The previous story discussed what animated movies Disney and its subsidiaries are unleashing this year and in the summer of 2009. However, there's a lot more in the Mouse House's pipeline. Let's have a look.
Toy Story in 3-D
(Pixar Animation, dir: John Lasseter)
Priming the pump for the upcoming Toy Story 3, Disney and Pixar are giving the first two installments a theatrical re-release in 3-D. It'll be interesting to see how Toy Story's then-cutting edge CGI technology has dated since its original 1995 release, but certainly the story holds up well, and that forgives a lot.
It's due October 2, 2009.
The Princess and the Frog
(Disney Animation, dir: Ron Clements and John Musker)
Controversy quickly followed the announcement of this flick, Disney's first cel animated film since 2005. The Princess and the Frog, directed by Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin), may or may not be a retelling of the Russian folk tale set in 1920's New Orleans. Randy Newman is composing the music for the film, which stars Anika Noni Rose and Keith David.
Look for The Princess and the Frog come Christmas 2009.
A Christmas Carol
(ImageMovers Digital, Possible dir: Robert Zemeckis)
Disney, after conquering the worlds of cel animation and CGI, are hitting motion-capture in the biggest way: by supporting ImageMovers Digital, the imprint started by director Robert Zemeckis (Beowulf).
Zemeckis' first motion-capture film for the Mouse House is yet another adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, starring Jim Carrey as Scrooge and the three ghosts. Bob Hoskins, who originally spilled the beans on the flick, co-stars as Fezziwig. It's likely but not confirmed that Zemeckis will sit in the director's chair.
The only issue is that Jim Carrey's A Christmas Carol is officially scheduled to come out in Christmas of 2009, the same time that The Princess and the Frog is also hitting theatres. Which will get moved? Stay tuned.
Tinker Bell North Of Neverland
(Disney Home Video, dir: Bradley Raymond)
This is a sequel to the controversial direct-to-DVD movie Tinker Bell discussed in the previous installment. Details about this sequel are non-existent as of this writing, but it's due sometime in 2009. Hopefully this will be a major improvement over the previous "dreck-to-video" animated releases of the 1990's.
Toy Story 2 in 3-D
(Pixar, dir: John Lasseter)
As mentioned before, Pixar is giving the theatrical 3-D treatment to its only franchise series, Toy Story, prior to Toy Story 3's debut in 2010. It's entirely possible that if this re-release makes big money for the Mouse House, it could become an evergreen release, much like Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Toy Story 3
(Pixar, dir: Lee Unkrich)
Call it the Clash of the Titans. Toy Story 3 is going up against DreamWorks Animation's Shrek Goes Fourth during the summer of 2010. Not only that, both films are getting the 3-D treatment.
When totalling pure box office, Shrek has the advantage. The series made big money: Shrek 2 is the third highest grossing film of all time and even the oft-reviled Shrek the Third still managed to take $321 million in domestic box office. The animated Christmas special Shrek the Halls became one of the highest-rated shows of 2007.
In terms of story, Toy Story 3 has the edge. While many reviewers disliked Shrek the Third's shopworn plot, Toy Story 2 was widely considered to be superior to its predecessor. The franchise is in good hands; Lee Unkrich, who co-directed Toy Story 2, is in charge and Lasseter is vetting the script before it hits the animators.
Toy Story 3 comes out June 18, 2010.
Rapunzel
(Disney Animation, dir: Glen Keane, Dean Wellins)
This retelling of the fairy tale is coming from Glen Keane, the longtime Disney animator who mentored John Lasseter when he started at the Mouse House.
Rapunzel was originally supposed to be a "fractured fairy tale" retelling of the classic story, but Lasseter pulled the Shrek-isms when he took over at Disney Animation. According to Animators' Guild rep Steve Hulett, Keane said he was "happy with the new direction of Rapunzel and credited the new regime with helping to make the picture better."
Lasseter said he "can't remember ever seeing a movie that has such a powerful beginning as Rapunzel."
Rapunzel comes out during Christmas of 2010.
Dominic von Riedemann - Dominic is the Animated Film Feature Writer, and winner of 11 Suite 101 Editors' Choice Awards.
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