Disney Returns to 2-D Animation with "Enchanted"

[Black Atom]

John Lasseter reveals plans for Enchanted, a live action film that will feature traditonal hand-drawn animation to be released later this year.

The 2-D revival happily coincides with Enchanted's arrival this year. Because Disney's unit was dismantled by the time the script was in place, the work was done by a small outside company started in 2005 by James Baxter. The animator witnessed the medium's decline while working at both Disney (Belle in Beauty and the Beast) and DreamWorks (Moses in The Prince of Egypt) before briefly switching to CG (Shrek 2, Madagascar).

Enchanted is sprinkled with 14 minutes of hand-drawn romantic adventures that pay humorous tribute to the likes of Snow White and Cinderella. The story of a cartoon princess who is banished to Manhattan and must cope with the realities of urban life might remind audiences how much they have missed Disney fables of yore. "We are tweaking clichés, but it's done with a lot of love," Baxter says.

Says Enchanted director Kevin Lima, the Disney animation grad (Tarzan) who had moved on to live action until now, "Artists are so thrilled that this film just appeared after Disney said, 'No more 2-D.' Why abandon an art form?"

See the full article: http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2007-05-02-enchanted-cover_N.htm

There's also some details on The Princess and the Frog, Disney's first completely 2-D work in years, including the great news that Musker and Clements will be on board. Also, Lasseter reveals his plan to bring back animated Goofy shorts before feature films. I have to say, as a fan of 2-D animation, I'm pretty excited. While I predicted Disney would eventually come back o hand-drawn features, I honestly thought it'd take longer.

[nervmeister]

I saw the trailer for it and sadly I wasnt impressed.

[Sanagi]

I love that it took John Lasseter to get Disney back into non-CG animation. That's a classic example of Getting It vs. Not Getting It.

"2-D became a scapegoat for bad storytelling."

[BoosterBronze]

I love that it took John Lasseter to get Disney back into non-CG animation. That's a classic example of Getting It vs. Not Getting It.

"2-D became a scapegoat for bad storytelling."

SO true.

"Nemo" had more heart in each polygonal facet than "Treasure Planet" had dring it's 14,000,000 hand drawn frames. And it's about heart, not technology.

"Shrek" is funny. "Home on the Range" was NOT funny.

I'm not convicned kids care abuot 2d vs. 3d.

[Blueferret]

SO true.

"Nemo" had more heart in each polygonal facet than "Treasure Planet" had dring it's 14,000,000 hand drawn frames. And it's about heart, not technology.

"Shrek" is funny. "Home on the Range" was NOT funny.

I'm not convicned kids care abuot 2d vs. 3d.

I'm not so sure about the last part. My kids seem to pay attention to a movie at first if it's 3d. They really won't watch a movie if it's 2d.

[titanfan]

From IMDB:

Almost two years before its hoped-for release of its first hand-drawn animated film produced under the supervision of Pixar's John Lasseter, Disney has already drawn fire for alleged racial and ethnic insensitivities that were detected in its original announcement of the film, according to Disney watcher Jim Hill. Since the original title, The Frog Princess, might be regarded as a slur on the French, the title has been changed to The Princess and the Frog . The main character, named Maddy -- who was to become Disney's first black princess -- has had her name changed to Tiana, since Maddy reportedly sounded too much like Mammy. She will no longer be seen as a chambermaid working for a rich, white spoiled Southern débutante. In a statement, Disney, which said that it ordinarily does not comment on its animated films in the early stages of production, observed: "The story takes place in the charming elegance and grandeur of New Orleans' fabled French Quarter during the Jazz Age. ... Princess Tiana will be a heroine in the great tradition of Disney's rich animated fairy tale legacy, and all other characters and aspects of the story will be treated with the greatest respect and sensitivity."

[Black Atom]

I'm not so sure about the last part. My kids seem to pay attention to a movie at first if it's 3d. They really won't watch a movie if it's 2d.

Depending on how old your kids are, they probably haven't seen too much truly breath-taking 2D art. I think people have begun to underestimate what the media can do. Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle does things with hand-drawn animation and painted backgrounds that literally made my mouth drop wide open.