Thanks to the studios shooting themselves in the foot, not striking a fair deal with the writers and actors as soon as possible, and subsequently delaying many of their planned releases, the first few months of 2024 are going to feel pretty barren at the box office. It's not exactly ideal timing for pumping the brakes, given that the industry was finally starting to regain some momentum after the pandemic took its legs out from underneath it. To help shore up the release calendar, Disney announced today that the studio will be releasing three Pixar films -- "Soul," "Turning Red," and "Luca" -- in theaters nationwide for the first time in the first quarter of 2024.
It remains to be seen whether this tactic will be enough to reestablish Pixar as a theatrical brand in the minds of consumers, but it's a tangible admission on Disney's part that the studio screwed up...
It remains to be seen whether this tactic will be enough to reestablish Pixar as a theatrical brand in the minds of consumers, but it's a tangible admission on Disney's part that the studio screwed up...
- 12/5/2023
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
This article appears in the new issue of Den Of Geek magazine. Get your copy here.
When it came to creating the animated film that would be released on the 100th anniversary of Disney Studios, Disney Animation’s Chief Creative Officer and co-creator of Frozen, Jennifer Lee, was deeply aware of the massive task that she and everyone at the storied animation studio would be taking on. “I started talking with my fellow Frozen director, Chris Buck, about how Disney would be turning 100 this year,” Lee shared at a press event celebrating their newest animated feature. “We acknowledged what a privilege and responsibility it is at this significant time. And we thought what a wonderful way to celebrate a century of storytelling, to tell a joyful, original story with original characters and songs inspired by our legacy of films.” That film is Wish, the 62nd animated Disney film that follows a young woman,...
When it came to creating the animated film that would be released on the 100th anniversary of Disney Studios, Disney Animation’s Chief Creative Officer and co-creator of Frozen, Jennifer Lee, was deeply aware of the massive task that she and everyone at the storied animation studio would be taking on. “I started talking with my fellow Frozen director, Chris Buck, about how Disney would be turning 100 this year,” Lee shared at a press event celebrating their newest animated feature. “We acknowledged what a privilege and responsibility it is at this significant time. And we thought what a wonderful way to celebrate a century of storytelling, to tell a joyful, original story with original characters and songs inspired by our legacy of films.” That film is Wish, the 62nd animated Disney film that follows a young woman,...
- 11/20/2023
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
[Editor’s note: The following interview contains spoilers for “Nimona.”]
Netflix’s “Nimona” (now streaming) represents the latest post “Spider-Verse” animated breakthrough in handmade-looking 2D stylization. The twist here was creating a futuristic medieval fantasy that mixes “Sleeping Beauty” with “Blade Runner.” Fortunately, Dneg Animation (“Entergalactic”) answered the Sos after the trouble-plagued adaptation of Nd Stevenson’s queer graphic novel about the titular teen shapeshifter (Chloë Grace Moretz) came back from the dead. That’s because Annapurna Animation and the streamer rescued the Blue Sky feature after Disney shuttered the Fox-owned animation studio in 2021.
“We obviously followed it really closely, what happened to Blue Sky,” Dneg VFX supervisor Archie Donato told IndieWire. “We knew that they were shutting down. It was all over media and everything, so it was incredibly heartbreaking because we had many, many friends working there. We actually hired a lot of their animators and people in lighting and compositing and other departments. So we managed...
Netflix’s “Nimona” (now streaming) represents the latest post “Spider-Verse” animated breakthrough in handmade-looking 2D stylization. The twist here was creating a futuristic medieval fantasy that mixes “Sleeping Beauty” with “Blade Runner.” Fortunately, Dneg Animation (“Entergalactic”) answered the Sos after the trouble-plagued adaptation of Nd Stevenson’s queer graphic novel about the titular teen shapeshifter (Chloë Grace Moretz) came back from the dead. That’s because Annapurna Animation and the streamer rescued the Blue Sky feature after Disney shuttered the Fox-owned animation studio in 2021.
“We obviously followed it really closely, what happened to Blue Sky,” Dneg VFX supervisor Archie Donato told IndieWire. “We knew that they were shutting down. It was all over media and everything, so it was incredibly heartbreaking because we had many, many friends working there. We actually hired a lot of their animators and people in lighting and compositing and other departments. So we managed...
- 6/30/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Long before celebrating the world premiere of “Nimona” at a hilltop castle high above Annecy, Nd Stevenson devised the character out of sheer necessity. “I was an extremely depressed art student, I was 19 years old, and I was struggling,” he tells Variety.
“I was really trying to find myself and figure out who I was, and Nimona was this character who kind of embodied everything I wanted to be. She was a shapeshifter, able to change her appearance with the click of a finger, and she could be anything, any person, as big as a dragon or as small as a cat. There was really no limit to her power, and that gave me an emotional language to talk about my feelings at a time when I really needed to.”
What’s more, Nimona could travel, starting on the back of sketchbook and then to a serialized web-comic and then...
“I was really trying to find myself and figure out who I was, and Nimona was this character who kind of embodied everything I wanted to be. She was a shapeshifter, able to change her appearance with the click of a finger, and she could be anything, any person, as big as a dragon or as small as a cat. There was really no limit to her power, and that gave me an emotional language to talk about my feelings at a time when I really needed to.”
What’s more, Nimona could travel, starting on the back of sketchbook and then to a serialized web-comic and then...
- 6/16/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix’s “Nimona” marks an LGBTQ breakthrough for a mainstream animated film. Based on Nd Stevenson’s best-selling queer graphic novel about the titular teen shapeshifter (Chloë Grace Moretz) in a futuristic medieval world, “Nimona” explores timely issues of identity and xenophobia. It additionally pushes 2D stylization into 3D with a uniquely illustrated look.
“Nimona” is also a minor miracle. It was rescued from the dead by Annapurna Animation and Netflix after Disney halted production in 2021 when they shuttered Fox-owned Blue Sky Studios, where the project originated. As it was, the film’s LGBTQ themes were watered down and a same-sex kiss between bestie knights (voiced by Riz Ahmed and Eugene Lee Yang) was a cause of concern at Disney.
But former Blue Sky co-presidents Andrew Millstein and Robert Baird refused to let “Nimona” die in 2021. Together with producer Julie Zackary and directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (“Spies in Disguise...
“Nimona” is also a minor miracle. It was rescued from the dead by Annapurna Animation and Netflix after Disney halted production in 2021 when they shuttered Fox-owned Blue Sky Studios, where the project originated. As it was, the film’s LGBTQ themes were watered down and a same-sex kiss between bestie knights (voiced by Riz Ahmed and Eugene Lee Yang) was a cause of concern at Disney.
But former Blue Sky co-presidents Andrew Millstein and Robert Baird refused to let “Nimona” die in 2021. Together with producer Julie Zackary and directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (“Spies in Disguise...
- 6/14/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Pete Docter is no stranger to awards ceremonies.
He’s the only filmmaker to have won the Best Animated Feature Oscar three times (most recently for the 2020 film “Soul”) and Docter’s “Up” was only the second animated movie to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. Add to that a half-dozen Annie Awards and a BAFTA trophy.
This year, Docter will be honored with the Winsor McKay Award at this year’s Annies, presented by the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, Asifa-Hollywood. Previous Winsor McKay honorees, named for the legendary animator behind Gertie the Dinosaur, include Eyvind Earle, Hayao Miyazaki, Ray Harryahusen, Tim Burton and Don Bluth. Docter will be honored alongside Canadian animator Evelyn Lambart (posthumously) and Craig McCracken, creator (most recently) of Netflix’s “Kid Cosmic.”
“That’s totally exciting. I had no idea. And then you look at the list of past...
He’s the only filmmaker to have won the Best Animated Feature Oscar three times (most recently for the 2020 film “Soul”) and Docter’s “Up” was only the second animated movie to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. Add to that a half-dozen Annie Awards and a BAFTA trophy.
This year, Docter will be honored with the Winsor McKay Award at this year’s Annies, presented by the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, Asifa-Hollywood. Previous Winsor McKay honorees, named for the legendary animator behind Gertie the Dinosaur, include Eyvind Earle, Hayao Miyazaki, Ray Harryahusen, Tim Burton and Don Bluth. Docter will be honored alongside Canadian animator Evelyn Lambart (posthumously) and Craig McCracken, creator (most recently) of Netflix’s “Kid Cosmic.”
“That’s totally exciting. I had no idea. And then you look at the list of past...
- 2/21/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
A new show opening June 21 at the Getty Center explores the centuries-long influence that the elaborate visual storytelling styles of the Middle Ages have had on the contemporary imagination in entertainment.
“There are these real hallmarks of popular culture — Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones — which make use of the visual language of the Middle Ages and do so in culturally relevant ways,” Larisa Grollemond, assistant curator of manuscripts of the J. Paul Getty Museum, tells THR. “I think the project of this exhibition was to pull back the curtain on what aspects of these beloved franchises are actually medieval and which are the product of historical imagination over time.”
“The Fantasy of the Middle Ages,” which runs through Sept. 11, tracks the evolution of the fantasy genre in modern entertainment and how medieval traditions and costume studies have birthed an entire artistic universe.
A new show opening June 21 at the Getty Center explores the centuries-long influence that the elaborate visual storytelling styles of the Middle Ages have had on the contemporary imagination in entertainment.
“There are these real hallmarks of popular culture — Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones — which make use of the visual language of the Middle Ages and do so in culturally relevant ways,” Larisa Grollemond, assistant curator of manuscripts of the J. Paul Getty Museum, tells THR. “I think the project of this exhibition was to pull back the curtain on what aspects of these beloved franchises are actually medieval and which are the product of historical imagination over time.”
“The Fantasy of the Middle Ages,” which runs through Sept. 11, tracks the evolution of the fantasy genre in modern entertainment and how medieval traditions and costume studies have birthed an entire artistic universe.
- 6/19/2022
- by Evan Nicole Brown
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Disney’s acclaimed VR short, “Myth: A Frozen Tale,” a bedtime story about the elemental spirits from “Frozen 2,” launches February 26 on Disney+ in 2D. While not as immersive in 2D, the short still captivates as a gaze into the mysterious and moody forest outside Arendelle (narrated by Evan Rachel Wood’s Queen Queen Iduna). Director Jeff Gipson, who made Disney’s first VR short, “Cycles,” was inspired by his own family tradition of telling bedtime stories, particularly his great-great-great-great grandfather’s brush with Jesse James as a youth growing up in Kansas City.
Gipson tapped that sense of excitement and wonder of hearing about his ancestor swapping horses with the James gang, and applied it to the mythology of the forest characters: the Nokk stallion water spirit, the massive earth giants, the Bruni salamander fire spirit, and the swirling wind. “And I also wanted to draw from the history of [Disney],” he said,...
Gipson tapped that sense of excitement and wonder of hearing about his ancestor swapping horses with the James gang, and applied it to the mythology of the forest characters: the Nokk stallion water spirit, the massive earth giants, the Bruni salamander fire spirit, and the swirling wind. “And I also wanted to draw from the history of [Disney],” he said,...
- 2/22/2021
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Brittney Lee has become something of a rock star artist for Walt Disney Animation Studios. Joining the studio 10 years ago on the strength of a design portfolio she put together in her off-time while working as an animator on an online multiplayer game, she’s worked on most of the studio’s features and shorts since 2011’s “Wreck It Ralph.” “Frozen,” however, holds a special place in the Pennsylvania native’s heart. In addition to her work on the 2013 Oscar-winner, she brought a mix of mid-century art influences as well as an interest in paper-cut art, aka quilling, to the first feature, a “Frozen” children’s book she illustrated, and to “Frozen II.” The visual development artist and production designer also jumped into the unknown waters of Vr as production designer on the Ves Award-nominated “Myth: A Frozen Tale.”
What are your artistic influences?
Oh, it’s all over the place.
What are your artistic influences?
Oh, it’s all over the place.
- 2/1/2020
- by Thomas J. McLean
- Variety Film + TV
For a solid chunk of my childhood, my favorite movie was Disney's Sleeping Beauty. As film geeks are wont to do, I've spent a lot of time thinking about why I was so drawn to it in my formative years. Little Me was especially fond of two scenes: Princess Aurora’s guardian fairies using magic to settle an argument over whether a gown should be pink or blue, and the fabulously evil Maleficent's transformation into a fire-breathing dragon. I was equally entranced by the fashion as I was by the fearsome monster, and as an adult, that’s no surprise. I especially love freaky films with a solid visual aesthetic, and even more so when they feature fierce women.
For 1959, Sleeping Beauty is surprisingly feminist. The titular Beauty herself is pretty bland, but the climax of the film features three powerful fairies who cast off their guise of domestic...
For 1959, Sleeping Beauty is surprisingly feminist. The titular Beauty herself is pretty bland, but the climax of the film features three powerful fairies who cast off their guise of domestic...
- 1/30/2020
- by Laura Di Girolamo
- DailyDead
With director Sergio Pablos’ “Klaus” (Netflix), the innovative 2D Santa origin story, Annie-nominated production designers Szymon Biernacki and Marcin Jakubowski achieved a unique retro look, channeling Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” but looking forward instead of back.
“Our mission was to revive 2D animation and make it relevant again for audiences,” said Jakubowski, who filled in the gap with new tracking software for volumetric lighting and texturing around characters to make them stand out more in the environments. “But we had to operate within the broad appeal visual language that we are all used to. We couldn’t get too experimental.”
Disney is in Pablos’ DNA: he worked on “Tarzan” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” in the ’90s. “But our inspiration was Eyvind Earle with his backgrounds from ‘Sleeping Beauty,'” said Jakubowski, “and also his personal work, including the Christmas postcards. It looks like Scandinavia in winter and...
“Our mission was to revive 2D animation and make it relevant again for audiences,” said Jakubowski, who filled in the gap with new tracking software for volumetric lighting and texturing around characters to make them stand out more in the environments. “But we had to operate within the broad appeal visual language that we are all used to. We couldn’t get too experimental.”
Disney is in Pablos’ DNA: he worked on “Tarzan” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” in the ’90s. “But our inspiration was Eyvind Earle with his backgrounds from ‘Sleeping Beauty,'” said Jakubowski, “and also his personal work, including the Christmas postcards. It looks like Scandinavia in winter and...
- 12/23/2019
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The inaugural edition of the Concept Art Awards will be presented on Sept. 7 in Pasadena by the Concept Art Association and LightBox Expo. The newest industry award will recognize the often unsung achievements of concept artists and highlight the value of their work in this contemporary CG era in film and television and the on-going growth of the video game marketplace.
During the event, winners and nominees will be honored in categories that include: live action work for film/broadcast, animation work for film/broadcast, gaming work (mobile/ PC/console), original concepts/independent work, student work, and fan work. Special presentations will also be made for lifetime achievement and the LightBox Community Icon Award.
The spotlight is long overdue for the concept art sector, whose luminaries have included the likes of Ralph McQuarrie (Star Wars), H. R. Giger (Alien), Mary Blair (Alice in Wonderland), and Eyvind Earle (Sleeping Beauty).
Entry...
During the event, winners and nominees will be honored in categories that include: live action work for film/broadcast, animation work for film/broadcast, gaming work (mobile/ PC/console), original concepts/independent work, student work, and fan work. Special presentations will also be made for lifetime achievement and the LightBox Community Icon Award.
The spotlight is long overdue for the concept art sector, whose luminaries have included the likes of Ralph McQuarrie (Star Wars), H. R. Giger (Alien), Mary Blair (Alice in Wonderland), and Eyvind Earle (Sleeping Beauty).
Entry...
- 6/3/2019
- by Geoff Boucher
- Deadline Film + TV
Bambi, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, joins the Collection on Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand on June 6. The Collection release includes a variety of new bonus material, including recordings of Walt Disney discussing the challenges and triumphs during the production of “Bambi;” deleted scenes and characters; stories and effects that “Bambi” had on the Studio, other films and artists; and much, much more. Additionally, the Digital HD release includes an exclusive, heartfelt feature on the incredible artist, Tyrus Wong, who inspired the film’s soft watercolor backgrounds and beautiful palette.
We Are Movie Geeks has some great bonus material to share with you today from Disney’s Bambi. The clips and artwork below showcase the animation techniques and animation research that went into creating Bambi along with a personal story from Walt on his daughter Diane’s reaction to Bambi.
Animation School:
Animating Wildlife:
Walt and Diane:
Bambi was...
We Are Movie Geeks has some great bonus material to share with you today from Disney’s Bambi. The clips and artwork below showcase the animation techniques and animation research that went into creating Bambi along with a personal story from Walt on his daughter Diane’s reaction to Bambi.
Animation School:
Animating Wildlife:
Walt and Diane:
Bambi was...
- 6/5/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“I’m thumpin’! That’s why they call me Thumper!”
Today at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by At&T, Walt Disney Studios announced the addition of “Bambi,” the endearing, timeless tale of a wide-eyed fawn, to the celebrated Walt Disney Signature Collection.
“Bambi,” which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, joins the Collection on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on May 23, and on Blu-ray™, DVD and On-Demand on June 6. The Collection release includes a variety of new bonus material, including recordings of Walt Disney discussing the challenges and triumphs during the production of “Bambi;” deleted scenes and characters; stories and effects that “Bambi” had on the Studio, other films and artists; and much, much more. Additionally, the Digital HD release includes an exclusive, heartfelt feature on the incredible artist, Tyrus Wong, who inspired the film’s soft watercolor backgrounds and beautiful palette.
Here’s the Bambi trailer:
Designed...
Today at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by At&T, Walt Disney Studios announced the addition of “Bambi,” the endearing, timeless tale of a wide-eyed fawn, to the celebrated Walt Disney Signature Collection.
“Bambi,” which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, joins the Collection on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on May 23, and on Blu-ray™, DVD and On-Demand on June 6. The Collection release includes a variety of new bonus material, including recordings of Walt Disney discussing the challenges and triumphs during the production of “Bambi;” deleted scenes and characters; stories and effects that “Bambi” had on the Studio, other films and artists; and much, much more. Additionally, the Digital HD release includes an exclusive, heartfelt feature on the incredible artist, Tyrus Wong, who inspired the film’s soft watercolor backgrounds and beautiful palette.
Here’s the Bambi trailer:
Designed...
- 5/2/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Walt Disney's Last Will and Testament, artwork from How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Nightmare Before Christmas, and many, many more incredible items are up for auction in the highly anticipated Animation and Disneyana event that began on December 9th. Also: watch two new clips plus the official trailer for Richard Mundy's Twenty Twenty-Four, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10 Vol. 6 cover art and preview pages.
Animation & Disneyana Auction Details: Press Release: "Calabasas, Calif.- Walt Disney's Last Will and Testament, plus his signed document marking the genesis of the Disney Empire/brand; How the Grinch Stole Christmas production artwork (perfectly timed to the 50th anniversary of the animated TV special!) and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas original artwork and set pieces; Disneyana, featuring rare animation art and Disney park props, including an "Atom-mobile" miniature prop from the retired Journey Through Inner Space attraction, an assortment of...
Animation & Disneyana Auction Details: Press Release: "Calabasas, Calif.- Walt Disney's Last Will and Testament, plus his signed document marking the genesis of the Disney Empire/brand; How the Grinch Stole Christmas production artwork (perfectly timed to the 50th anniversary of the animated TV special!) and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas original artwork and set pieces; Disneyana, featuring rare animation art and Disney park props, including an "Atom-mobile" miniature prop from the retired Journey Through Inner Space attraction, an assortment of...
- 12/10/2016
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Move over, Aladdin: Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas and composer Danny Elfman are amongst eight new Disney Legends.
Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger will host the D23 Expo 2015 awards ceremony in Anaheim on Friday, August 14, recognising some of Disney's remarkable contributors.
Lucas and Elfman will be honoured alongside All My Children star Susan Lucci and Disney animator Andreas Deja.
The work of George Bodenheimer, Eyvind Earle, Carson Van Osten and Julie Reihm Casaletto will also be celebrated at the event.
Iger said: "The Disney Legend Award is our highest honour, and we are incredibly proud to recognise these eight talented individuals who have contributed so much to the world of entertainment and the Disney legacy.
"Their vision and dedication to their work have brought joy to audiences around the globe and earned them a place in Disney history."
Past Disney Legends include Tim Allen, Robin Williams and Julie Andrews.
Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger will host the D23 Expo 2015 awards ceremony in Anaheim on Friday, August 14, recognising some of Disney's remarkable contributors.
Lucas and Elfman will be honoured alongside All My Children star Susan Lucci and Disney animator Andreas Deja.
The work of George Bodenheimer, Eyvind Earle, Carson Van Osten and Julie Reihm Casaletto will also be celebrated at the event.
Iger said: "The Disney Legend Award is our highest honour, and we are incredibly proud to recognise these eight talented individuals who have contributed so much to the world of entertainment and the Disney legacy.
"Their vision and dedication to their work have brought joy to audiences around the globe and earned them a place in Disney history."
Past Disney Legends include Tim Allen, Robin Williams and Julie Andrews.
- 7/14/2015
- Digital Spy
Maleficent
Written by Linda Woolverton
Directed by Robert Stromberg
USA, 2014
Michael Myers is terrifying because he’s an absolute. What exists behind the mask is confined to our imagination. As soon as Rob Zombie went behind the mask, and made Myers into a broken child, we lost a bit of the magic. The imagined terror of a crazed killer’s motivations were solidified, and suddenly he was less terrifying. Less interesting.
The same is this true of Maleficent in Robert Stromberg’s directorial debut. One of Disney’s most iconic villainesses, she is adored by women of all ages. In 1959’s Sleeping Beauty, she was a harbinger of chaos with an elegant grace and lethal determination. For many, she was the star of the film, while the waif-like Princess Aurora simply allowed the plot to happen to her. While Angelina Jolie’s embodiment of Maleficent is excellent, Stromberg and writer...
Written by Linda Woolverton
Directed by Robert Stromberg
USA, 2014
Michael Myers is terrifying because he’s an absolute. What exists behind the mask is confined to our imagination. As soon as Rob Zombie went behind the mask, and made Myers into a broken child, we lost a bit of the magic. The imagined terror of a crazed killer’s motivations were solidified, and suddenly he was less terrifying. Less interesting.
The same is this true of Maleficent in Robert Stromberg’s directorial debut. One of Disney’s most iconic villainesses, she is adored by women of all ages. In 1959’s Sleeping Beauty, she was a harbinger of chaos with an elegant grace and lethal determination. For many, she was the star of the film, while the waif-like Princess Aurora simply allowed the plot to happen to her. While Angelina Jolie’s embodiment of Maleficent is excellent, Stromberg and writer...
- 6/1/2014
- by Ariel Fisher
- SoundOnSight
Matt Mueller: Hi Trent, thank you so much for taking some time to go over your Kickstarter project Armello with me. I know things are crazy hectic over there at the moment, so your time is greatly appreciated. How are you holding up?
Trent Kusters: Pax was wild, then with a Kickstarter running too, Wow. But yeah, I'm holding up. Back into the swing of things now. Working with some indies in Boston at the moment.
Mm: First off, for those who aren't familiar, why did you and your team set out to create the game, and what exactly is Armello?
Tk: Armello is a digital board game that mixes elements from a lot of tabletop games (card games, board games, pen and paper RPGs, etc) and then leverages the medium of video games to really make them as awesome as they can be. This crazy mission came about...
Trent Kusters: Pax was wild, then with a Kickstarter running too, Wow. But yeah, I'm holding up. Back into the swing of things now. Working with some indies in Boston at the moment.
Mm: First off, for those who aren't familiar, why did you and your team set out to create the game, and what exactly is Armello?
Tk: Armello is a digital board game that mixes elements from a lot of tabletop games (card games, board games, pen and paper RPGs, etc) and then leverages the medium of video games to really make them as awesome as they can be. This crazy mission came about...
- 4/17/2014
- by Matthew Mueller
- GeekTyrant
Among the most sumptuous of Walt Disney’s films, Sleeping Beauty’s enduring legacy is largely due to its incredible art design and complete creative vision. In production for nearly 10 years, the film was very costly and represented the end of an era for Disney hand-drawn animation. Though collaboration is key in most Disney productions, Sleeping Beauty owes its entire aesthetic soul to one man.
Sleeping Beauty was to be the third Disney “Princess” film, and the studio had ambitions to set it apart from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Cinderella through its art design. Integral to this vision was the collaboration of Eyvind Earle, a noted American illustrator who had worked on other Disney films. His work includes experimental backgrounds for the 1953 short For Whom the Bull Toils, colour direction on the award-winning Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, along with further work on Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp.
Sleeping Beauty was to be the third Disney “Princess” film, and the studio had ambitions to set it apart from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Cinderella through its art design. Integral to this vision was the collaboration of Eyvind Earle, a noted American illustrator who had worked on other Disney films. His work includes experimental backgrounds for the 1953 short For Whom the Bull Toils, colour direction on the award-winning Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, along with further work on Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp.
- 2/21/2014
- by Justine Smith
- SoundOnSight
With anticipation building for Angelina Jolie's "Maleficent," due May 30, it's worth noting that the source of her live-action remake, Disney's animated "Sleeping Beauty," marks its 55th anniversary this week. Released on January 29, 1959, the movie was only a modest hit at the time, but over the years, it earned acclaim for its gorgeous wide-screen visuals, its memorable music, and its unforgettable villainess.
It's a movie you probably watched many times as a child, and yet there are still some things you probably don't know about "Sleeping Beauty," including its connections to Bugs Bunny, "The Andy Griffith Show," and the British royal family.
Here's a list of 25 such items you can stack on your spindle -- but be careful to shield your fingertip.
1. "Sleeping Beauty" is adapted from both the Charles Perrault and Brothers Grimm versions of the classic fairy tale. In Perrault, the princess's name is Aurora; in Grimm, it's Briar Rose.
It's a movie you probably watched many times as a child, and yet there are still some things you probably don't know about "Sleeping Beauty," including its connections to Bugs Bunny, "The Andy Griffith Show," and the British royal family.
Here's a list of 25 such items you can stack on your spindle -- but be careful to shield your fingertip.
1. "Sleeping Beauty" is adapted from both the Charles Perrault and Brothers Grimm versions of the classic fairy tale. In Perrault, the princess's name is Aurora; in Grimm, it's Briar Rose.
- 1/27/2014
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Auctions offering Disney artwork and memorabilia are fairly commonplace, but the material gathered for Profiles in History’s newest event, in conjunction with The actual envelope, in Walt Disney’s handwriting.Van Eaton Galleries, is positively staggering. There are animation and layout drawings, cels, conceptual and inspirational artwork by such great artists as Mary Blair, Eyvind Earle, and Tyrus Wong, maquettes from the original Character Model Department, artifacts from Disneyland, and much, much more—including some juicy non-Disney items like title-card treatments from MGM cartoons. But there are two headline-making Disney items of vast historical significance. One is a hand-written letter from Walt to…...
- 5/9/2011
- Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy
File this firmly under "rumour" for the moment, but Harry over at AICN is claiming that Tim Burton may direct Maleficent, a twist on Disney's classic Sleeping Beauty. But this time, as you may have guessed from the title, we see things through the eyes of the villainess.The original film is one of Disney's very best, with gorgeous animation by artist Eyvind Earle and that fabulous baddie in Maleficent herself, with a voice like an angel and a penchant for dastardly deeds. In comparison, Aurora herself was a bit wet, frankly, so to an extent we can get behind the focus on Maleficent. And of course Burton started his career in Disney Animation, which practically guarantees a great love and respect for the original.The only problem, however, is that Maleficent's a <i>really</i> unsympathetic baddie. Remember, she curses <i>an infant</i> to death because she wasn't invited to a party...
- 1/19/2010
- EmpireOnline
Sleeping Beauty has always had a special place in my heart. This timeless tale of daring-do and courtly romance has always made me swoon from the time I was a small little child. I imagine it will continue to do the same throughout the rest of my life. As stories of princes and princesses go, this one is my absolute favorite, and I doubt I could ever tire of watching it. It plays so well no matter what your gender or age. Disney goes out of their way to sell all their fairy tale titles with princesses to little girls but that does the actual films themselves a huge disservice, this one maybe most of all. There is high adventure to be found here, pretty dresses and cute fairy magic are only one part of the equation bringing this story to life. Much was made, at the time, over Walt's...
- 10/26/2008
- by Sara Michelle Fetters
- Rope of Silicon
Walt Disney Studios’ Sleeping Beauty holds up as a spectacular work of animation and it looks even better now that the studio has cleaned it up. The classic fairy tale has stood the test of time quite nicely and the Platinum Edition 50th Anniversary 2-disc set, released today, is a worthwhile addition to your home video library. It's a great artifafct, and the end of an era of amazing animated fare from Disney Studios. Every anuimated feature that has followed, through today, somehow pales in comparison to this effort.
The first disc of course is the film itself. Disney’s technicians have painstakingly cleaned the animation so the colors are brighter, allowing us to appreciate the work of animator Eyvind Earle. The story holds up with relatable characters from the adorable Aurora to the three fairies who sacrifice their magic ways to shield the child for 16 years. The humor remains...
The first disc of course is the film itself. Disney’s technicians have painstakingly cleaned the animation so the colors are brighter, allowing us to appreciate the work of animator Eyvind Earle. The story holds up with relatable characters from the adorable Aurora to the three fairies who sacrifice their magic ways to shield the child for 16 years. The humor remains...
- 10/7/2008
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
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