Disney's "The Snow Queen" in 2013?

[TsWade2]

I've found more artwork from a previous incarnation of The Snow Queen. This was done circa 2003 when Disney wanted a CG version of the film.

Art by Michael R. Todd

Snow Queen




Kai



Source: http://michaelrtodd.blogspot.com/

Wow! Those are Beautiful!

[Dream Huntress]

I've found more artwork from a previous incarnation of The Snow Queen. This was done circa 2003 when Disney wanted a CG version of the film.

Art by Michael R. Todd

Snow Queen




Kai



Source: http://michaelrtodd.blogspot.com/

Well, that's just... weird. Also, Kai looks too old and like taken out from The Nutcracker.

Wasn't that version meant to be a comedy?

[Prince Edward]

I like that design for Kai very much, to bad that this is not the final design for him. I hope he ends up looking somewhat like that design. The Snow Queen looks weird though.

[Sotiris]

Wasn't that version meant to be a comedy?

It was supposed to be more contemporary similar to Rapunzel: Unbraided in terms of humour and storytelling. It was in the wake of Shrek's success and Disney thought that more traditional adaptations of fairytales were no longer commercial.

[DisneyDude2010]

I don't mind the design of the Snow Queen but that design of Kai seems very similar to a character you might find in Kingdom Hearts.

I do get a kingdom hearts vibe from the still as well.

I can't wait for the art of Frozen book to see the evaluation of all the characters!!!

[TsWade2]

I just still hope i hope it's a musical and Alan Menken is composing it. I would be happy if it did.

[Disney's Divinity]

Kai looks like a character from Grease the anime.

[DisneyJedi]

Kai looks like a character from Grease the anime.

Wait. There's an anime of the musical, Grease? I mean, legitimately an anime?!

[Super Aurora]

Kai looks like a character from Grease the anime.

Wait. There's an anime of the musical, Grease? I mean, legitimately an anime?!

no there isn't.

[Disney's Divinity]

Wait. There's an anime of the musical, Grease? I mean, legitimately an anime?!

I meant it as a joke.

[Prince Edward]

I just still hope i hope it's a musical and Alan Menken is composing it. I would be happy if it did.

Since they are making it in CGI instead of animating it in the traditional way, I do hope that they have kept it a musical at least, and that Alan Menken will compose it.

I also find it a little funny (or a little sad, it depends) that Disney had to put the 2D version on hold because of "story problems", but as soon as Tangled in 3D made millions, then they overcome those problems in a snap and was ready to make the film. In CGI and with a Tangled-like title, of course.

[Sotiris]

I also find it a little funny (or a little sad, it depends) that Disney had to put the 2D version on hold because of "story problems", but as soon as Tangled in 3D made millions, then they overcome those problems in a snap and was ready to make the film. In CGI and with a Tangled-like title, of course.

You are so right. The hand-drawn Snow Queen was shelved because The Princess and the Frog had underperformed which was hand-drawn, princess-oriented, a fairytale, and a musical, everything that Snow Queen was also supposed to be.

But when Tangled was a financial success which still had the same elements except that the medium was CG and the princess aspect was underplayed, they resumed development of Snow Queen employing the same parameters.

Another indication that the reasons for cancelling the movie were not story-related is the fact that the creative team remained the same in both the latest hand-drawn and CG incarnation of the film. Chris Buck was supposed to be the director of the hand-drawn version and he's still the director of the CG one.

[DisneyAnimation88]

http://one1more2time3.wordpress.com/

I don't know if anyone posted this blog but halfway down the page there is a post with some of Paul Felix's concept art from one of the previous incarnations of Snow Queen that are very nice.

Another indication that the reasons for cancelling the movie were not story-related is the fact that the creative team remained the same in both the latest hand-drawn and CG incarnation of the film.

I don't really see why that's important. Could it not be that after working on the story in that time, Chris Buck and his team came up with one that everyone was happy with? What bearing does the film being hand-drawn or CGI have on whether the story works or not?

[Sotiris]

http://one1more2time3.wordpress.com/

I don't know if anyone posted this blog but halfway down the page there is a post with some of Paul Felix's concept art from one of the previous
incarnations of Snow Queen that are very nice.

I've already posted this on page 36.

What bearing does the film being hand-drawn or CGI have on whether the story works or not?

It doesn't. That's my point. A change in medium does not solve story problems. Therefore, the change in medium was not due to storytelling issues.

[DisneyAnimation88]

Ok, sorry, I misunderstood you, I thought you meant that you thought the film was cancelled because it was hand-drawn rather than because of the story problems it's had over the years.

[Sotiris]

^I'm saying that although there may have been story issues with the latest hand-drawn incarnation of the film, I believe the primary reason of its cancellation was the genre and the medium. The fact that the movie was re-tooled by the same team in a short amount of time (and was CG-fied) means that the story problems were solvable but they weren't given the opportunity to deal with them back then since the project was shelved by management.

[DisneyAnimation88]

I agree about the genre perhaps being a factor in the cancellation because Ed Catmull had already said that after Tangled, Disney wouldn't be making any more animated fairytales, at least at that time. With Tangled's huge success, no one could really blame them for backtracking on what Catmull said. As for the medium being a factor, I don't necessarily agree but that's a matter of personal opinion I guess and I can see your point.

[Candy-Bonita95]

^I'm saying that although there may have been story issues with the latest hand-drawn incarnation of the film, I believe the primary reason of its cancellation was the genre and the medium. The fact that the movie was re-tooled by the same team in a short amount of time (and was CG-fied) means that the story problems were solvable but they weren't given the opportunity to deal with them back then since the project was shelved by management.

I've said something like this earlier in this thread.

But if there was story problems,what were they?The religious themes?The focus on the female character Gerda?Suitable material for the target audience?Can we sneek into the studios to find previous editions of the project?

[Sky Syndrome]

I hope Lady Ice Frog gets booted and they find the real Snow Queen. Seriously.

[Lnds500]

my anticipation for this has plummeted in the recent weeks.
Frozen, CG. meh... we've only had 2 Disney hand-drawn films after Lasseter stepped in. Howard and Clements are quite possibly the only ones who really care[/] in there to create 2D movies.