The Princess and the Frog

[askmike1]

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.

Is this going to be a musical though? I hope it is, but I have never seen it mentioned (unless I'm missing something).

[Ben]

Yes it is.

Alan Menken is doing the songs, and speculation is that Stephen Schwartz will be writing lyrics. The two are writing for Enchanted right now and it seems likely they they'll move on to Frog Princess immediately.

[PatrickvD]

Yes it is.

Alan Menken is doing the songs, and speculation is that Stephen Schwartz will be writing lyrics. The two are writing for Enchanted right now and it seems likely they they'll move on to Frog Princess immediately.

yup. I would love it if he moves right on to the next project. To me he's never dissapointed even when he was doing several projects a year during the nineties. His weakest movies/scores/songs are still among the best in my opinion. Great consistency.

[ShyViolet]

Why do people so badly want to believe Disney is making a Shrek style film??

Maybe because for a while it seemed like that's where Rupunzal (Unbraided) was going....but I'm pretty sure it's going to be more of a traditional fairy tale now, even with the CGI.

[ShyViolet]

I can't believe this...Alan Menken GONE??


The genius who wrote the scores for Mermaid, Aladdin and Beauty?


And I'll just say I'm actually a huge Randy Newman fan, but his work just isn't right for this kind of story. Way too modern, jazzy, even his instrumental music--you need someone who can bring classical themes, with a sweeping epic-like score. Randy's good at emotion but not for a film like this. It's just...wrong. THIS IS A FAIRY TAIL, and I would think anyone with half a brain would KNOW that Alan Menken and fairy tales is a good combination.



I dunno, just my impression.

Alan Menken is doing the songs, and speculation is that Stephen Schwartz will be writing lyrics. The two are writing for Enchanted right now and it seems likely they they'll move on to Frog Princess immediately.

This seemed so logical to me...and this was the "new" Disney's film that I was MOST looking foward to. I'm sorry but...this doens't work for me at all.

[Ben]

Well, judging by the phenomenal success of The just released Little Mermaid on DVD, the LAST thing Disney wants is another Menken-penned girl musical. I mean, how boring would that be? A complete return to form for everyone - Menken, the directors, Disney animation on the whole - and probably welcomed by audiences absolutely sick and tired of the CGI/Randy Newman formula? No, let's not do that.

Let's get in the same Randy Newman, whose, much as I loved him from before the days of The Natural, last few Pixar scores have sounded all the same and interchangable, and make it sound like a Pixar film.

Boring, redundant, and the reason this film will now not perform as strongly as it should do.

[ShyViolet]

I love it when Randy uses piano in the background (the way he did for Avalon and Pleasantville) --but for a fairy tale epic--that's just soooo wrong.


Someone on JHM said that they can't help but keep thinking of the Family Guy episode with the Randy Newman gag....I must admit it came to my mind too!

I don't know. I always had a strong suspicion that Pixar was never too fond of princesses in the first place, of the whole romantic plotline. I could be wrong, but this only bolsters my impression.


Also, if Minkoff and Trousdale have gone over to DW, why can't Ron, John and Hahn do the same? (i kill me )

Plus Jim Hill's article was quite interesting but illogical as well:

Don't get me wrong. It's not like I'm letting Lasseter completely off the hook here. I'm still very concerned about those persistant rumors that suggest that -- should traditional animation actually get revived at WDFA -- that these films will then be out-sourced. Meaning that while all of the story work may be done back on the Burbank lot, the actual animation for these films will then be farmed out to places like James Baxter's studio. Which is now handling all of "Enchanted" 's traditionally animated scenes.

And then there's Don Hahn's recent announcement that he's taking an "extended sabbatical" from WDFA. To be honest, the term "extended sabbatical" has an awful lot of meanings in Hollywood. And none of them are good. So here's hoping that this much beloved animation veteran (Who's worked at Walt Disney Studios for nearly 30 years now) is back on the Burbank lot very soon.

And then there's the whole what's-the-real-difference-between-Pixar's-movies-and-the-sorts-of-films-that-Disney-Feature-Animation-should-be-making dilemma. I hear that John & Ed Catmull are still trying to hash that one out. So that a definite course can then be charted for all of WDFA's future releases.

These three stories concern me. The whole "Frog Pincess" brouhaha ... does not.

C'mon, Jim! Those rumors, if true and the Menken/Frog princess thing are obviously related in some way, if they're true. Catmull and Lassetter not knowing exactly what kind of films Disney should make and then suddenly letting go a famed composer from a project? Oh yeah, obviously completely separate issues, right?

[Meg]

I dunno if I'm ready to believe this that quick...Remember when Jim Hill started screeching about how Lasseter wanted to cut TBG from Meet the Robinsons completely?

But, yeah, if it is true, I'm not sure if I'm too happy about it. Granted, we don't know what the heck the story is about, so maybe he's the right choice after all, but, even though I really like Randy Newman, I don't think his music is very fairytale-ish.

[Daniel]

I can't believe it, I won't believe it Alan Menken is the man! How can they replace him with Randy? Both are great at what they do, but both are very different.

If turns out the story would've been better with Menken, than I'm surely dissapointed. But if it turns out to be a great choice, than all will be forgiven.

The only redeeming fact is we don't 100% know what the story is about. Heck, I just know its like a fairytale

Imagine if Randy got his hands on Home on The Range.... Exactly

Come on Disney! its not to late

[ShyViolet]

Hey, remember around the time of the Pixar merger I think The Daily Show did some kind of satire on Randy Newman's songs with spoons making out? (They're from two different worlds....)

"Cutlery, cutlery, so proud to be....cutlery!"

[Meg]

Oh, I remember that!

"I want to run away."

"I want to run away, too..."

Imagine if Randy got his hands on Home on The Range.... Exactly

Are you saying he would have done a better job? If you are I'll agree with you on that.

[Josh]

I think the songs in Home on the Range are very admirable.

[Meg]

I was thinking more of score, actually...I like the songs from HotR as well.

[Daniel]

Imagine if Randy got his hands on Home on The Range.... Exactly

Are you saying he would have done a better job? If you are I'll agree with you on that.

Oh G-d no! Eww, I was saying he would've of ruined it. I loved the songs from Home on the Range you didn't?

I thought they were cute, and I loved the countryness feel. Not to mention the real sad ones, *tear*

[Meg]

Really? I actually think he would have done I nice job. He can do countryish/ sad music very well.

....Of course, in the end, I would have still hated HotR. But whatever.