DVDizzy Forum

Well... This is incredibly disappointing news.

Farerb wrote:I have no idea what it means for this film, whether it was shelved or another director was brought in as a replacement.

My hunch tells me he was replaced as the director and that's why he left. I wouldn't be surprised if we soon heard he's directing an animated feature at Netflix. I find it unlikely the film was shelved at this stage. That would create a big gap in the production pipeline and the release schedule. They'd want to avoid that by redeveloping it with in a new creative team and salvaging whatever they can.

It’s nice to know WDAS is still a place of juicy drama under Jen Lee’s leadership as well

Sometimes I really miss the early 00s when artists were constantly leaking to the press. It felt like we were literally looking over everyone’s shoulders as they were trying to make Brother Bear, Home on the Range and Chicken Little.

Of course that was part of a problem, but still fun and juicy.

I do hope this film can be fixed nonetheless.

Sotiris wrote: My hunch tells me he was replaced as the director and that's why he left.

I doubt that--it was only common under Lasseter because he was usually running the show on every film regardless of who the director was--but of course there's always a possibility of that. My guess is the film started to go places he didn't agree with as it was being worked through, and he decided to leave. Especially since Raya was screwed over by being given a random March release instead of a November one like Encanto, Frozen II, etc. were; they couldn't have screwed that film more if they tried. At the same they started a fight with Cinemark and were sending PIXAR films to streaming because they thought theatrical wasn't secure enough yet for their business (but it was fine to sacrifice Raya ).

And it's not like Estrada had nowhere to go, like many in animation often feel. He was in live-action before WDAS, wasn't he?

Wow, this was totally unexpected. Especially, when he was working on more than one project for Disney and I think was even part of the Brain Trust at WDAS. I agree something must've happened for him to leave. Jennifer Lee has replaced directors mid production before, so I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case here. Curiously, Carlos López Estrada was in the opposite situation the last time, as he and Don Hall were chosen by Lee to replace the original directors of Raya. It's a shame he won't be able to complete the film he was originally hired to make, which on top of that was quite personal to him, but I agree he won't lack offers at other studios and it's likely he wants to return to live action.

I guess the film was shaping up to be too mature for kids
Castrated inoffensive films is all we're going to get from Disney.

Farerb wrote:I guess the film was shaping up to be too mature for kids
Castrated inoffensive films is all we're going to get from Disney.

This crossed my mind too and I truly hope we are both wrong, that the film wasn't a classic-in-the-making after all and that it just wasn't working.

At any rate, if it isn't scrapped I guess we can expect delays while it is "retooled."

I am dying for a personal and visionary film from WDAS. I am convinced it can happen. I hope it does.

Farerb wrote:In here, Skyler Shuler says the name of the film is "Foster".
I don't think it's correct though. I think he mistakes it for an unmade movie from Blue Sky.

This site (posted in the Lightyear thread) also says Foster comes out in November 2023:
https://comicbookmovie.com/doctor_stran ... re-a193428

Walt Disney Animation Studios revealed a FIRST LOOK at “Wish,” their all-new animated feature film that explores how the iconic wishing star came to be. Starring Ariana DeBose as Asha, directed by Chris Buck & Fawn Veerasunthorn, produced by Peter Del Vecho & Juan Pablo Reyes, and featuring all-new songs by Julia Michaels, Disney's Wish releases in November 2023.

https://twitter.com/DisneyAnimation/sta ... 0055300096


https://twitter.com/DisneyWishMovie/sta ... 4238042113


https://twitter.com/DisneyWishMovie/sta ... 3892865024

Alan Tudyk is Valentino the goat, per Twitter, and here is Ariana DeBose signing a song!

https://mobile.twitter.com/geeklyamanda ... pbh3TmYsKg

I feel sad for Strange World. I mean, Wow, Nobody saw this coming

I hate to keep repeating myself but… yet another “a girl senses a darkness in her kingdom and goes on a quest to try and save her people” storyline. How many times can they keep making the same movie over and over again? The prospect of hand drawn animation is promising but the preview still looks like cell shaded CGI to me so far… I do like the full fairytale elements though and I guess it looks fairly pretty so far…

Ariana deBose performed the song “More For Us” from the movie which is said to be spectacular. There are a couple of clips of the performance on Twitter with some test footage and concept art on the screens behind her!

https://twitter.com/discussingfilm/stat ... rP1SziTfgw

It looks like the animation will have a 2D style, but it's disappointing it won't be hand-drawn:

Introducing Asha! From the upcoming movie 'Wish'! This will be a watercolor-style 3D animation, taking inspiration from classic Disney movies!

Source: https://twitter.com/AllEarsNet/status/1 ... 0079608833

Well, since now it`s been confirmed that this movie will be next years release, I`m a little torn. The whole premise seems totally Pixar-esque, even down to another adjective title. But the title and the logo is awfully generic and vague. I like Asha`s and Valentino`s designs (he reminds me a little of Djali from Hunchback), but somehow I have the feeling that the concept will be compromised by Pixar. But I wonder which country this movie will be set in. The song that was sung seemed fine, though.

D82 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 09, 2022 7:23 pm It looks like the animation will have a 2D style, but it's disappointing it won't be hand-drawn:

Introducing Asha! From the upcoming movie 'Wish'! This will be a watercolor-style 3D animation, taking inspiration from classic Disney movies!

Source: https://twitter.com/AllEarsNet/status/1 ... 0079608833

Yeah, it`s really disappointing. But at least it looks like the style that was rumored for Tangled during it`s pre-release.

The premise of the movie is a little bit weird considering that only two movies in the whole canon have characters wishing upon a star, and I don't think it's really interesting to learn the mechanics of it, kind of ruins the fantasy.
However the song was fine and I like the design of the character and it seems to be much more to my taste than something like Strange World.

Here's the full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekb33F_62Js

In this other video you can see the images on the screen behind Ariana DeBose better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PglfGdtA9xA

Also, the display about the movie was unveiled after the presentation: https://twitter.com/rgrrabbit1/status/1 ... 0968712192

It's interesting that after 10 years they are finally bringing someone new to do the songs, though looking at her biography, it doesn't seem that she has experience with musicals.
Do you know who would have been perfect to do the songs for the 100 Years movie??

Farerb wrote: ↑Fri Sep 09, 2022 7:28 pm The premise of the movie is a little bit weird considering that only two movies in the whole canon have characters wishing upon a star, and I don't think it's really interesting to learn the mechanics of it, kind of ruins the fantasy.
However the song was fine and I like the design of the character and it seems to be much more to my taste than something like Strange World.

I think it's three films that have a wishing star, right?

- Pinocchio
- Lilo and Stitch (sorta)
- Princess and the Frog

And maybe Peter Pan if one thinks going to the second star is sorta like making a wish (for kid fun?)

I mostly buy that the "wishing star" is a simple concept that became overexposed and overly associated with Disney. Which, fair, as long as they can tell a good story.

Farerb wrote: ↑Fri Sep 09, 2022 7:02 pm

She kinda looks like Isabella from Encanto, but with dreads. (If you look closely Asha has braided hair.)

Farerb wrote: ↑Fri Sep 09, 2022 7:42 pm It's interesting that after 10 years they are finally bringing someone new to do the songs, though looking at her biography, it doesn't seem that she has experience with musicals.

Her name rang a bell and it's because she performed the end-credits version of Alan Menken's song in Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Farerb wrote: ↑Fri Sep 09, 2022 7:42 pm Do you know who would have been perfect to do the songs for the 100 Years movie??

I think that's what I found most disappointing about this movie. That they'd rather bring someone completely new and inexperienced than giving Menken another WDAS project.