Roald Dahl is one of those authors whose controversial views nevertheless don’t stop companies looking to adapt his work. We’ve already had two cinematic versions of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and Wes Anderson had brought several books and short stories to screens.
‘The Twits’ could perhaps be considered second-tier Dahl compared to the likes of Willy Wonka and co., but it nevertheless has enough of the writer’s trademark oddness blended with moral lessons that animation feels like the best medium for it.
Script and Direction
(L to R): Margo Martindale as Mrs. Twit, Johnny Vegas as Mr. Twit, in ‘The Twits.’
Writing with Meg Favreau (‘Barbie: It Takes Two’), main director Phil Johnston clearly seems to be enjoying freedom from the restraints of working on bigger-budget Disney releases. Here, he truly lets his freak flag fly, building a decent if rarely needed narration and making enough changes to have the story work at feature length without sacrificing what fans of the books might expect.
The inclusion of orphan heroes, however, does feel somewhat off-the-peg for this sort of movie, even in the characters are engaging enough.
As director, Johnston (working alongside co-directors Todd Kunjan Demong (‘The Addams Family’) and Katie Shanahan (‘Wild Kratts’) and their animation team, brings the characters to life in fresh fashion, the various personalities looking like a blend of stop-motion and CG, and giving the madness of the story its own visual flare.
Johnny Vegas and Margo Martindale are the standouts, voicing the main characters, but there are also good performances from the likes of Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (who voices one of the orphans) and Jason Mantzoukas (as local official Mayor Wayne John John-John).
The Twits tells the story of Mr. and Mrs. Twit, the meanest, smelliest, nastiest people on the face of the earth, and their epic battle against a family of magical Muggle-Wumps and two brave children who refuse to let the Twits’ cruelty win.
“Ralph Breaks the Internet” was one of the most delightful surprises of last year. The follow-up to 2014’s “Wreck-It Ralph” saw Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) transported to the Internet, where their friendship was tested and they met a bunch of Disney Princesses. It’s a hoot. We were able to sit down with directors Phil Johnston and Rich Moore and producer Clark Spencer about the movie’s deeper themes, the upcoming “Zootopia” land, and how at one point the movie (an Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Feature) once began on a very, very different note.
So at one point the movie used to open like the classic Disney storybook, right?
Johnston: Yeah.
Moore: For about 30 seconds.
Johnston: It could have worked, actually.
Moore: Ralph had written his own book about their friendship. It was his book about Ralph and Vanellope. It was kind of a recap of what happened in the first movie but through Ralph’s point of view. It was a little skewed.
Johnston: Yeah, it was arrogant. It’s as if he were the white night. I was so convinced that was going to work. I think it could have. I’m trying to remember why we took it out.
Moore: Well, it skewed the story. He kind of looked like a jerk. It was so full of himself in that version. And it was a little confusing to people who hadn’t seen the first movie. Because it wasn’t the right story. So they would say, “Is that what happened in the first one?” No!
It also started with a funeral at one point, right?
Moore: Yeah. Tapper was unplugged and they were having a memorial. And Ralph and Vanellope were making the eulogy all about themselves. Then Gene got mad and started booing the eulogy.
Johnston: That also worked!
Disney
Also, in the Oh My Disney scene with the princesses, there was a moment when Vanellope jumped on Dumbo’s back and got into a dogfight with some TIE fighters right?
Johnston: She had a clickbait pop-up sign and was flying on Dumbo and bopping people on the head to force them to click on it.
Moore: It was a little too long.
Johnston: It made the scene too big.
Moore: It turned more into her getting clicks. It was too much story.
Spencer: And it was an issue of – how do we enjoy the website before she meets the princesses? But the princesses are really the scene. So we would always be balancing that. Like people wanting to see more of the website before the princesses and then we’d spend more time in it and make a big scene. And then they’d say, “Well what is this scene about?”
Disney
There’s a lot of great, brave subtext in “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” just like there was in “Zootopia.” This time it’s about toxic masculinity and online bullying. How important is that stuff to why you made the movie?
Johnston: The first idea was always going to be about their friendship and that they would go to the Internet and the Internet would test their friendship in some way. Once we landed on the story of it being Vanellope falling in love with this pace on the Internet and wanting to stay there for the rest of her life, that idea of Ralph’s insecurity becoming a force of antagonism sort of fed naturally into toxic masculinity. Because so many of the traits he shows on the negative side of his personality are textbook. In the same way we didn’t want “Zootopia” to be a message movie, this is a feminist story about Vanellope finding her voice as a woman and relying on other strong women to help her along the way. Without ever going, “We must make this message movie about toxic masculinity and feminism,” that’s definitely baked into the subtext.
Moore: While we loved the relationship and feel like this is a relationship worth fighting for, we wanted to portray it as it was broken. They had fallen into a codependent friendship that they weren’t even aware of. It was going to the Internet that exposed how weak their friendship was at that point and that they were both feeding into negative aspects of it. But it was going to the Internet that sped up bow broken this was and that if not cared to was just going to fall apart.
Clark was this ever anything you had to fight for?
Spencer: Well I think the great thing is that these guys push hard on their ideas and stories and how they can go further. That’s what’s nice about having a story trust that pushes on us. So there’s always a discussion of, “Have we gone as far as we can go?” And “What else can we dive into?” But I think, to their point, we felt that if we were going to go into The Internet, we have a responsibility to show the good and the bad side of it and delve into these tougher topics. I think “Zootopia” is a great example of a film that was willing to tackle racism. So I think it gave us the belief that we could do that also.
Disney
Speaking of “Zootopia,” Tiny Lister has been out there talking about subsequent sequels.
Moore: I’m not sure where Tiny is getting this information from.
Johnston: I’m going to announce right now: there is a “Zootopia 5” in the works. Not “2,” “3,” or “4.” Just jump to “5.” Kind of like “Big Hero 6.” It’s going to be huge.
Moore: Finnick is the star. Tiny plays all the characters. It’s going to have a $3 trillion budget.
Moore: I like how Tiny Lester was throwing out numbers and everything. Where is this coming from Tiny?
Well something that is slightly more concrete – literally — is the “Zootopia”-themed land coming to Shanghai. How excited are you for people to enter the world of “Zootopia?”
Moore: I’m excited for me to enter the world of “Zootopia.”
Spencer: The cool thing is that we make these movies and if we create characters the audience falls in love with, then hopefully they live on in the parks. Sometimes that’s walk-around characters, sometimes that might be an attraction.
Moore: Or a special funnel cake!
Spencer: But this is a land, which is amazing. I think they’ve outlined what they want to do with the land and it’ll be up to these guys to help with the characters and everything else.
“Ralph Breaks the Internet” is out now on digital HD Blu-ray!
Although he hasn’t gone through the official induction ceremony, for our money Alan Tudyk is already a Disney legend. The actor, who TV fans will remember from his collaborations with Joss Whedon (“Firefly” and “Dollhouse”), has become something of a lucky charm for Walt Disney Animation Studios, having contributed significant vocal performances in every animated feature since 2012. Late last year, he co-starred as Knowsmore, a helpful, erudite search engine in “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” the visually astonishing follow-up to “Wreck-It Ralph,” adding another colorful cartoon character to his already robust portfolio.
We caught up with the actor at the Walt Disney Animation Studios campus, the building constructed after the success of “The Lion King” in 1994 and adorned with a giant Sorcerer’s Mickey hat from “Fantasia” (for a long time the cone of the hat was home to the office of Walt’s nephew, Roy E. Disney). It was here that we discussed all things Disney, from his inspiration for certain voices to whether or not he’d show up in this fall’s “Frozen 2.”
Moviefone: “Wreck-It Ralph” was your first Walt Disney Animation Studios film. Was that a dream for you?
Alan Tudyk: It was one of those dreams that I didn’t dream because you’re like, ah, I don’t even know how that happens. That was crazy. I got called up to do a read through. We all flew up to San Francisco to do the readthrough. We all got on a southwest flight. It was like Sarah Silverman, Jane Lynch. We were all on this Southwest Airlines plane and you go spend the day there and fly back. And after the reading I got the role, I got sent them big bucket of candy afterwards.
Did you have the like Charles Nelson Reilly voice going into it?
I’m glad you said Charles Nelson Reilly cause there was a little Charles Nelson Reilly in it. They said, “Go for Ed Wynn,” who was an old Disney voice. [Editor’s note: Wynn played the Mad Hatter in “Alice in Wonderland” and starred in a number of live-action Disney productions, including “Mary Poppins,” “The Absent-Minded Professor” and ”That Darn Cat!” He is an official Disney Legend.] And then as we went along, people kept piling on in there. Ruth Gordon was even in there because of how she talks and how she emphasizes the words.
Disney
And you’ve been in every Disney animated movie since. Are you expecting that call now?
Now … I’ll just say when. Yes. I’ll be like, “I was expecting this day it was coming.” I mean it’s tricky. I can’t believe I’m in “Moana.” Because I’m the white dude from Texas, but they found the role for me.
I was going to say, is anything beneath you?
Nothing’s beneath. Heck no! It’s just … I know that Disney does a lot of movies that take place in far off lands where there aren’t people like me. So it’ll be interesting. I don’t expect to be in everyone. But gosh, I love them.
Well, I was going to say were you surprised to be asked back for the sequel? Because obviously it seems like King Candy’s arc had ended.
I’d hoped that I would. I wanted King Candy to live. You can’t kill him! He can’t be dead! He can’t be dead because he’s so much fun to do, but Knowsmore is fantastic.
How did you come up with the voice for the Knowsmore character?
Rich asked me before I came in, he said, “Watch a few interviews with Truman Capote and put him in that same sort of realm.” Not in terms of one of the characters from his books, but vocally. So I did [starts doing Knowsmore voice] and he’s more relaxed and he speaks much slower or it’s not higher but frailer voice depending on his age. We started there and then he became Droopy for a second. Like, there’s an interesting way those are two crossed over. And so then he came back and once we found, “Oh that’s interesting” and that high place where you can go, that’s when we found it.
Do you have a favorite of your Disney characters?
I like King Candy because he can talk about anything go on and on and he’s happy. But then he can be so angry. He’s so bad. He becomes a terrible, terrible person.
Do little kids to recognize you?
Um, no. You know who will recognize me? 15-year-olds. Because they have phones and they can look me up. They’ll see me and they’ll know me from something. Probably some movie or some TV show I’ve done. And then when they look me up, they see that I’m from “Moana” and that’s what they want to talk to him about. “Frozen.” They want to talk about the Duke of Weselton because they’re 15 now. So that they, that put them in, you know, the perfect age.
So you’re really in meshed in that Disney culture. I’m assuming that you’re going to have your own stage at the D23 Expo this year. The Alan Tudyk stage.
Yeah, the next show starts in 20 minutes! I’ll just come out on stage.
I know that we are, you know, very secretive around here but have you recorded any voices for upcoming Walt Disney animated features?
I have not.
Even for the one that’s coming out in November of this year (“Frozen 2”)?
Is it that soon? This may be the one …
Disney
There also has been a lot of talking about some further adventures in “Zootopia.” Would you be excited to bring your weasel out again?
Yeah. He’s fun.
I think that might be the most meta joke, going from the Duke of Weselton to Duke Weaselton.
Isn’t that great?
What did you think when they brought you that idea?
I loved it! And then he’s also selling knock-off black market movies before they come out. And he’s got “Rhino Ralph.”
Are you still dazzled when they show you the final cut? I mean, this movie is one of the most visually amazing animated movies ever.
Oh absolutely.
Disney
What is the process like for you?
It’s been different every time. Every single one has been different. Sometimes they’re later in the game, right? Like if it something was coming out this November, we don’t know. Because the story shifts. The way Disney makes movies is amazing. I got to go through the first “Wreck-It Ralph” from the very first reading and it was different. There were all these scenes that got cut. And I record the whole movie and they put it together and they go, “Oh hey, you know what, that doesn’t work. You know what, we need more of King Candy or he needs to be worried,” you know, until they get it into the final product. And so that one was always evolving. Take “Moana.” That one was pretty much done and they showed it to me and I just watched it about three times through with a microphone doing Hei-hei. Just going through different places.
Well, you’re now part of sort of this like amazing legacy of the studio. Do you ever stop and think about that?
I mean it hits me when I come here because of the hallway and the pictures on the walls that now especially cause it’s been so long since the first “Wreck-It Ralph” came out that they’ve accumulated on the walls. You can turn to everybody and say, “I’m in that. Um, oh that’s, that was my character.” And then you keep going down the hallway. That one too, that one too. It’s not just relegated to one little spot where like, that was the one movie I did. And there’s the little thing celebrating that movie. There’s so many now. It makes you pomnder.
Children in 100 years are going to be listening to your voice, which is sort of amazing too.
Oh, there’s not going to be people here in 100 years.
“Ralph Breaks the Internet” is on digital HD now and will be on Blu-ray tomorrow!
The sequel to 2012’s “Wreck-It Ralph” takes the lovable arcade character (voiced by John C. Reilly) and BFF Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) into the wide world of the web when they attempt to fix the Sugar Rush game. Along the way, they meet a host of other characters, from Disney Princesses to Buzz Lightyear to Sonic the Hedgehog.
The movie arrives on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on February 26 (and is already available on Digital HD). Bonus features include behind-the-scenes featurettes, Easter Eggs, and five deleted scenes.
Saoirse Ronan stars as the titular Scottish queen, with Margot Robbie as her cousin/rival/frenemy Queen Elizabeth I of England. As female rulers living in a male-dominated world, they must play the game of marriage while asserting their independence — all while dealing with conspiracies and betrayals in their own courts.
The movie arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on February 26(and is already available on Digital HD). Bonus features include making-of featurettes and audio commentary.
‘The Little Mermaid’ (February 26): Disney’s animated classic hits 4K Blu-ray for the first time in honor of its 30th anniversary. Bonus features include a singalong mode and a retrospective featuring legendary composer Alan Menken and some of Disney’s most recognizable leading ladies.
‘Stand-In’ (February 26): Watch Humphrey Bogart flex his comedy chops opposite Leslie Howard and Joan Blondell in this brand-new restoration of Tay Garnett’s 1937 film.
‘Border’ (February 26): This charming and offbeat Oscar nominee is even more enchanting if you know nothing about it. But considering the source material is based on a short story by the author of “Let the Right One In,” you can better believe that it has some otherworldly weirdness and equally powerful heartache. No special features are included but it does come with a digital copy, so that’s something!
‘Legally Blonde Collection’ (February 26): Considering talk of a third “Legally Blonde” movie with Reese Witherspoon has recently flared up again (does it ever really go away), it might be a good time to revisit the first two films, which feel both charming and quietly revolutionary (especially now). This new package by the fine folks at Shout Factory include brand new 4K transfers of both films and new special features.
‘To Sleep with Anger’ (February 26): Criterion rescues Charles Burnett’s beloved drama finally arrives on Blu-ray thanks to Criterion, who have loaded this disc with typical flair. Along with a brand new 4k restoration, there’s new interviews with Burnett, actors Danny Glover and Sheryl Lee Ralph, and associate producer Linda Koulisis, and an hour-long conversation with Burnett and filmmaker Robert Townsend. Time to revisit or watch for the first time this undiscovered gem of American independent cinema.
‘Used Cars’ (February 26): A few years ago Twilight Time released a version of Robert Zemeckis’ brilliant and insanely funny early feature “Used Cars.” It promptly sold out but fear not! Shout Factory has resurrected it for a brand new, features-laden edition (aren’t they the best?) This new version features a brand new interview with co-writer Bob Gale and all the other existing special features (including an audio commentary track, outtakes, trailers and TV spots. What a movie.
‘Willard’ (February 26): For some reason “Willard,” the brilliant and sorely underrated remake of the rat movie classic, has never been released on Blu-ray. But thanks to Shout Factory, that’s no longer a problem. In addition to all the previously released special features, this new edition includes a new 2K transfer, plus two new commentary tracks (including one with the animal trainers!), new interviews and vintage, never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage of the animal trainers.
The acclaimed 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 has not only made the film a crowd-pleaser, but an Oscar winner. Now available on Digital HD.
Nicolas Cage stars in this supernatural thriller about Joe, a man who is haunted by the memory of his dead wife and daughter. He meets a woman (Franka Potente) who enlists his help in finding the lost soul of her comatose daughter — only to bring back the spirit of Joe’s wife. Now available on Digital HD, DVD, and Blu-ray.
‘The Widow’ (March 1)
In this Amazon Prime drama, a woman’s (Kate Beckinsale) search to uncover the mystery of the disappearance of her husband leads her to the Congo — and some troubling secrets.
NEW ON NETFLIX
‘Losers’ (March 1)
This documentary series examines the psychology of failure. In each of the eight episodes, an athlete suffers a stinging defeat but also takes something positive away from the experience.
‘Northern Rescue’ Season 1 (March 1)
This heartwarming Canadian drama centers on John West (William Baldwin) and his three children, who move from their hectic urban life to his small northern hometown after the death of John’s wife.
‘Whiskey Cavalier’ Series Premiere, ABC (February 27, 10 p.m.)
The action dramedy starring Lauren Cohan and Scott Foley got a sneak preview after the Oscars, but if you couldn’t stay up that late, you can catch it in its usual timeslot.
‘Better Things’ Season 3 Premiere, FX (February 28, 10 p.m.)
Pamela Adlon’s acclaimed comedy returns, with Sam continuing to try to parent her three daughters to the best of her ability.
A new cast of contestants compete to stay — or be asked to sashay away by host RuPaul. Guest judges this season include Miley Cyrus, Lena Waithe, and Elvira.
‘Leaving Neverland – Part 1,’ HBO (March 3, 8 p.m.)
The first part of the explosive documentary about Michael Jackson explores the gut-wrenching experiences of two young boys who were befriended by the late pop star.
“Ralph Breaks the Internet” narrowly edged out “The Grinch” to top the box office for a third time. It earned $16.2 million this weekend, generating $140 million since it opened over Thanksgiving.
“Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch” stole $15.2 million in its fifth outing. The animated film, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the Grinch, has now made $223.5 million in North America and $322.4 million globally.
There were no new wide releases, but a number of awards hopefuls debuted in limited release.
Focus Features
“Mary Queen of Scots” brought in $200,000 from four theaters. That’s the best screen average of the weekend with $50,000 per location. Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie, who were both nominated for Best Actress at the 2018 Oscars, star as political rivals Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth I, respectively. It expands to 70 theaters next weekend.
Lionsgate
The addiction drama “Ben is Back” also opened on four screens for $80,972 total and a average of $20,243 per location. Lucas Hedges stars as struggling addict Ben, who unexpectedly returns to his mother (Julia Roberts)’s home on Christmas Eve. Hedges’ father, Peter Hedges, directed the movie. Hedges is nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in another awards contender, “Boy Erased.”
Focus Features
Also new: “Vox Lux,” which stars Natalie Portman as a pop star who survived a school shooting as a teenager. It earned $162,252 for a theater average of $27,042. It’s the second feature film directed by actor Brady Corbet. It’s got a so-so 66% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fox Searchlight
The arthouse period film “The Favourite” expanded to 91 locations, earning $1.4 million. It stars Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz as courtiers vying for the affection of Queen Anne ( Olivia Colman). In its opening weekend, it scored the best screen average ($105,500) in two years and has since made $3.5 million.
All three actresses are nominated for a Globe (Stone and Weisz as supporting and Colman as lead actress) and the movie is nominated for “Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy.”
Universal
The re-release of “Schindler’s List” made just $551,000 from more than 1000 venues. Steven Spielberg‘s Oscar-winning Holocaust drama will run for a one-week engagement to mark the film’s 25th anniversary. It earned $320 million in 1993 and won seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.
The domestic box office is tracking to hit $11 billion in revenue this year, which is 9.9% ahead of this time last year, according to Comscore.
Here are the top 10 estimates for December 7 – 9, 2018
“Ralph Breaks the Internet” ruled the North American box office in its second weekend, racking up $25.8 million.
That’s a decline of just 53% and pushes the Disney sequel’s domestic take past $100 million.
Audiences were in the mood for animation this weekend: “Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch” returned to second place with $17.7 million. It’s earned $203.5 million so far.
Screen Gems
The only new nationwide release, low-budget indie horror film “The Possession of Hannah Grace,” opened in line with industry estimates with $6.5 million from 2,065 locations. It stars “Pretty Little Liars” alum Shay Mitchell as a morgue attendant who realizes a disfigured body is possessed by a demon. The R-rated thriller earned only a 19% on Rotten Tomatoes and a C- CinemaScore from audiences.
Fox Searchlight
In limited release, “The Favourite,” which debuted last weekend with the best per-screen-average of the year ($105,600), continued to impress as as it expanded to 34 theaters. The Oscar hopeful made $1.1 million this weekend with a still-solid per-screen average of $32,500. Stars Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone were just honored with a special jury prize by the the Gotham Awards.
Warner Bros.
Critics hated “Head Full of Honey” and audiences showed little interest in the dramedy, which stars Nick Nolte as a widower with Alzheimer’s who takes a trip to Venice with his granddaughter. It opened in four locations in New York and Los Angeles, earning just $2,250 per location. The Observer said it was “Exaggerated, infuriating, and about as funny as a root canal without anesthesia.”
Orion Pictures
Meanwhile, the well-reviewed Scottish zombie musical “Anna and the Apocalypse” brought in $50,000 when it debuted on five screens.
National Geographic
This weekend,”Free Solo” became the fourth documentary this year to cross $10 million at the domestic box office. The mountain-climbing doc is now the fourth-highest grossing documentary this year. It’s been nominated for a number of awards, including from the Producers Guild and National Board of Review.
This weekend’s totals were up a strong 11.8% compared to the same time last year when “Coco” made $27.5 million in its second weekend. Overall, 2018 box office is up 10% from 2017, according to Comscore.
Here are the top 10 estimates for November 30– December 2, 2018
In “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” after Elsa’s transformation from snowy ice queen to comfy couch potato, she wears a T-shirt that says, “Just let it go.” If only.
Since its release five years ago this week, Disney’s animated bauble “Frozen” has proven itself to be a juggernaut, taking hold of the cultural zeitgeist like no animated feature since the early 1990s. (It also made lots and lots of money.) But while the movie seems to be everywhere these days, there are probably things you don’t know about the shimmery wonder that is “Frozen.” It might sound impossible, but it’s true.
1. Walt Originally Wanted to Make It, 70 Years Before Its Release
Following the end of World War II, during which the studio had been occupied by American military forces and a drought in overseas distribution led to the creation of cheaper, less creatively viable “package films,” Walt Disney wanted to do something ambitious. As early as 1937, he had wanted to turn Hans Christian Andersen’s story “The Snow Queen” into an animated feature; it never came together.
But after the war, he started looking into a different approach. According to Neal Gabler’s biography, one of the postwar projects was “a biography of Hans Christian Andersen with animated sequence that he had been discussing as a joint production with producer Samuel Goldwyn throughout the war.” The idea was that a live-action biopic would be threaded with animated sequences created by Walt Disney at his studio (another sequence was planned for “The Little Mermaid”). In 1952, Goldwyn released “Hans Christian Andersen,” a musical biopic that starred Danny Kaye. It was nominated for six Academy Awards. Walt put “The Snow Queen” and “The Little Mermaid” back on the shelf. Thankfully, they didn’t stay there forever.
2. The Idea Was Revisited During the Disney Renaissance
The idea for “The Snow Queen” was too good for Disney to just abandon. In the early 1970s, Disney Imagineer Marc Davis pitched the Enchanted Snow Palace, an elaborate dark ride that would have sat where the Fantasyland Theater currently resides in Disneyland. Described by Disney historian Jim Hill as an “elegant, air-conditioned, Audio-Animatronic-filled extravaganza,” the attraction would have culminated with an encounter with the Snow Queen, this time envisioned looking like of the the showgirls from Ziegfield Follies. “This was a ride that Marc had designed for the hot summer days,” is how his widow Alice Davis described the attraction on the “Frozen” home video release.
The studio eventually returned to the idea of a full-fledged animated “Snow Queen” movie from the late-1980s up until the early 2000’s, during the so-called Disney Renaissance, when the animation division of the studio was seeing unprecedented critical and commercial success. One of the touchstones of this period was “The Little Mermaid,” an idea that Walt had batted around in regards to the Andersen biopic, and had now blossomed into a full-fledged phenomenon.
When Harvey Fierstein was working on “Mulan,” he pitched a version that Disney passed on, and they likewise shrugged at proposals concocted by the great Glen Keane, French animators Paul and Gaetan Brizzi (who around the same time sold their animation studio to Disney, ultimately serving as a Parisian satellite studio), Dick Zondag, and Dave Goetz (who most recently served as production designer for “Zootopia“). None of these versions took hold. But good ideas don’t go away, especially at Disney.
3. It Was Almost a Pixar Movie …
As James B. Stewart reports in his indispensable book “Disney War,” in 2003, then-head of Disney Michael Eisner was taking a meeting about the studio’s upcoming slate. In 2007, a feature based on “The Snow Queen” had been penciled in. Eisner was skeptical of the project, and wistfully thought about transferring the production. “John Lasseter. If we make a new deal with Pixar …” Eisner began. If a new deal could be reached with Pixar, then the project would then go to the Emeryville, California-based studio. “I said to John, you can have ‘Snow Queen.’ He loved it. John said, ‘I want to do a princess movie,’” Eisner continued. Mary Jane Ruggels, a creative vice president at the company, was at the meeting and pitched the core concept to Eisner: “The Snow Queen is a terrible bitch, when her suitors try to melt her heart, she freezes them.” She promises Eisner a treatment in two weeks, but when he asks if it can be ready by 2006, he is told “absolutely not” by producer Pam Coats.
At the end of the meeting, after they’ve discussed eventual projects like “The Princess and the Frog” and “Meet the Robinsons,” alongside ultimately doomed features like “Fraidy Cat,” “Hansel & Gretel” (“with a twist: the kids are obnoxious, the witch likable”) and “Aida,” Eisner remarks, “I love Snow Queen.” Looking back on this conversation, it’s fascinating, because a new agreement with Pixar was never reached (Eisner’s successor, Bob Iger, ended up buying the studio) and “The Snow Queen” continued to languish, although Pixar finally wound up with its princess movie with 2012’s Oscar-winning “Brave.”
4. … And An Original Stage Production
In March, 2006, Disney announced that Alan Menken, one of the musical architects of the Renaissance, was signed to a nonexclusive contract with the studio. Amongst his many projects was “The Snow Queen,” a big, Broadway-style musical that was set to debut in the summer of 2007 at the Tokyo DisneySea resort, in the park’s Broadway Music Theater. (You can still hear some of the unreleased songs if you search hard enough.) Several months after the announcement, however, the project was ultimately scrapped, with Menken teaming up with Mike Gabriel, a legendary Disney animator and the co-director of “Pocahontas,” on yet another animated feature version of “The Snow Queen.” But, again, this wasn’t meant to be.
Disney
5. Even the Version That Was Announced Doesn’t Sound Much Like the Final Movie
Formally announced in 2011, the project followed the lead of “Tangled,” and was renamed “Frozen.” At that point, it wasn’t clear if the film would be traditionally animated (as “The Princess and the Frog” and “Winnie the Pooh” had been) or computer-generated. In June 2012, it was revealed that it would be a CG feature, that Kristen Bell would play Anna, Idina Menzel would play Elsa, and that Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (alums from “Winnie the Pooh” and a “Finding Nemo” musical production at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park) would be writing the original songs.
At this point, Chris Buck was the sole director, even though Jennifer Lee, who wound up being the screenwriter and co-director, had been quietly brought on board earlier that year after previous efforts to crack the story had “imploded.” According to a Script Notes podcast with John August, the entire team “essentially started over and … we had 17 months.” (While most agree that the script was pretty locked down by November, 2012, it still went through extensive changes, up until right before it was released.)
And looking back at that press release, you can sort of see the movie that they wound up with, if you squint hard enough: “In ‘Frozen,’ a prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, so Anna (voice of Bell) must team up with Kristoff, a daring mountain man, on the grandest of journeys to find the Snow Queen (voice of Menzel) and put an end to the icy spell. Encountering Everest-like extremes, mystical creatures, and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction.” No Olaf, no Sven, and a larger emphasis on “mystical creatures and magic at every turn” (early versions had an actual yeti they encountered).
Disney
6. The Movie’s Success Was Far From a Sure Thing
While the overwhelming success of “Frozen” now seems like a part of our everyday life, it was never a sure thing, especially given what a painful production it ultimately ended up being. And pretty much everyone was taken by surprise. I spoke to Josh Gad shortly after the movie opened and he recalls that he didn’t think the movie was going to be a smash until he was invited to a screening that Lee, Buck, and John Lasseter had for the actors. He hadn’t read the script, simply recited his lines from storyboards that the animators had provided him. Well, I’ll let him tell it:
“So I’m sitting there and I’m watching this movie and I feel my eyes leaking and I literally find myself sitting there sobbing like I did, I guess, the first time I saw ‘The Lion King.’ I’m thinking to myself: Oh my god, I haven’t felt this way watching a Disney film since I was a kid,” Gad told me. “I grew up in the eighties and nineties when it was that run of ‘The Little Mermaid,’ ‘Beauty & the Beast‘ and ‘The Lion King,’ so I was very spoiled in terms of what I was able to experience as an epic event at the movie theater. When the movie ended, I turned to John Lasseter, and I said, ‘I haven’t felt that way since 1994.’ I thought to myself: Man, what a great feeling. I hope audiences can discover that too. And I guess they have. That’s the best way to put it. Not only have they felt the same way I felt when I first saw the movie, but now their kids are discovering what it feels like to be a part of a Disney event that is a musical that harkens back to all of the princess movies that Walt Disney gave my grandparents that the company then gave my parents and me. To now be a part of the fourth or fifth generation to experience one of these great musicals… It’s an amazing thing to be a part of that.” Well said, Gad.
7. This Movie Was Unbelievably Huge
Again, “Frozen” has become such a steadfast part of the cultural landscape, it’s hard to imagine a time without it. But consider this: “Frozen” is still the highest grossing animated feature of all time, on a global level. And it came out five years ago. What’s more – it’s still going. A 2015 Forbes report stated that in the fiscal 2014, its consumer products division posted “a healthy profit of $1.36 billion.” Much of this was due to the sale of “Frozen” merchandise (and the accompanying, highly lucrative licensing that went along with it). Similar numbers are staggering: a sing-along version of the movie was released into America theaters on January 31, 2014, on 2,057 screens. It won two Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (“Let It Go”). And when the movie finally hit home video, it sold 3.2 million units on its first day of release. It has since gone on to become the biggest-selling Blu-ray in the United States, with nearly 8 million units sold. In 2014, Elsa showed up on the list of 100 most-used baby names on BabyCenter, for the first time ever.
And in the years since, “Frozen” has only expanded its icy hold – it has showed up on Broadway, in countless Disney Parks attractions and shows (Frozen Ever After, the first full-fledged ride, is open at Epcot), in a Christmas special, in “Ralph Breaks the Internet” and on “Once Upon a Time.” In the months ahead, we’ll get announcements of even more attractions (Disneyland’s Fantasyland will look very different very soon), plus the stage show will begin touring the United States. And, finally, on November 22nd, 2019, we will finally get a sequel. But, you know, expectations are muted.
Two big sequels helped propel the Thanksgiving box-office to record heights: “Ralph Breaks the Internet” racked up $84.6 million at 4,017 locations over the five-day holiday period and $56 million for the weekend.
It’s now the second-best Thanksgiving debut ever, beaten only by Disney’s “Frozen,” which earned $93.6 million during its first five days.
New Line
And “Creed II” knocked out $55 million from 3,350 venues over the five days and $34 million for the weekend. That makes it the the best debut for a live-action film over the Thanksgiving weekend. It also scored higher than the first film, which launched with $29 million in its first weekend in 2015.
All told, Thanksgiving moviegoing set a new record: More than $314 million, breaking the record of $294 million set in 2013.
Summit
Audiences gave the new “Robin Hood,” starring Taron Egerton in yet another retelling of the legendary bandit’s exploits, a hard pass. Savage reviews didn’t help the film, which earned only $14.2 million over the five-day period and $9 million for the weekend. Considering that the movie cost nearly $100 million, it looks like distributor Summit is going to take a bath on this one.
Fox Searchlight
Playing in just four theaters in New York and Los Angeles, “The Favourite” earned $420,000. At $105,500 per location, it had the best per-screen average of the year. Yorgos Lanthimos (“The Lobster”) directed the period drama, which stars Oscar winners Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone jockeying to be court favorites to Queen Anne (Olivia Colman, who’s also the new Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix’s “The Crown”). It’s expected to be a solid awards contender.
Magnolia
Also bowing in limited release: Japanese film “Shoplifters.” The movie about a family who resorts to shoplifting to survive won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and is Japan’s selection for best foreign language film for this year’s Oscars. It opened in five locations where it made $88,000, for a per-screen average of $17,600.
Here are the top 10 5-day estimates for November 21–25, 2018
