Disney Pushes Pooh for 80th Anniversary..and a girl too!

[Loomis]

Disney Launches Winnie the Pooh's 80th Celebration

http://www.mickeynews.com/News/DisplayP ... E_1285Pooh

"Disney is marking Winnie the Pooh's 80th anniversary in 2005/2006 with an 18-month celebration to be commemorated with new Winnie the Pooh entertainment from Disney Live!, Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Walt Disney Records; special edition product from Disney Consumer Products; and international support in all major regions leading to the 2007 premiere of Disney Channel's learning-focused CG-animated series for preschoolers, My Friends Tigger and Pooh. Winnie the Pooh's 80th Anniversary kicks-off on December 7th with the New York premiere of Disney Live! Winnie the Pooh and will continue globally through 2007."

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And in related news....

Disney lets girl into Winnie's world

http://www.mickeynews.com/News/DisplayP ... E_1295Pooh

"Maybe it's just the impossibly cozy nature of the 'hood, but for 80 years there has been no change in the resident line-up of the Hundred Acre Wood.

Guess who's coming for honey? As part of a barrel-full of Winnie the Pooh anniversary events, Disney is working on a new animated series that will replace Christopher Robin with a 6-year-old girl. "

[Disneykid]

The concept of a CGI Pooh fascinates me, but the idea of replacing Christopher Robin with some random girl doesn't. I hope all of this 80th Anniversary celebrating will result in a 2-Disc SE of Many Adventures, especially since it'll celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2007.

[Luke]

Even from just one picture, seeing Pooh in CGI seems to rob it of the simple and wonderful visual style that Disney set in place for the content 40 years ago. That said, the studio has tried Pooh in other mediums with different degrees of success from people in big costumes to puppets to that digital "Book of Pooh" stuff. I'm not opposed to that or CGI for a new show, but I think (or hope) that Disney should (and will) still stick to the traditional palette for feature-length films.

As for adding new characters, well, the franchise seems like it could use some freshening up and between Lumpy and this not-yet-named girl, that seems reasonable enough. I'm more interested by efforts to make Pooh more appealing to older kids, which if still not applicable to us, would be in contrast to the preschoolizing of Pooh that Disney has been doing for the past 5 years or so. And that might work as long as they don't try to reach multiple demographics the way the Muppets did in their <i>Wizard of Oz</i>.

Here's the picture:

<img src="http://images.usatoday.com/life/_photos ... e-pooh.jpg">

from the original source, USA Today.

[Timon/Pumbaa fan]

I hate the Christopher Robin change! I always liked the fact that this imagination was a boy's imagination and that explains why are the characters were guys(with the exception of Kanga). I don't think changing him into a girl is a good idea.

I would like a new series though! And I do agree agree the characters need to find more original ideas for plots and jokes for this new show! And Lumpy will be a nice change!

However there will always be one flaw: WHO ON EARTH WILL PROVIDE THE VOICE FOR PIGLET???

[Pasta67]

<img src="http://images.usatoday.com/life/_photos ... e-pooh.jpg">

Judging from the over-colorful background and the character design of the girl, I'd say they're actually trying to reach a demographic even younger that preschoolers. Me, I'm not crazy about any of this. The whole Pooh franchise just isn't really going where I'd like it to go. I agree with Luke: upgrading Pooh to CGI goes against its simple and innocent charm. As for replacing Christopher Robin with another child, I can't digest that. I mean, that idea just.........tastes bad. I know that Disney has been talking about Christopher growing up and getting into new things, but I never actually thought they'd go through with it! Everyone is used to seeing Christopher Robin be the toys' best friend; I grew up with that. Replacing him with another child just goes against the whole point that The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and The Search for Christopher Robin were trying to make: establishing the friendship between this boy and this bear. Now, I agree that Christopher Robin wasn't the most three-dimensional character, but he was likable, and I just don't think I'll be able to get used to the new-Pooh (or Nooh-Pooh, haha) when it feels uncomfortable seeing a replacement child in the Hundred-Acre-Wood. I'll keep an open mind, but I have my doubts.

I don't think changing him into a girl is a good idea.

Believe me, if they were changing Christopher Robin into a girl, we'd all be having a completely different conversation right now.

[GhostHost]

why couldn't they just leave pooh alone after Many Adventures. Many Adventures was a classic film that all ages could enjoy and now it is overshadowed by so much of the pooh stuff since then. Disney does the same thing with those princesses dvds they put out, it makes people think the films those characters come from are just for girls.

[Loomis]

why couldn't they just leave pooh alone after Many Adventures. Many Adventures was a classic film that all ages could enjoy and now it is overshadowed by so much of the pooh stuff since then. Disney does the same thing with those princesses dvds they put out, it makes people think the films those characters come from are just for girls.

Many would also argue that Disney should have left Pooh alone period.

The original illustrator, E.H. Shepherd, thought what Disney did to the Pooh characters was a 'travesty' and even Frank and Ollie objected to the 'Americanization' of the character. In the original books, the stories are ABOUT Christopher Robin, and the adventures he got up to as a child before he grew up and had to put childish things away. The whimsical stories were meant to represent an idealized version of youth. I think Pooh's Grand Adventure captured this far better than any Disney version has before or since.

Even in the original Disney stories, there was some sense of that connection to Christopher Robin. However, Disney has long since abandoned any ties to those original stories. The Heffalump movies are so far removed from A.A. Milne as to make them a completely different set of characters.

I really don't think the addition of a girl to the Disney cast is going to make much of a difference. Disney has already 'jumped the shark' as far as Pooh is concerned. As everybody here knows, I love the characters and will forgive anything Disney does with them. However, the last few movies have been cut 'n' paste jobs (Tigger goes looking for life meaning; Piglet goes looking for life meaning; Rabbit has to reassess his ways; a new character forces the gang to reassess their views). Perhaps this new character in a new format may give the franchise the kick in the pants it desperately needs.

- Loomis, author of "The Ultimate Guide to Pooh"

[JiminyCrick91]

POOR Christopher Robin!!

[Escapay]

Bah...the new girl will most likely be Christopher Robin's unknown (at least till now) baby sister, who inherits the Pooh gang when he grows older. NOT looking forward to a CGI-ified Pooh as well. Bad enough that Mickey and the gang got it, but Pooh? At least with Mickey and the gang they somewhat looked like themselves. The picture for Pooh, Tigger, and Piglet make them look like characters in Kingdom Hearts.

Escapay

[Timon/Pumbaa fan]

I don't think changing him into a girl is a good idea.

Believe me, if they were changing Christopher Robin into a girl, we'd all be having a completely different conversation right now.

Oh quiet you! You knew what I meant!

Anyway, yeah, I still don't like the change because Christopher Robin is the reason why all the characters are male! Each of these characters represented a personality trait of Christopher Robin. They were apart of HIS imagination! I can't imagine someone's imagination going to somebody else. Even if it will be his sister, because name 2 people who share the same EXACT imagination?

I will have no problem if it's CG! We only have 1 picture which could possibly look slightly different in the future so it's unfair to judge at this moment.

Overall it will all come down to stories and characters. I just hope Lumpy is enough to bring originality into the "Hundred Acre Woods"! Because alot of the recent Pooh series I've seen(haven't seen Heffalump or PBM yet though) have the same stories with jokes used over and over again! I mean I can think of at least three times where Pooh and Piglet followed their own footprints!

So as long as they can seek new plots and jokes for this series, I'll be fine!

But like I mentioned earlier, I can't imagine anybody replacing John Fiedler!

[RJKD23]

Yay, a girl! I know it's sad that they're replacing Christopher Robin, but it shows they're growing up right? It'd be odd to have to watch a teenage boy still hanging out with Pooh and the gang. Then again, I shouldn't talk since I'm 20 and still love Winnie the Pooh..

Last Week, Toys R Us put the plush on sale for $9.99! I know this because after how many years, Ryan still forgets to hide the receipt when he gives a gift. But yea, it's a cute plush.

As for them animals getting CGfied, I agree with Pasta that we'll have to see MORE pictures before saying "BOO ."

[TM2-Megatron]

I started a thread about this on another board, but I called the thread "Christopher Robin evicted from 100 Acre Wood, must vacate by January 2007".

[Timon/Pumbaa fan]

As for them animals getting CGfied, I agree with Pasta that we'll have to see MORE pictures before saying "BOO ."

Actually, that was me who said this!

So when the UD awards come next year, can I get a nomination for "UD Member who gets confusd with other members the most" award!

[Lucylover1986]

I agree they shouldn't replace Christopher Robin. That pic reminds me more of a video game then a TV show. Really too colorful.

[Wonderlicious]

You don't know how angry I am about this. I have detested more and more Disney's treatment of Pooh (save for Many Adventures and some episodes of the TV series), but this tops the atrocious list. And I want to slap the person who thought up of that dorky girl.

[calvin101]

I'm not all that keen on the whole CGI thing, I think the animation is fine as it is but then I suppose normal animation is "dead" these days isn't it.

I was reading this earlier and it was the replacement of Christopher Robin that got me, I mean what better way to celebrate 80 years of some of the world's best loved cartoon characters (I honestly think at the moment they are on about a par with Mickey Mouse in terms of being recognisable and commericial) than to rip the heart out of them.

It was in reading about the show and how the character of Christopher Robin was a dedication to AA Milne's own son that really got me.

[Loomis]

Just reflecting back on my previous comments and what has been said since:

I know everyone is upset by the replacement of Christopher Robin, but has anybody actually noticed him in any of the last few movies? I think he had a cameo over the end credits in Pooh's Heffalump Movie.

The Disney stories have been less about Christopher Robin's childhood and more about Pooh and the gang to the point where they had to expand the gang. As I said above, will "replacing" a character that hasn't been used much really outrage that many fans? Where were those "outraged" fans when he wasn't being used?

[Taleeya]

I really dont like this new CGI'ing of old characters. They did it to Mickey n Minnie and friends, they did it to the Care Bears, and the Chipmunks, it is so annoying! I have nothing against new characters (monsters inc, shrek) being CGI, but if characters are already beloved a certain way, then leave them alone!

And no one (human) should have access to the hundred acre wood aside of christopher robin

[Loomis]

This is not directly relevant, but it made me think that there may be more to introducing this tomboy than we first thought:

Court voids attempt to strip Pooh license

http://today.reuters.com/news/NewsArtic ... =1&summit=

"LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected an attempt by the grand-daughter of "Winnie the Pooh" author A.A. Milne and backed by the Walt Disney Co to strip rights to the popular children's books from the estate of long-time Pooh licensee Stephen Slesinger.
[...]
Disney said recently that Pooh retail sales reached $5.3 billion in 2004. A portion of those sales are returned to Disney as license fees, and from them, Disney pays royalties to Stephen Slesinger Inc and Milne's Pooh Properties Trust."
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I would imagine that the new creations in the Pooh world - Lumpy the Heffalump and this new girl - would be deemed Disney property and thus not subject to the same agreements as the other characters.

Once Lumpy and the chick have been established, Disney may be able to argue that if they are the main characters, it is not Pooh, and thus not subject to the same amount of royalties, bringing more money into Disney's poor little coffers

[chaychay102royal]

I hate the idea of replacing Christopher Robin with a "tomboyish" girl. What's the point? As has already been said, it's HIS imagination! And CGI? Again, why? As has already been said, the characters look like they're starring in a video game or something.