Ben wrote:This will be a fantastic hit.
People, whether they know it or not, are absolutely itching for a traditional traditional Disney movie, and a princess musical is as about as pure as it can be.
Sorry, Meg, this one is based on the original fairy-tale (from Russian folklore if I'm not mistaken).
I remember when Disney said, beginning with "Atlantis", that they wanted to make films more aimed at boys than for girls. Movies like "Hercules" and "Tarzan" I think crossed-over pretty well, whereas "Atlantis" and "Treasure Planet" were more action-packed and were definitely not as girl-friendly. I myself am a guy and even then I thought that was a huge mistake. You can't exclude your audience like that. You have to give them strong characters, both male and female -- that way viewers can relate to the film despite who they are.
Disney is in need of another classic. Along with that comes the Broadway-style musical. Too, the more traditional storytelling and characters. Call it formula, but people are nostalgic for it. Thats the reason millions of people go to DisneyWorld every year, why the 2D classics still sell remarkably well on DVD. Disney
knows it still sells, otherwise why would they continue on with the way DisneyWorld runs?
I agree with Ben that "The Frog Princess" will be a hit - and I hope so, too. I think something traditional can revive whats been lost over the past few years. Which is why I'm glad to hear that the movie will be based on the original Russian fairytale. From what I've researched, it sounds like "Sleeping Beauty" meets "Narnia" meets (yes) "The Swan Princess". Which I think sounds great!
Note: I noticed that someone on those forums expressed concern over Alan Meken composing the music because he wrote the songs for "Home on the Range". It'll be interesting to see how "Enchanted" turns out, but I doubt Disney would give him a six-picture deal if he really had 'lost his touch'. Plus, "Wicked" has proven to be very successful and I love the music for it. I think the music for "The Frog Princess" will be every bit as great as his work on the best of Disney's films.