LA Times Article (link in text) - Disney to Suspend Fairy Tale Movies

[Screwy Squirrel]

Disney: After 'Tangled,' Disney Animation is closing the book on fairy tales - latimes.com


All Pixar and Jack Sparrow now, all the time.

What do you think?

[theeighthpassenger]

Re: LA Times Article (link in text) - Disney to Suspend Fairy Tale Movies

Sad.

There's a topic on the article here:

http://micechat.com/forums/disney-business/146734-end-animated-fairytails.html

[Wendygirl]

Re: LA Times Article (link in text) - Disney to Suspend Fairy Tale Movies

This quote in the article really stood out to me:

"By the time they're 5 or 6, they're not interested in being princesses," said Dafna Lemish, chairwoman of the radio and TV department at Southern Illinois University and an expert in the role of media in children's lives. "They're interested in being hot, in being cool. Clearly, they see this is what society values."

I find this so sad, the things today's society values. I'm a teacher's aide for First Graders and yes, I do see this need to be "hot" or "cool" in some of the girls. They are also the ones we have the most problems with and/or their parents.

[mickdaddy]

Re: LA Times Article (link in text) - Disney to Suspend Fairy Tale Movies

The did say the door is not closed its just a shift in focus! The princess movie has been done and it has been done well but I agree it is probably time to open the creative doorway and start to develop fresh and original stories! Now if only they would think the same way on theme park attractions!

[MarkTwain]

Re: LA Times Article (link in text) - Disney to Suspend Fairy Tale Movies

Sad.

There's a topic on the article here:

http://micechat.com/forums/disney-bu...airytails.html

I don't think so. Although they have admittedly had a lot of success with the genre in the past, I think that recently Disney has worn out the princess movie/fairy-tale to the point it has become a cliche. Disney is trying to relive the success of the '90s with P&tF and Tangled, and it just ain't working like it used to. One of the things that makes Pixar very successful and notable is that each of their movies are very, very different. The premises are usually unconventional, often putting twists on our own conceptions of what a story is supposed to be (eg, robots teaching humans how to love, monsters being afraid of humans, a man at the end of his life living for the first time, etc.) and it has given them huge critical acclaim and financial reward. We've seen this in the past from the Disney studio with Lilo & Stitch, and I would argue that's one of their best films of the past decade. I wouldn't mind Disney taking a more out there, unconventional, non-fairy tale approach, if that's what it takes the bring studio relevance and success again. They can only do so much of the same for so long.

EDIT: I'll also point out that the article wasn't saying Disney's going to be all Pirates and Pixar all the time now - just that the Animation Studio is taking a more Pirate- and Pixar-style approach. Pirates is another example of an offbeat film: the first (and best) of the Pirates films was not about the cliche plot of pirates stealing treasure, but of desperately trying to return it... not to mention the meshing of 17th-century setting with a lot of modern touches. The fairy-tale model presents another significant challenge: Disney is running out of classic fairy-tales. They've made almost 50 movies now based on fairy-tales in some form, how many are really left? This Reboot Ralph movie sounds like it'll be the perfect template for WDAS' future... a more contemporary film based, on the challenges of an outdated character finding relevance in a modern world.

[mickeyfan42]

Re: LA Times Article (link in text) - Disney to Suspend Fairy Tale Movies

This quote in the article really stood out to me:

"By the time they're 5 or 6, they're not interested in being princesses," said Dafna Lemish, chairwoman of the radio and TV department at Southern Illinois University and an expert in the role of media in children's lives. "They're interested in being hot, in being cool. Clearly, they see this is what society values."

I find this so sad, the things today's society values. I'm a teacher's aide for First Graders and yes, I do see this need to be "hot" or "cool" in some of the girls. They are also the ones we have the most problems with and/or their parents.

I agree with you here, this is actually quite sickening to read, because little girls seeing billboards, commercials, and any other form of media telling them they need to be "hot" and "popular" is terrible for their self esteem, because if they aren't the popular one things won't be any good. This just isn't a reality in the High Schools though, just because you aren't popular, it doesn't mean that you're chopped liver, while it might feel that way sometimes, it certainly isn't true. And didn't Disney pay attention the last time they said to go away from classic stories, what happened then? All of the movies were bad and flopped big time.

Also, the only reason girls even care about being hot at such a young age is because of the media push to all ages. If the media would quit this (which they really need to do immediately) then we wouldn't have this problem. Did you hear that Disney? That means get rid of Selena Gomez and all of your other Popettes, because by having them be the idols, you're inadvertently part of the problem that has led to this.

I don't see this as being a good move on the studios part. I see this being a disaster that we all see coming. How did Valiant do? The Wild? All of these were in the last time that Disney tried to be dreamworks and failed miserably. When it came to Princess and the Frog, did they look at what they were against in theaters? They were against Avatar, of course it wasn't going to do well. But if you've seen Tiana doing the show in New Orleans you know it gets crowded fast. My mom just watched it for the first time about a week ago and she loved it and said "If I knew the movie was going to be this good I would've seen it in theaters". After seeing PatF, she has decided that My parents and I will be going to Tangled on 12/2 after Snowflake Lane because I don't have class the next day, and kids aren't on breaks yet.


DISNEY, I KNOW YOU READ THESE FORUMS, IF YOU HAVE ANY SHRED OF DIGNITY YOU WILL STOP PUSHING THE IDEA OF GIRLS NEEDING TO BE HOT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND YOU WILL GO BACK TO THE MUSICALS OF THE EARLY 90s THEY DID GOOD IN THEATERS.

[mickeyfan42]

Re: LA Times Article (link in text) - Disney to Suspend Fairy Tale Movies

This Reboot Ralph movie sounds like it'll be the perfect template for WDAS' future... a more contemporary film based, on the challenges of an outdated character finding relevance in a modern world.

I actually laughed at how lame that idea sounds. I'm not a gamer but I have friends that love video games and I don't think they'd ever see this, unless the old character was Sonic or Mario, which Disney doesn't have the rights to. When I read that concept I almost hurled the breakfast I was eating at the time it was so bad.

[Quacky4Donald]

Re: LA Times Article (link in text) - Disney to Suspend Fairy Tale Movies

I've always hoped Disney would do a movie based on "Rumpelstiltskin." I wonder what the chances are of that happening now (or ever were to begin with).

[jjajju]

Re: LA Times Article (link in text) - Disney to Suspend Fairy Tale Movies

This is awful!! There are still so many fairy tales they have not done yet!! So many possiblities!!

And wasn't princess and the frog supposed to ressurect classic 2d disney animated fairytales?! What the heck happened to that?!!

[dl_appurtenant]

Re: LA Times Article (link in text) - Disney to Suspend Fairy Tale Movies

From the official 'Disney' and 'Walt Disney Animation Studios' Facebook pages:

A headline in today’s LA Times erroneously reported that the Disney fairy tale is a thing of the past, but I feel it is important to set the record straight that they are alive and well at Disney and continue this week with Tangled, a contemporary retelling of a much loved story. We have a number of projects in development with new twists that audiences will be able to enjoy for many years to come. - Ed Catmull

[sbk1234]

Re: LA Times Article (link in text) - Disney to Suspend Fairy Tale Movies

As sad is it is to hear Disney specifically say they have no plans to pursue classic fairy tales, I will agree that they do need to simply look for good stories to tell, regardless of the genre.
I am a lover of fairy tales, but I'll take a good story of another genre any day.
Of course, this decision of Disney's may change instantly, the second new leadership comes in and/or the suits determine that it can be profitable to do so.
Here's hoping.

[CaptainEO,ATIS]

Re: LA Times Article (link in text) - Disney to Suspend Fairy Tale Movies

I know who to blame for this. The cast of High School Musical, Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana or whatever she wants to be, the Jonas Brothers, and all the other people in "live action" shows on Disney Channel. The article said kids are only interested in being "hot" and "cool" now and what do those shows teach kids? Exactly. Blame Ann Sweeny and her minions who don't like cartoons and animation that can actually be funny and watchable.

[mickeyfan42]

Re: LA Times Article (link in text) - Disney to Suspend Fairy Tale Movies

If Disney wanted to wow the audiences they'd do something on the same caliber as Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Lion King, Princess and the frog was really close to this and I still have my hopes up for Tangled. But if they really don't do any more fairy tales for a long time I probably won't see any more of the animated movies until they do a good old style Alan Menken musical.