Musker & Clements Left Disney

[Sotiris]

I hope you're right, though they did cancel the Scooby Doo movie.

Scoob! Holiday Haunt wasn't a DC property though. No animated movies or series based on DC properties were affected. And given how WAG was positioned as one of WBD's main studios at the earnings call, I doubt they would do anything that jeopardized its success. Getting Musker & Clements was considered a big win for WAG. I bet Metal Men was conceived as a theatrical event from the start. I'm not worried.

[Sotiris]

Does this mean Musker & Clements' Metal Men is safe?

While Gunn and Safran didn’t mention anything about new projects, the former said he has a penchant for such DC superheroes as Metal Men and Bat-mite.

Source: https://deadline.com/2022/11/warner-dis ... 235169138/

[D82]

I hope so.

[blackcauldron85]

Stuart Ng Books (an art bookstore in California that you can order online from)(https://stuartngbooks.com/) has an email newsletter every week (?) and the current newsletter says, "Since retiring from Disney, John has been working on his own personal animated short--doing the animation himself--and he is finishing it up now. Look for the film--and the man himself--on the film festival circuit next year."

[Farerb]

I remember in one of their podcasts, Ron Clements said his book would be published at D23 but obviously it didn't happen. Does anyone have any information about it? At this point I think it'll never be published

[D82]

I haven't heard anything new about his book, but I think it'll be released eventually. By the way, when I was looking for info on this I found an interview with John Musker from last March where he says something I don't think I had heard before. Did we know Ron Clements served as consultant on the live-action remake of Aladdin?

On other fronts, Ron and I actually are not involved in the live Little Mermaid production. With Aladdin, Ron got called in a few times to see a screening and to give some notes, and they actually did a few of them, which helped the movie, I think. On Mermaid, they didn't ask Ron for notes, even though he was the guy that pitched the idea 30 years ago. Generally, we’ve never really been involved in the other iterations of our projects. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because it gives people a chance to reinterpret the material and try out new ideas.

Source: https://www.awn.com/animationworld/conv ... ohn-musker

[Disney's Divinity]

No wonder it looks like one of the worst remakes thus far. It, Mulan, Alice, Cinderella, Mary Poppins Returns, and Dumbo are easily the worst. Well, and Christopher Robin. Christopher Robin was a lot like Hocus Pocus 2 and Disenchanted to me--or, rather, the other way around. Nostalgia without much substance (ie, a decent storyline).

[Farerb]

Something interesting I just found, an old animation podcast where Ron and John were interviewed right after they left Disney back in 2005:

Part 1:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cD ... bXAz?ep=14

Part 2:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cD ... 1wMw?ep=14

Part 3:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cD ... 1wMw?ep=14

In the first part, John throws shade at Don Bluth. I get the impression that both of them didn't like him very much.

The podcast has a lot of interviews with animators if anyone is interested.

[shimran]

Something interesting I just found, an old animation podcast where Ron and John were interviewed right after they left Disney back in 2005:

Part 1:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cD ... bXAz?ep=14

Part 2:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cD ... 1wMw?ep=14

Part 3:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cD ... 1wMw?ep=14

In the first part, John throws shade at Don Bluth. I get the impression that both of them didn't like him very much.

The podcast has a lot of interviews with animators if anyone is interested.

Thanks for sharing the podcast.

[Sotiris]

John Musker's new hand-drawn short "I'm Hip" will premiere at Annecy this summer.


Source: https://twitter.com/cartoonbrew/status/ ... 9251312646

Duration: 00:04:10
Synopsis: A self-absorbed cat, in a jazzy song and dance, proudly and comically proclaims his "hipness" to the world. The world is less convinced than he is.

Source: https://www.annecyfestival.com/the-fest ... n-official

[Farerb]

Will there be a way for us to watch this?

[Sotiris]

Right now, no. But after it hits the festival circuit, there will probably be a commercial release of some kind.

[D82]

The premise and style of animation of John Musker's short are not what I expected, but I'm very curious about it. It seems it'll have a song, right? I wonder if he wrote it himself or asked someone else to do it. I hope we don't have to wait too much to see it.

[Sotiris]

In an upcoming memoir, the 69-year-old Clements details their impact and others’ over the course of his career, which started in January 1974 and ended just before the pandemic. While he and Musker are “just kind of dabbling” on other projects, Clements considers himself retired.

He went back to the studio once to attend the launch for a Disney+ series based on “Moana” and keeps in touch with others from his storied career.

“I’ve actually enjoyed retirement more than I expected,” the Bishop Heelan High School grad says. “I started meditating. I’ve taught myself how to play the piano and, occasionally, I’ll do some writing and painting. We spend time with our granddaughter, who’s 7, and that’s fun. I’m not that anxious to jump back into directing, but there are a few things out there. It’s a tough job. It can be stressful and it takes a lot out of you.

“I honestly didn’t know how I would react to retirement but I’m not the kind of person who feels like I’ve got to do more and more and more.”

Instead, Clements enjoys seeing the residual effects of his work. A live-action version of “The Little Mermaid” is coming out this summer. There’s a “Hercules” stage play in development and, next week, he’ll get to be part of the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra’s presentation of “Aladdin.”

Source: https://mtstandard.com/entertainment/mo ... 83da2.html

[Farerb]

I don't understand, what about the Metal Men film? When's the book coming out?

[Sotiris]

‘Aladdin,’ ‘Moana’ Director John Musker Goes Indie With Annecy-Debuting Short ‘I’m Hip’
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/interviews/ ... 29638.html

Walt Disney Family Museum To Host Special Presentation Showcasing The Making of “I’m Hip”
https://www.laughingplace.com/w/enterta ... um-im-hip/

CTN Expo 2023: Legendary Disney Director John Musker Shows Off Caricature-Filled New Short “I’m Hip”
https://www.laughingplace.com/w/enterta ... er-im-hip/

Interview: “I’m Hip” A Whole New Short From John Musker
https://www.animationscoop.com/intervie ... hn-musker/

Oscar Shortlist Interviews: Director John Musker Shares His Favorite Shot From ‘I’m Hip’
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/awards/osca ... 36307.html

An Animated Short That Sends Up Hollywood Bigwigs
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie ... 235783644/

John Musker gives behind-the-scenes presentation of short film “I’m Hip!”
https://www.thepanthernewspaper.org/ent ... ilm-im-hip

[Farerb]

What did you learn from taking on this endeavor? And are you considering making more shorts?

Overall, it was a lot of work but also a lot of fun. I love the way animation can work to music. I have a number of other short film ideas that are all built around various pieces of music, although they vary in terms of style, length, and tone. After I’m Hip makes its circuit of film festivals, I may begin another short. Time will tell.

With this and the latest Clements interview, I don't think they are working on a DC film anymore, if they ever did to begin with.

[D82]

‘Aladdin,’ ‘Moana’ Director John Musker Goes Indie With Annecy-Debuting Short ‘I’m Hip’
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/interviews/ ... 29638.html

It's cool he included all those caricatures in the short, especially since making them is one of his hobbies. Using a pre-existing song as the basis for the sort makes it a bit like Fantasia, though it's different because I imagine he also had to take the lyrics into consideration and make the story and visuals match them to an extent.

With this and the latest Clements interview, I don't think they are working on a DC film anymore, if they ever did to begin with.

There've been so many changes at DC recently that I wouldn't be surprised if the project was cancelled.

[Farerb]

Teaser for I'm Hip:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/FCdTMi ... tid=VI5BsZ

[Kyle]

Something feels off about the animation, like its obviously well done, but it feels too...zippy? Like it doesn't really allow time to breath?