Disney to cease production of animated fairy tale films indefinitely

[terry78]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-et-1121-tangled-20101121,0,6692508.story

Uncle Walt would not be pleased.

 

[MadVillainy]

that sucks

 

[danoyse]

That's awful. And how can they tear apart what Alan Menken does?

 

[Spider-Who?]

this part disturbs 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."

 

[bullets]

I think they are wrong about this one.

 

[DarkKnight88]

If Tangled turns into a blockbuster, they will quickly change their minds. This is simply because they don't think the film will reach the heights of the current crop of animated films ala Despicable Me, How to Train Your Dragon ect...

 

[Schlosser85]

I think this is a very cynical, and very wrong move.

 

[Dwarf lord]

When's the last time they made a true fairy tale movie? The Princess and the Frog was the last one I remember and I can't remember the one before that. Unless we're counting all those direct to video. I didn't realize it was a big enough part of their productions to make a decided stop.

 

[bullets]

If Tangled turns into a blockbuster, they will quickly change their minds. This is simply because they don't think the film will reach the heights of the current crop of animated films ala Despicable Me, How to Train Your Dragon ect...

Oddly enough I think Tangled has a lot of potential.

 

[Figs]

this part disturbs me:

Yeah, that's horse****. At 5 or 6 most kids I've known are still down to watch cartoons not **** it up.

 

[Shifty]

And I don't think it will.

Pixar does have the fairy tale princess movie Brave coming out but that character is 'one of the boys' so it will appeal to a larger audience like all Pixar films. Dreamworks and Fox have all gone for wide audience animated films with male leads. Times change, shame that it has happened but Disney has to move on or be left behind.

 

[danoyse]

Yeah, that's horse****. At 5 or 6 most kids I've known are still down to watch cartoons not **** it up.

Even more so when you go to their theme parks and they want you to spend your entire vacation budget on princess makeovers for these same kids. That part isn't going away anytime soon. In fact their whole Fantasyland renovation in Florida is about adding Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast into the parks.

I don't have a problem with the studio wanting to incorporating other types of properties into the animation canon other than the fairy tale stuff. I think they need to be doing that. But to ditch what's made them what they are because one movie (which I thought was terrific, btw) underperformed is so hypocritical and ludicrous.

 

[Figs]

Even more so when you go to their theme parks and they want you to spend your entire vacation budget on princess makeovers for these same kids. That part isn't going away anytime soon. In fact their whole Fantasyland renovation in Florida is about adding Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast into the parks.

I don't have a problem with the studio wanting to incorporating other types of properties into the animation canon other than the fairy tale stuff. I think they need to be doing that. But to ditch what's made them what they are because one movie (which I thought was terrific, btw) underperformed is so hypocritical and ludicrous.

Agreed. I haven't seen it, but there are so many kids born every day that I'm sure Disney would still have enough kids that like these movies to keep them going. I think this movie(you're talking about Rapunzel I'm guessing) was just a random flop.

 

[SuperFerret]

This is the best and most telling reason why people hate big business.

 

[Grillz]

One day, Disney will open those doors again, and when they do we're going to see something amazing. Trust me on this one people. Disney did this a few years back and they came back around.

 

[DarkKnight88]

When's the last time they made a true fairy tale movie? The Princess and the Frog was the last one I remember and I can't remember the one before that. Unless we're counting all those direct to video. I didn't realize it was a big enough part of their productions to make a decided stop.

True. When you really think about it, there have only been a very small amount of animated Disney fairy tale movies since Snow White.

1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
2. Pinocchio
3. Cinderella
4. Sleeping Beauty
5. The Little Mermaid
6. Beauty and the Beast
7. Aladdin
8. The Princess and the Frog
9. Tangled

 

[danoyse]

Agreed. I haven't seen it, but there are so many kids born every day that I'm sure Disney would still have enough kids that like these movies to keep them going. I think this movie(you're talking about Rapunzel I'm guessing) was just a random flop.

It was The Princess and the Frog, actually. It's the one that didn't do well last year that sent them to make this decision, but the movie was really good. I know my friends kids really enjoyed it too.

When it comes to the fairy tale stuff, no one does it better than Disney. If Pixar doesn't want to musicals, that's fine, it doesn't fit with what they do anyway. But to drop it from the movies completely is just a colossal mistake.

 

[terry78]

I know Don Bluth was trying to take the reins a few times back in the day with Anastasia and Swan Princess, Thumbelina and what not. They never panned out though.

 

[Spider-Man Luvr28]

Aww. That's sad news. And that quote...wtf? I know of no 5 year old who's ****ting it up.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Yeah I know... 5 to 6 year old girls still want to be princesses. Hell, at 5 or 6 I wanted to be Spider-Man and Batman and a Jedi. I definitely don't think it's just a boy thing.

 

[PyroChamber]

What is it with Disney and constantly trying to get boys to like their product, I mean aren't girls bigger consumers anyway?

 

[Immortalfire]

Yeah, God forbid kids have a healthy imagination

 

[Symbiotic]

Disney is so freaking wrong on this it's not funny.

 

[redhawk23]

at slu's stadium they just had disney on ice, there was a never endingl ine of little girls dressed as various princesses. who the hell ever said that little girls don't like princess movies anymore? If the wee ones are placing a value on "hotness" its only because that is what disney has sold to them.

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

i think the fact that the last few animated films haven't performed so well at the box office is a major factor in this. the animated films from the 90s like Lion King, Aladdin, Hunchback of ND, Pocahontas, etc clearly outperformed the animated films that were released this decade. in addition, those films went on to become Disney classics as opposed to the most recent ones which are pretty forgetable. i'm pretty sure Disney will be more focused on releasing more adult themed live action films akin to Pirates & Tron, in addition to Pixar films.