Tangled (formerly Rapunzel)

Post by **Jake** » May 5th, 2007, 4:11 am

ShyViolet wrote:
What about Frog Princess? Don't they have to re-do the whole plot now that it's in New Orleans? (I guess it's been going on earlier than when we first heard, of course.)

Hasn't the project always been set in New Orleans?

Post by **ShyViolet** » May 5th, 2007, 4:51 am

No--originally it was set to echo the traditional, Russian fairy tale setting.
I know Ben mentioned it earlier here:

http://www.animated-news.com/forum/view ... 43&start=0

He said it elsewhere too....ahh, can't remember where...

Even before Pixar came, Ben said that Ron and Jon were working on a TRADITIONAL Disney-type film with Alan Menken. This was it.

The whole New Orleans thing is one of the consequences of Menken's removal and Randy Newman's taking over the project.

FYI:

I have no problem with an animated film set in New Orleans, or an African American backdrop (provided it's done with respect). Actually, I think it's a great idea.

But this project was not supposed to be modern-day America (and yes, 20th century New Orleans IS modern-day, although it might not feel like it

) The roaring 20s were a vital part of America's growth and development, particularly with African-American culture getting recognized (literature, jazz, etc..) and women getting more rights. Heck, there are still people out there who remember the 1920's.

The original project was a fairy tale--y'know, like Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. What if in one of the story meetings back in 1985 and 1986, someone said: "Hey, instead of making this film in the middle ages or 17th century what have you, how about making it in the modern day, American South, with lots of jazz music?"

I think an African-American Disney heroine is long overdue, but there's room for more than one project. In the 80's/90s, Disney had at least six or seven ideas on the backburner concerning traditional fairy tales/what have you. Why does EVERYTHING have to depend on Frog Princess? Couldn't Randy get another project OF HIS OWN????

So funny, JL refers to the project like it was ALWAYS Randy Newman's in New Orleans, like all that other stuff with Alan Menken never happened. Exactly like how Chris Sanders' American Dog, (long in the works at WDFA and often considered to be one of the projects that would redeem/save WDFA) suddenly became "Chris Williams' baby".

Post by **Meg** » May 5th, 2007, 7:45 am

No--originally it was set to echo the traditional, Russian fairy tale setting.
I know Ben mentioned it earlier here:

http://www.animated-news.com/forum/view ... 43&start=0

He said it elsewhere too....ahh, can't remember where...

Even before Pixar came, Ben said that Ron and Jon were working on a TRADITIONAL Disney-type film with Alan Menken. This was it.

I wasn't aware Ben was working on the film!

My guess is it was set in New Orleans before Lassy came on board. After all, this isn't the first time Ron n' Jon have taken a well-known story and given it a completly different setting...

Post by **Ben** » May 5th, 2007, 10:49 am

See...I <I>can</I> see the future.

I actually knew that because of a totally other connection. Nuff said.

John Lasseter, at the end of the day, is a very good salesman.

Post by **ShyViolet** » May 5th, 2007, 1:54 pm

My guess is it was set in New Orleans before Lassy came on board. After all, this isn't the first time Ron n' Jon have taken a well-known story and given it a completly different setting...

I dunno, Meg. I really don't think it was originally NO.
Not just because of what Ben said, but the fact that: yes, it's true that Ron 'n Jon like to put "different" spins on fairy tales but with films like Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Hercules (sure, there were quips and jokes) they all were in their "traditional" fairy-tale/myth environment, not modern day.

Also notice that even with the jokes and references of Aladdin and Herc, those films had very traditional broadway type scores by the Menken/Ashman duo, then Menken/Rice, and then Stephen Schwartz. I just can't see Ron 'n Jon wanting to do a Randy Newman-esque project. That's just not their style.

Ben also said this way back when:

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.

This too:

Funnily enough, by the time Enchanted hits, we won't really have missed Disney feature animation as much as we thought we had.

It won't even have quite been three years between Home On The Range and Enchanted, and less if you include some of the better DTVs, which is nothing compared to the years and years waiting between Robin Hood in 1973 and The Rescuers in 1977, or The Fox And The Hound in 1981 and The Black Cauldron in 1985 - four years between them each!

And with The Frog Princess on the way (any bets that Schwartz is Menken's lyricist again on that one?), and more shorts, we're looking good!

John Lasseter, at the end of the day, is a very good salesman.

Exactly. He just acts like those films were always "intended" to be that way and puts out this party line that they were....

See...I can see the future. Smile

Cool!

Will Shrek 3 be a hit? (had to ask

)

Post by **ShyViolet** » May 5th, 2007, 2:40 pm

Also, I'm not trying to be all negative--the Princess and the Frog (or whatever they're calling it

) could still be a great movie.

But it sure as heck better get a good marketing campaign this time....

Post by **Meg** » May 5th, 2007, 3:07 pm

Yes, they had better!

Not just because of what Ben said, but the fact that: yes, it's true that Ron 'n Jon like to put "different" spins on fairy tales but with films like Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Hercules (sure, there were quips and jokes) they all were in their "traditional" fairy-tale/myth environment, not modern day.

Actually I was talking about Treasure Planet.

Post by **ShyViolet** » May 5th, 2007, 3:50 pm

Yes, they had better!

Totally, Lassetter had better get behind this film, (and Rapunzel, and Enchanted) like how about on the possible extra features on the upcoming Cars Blu-Ray DVD?

Actually I was talking about Treasure Planet.

Yeah, I thought you probably meant that Meg.

It's just that to me, their work is more in the whole fairy tale stuff they did in Disney's heyday. (1989-1997) Treasure Planet was their "baby"--an experiment they wanted to try, their own pet project.

Heck, you can even include Mouse Tech IMHO--not a "fairy tale", true, but you can't deny it's CLASSIC Disney.

Post by **Ben** » May 5th, 2007, 4:25 pm

Lasseter will be behind the film since he's the one who picked Newman. If it fails, so does Lassie.

Post by **Meg** » May 5th, 2007, 4:34 pm

It's just that to me, their work is more in the whole fairy tale stuff they did in Disney's heyday.

True, but if I was a well-known animation director I wouldn't want to do the same stuff over and over again.

Post by **ShyViolet** » May 6th, 2007, 12:47 am

True...I understand that they wanted to do something different with TP but...we haven't seen a film the likes of Little Mermaid in YEARS.

I think, (just my theory, again) that they really wanted to go back to doing those.

Post by **Meg** » May 6th, 2007, 8:00 am

I think, (just my theory, again) that they really wanted to go back to doing those.

I dunno - I don't think it's realy justified to say that unless you know that for a fact. *shrug*

And hey, isn't Rupunzel supposed to be a classic fairy-tale sort of film?

Post by **ShyViolet** » May 7th, 2007, 12:35 am

And hey, isn't Rupunzel supposed to be a classic fairy-tale sort of film?

Well, they say it is (although it did start out more "Shrek-like" years ago, not Keane's choice I don't think) so I hope they stick to their word.

Also, for all the talk about Rapunzel, no one has answered these questions yet:

1.) WHO is scoring the film?
2.) Are there songs?
3) Who is writing the songs????

Post by **ShyViolet** » May 7th, 2007, 12:51 am

Just FYI; this was the ORIGINAL Frog Princess thread.

It was started back when we still thought it would be Menken/Schwartz.
Good for getting background (at least what everyone seemed to know at the time) on this whole "princess" situation.

http://www.animated-news.com/forum/view ... sc&start=0

I dunno - I don't think it's realy justified to say that unless you know that for a fact. *shrug*

It's true Meg, none of us really "know" anything for sure (well, Ben knows more than most

) we just get pieces of info and go by that.

The whole thing is, you have to consider the background of this whole thing. Ron, Jon, Glen, Gary and Kirk were all golden boys during the "Disney is King" 90's heyday. Those princess films are what made them stars, at least in the animation world. That's where they really and truly shined, because they knew Disney, classic Disney, the Disney that everyone nowadays sighs about and says: "Gee! I really miss those films! Why can't they do movies like they used to?"

It's true they "dabbled" in other stuff here and there, but no one has really heard from them at all since the traditional days. When CGI/quips/jokes/animal adventures became all the rage, it's like they disappeared off the face of the earth. Sure, they did work here and there (Gary Trousdale doing Christmas Caper for DW, for example) but we've heard very little on them since Treasure Planet.

They could have adapted to the whole CGI craze back in 2001 and all gone on to directing any "Anthropomorphic animal adventure" they wanted, (maybe even gotten hired at Pixar) but they didn't. I think there's a reason for that, and that reason is that, regardless of what they say in interviews, they are all very attached to 2d, classic Disney 2d, and the whole "Shrek/Pixar/Randy Newman" thing just isn't their scene....

Of course, I don't know any of this....just theories like I said. Add to the fact that, well, maybe partly 'cause of the Pixarian "Cone of Silence", but....since January 2006....we've heard next to Zilch from WDFA.

Post by **Josh** » May 7th, 2007, 3:47 am

ShyViolet wrote:Also, for all the talk about Rapunzel, no one has answered these questions yet:

1.) WHO is scoring the film?
2.) Are there songs?
3) Who is writing the songs????

At one time, Jeanine Tesori and Amir Khalifa were writing the songs for Rapunzel. In case you're unfamiliar with her, Tesori penned the tunes for such Broadway musicals as Thoroughly Modern Millie and Caroline, or Change. Likewise, she wrote the song "Feel Like A Million" for Kronk's New Groove.

Oh, and there's one other upcoming project from Tesori that you might be interested in, Vi: the Shrek musical.