Ben wrote:And, whatever we may think of his slide into CG now, BZ would never be a hired hand for anyone...the man has clout in Hollywood and can go after any project he chooses. As a huge Beatles fan that he is, I'd say the idea came up somewhere along the way and it has simply been pursued...remember that it was Disney who approached Apple about this, not the other way around.
Yes, Ben, thank you for facing east, kneeling three times, and saying Roger is Great...
But twenty years ago, we would've said Ralph Bakshi was a "maverick genius who didn't need to work for anybody", before Ted Turner collared him to do Dr. Seuss specials because DePatie-Freleng wasn't around anymore.
Basically, if (saying "IF") you were another soulless corporate image-property marketer who wanted to add "Animated feature film" onto your Iconic Broadway Show for Multi-Synergy value, who
would you turn to to grind out feature animation on demand? (Assuming CGI, since said soulless marketer would most likely be an idiot who thinks animators can tap a few keys over the weekend):
WDFA?--Not if anyone else owns it. Pixar?--You freakin'
wish. Dreamworks?--Too much on their plate, and Jeff K. prefers to think he came up with the ideas himself. Blue Sky?--Possible, but they're convinced they're own their own track, even if the results don't show it. Sony?--Would have to be a Sony property; two can play this "synergy" game.
That leaves...pretty much ONE animator clueless enough about what the profession is for, and who believes his own reputation enough, to "grind out" a quick ping-pong-suit feature for anyone who tells him he's going to be "changing the industry" by doing so...
And yeah, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand"
does look a little suspicious, but also suggests it might've made him an easier mark.
(And even if Disney did have to negotiate music rights in the hopes of Disney Theatrical getting the stage show, with Steve Jobs/Apple playing a large part in Disney-proper, oh yeah, they're going to have
real smooth negotiations with Sir Paul....)
