Moviefone Editorial

Tag: dumbo

  • Actor Alan Arkin Dies at Age 89

    Alan Arkin in Netflix's 'The Kominsky Method.'
    Alan Arkin in Netflix’s ‘The Kominsky Method.’ Photo: Mike Yarish/Netflix.

    It’s not every actor whose passing can lay claim to being announced by ‘Seinfeld’s George Costanza, but Alan Arkin, a consummate actor and well-respected man, can. Close friend Jason Alexander tweeted the first sad news of Arkin’s death at the age of 89, which has since been confirmed.

    https://twitter.com/IJasonAlexander/status/1674665367317233665

    Arkin leaves behind a stellar, seven-decade career full of performances both comedic and dramatic that any actor (and musician, in his case) would be proud to list.

    Early life

    Alan Arkin and Peter Falk in 'The In-Laws.'
    (L to R) Alan Arkin and Peter Falk in ‘The In-Laws.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

    Alan Wolf Arkin was born in Brooklyn on March 26, 1934, with his family relocating to Los Angeles when he was 12. He started taking acting classes at a young age but became a college dropout to pursue his first creative love: music, forming the Tarriers, a folk-music group in which he was the lead singer. Arkin, along with the others, wrote a version of the Jamaican calypso folk tune ‘The Banana Boat Song’ that was a hit in 1956.

    Alongside writing and performing with the group, he began to pursue acting opportunities, and his two endeavors meshed for his (albeit uncredited) screen debut when he appeared with the Tarriers in 1957’s ‘Calypso Heat Wave’. Arkin’s musical talents also found their way into his stage work, combined with his having been part of the original Chicago Second City Comedy troupe, as he wrote lyrics, music and sketches for his Broadway debut ‘From the Second City’. His theatre work would see him go on to win a Tony for Joseph Stein’s comedy ‘Enter Laughing’ and he also enjoyed a successful run as a director.

    Here’s what Arkin says about joining Second City on the troupe’s site:

    “Second City saved my life. It literally saved my life. I have a feeling it’s true for a lot of other people, too.”

    A life in movies

    Mark Wahlberg and Alan Arkin in Netflix's 'Spenser Confidential.'
    (L to R) Mark Wahlberg and Alan Arkin in Netflix’s ‘Spenser Confidential.’ Photo: Daniel McFadden.

    Yet it will be for his movie career Arkin will likely be best remembered, a man who could turn in scene-stealing performances even in smaller supporting roles. his movie highlights including the likes of ‘Argo’, ‘Wait Until Dark’, ‘Inspector Clouseau’, ‘Catch-22’, ‘Little Murders’ (which he also directed), ‘The In-Laws’, ‘Big Trouble’, ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’, ‘So I Married an Axe Murderer’, ‘Edward Scissorhands’, ‘The Rocketeer’, ‘Gattaca’, ‘Slums of Beverly Hills’, ‘Sunshine Cleaning’, ‘Get Smart’, ‘The Muppets’ ‘Going in Style’ and Tim Burton‘s ‘Dumbo’. His last credited work was in ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’.

    He earned an Oscar nomination for his first credited screen role in ‘The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming’, and another for ‘The Heart is a Lonely Hunter’ but would score the trophy itself for ‘Little Miss Sunshine’.

    Related Article: Veteran Character Actor Frederic Forrest Has Died at the Age of 86

    Small screen work

    Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin in Netflix's 'The Kominsky Method.'
    (L to R) Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin in Netflix’s ‘The Kominsky Method.’ Photo: Mike Yarish/Netflix.

    On TV, he earned multiple Emmy nominations and appeared on shows such as ‘Chicago Hope’, ‘Captain Kangaroo’, ‘St. Elsewhere’, The Muppet Show’, ‘BoJack Horseman’, ‘The Kominsky Method’, ‘Will & Grace’, ‘The Pentagon Papers’ and ‘The Other Side of Hell.’

    Paying tribute

    Arkin’s sons, who all entered showbusiness (Adam most famously), paid tribute in a joint statement:

    “Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man. A loving husband, father, grand and great-grandfather, he was adored and will be deeply missed.”

    Alan Arkin at the world premiere of Netflix's 'Spenser Confidential.'
    Alan Arkin at the world premiere of Netflix’s ‘Spenser Confidential.’ Photo: Charley Gallay.

    Alan Arkin Movies:

    Buy Alan Arkin Movies On Amazon

  • Every Disney Live Action Remake, Ranked

    Every Disney Live Action Remake, Ranked

  • Milton Quon, ‘Fantasia’ Animator and ‘Speed’ Actor, Dies At Age 105

    Milton Quon, ‘Fantasia’ Animator and ‘Speed’ Actor, Dies At Age 105

    Mike Quon Instagram/Chinese American Museum LA

    Milton Quon might not be a household name, but chances are you’ve seen the animator’s work in classic Disney movies “Dumbo” and “Fantasia.”

    He also acted on occasion, including as an “additional passenger” on the bomb-rigged bus in “Speed.”

    As Quon told Uproxx in 2014 on the film’s 20th anniversary, “I had just turned 80 at that time, I think. I was sketching the day after the audition at Santa Monica airport and when I got home my wife was waiting at the curb, and she says, ‘You got the part!’ I had to go down to SAG to pay $1,200 or something because you had to become a union member to participate.”

    In 2017, his son, artist Mike Quon, shared a photo to Instagram from the “Speed” set of his father with star Keanu Reeves. He added that his dad got “danger pay” for appearing in the action film.

    As Quon Sr. told Uproxx, “We got extra pay when we transferred from the bus to the rescue vehicle. It was really going at pretty good speed. Someone would grab you on this side and someone would reach for you on the other side and it was really fast-moving. So we got a couple hundred dollars extra for that bit.”

    Mike Quon told The Hollywood Reporter today that his father, who passed away on June 18,  was “drawing right up until his last days.”

    His father told Uproxx in 2014 that he also drew on the set of “Speed.” “I remember I would make sketches and come back and make xeroxes and give them to some of the actors the next day. Somewhere I have a sketchbook that I made along the way.”

    Quon was born on August 22, 1913, in Los Angeles. After graduating from Chouinard Art Institute (now the California Institute of the Arts) he joined Walt Disney Studios in 1939.

    He worked on the “Waltz of the Flowers” and the “Arabian Dance” scenes in “Fantasia” (1940) and was first assistant animator on “Dumbo” (1941).

    The Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles presented a retrospective exhibit of his work in 2005.

    Asked often about the secret to his longevity, he replied, “A good wife and Chinese food.”

    In an Instagram post after his father’s death, Mike Quon shared that his dad will be “teaching the angels how to draw very soon.”

    [Via THR]

    https://www.facebook.com/chineseamericanmuseum/photos/a.413462982726/10154883145522727/?type=1&theater

  • ‘Dumbo’ Costume Designer Colleen Atwood on Letting Michael Keaton Not Wear a Tie

    ‘Dumbo’ Costume Designer Colleen Atwood on Letting Michael Keaton Not Wear a Tie

    Disney

    There are a number of notable collaborators that exist within Tim Burton’s orbit, coming back time and time again to collaborate with the famous animator-turned-filmmaker, folks like composer Danny Elfman, production designer Rick Heinrichs, and screenwriter John August. But one of Burton’s key collaborators, who isn’t talked about as frequently, is genius costume designer Colleen Atwood, who has worked with Burton, on-and-off, since “Edward Scissorhands.” (She even designed the infamous, iridescent Superman costume for his failed Man of Steel movie.)

    Her latest collaboration with Burton is “Dumbo,” which opened this spring and is now available on digital HD and Blu-ray. A live-action retelling of the beloved animated Disney classic (the film that allegedly made Harry Truman cry), it allowed for Burton and Atwood to create dozens of costumes, from post-World War I circus performers to a menagerie of guests attending a kind of proto-Disneyland amusement park. We recently chatted with Atwood about her lengthy collaboration with Burton, how she manages to keep things fresh, and how much input the actors have on their own costumes. 

    Moviefone: I wanted to go back and talk about your first collaboration with Tim for “Edward Scissorhands” and what that experience was like. Did you get any kind of sense from that collaboration that you would still be making movies with him today?

    Colleen Atwood: No, not at all. It kind of came out of the blue, getting that job in the first place. It was a good collaboration and great movie to work on back in the day. And a great thing for me to be able to work with someone like Tim when I was starting out. But who knew? You never know how long the ride can be. I think we’ve done alright. I think it’s 10 or 11 movies … I don’t even know how many movies together. It’s, a comfortable place for both of us and a place for creativity for the both of us. It’s a real gift.

    How do you keep that relationship fresh and how do you keep the ideas coming especially with someone who has such a branded visual style as Tim?

    Well, Tim is a real artist, first of all. The world has made him a brand. But the fact is that I think in a way when you work with someone like that, that closely, you challenge yourself even more to keep it fresh. Taking it, honoring it, but renewing it every time. So to me it’s always, I don’t want to go to the comfortable place. You want to go to a new place that you have any explored before.

    I remember on a set of “Dumbo” you were saying that you were trying to do something new with stripes and swirls in this one.

    There’s a certain sensibility that you know is part of Tim but change it up and have it be new every time. If you start over-analyzing it, you’re lost. You sit there and like, “I did stripes last time, what am I going to do this time?” Instead of going, “Wow, this is special.” Especially depending on the movie. Like “Big Eyes” or “Miss Peregrine” was much less likely to have a stripe in it than “Dumbo,” which is a circus movie.

    You’ve done a number of adaptations of animated features. So do you look to those for inspiration?

    Most definitely. Always because, especially with Tim, it’s a subtle thing. It’s not so much literally costumes, but what matters. Early on with Tim I realized the point of view from where Dumbo stood in the room was a very important point-of-view for the camera. And when you see that with the director, whether it’s Tim or Rob Marshall or whoever you’re working with, made me realize what matters in the frame, you’re going see. And sometimes it’s things you don’t normally focus on, like in the case of “Dumbo,” footwear and socks and things like that that little Dumbo saw that we might prepare for but it might not be normally as featured as it is in this particular case.

    At the junket Michael Keaton was saying that he kind of, he didn’t want to wear a tie, which is where his ascot comes from. How much input do the actors usually have on something like that?

    Well when you work with a great actor like Michael Keaton and he has an idea about his character, then you honor it. They aren’t demanding anything. He just said,” I’d like to not wear a tie.” And I’m like, “There’s no rule.” I mean, if he was playing a different character I might’ve pushed back a little bit. But because of who he was playing, it was absolutely appropriate. I find that with actors, generally they’re not going to insist on something that isn’t somehow appropriate to their character. They may be skewing that a certain way for many reasons. But it’s comfort, then that’s a valid reason. I think you have to have validity in that too, in the sense that if something matters that much and they’re wearing it 12 hours a day, you have to make sure it works for them too.

    “Dumbo” is on digital HD and Blu-ray now.

  • What’s New on Digital, DVD/Blu-ray, TV, & Netflix This Week: June 24-30

    What’s New on Digital, DVD/Blu-ray, TV, & Netflix This Week: June 24-30

    Disney

    At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what’s streaming on Netflix, we’ve got you covered.

    NEW ON DVD AND BLU-RAY

    ‘Dumbo’ (June 25)

    Disney’s unending march to remake their animated classics into live-action movies continues with Tim Burton’s take on “Dumbo.” At the struggling Medici Family Circus, the animal caretaker (Colin Farrell) and his two children tend to a baby elephant born with oversized ears. When they discover Dumbo can fly, he soon becomes the main attraction and draws overflowing audiences. But he also becomes the focus of a ruthless entrepreneur (Michael Keaton).

    The movie arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD on June 25. Bonus content includes deleted scenes, bloopers, making-of featurettes, and Easter eggs.

    ‘The Aftermath’ (June 25)

    This romantic drama takes place just after World War II. Keira Knightley stars as Rachael Morgan, who arrives in war-torn Hamburg to reunite with her British colonel husband (Jason Clarke). She’s stunned to discover they will share a home with a German widower (Alexander Skarsgard) and his troubled daughter. In this charged atmosphere, enmity and grief give way to passion, sex and betrayal.

    The movie arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on June 25 (and is already available on Digital HD). Bonus content includes deleted scenes, commentaries, and VFX progressions.

    ‘The Hummingbird Project’ (June 25)

    Jesse Eisenberg and Alexander Skarsgard are out to win big in this financial thriller. The actors play cousins who engage in high frequency trading, where millions can be made or lost in milliseconds. They scheme to build a fiber-optic cable straight line between Kansas and New Jersey to give them an edge on their competitors. But breathing down their necks is their old boss (Salma Hayek), a powerful and manipulative trader who intends to beat them at their own game.

    The movie arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on June 25 (and is already available on Digital HD).

    ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ (June 25): John Cameron Mitchell’s groundbreaking film, based on his own stage musical, gets a new 4K restoration from Criterion. The titular lead character, a genderqueer East German rock singer, moves to the U.S. and befriends and mentors a younger man — only for the man to steal his music. Through punk anthems and moving ballads, the movie tells Hedwig’s story as they seek to understand their past and gender identity.

    NEW VIDEO ON DIGITAL, DEMAND, AND STREAMING

    ‘Little’ (June 25)

    Marsai Martin, the talented young child star of ABC’s “black-ish” came up with this new spin on the classic comedy “Big.” The story follows a ruthless, overbearing boss (Regina Hall) who routinely torments her assistant (Issa Rae). Then, one day she is transformed into her 13-year-old self (Martin) and faces the horrors  of middle school — leading her to reevaluate her old behavior. Available on Digital HD June 25.

    ‘Pet Sematary’ (June 25)

    Stephen King’s classic novel gets a new adaptation, having previously made it to the big screen in 1989. The story is the same: A doctor (Jason Clarke) and his family move to a house in rural Maine, where they discover a burial ground nearby in the woods. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his unusual neighbor, Jud Crandall (John Lithgow), setting off a perilous chain reaction that unleashes an unfathomable evil with horrific consequences. Available on Digital HD June 25.

    NEW ON NETFLIX

    ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (June 26)

    The animated hit takes Spider-Man to new creative heights. It introduces teen Miles Morales, who gets bit by a radioactive spider. But he’s not the only Spider-Man in existence, as he learns when the dastardly Wilson Fisk uses a particle accelerator that rips open portals into other universes. The inventive, gorgeous animation and fresh take on the characters not only made the film a crowd-pleaser, but an Oscar winner.

    ‘Family Business’ (June 26)

    In this French-language comedy, a down-on-his-luck entrepreneur learns France is about to legalize pot, so he and his family race to turn their butcher shop into a marijuana cafe.

    For more, see what else is new on Netflix in June 2019.

    TV WORTH WATCHING

    ‘Years and Years’ Limited Series Premiere, HBO (June 24, 9 p.m.)

    The drama miniseries follows the members of the Manchester-based Lyons family as their complex lives converge on one crucial night in 2019, when Britain is rocked by political, economic and technological advances. Then, the series tracks the lives and loves of the Lyons through 15 years. Emma Thompson also stars as an outspoken celebrity business woman turned political figure whose controversial opinions divide the nation.

    ‘Legion’ Season 3 Premiere, FX (June 24, 10 p.m.)

    The end of Season 2 of the “X-Men”-adjacent thriller turned David Haller (Dan Stevens) into the big bad, as the dark voices in his head took over. Now opposed by his former friends and love, David enlists the help of a young mutant named “Switch” (Lauren Tsai) whose secret ability is key to his plans to repair the damaged he caused.

    ‘The Loudest Voice’ Limited Series Premiere, Showtime (June 30, 10 p.m.)

    This star-studded miniseries about former Fox News boss Roger Ailes is led by Russell Crowe, who transforms into the man who molded the cable news network into a powerful presence in American politics. The series follows Ailes as he becomes arguably the de facto leader of the Republican Party through the sexual harassment accusations that led to his ouster. Naomi Watts also stars as former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAnJJHrq0Ws&feature=youtu.be

  • Disney+ to Have ‘Dumbo’ Without Jim Crow Scene, No ‘Song of the South’

    Disney+ to Have ‘Dumbo’ Without Jim Crow Scene, No ‘Song of the South’

    Dumbo
    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

    Disney is leaving some controversial parts of its past behind.

    When the streaming service Disney+ launches this fall, some work won’t be available on it. The 1946 film “Song of the South” is to be left off, a source told Boardwalk Times. Additionally, the “Dumbo” scene involving the bird Jim Crow will reportedly be edited out.

    “Song of the South” is set in the region during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era, and although the film initially received accolades, it has since been criticized for how it depicts African Americans. The film hasn’t been released on home video in the United States, and in 2011, Disney CEO Bob Iger explained the reasoning, per THR. He said that he thought there were parts of the film that “wouldn’t necessarily sit right or feel right to a number of people today.”

    The same can be said for the “Dumbo” Jim Crow character. He alludes to a 19th century blackface character that inspired the segregation laws’ name, as Boardwalk Times notes. The bird was also absent from Disney’s new “Dumbo” by Tim Burton.

    Disney+ won’t have a shortage of entertainment options. There will be a variety of old classics and upcoming movies and series. It launches Nov. 12.

    [via: Boardwalk Times; THR]

  • Box Office: ‘Dumbo’ Has Lowest Opening For a Disney Live-Action Remake

    Box Office: ‘Dumbo’ Has Lowest Opening For a Disney Live-Action Remake

    Disney

    Tim Burton‘s live-action remake of “Dumbo” topped the box office with $45 million from 4259 screens, making it the lowest opening of any live-action Disney movie so far.

    How much lower is that than recent Disney remakes? “Beauty and the Beast” debuted with $174 million in 2017, “The Jungle Book” opened with $103 million, in 2016 and “Cinderella” rang up $67 million in its first weekend in 2015.

    Poor reviews might have helped ground the big-eared elephant: It has a 50% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, however, gave it an “A-” Cinemascore.

    The film, which stars Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, had a budget of $170 million, which might be made up with overseas ticket sales.  The movie took in $71 million from foreign markets for a global start of $116 million.

    “Dumbo’”s $45 million opening is, however, better than Burton’s last film: “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” (also starring Eva Green), opened with $28.8 million in 2016 from 3522 screens.

    Universal

    Last weekend’s champ, “Us,” took in $33 million in its second weekend. It’s now passed $128 million in ticket sales in North America. That makes it the 7th-ranked R-rated horror film, just behind “The Conjuring” which finished its box-office run with $137 million.

    Disney/Marvel

    “Captain Marvel” landed in third place for its third weekend, with an additional $20 million. It’s now surpassed $350 million in domestic ticket sales and $990 million worldwide. The billion-dollar club beckons.

    Neon

    Everything was not alright, alright, alright for Matthew McConaughey, who suffered the lowest opening of his career with “The Beach Bum.” The R-rated stoner comedy from “Spring Breakers” director Harmony Korine earned only $1.8 million from 1,100 screens. That was still enough for it to crack the Top 10.

    The film, which premiered at South by Southwest, was initially going to have a platform release, but instead opened nationwide with very little marketing.

    Anti-abortion drama “Unplanned” pulled in $6.1 million from 1,060 venues. It’s currently battling “Five Feet Apart,” which earned an estimated $6.25 million, for fourth place.

    Here are the top 10 estimates for March 22-24, 2019
    1. “Dumbo,” (2019) $45,000,000
    2. “Us,” $33,605,000
    3. “Captain Marvel,” $20,500,000
    4. “Five Feet Apart,” $6,250,000
    5. “Unplanned,” $6,110,000
    6. “Wonder Park,” $4,940,000
    7. “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” $4,232,000
    8. “Hotel Mumbai,” $3,163,660
    9. “Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral,” $2,700,000
    10. “The Beach Bum,” $1,800,000

    [Via Variety]

  • 11 Classic Disney Movies, Ranked by How Dark They Are

    11 Classic Disney Movies, Ranked by How Dark They Are

  • ‘Dumbo’ Producers Derek Frey and Katterli Frauenfelder on How ‘Alice in Wonderland’ Influenced the Production

    ‘Dumbo’ Producers Derek Frey and Katterli Frauenfelder on How ‘Alice in Wonderland’ Influenced the Production

    Disney

    When you watch “Dumbo,” Tim Burton’s fantastic reinvention of the beloved Disney animated classic (you know, the one that made Harry Truman cry), it’s hard to not think about what it must have taken to pull off. Besides wrangling an impressive cast of heavy hitters (many of them, like Danny DeVito, Eva Green and Michael Keaton, Burton regular players), the scope and scale of the production is totally staggering – countless costumed extras (all in period-specific and still Burton-whimsical garb), giant physical sets, and a main character who didn’t actually exist. It’s an epic in every sense of the word.

    And much of the logistical planning and preparation fell to “Dumbo” producers Derek Frey and Katterli Frauenfelder, who we were lucky enough to sit down with for a few minutes in Beverly Hills. During our discussion we talked about what it took for Burton to say yes to another live-action remake of an animated classic, how long it took to get Dumbo right, and what they learned from the notoriously difficult “Alice in Wonderland.”

    From your point of view, what made “Dumbo” so perfect for Tim and for reinvention?

    Derek Frey: There’s so much to pull from. Dumbo is one of the original outsiders. It’s one of the first feature films from Disney and he is an outsider. Tim has such a great history, almost every single one of his films revolves around an outside. So that combined with the fact that it comes from Disney and it’s animation. It’s almost like a personification of Tim himself. He started at Disney, he started in the animation world, he has a history of outsider characters that are animated. So to bring a 2D animated character into a reimagining of a live action motion picture for Disney, aside from all the story points and the lovely script, Tim felt like the right person to pull from his toolbox. And the final result shows that.

    Katterli Frauenfelder: And he was very emotionally attached to the story and to Dumbo.

    Did it take any convincing for him to do another animated-to-live-action adaptation?

    Frey: Here’s the thing – we receive a draft of a script from Disney, we see that it’s “Dumbo” and instantaneously you kind of go, Here’s another reimagining. But after Tim read it, he understood pretty quickly that, yes, it’s another reimagining but it’s lovely. It’s ideal. It’s perfect. He was really touched by the story. It was actually a very quick process. I don’t think Disney expected him to respond as quickly as he did. It was immediate and it was, Count me in. And that’s rare. That hardly ever happens.

    And there are stories that he was offered other live-action remakes.

    Frey: He had dabbled in a couple and it didn’t work out. Here’s the thing – a lot of those original Disney animated films deal with all the things of life – love, loss, tragedy and good messages in there. I think Tim as a child was greatly impacted by those things. So the idea, with the technology that’s available now, that you could believably create that elephant in a live action film and do it successfully, that was something that really interested him.

    Disney

    On a technical level, this movie is filled with huge sets. How much of that was a response to his experience on “Alice in Wonderland” and just having a green sheet up?

    Frauenfelder: A lot. Because I think that he really feels that, though “Alice” went really well and we did our best to give a reality to the actors, Tim felt very strongly that as much set as we could have for the actors to act against and react to and with, was very important to him in this one. We even had a little guy who played Dumbo so that the children always had eyes to look at and also the other actors. I think it was very important. There was always a connection to the set or to Dumbo. I think that, for Tim, it became very important after “Alice.”

    Frey: I think there’s also something about embedding a computer-generated character into a live environment. Because if you are dropping “Dumbo” into a virtual environment, that’s kind of two levels into something that your brain processes and knows is not reality. But with real sets, the challenge was, Okay now we’re going to drop this elephant into real lighting scenarios and interaction and touch and all of those things. A movie like “Jungle Book” proved that you could animate at that level. But those were virtual sets so. That’s the real change up in this film – the sets are real, the actors are real, but we’re dropping the star of the film into that.

    How long did it take to finesse that character into existence?

    Frey: We finished last week. Listen, MPC did an incredible job but Tim saw what the technology could do and he just kept pushing and pushing and pushing it until we had to finish the movie.

    Frauenfelder: And Tim is a perfectionist so he sees every detail of Dumbo. But it was last week.

    Frey: I think they’ve learned a lot. I think they learned a lot. They brought things to an entire new level. And it shows when you watch the movie. You question, “Is that real? How are they touching it?” I’m astounded when I see it.

    There’s the old metaphor of movie productions being like circuses. Was this movie more Medici or more Dreamland?

    Frauenfelder: It was both.

    Frey: No, it was both. Because our production was split up very much like the film is – where, the first half you’re in that Medici world. We didn’t shoot necessarily in order but we did do more Medici stuff at the beginning and then we went to Dreamland. There was definitely a parallel there. But I will say that the group that works primarily with Tim over the years, we’re Medici. We’re a ragtag bunch of misfits who believe in something and get behind Tim to help him. It is life imitating art a bit.

    “Dumbo” flies into theaters nationwide tonight!

  • ‘Dumbo’ Star Danny DeVito Had No Idea Jack Nicholson Was Going to Be in ‘Hercules’

    ‘Dumbo’ Star Danny DeVito Had No Idea Jack Nicholson Was Going to Be in ‘Hercules’

    Disney

    Danny DeVito, like much of the cast of Disney’s new live-action “Dumbo,” is something of a Tim Burton MVP. DeVito, who plays Max Medici, the ringleader of a charming small circus that is swallowed up by a more menacing circus owner (played by Michael Keaton, another Burton alum), has already memorably starred in three of the director’s works (and two of them involved circuses) – “Batman Returns,” “Big Fish” and “Mars Attacks!” Those turns are pretty unforgettable. And so is his performance in “Dumbo,” as one of the first humans who understands that Dumbo isn’t just a floppy-eared anomaly but a creature capable of making audience’s hearts soar.

    We were lucky enough to recently sit down with DeVito and spoke about his history with Disney (he’s one of the only actors who has voiced a character in an animated classic and starred in a live-action remake of another classic), what it was like re-teaming with Burton, and whether or not he watched that old hotel topple while making “Mars Attacks!”

    Moviefone: You are one of the few actors who have starred in a live-action adaptation of a Disney animated movie and been a voice in a Disney animated movie, “Hercules.”

    DeVito: That’s right. Philoctetes.

    What do you remember from that?

    I remember that being a great experience. And also a big thing is that … what’s fun is when you’re talking to people and some kid will go [makes quizzical face] or say, “I recognize your voice from …” I say, “What?” And they say, “Hercules,” and that’s really fun. I’ve done a couple of voices. I did “My Little Pony” years ago because my daughter was into it and so I played a part in that. And then “The Lorax” was fun too. So I’ve done that kind of thing a few times. It’s really good. Right now I’m doing another Disney movie called “The One and Only Ivan” and I play a dog.

    Disney

    What do you remember when Jack Nicholson, your buddy, was also in “Hercules?” Do you know that he was originally Hades?

    Oh.

    Did he ever talk to you about it?

    No. He was in it?

    He was going to be in it and then he asked for a percentage of the merchandise revenue. But you can see actual artwork of him as Hades with the sunglasses on and everything.

    Oh they were going to use his imagery? I guess this is a big thing about Jack. He’s iconic and I think that if you’re going to put them up there with sunglasses and looking like him and he probably should give him a piece of the action. Lucrative is what they say.

    How how did you get involved in this project?

    Tim It has been working on this for a while, I imagine. And when he called me a couple of years ago, I was doing “The Price” on Broadway and he said, “What is your schedule? What are you doing?” And I was tied up with “The Price” for a few months and we just hoped for the best because he thought that it was almost overlapped. And I wouldn’t leave them the play.

    And it worked out great. I don’t think I would be really happy with myself right now if I wasn’t in “Dumbo.” It was just having the family together again with Tim and with Michael; that was really special for us. We had such a good time on the set. Of course, “Big Fish” was like a similar character, but of course I was a werewolf in that and that was my first nude scene. But Max Medici is really special because he has his family circus. Theater was hard. He wants to do everything he can to make ends meet, to keep the circus afloat during the tough times.

    Why does Tim Burton always think about you in relation to circuses?

    Well, so far it’s been “Batman Returns” and I don’t know, I guess we’re odd people. He is and I am and we like that. There’s a kind of an oddity in what he likes about me and I like about him. We get along in that way. We’re odd people out. Tim is always perceived as being like a certain way and he’s been dealing with that for many years and he deals with it really well. He’s actually just a funny, outgoing, sweet, shy, artist.

    Warner Bros.

    What was it like working with Michael Keaton again?

    Keaton and I, we go back to “Johnny Dangerously.” He’s always been just one of those guys, a really good guy. And when you’d see him around do whatever, whether it was at some function or wherever we bumped into each other, we always have really a good feeling about each other. And it was nice. Of course being The Penguin in Batman was great. Very happy that I got to do that. And, and now here we are again, a Medici and Vandevere – we’ll take it on the road!

    Warner Bros

    You haven’t talked a lot about your “Mars Attacks!” experience.

    It was a great experience. Vegas baby! What was unique about that one was working with Tim, he said I was going to get killed by Martian and I thought, Well, I’m going to definitely do this movie. But we worked at night in Vegas because we had to have the casinos. We were shooting at night. I was only there for four nights and it was really a lot of fun. Very glitzy, very circus-like in a way. It’s not the exact same. It wasn’t Circus Circus. I don’t know where we shot. God, if we, if we shot at Circus Circus. That’s a good question because that would make it… Right now we have a circus trilogy going on. Right? What do you call that if we had four?

    I don’t know, a quadrilogy?

    Yeah. You’re the guy with the pad and the beard. You’re the one who’s supposed to know these answers.

    Did you watch them blow up the old hotel?

    Oh yeah.

    What do you find that to be the most satisfying aspect of re-teaming with Burton?

    I love watching them work. You went to the set, so you know. I would stay on the set even when I’m not needed, just to watch him work. Because I love watching him put it all together. I am forward about that with him. I like hanging out at the monitor and watching him paint.

    Have you seen a finished movie?

    Oh yeah. I knew it was going to be a beautiful. The people could do this stuff are artists themselves. So MPC is … I’m actually working with them on “The One and Only Ivan.” They’re really a pack of artists in their own right. Everybody from the animators to everybody and if you have guidance from Tim who is a visual artist. That was amazing to see. I saw the elephant in different stages, like, because they had models of it. They were keeping it secret. They wouldn’t show anybody. But I was getting in the back there and had to take a look. So I knew it was going to be outrageously wonderful and you beyond my wildest dreams. But it really looks good. I’m very pleased with the way it came out.

    “Dumbo” flies into theaters nationwide tomorrow night.

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