boy-centric comedy, a la The Emperor's New Groove and Chicken Little, although not stooping to gross-out humor and relying on pop culture references, is the way to go. Really. If comedies like Chipmunks are doing so well, and DreamWorks films, then...not to copy other film studios, but if Disney could come up with an amazing idea, then why not try it? To me, they need to experiment and not just give up.

[rs_milo_whatever]

I remember my cousin (who is a girl) commenting that may be Disney was making a mistake by doing a princess movie because it wasn't attracting enough boys. But, if Disney were to make a return to classic animation, I would expect no less than a fairy tale. But now they have an opportunity to make a movie that attracts bigger audiences. May be not go completely boy-centric like Treasure Planet, but something along the lines of Aladdin, what is still a bit more of a "guy's movie" while still having a fairy tale theme.

[DisneyJedi]

Honestly, those buttheads should be HAPPY that TPatF made them decent money. And as long as that's so, then they shouldn't let movies like AAtC2, Sherlock Holmes or Avatar drop an anvil on things!

I mean, look at Henry Selick. After the success of The Nightmare Before Christmas, his future movies- James & The Giant Peach and Monkeybone- were box office failures. But did he stop after those? Well, in a way, he did for a few years. But he came back with a successful movie, Coraline!

[blackcauldron85]

(Ugh, if I knew that someone was posting so soon, I would've just made a new post, not just edit my old one..grrr! )

May be not go completely boy-centric like Treasure Planet, but something along the lines of Aladdin, what is still a bit more of a "guy's movie" while still having a fairy tale theme.

I think that that's a good idea in theory...

What made audiences different in 1992 than they are now? Was it because there wasn't as many animated films in the theaters then? Was it because there weren't gross-out/pop-culture referencing (although Aladdin does the references) animated films like there are now flooding the marketplace?

I wonder if Penny hurt Bolt- if Penny were instead a boy (with a different name ), would Bolt have performed better?

[DisneyJedi]

I wonder if Penny hurt Bolt- if Penny were instead a boy (with a different name ), would Bolt have performed better?

Well, I think what you're saying is if you're wondering if it wasn't Penny that "hurt" Bolt, but instead Penny's voice actress, Miley Cyrus, who supposedly "hurt" Bolt's gross revenue.

[Kyle]

Well I do have ato admit, now might not be the best time for yet another girl focused feature. lets look at all their animated efforts recently.

Enchanted
Princess and the Frog

in the pipeline for 3d you have Rapunzel. and you even have one coming from pixar.


Do we really need a 4th princess movie from Disney so close to each other coming out of their animation? I think its time to try something aimed square at boys again. Or at least something that can appeal to both more equally. I want to see the snow queen happen, but maybe it would be a good idea to put it on hold until after their next hand drawn production. which is why I'm baffled King of the Elves got shelved not too long ago, as that could have been the feature to appeal to both genders.

[Linguini]

i think Disney really should keep on focusing on movies like Princess and the frog or Snow Queen. Also because of the financial aspect. I mean how many live action movies from disney were are box office disaster lately ? All these movies like Old Dogs and so on didn't make much money and were of poor quality. I think with movies like Princess and the frog Disney is on the safer side, also because of the merchandising.

[Babaloo]

I would really like for them to continue working on Snow Queen, but if they want to focus a boy-themed movie, they can always bring back Don Quixote ...wait, that'll be canned right away . But I actually think that Disney has shelved Snow Queen once again, because another animator has said the same thing. I'm very surprised not hear anything from Disney themselves as after Rapunzel, there's no major film in the works, and don't these films take at least 4 years to make?

[milojthatch]

I know that this was just a rumour that this film was back in the works, but I was really excited for it. On the Rapunzel thread I posted a website that claims that they're changing the name (which looks like its happening), but I'll post the website again for another reason. A lot of Disney animators have their own discussions on this website and I read something that worried me:

http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/ ... h-hat.html

I'm not asking for people's opinions on the matter. I know the general consensus that 2D is dead. I understand it. I'm asking what someone else has since asked: What is the ACTUAL future of it at Disney. As in, is there anything planned after Pooh? I know Snow Queen is supposed to be hand drawn, but someone up top has said that "Snow Princess" (which I'm assuming is Snow Queen) has been shelved. Is there truth to that? Are there any other 2D movies on the slate? I'm not necessarily asking for names or anything, because I understand that certain information is not allowed to be discussed. But simply, is there more 2D in the works at Disney after Winnie the Pooh?

Thanks again
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 10:39:00 AM
Anonymous said...
but someone up top has said that "Snow Princess" (which I'm assuming is Snow Queen) has been shelved. Is there truth to that

Yes.

is there anything planned after Pooh?

Not yet.

Does this mean its shelved once again!!!!!!! PS I know its none of my business to look at the comments, but I like to read them just to see the status at Disney.

Why does Disney hate themselves? Someone? Anyone? See, when they keep doing stupid crap like this it makes it harder to stay a Disney fan, at least of future projects.

Guess we'll wait and see what they do.

[Sotiris]

February 01, 2010

What I'm asking is, for those of you at Disney, what does the future of traditional animation look like right now, after PatF? I know Pooh is already in production, but is there any real hope for it after that?

Unfortunately, at the present time, it doesn't look incredibly bright for 2D here, at least for the next several years.

The Disney jungle telegraph keeps thumping. "Snow Princess" shelved, as executives recognize the trouble with "girl" films. So what this does to the hand drawn stuff, I don't know.

I know Snow Queen is supposed to be hand drawn, but someone up top has said that "Snow Princess" (which I'm assuming is Snow Queen) has been shelved. Is there truth to that?

Yes.

Is there more 2D in the works at Disney after Winnie the Pooh?

Not yet.

As commenters above have mentioned, the 2D Snow Queen is now in limbo, and there is nothing (yet) to replace it.

Which means, after Winnie the Pooh, the 2D future is cloudy.

As for Snow Queen, does anyone actually know the reason it got shelved? Is it actually because it's 2D? Or are they having story problems again?

It has nothing to do with 2D and everything to do with princesses.

Source: http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/ ... h-hat.html


February 04, 2010

It appears that for the second time the Snow Queen has been put on ice. There are several factors that were/are the reason behind this. One is obviously story, as it just wasn't coming in a satisfactory way, but also the "Royalty" problem. With all the hub bub going out now about "The Princess and the Frog," box office and the lack of boys wanting to see "girlie" films has had a cooling effect on moving forward with another Princess-type story. I can tell you that were it to have gone forward, it wouldn't have been called Snow Queen.

Source: http://blueskydisney.blogspot.com/2010/ ... ncess.html


February 05, 2010

James B. Stewart – as he was working on his terrific book, “DisneyWar ” (Simon & Schuster, February 2005) -- actually sat in on a June 2003 creative meeting where Eisner, then-WDAS head David Stainton and then-VP of Creative Development Pam Coats reviewed the animated projects that Disney Animation then had in its production pipeline. With “The Snow Queen” being the film that most excited Michael (at that time, anyway). Here’s an excerpt from that portion of “DisneyWar”:

The discussion turned to Christmas 2007. Eisner had just read a script for “Rapunzel.” “Someone told me that a woman with long hair is old fashioned,“ Eisner said.

“That’s why this has to be a Legally Blonde -type comedy,” replied Mary Jane Ruggels, another creative vice president.

“Sleeping Beauty was 1938,” Eisner says. “The ending was forced. Like Treasure Planet – it just ended. It wasn’t funny or clever. Are you sure you can save this? Is Ice Queen better?”

“You mean Snow Queen?” Ruggels says.

“I love the Taming of the Shrew idea,” Eisner says. “Take Martha Stewart. She’s tough, smart – a worthy adversary. If she were a doormat of a woman, no one would be after her. Marlo Thomas used to call me about marketing ‘That Girl.’ She said, ‘If I were a man, I’d be president of thenetwork.’

Eisner expresses some reservations about the team assigned to Snow Queen, then adds, “John Lasseter. If we can make a new deal with Pixar.”

Stainton jumps in. “You mean when we make a new deal with Pixar.”

“I said to John, you can have Snow Queen. He loved it. John said, ‘I want to do a princess movie.’ “

Eisner asked for the Snow Queen synopsis.

“The Snow Queen is a terrible bitch,” Ruggels says. “When her suitors try to melt her heart, the Snow Queen freezes them.”

“Each of them should be a phony, but different,” Eisner says of the suitors.

“Then along comes a regular guy,” Ruggels continues.

“This is perfect!,” Eisner exclaims. “I’m afraid to hear more.”

“The regular guy goes up there, he’s not that great, but he’s a good person. He starts to unfreeze her … she melts.”

“It’s great,” Eisner says. “Finally. We’ve had twenty meetings on this.”

“We’ll have a treatment in two weeks,” Ruggels promises.

“Can we have this for 2006?,” Eisner asks.

“No way,” (Pam) Coats says.

Source: http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief ... olumn.aspx

[robster16]

Fact of the matter is that Disney animated feature films have an image problem after releasing a string of underperforming movies. A first step in image recovery was made with Princess and the Frog which is getting glowing reviews! They now need to stick with it and create even better movies and build on the new positive vibe, not weasel out and give in to this negativity. The movie has only been opening in international territories like Europe since this week.

If they give up on projects this easily and keep canceling projects and 2D animation after 1 movie, then that proves they have no backbone and only have money on their mind, in contrast to Lasseters constant speeches about Disney staying true to it's heritage. It would make Disney look weak and John Lasseter as a liar and a coward.

I'll wait and see what happens, but if they cancel 2D animation then they are actively sabotaging their own company! Stick to your guns and go forward, don't take steps back now. Maximize exposure on the movie's academy award nominations etc!

[Margos]

:shake:

What on earth are they thinking!? "The Snow Queen" would be amazing! Why do they have to go and ruin a good thing!? They need to get their heads out of their asses and realize that financial success or not, they need to keep turning out good movies. 2D or CGI, "girly" or "boyish," who cares!? As long as they focus on that classic Disney quality, they'll be fine.

[Mooky]

Okay, let me get this straight:

1. Disney wants to return to hand-drawn animation and yet they're ready to kick it aside - again - the second the movie it relied on underperforms because someone was stupid enough to:
a) release it during a REALLY busy movie season. And you would have thought they learned their lesson with "Bolt" and "Prince Caspian".
b) push the "Princess" aspect of it down everyone's throat
c) replace Alan Menken with Randy Newman (mind you, I loved the music of PatF, but hell of a lot more people didn't)

2. Disney wants to return to hand-drawn animation but they choose to follow a hand-drawn "The Princess and the Frog" with a CG (+ 3D) "Rapunzel". Like it or not, both CGI and 3D are huge box-office draws so it should come as no surprise when "Rapunzel" beats PatF's box-office results, thus possibly putting the final nail in the coffin of hand-drawn animation at Disney.

3. Disney wants high profits for their hand-drawn films and yet they choose to follow "The Princess and the Frog" with "Winnie the Pooh", a franchise with a much smaller fanbase (both in age and number) than the "Princess"-movies have.

4. Disney wants to be seen as a company that makes serious films for the whole family and yet they choose to follow "The Princess and the Frog" with "Winnie the Pooh", a franchise that has been even more dumbed down for the kids than the Disney Princess line.

5. Disney is worried about being perceived as a company that makes only "Princess"/fairytale movies (a.k.a. movies for little girls) so they cancel "The Snow Queen" and decide to change "Rapunzel"'s title, while greenlighting "Enchanted 2" at the same time and marketing Disney Princess line harder than ever.

6. Disney is worried about being perceived as a company that makes only girlie movies and wants a share of the boys' market and yet they cancel "King of the Elves".

7. Disney wants to re-build their reputation shattered by numerous DTV sequels but they continue to make "Tinker Bell" movies, whose number suspiciously rose from the planned four films to more than six.

Is anyone running this company at all?

[blackcauldron85]

For #7, I think they recently moved the number of Tink films down to 5.

But you made really good points, Mooky. They aren't making sense. Now, I can understand if King of the Elves and The Snow Queen are having issues- I mean, Disney has a history of that. Maybe the issues will work themselves out, maybe not (I mean, The Little Mermaid & Beauty and the Beast were being worked on back in the '30s/'40s and were stopped and then they did eventually come out, so who knows. But I don't think that they should give up the whole medium. There are other stories to be told.

And why can Pixar go ahead and make The Bear and the Bow if Disney wants to be done with fairy tales- I mean, that's like a double standard. I think that since Enchanted is mostly live-action, that's why Disney doesn't mind making a princessy-sequel to it.

[Margos]

I agree with all of those points (except #7). Disney is making absolutely no sense lately. And it's really sad to see.

[IagoZazu]

Why does everything have to fall apart all of a sudden? For a time it looked like Rapunzel was going to be good and The Snow Queen was on its track to development. Then suddenly Rapunzel teeters on the edge with a possible name change and The Snow Queen is possibly shelved again, not to mention all of the latest confusion over Disney's DVD releases. What happend?

Mooky's points were spot on. Disney has become hypocritical now.

[rs_milo_whatever]

And don't forget, Disney is not thinking their home-video plans all the way through. Disney's quality movies (Beauty and The Beast, The Lion King, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, etc.) have sold millions and millions of units. Why is that? Because they're timeless. People buy and re-buy copies of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella, they own them on VHS, DVD, soon on Blu-Ray, and may be own them twice on one of these formats. These movies people have grown up with and share with their children and it's been like that for a couple of generations now. The classics are powerful films, powerful in a way that Chicken Little and Bolt are not. These movies are not timeless and Rapunzel just looks like it will be forgotten by the masses as soon as the DVD is released as well. How many times are you willing to pay $20-$30 for a movie like The Wild or The Hannah Montana Movie? Disney should start making quality films, may be they won't make as much as they would have if they put a Jonas Brother as a CGI otter in a movie, but they will be loved by fans, and eventually loved by following generations. The Princess and The Frog did not do terrible at the box-office, it did decent. Did they not look at the money movies like Did You Hear About The Morgans, Everybody's Fine, and Planet 51 earned? Did they not take into account that the top-grossing film of all time started playing the same month? The Princess and The Frog did very well. And believe me, I will buy that movie on its video release and I will buy it again on whatever format is out when I have kids...and I will not be buying Valiant and the remake of Race to Witch Mountain for them.