Walt Disney Studios Showcase - 9/24/2008
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Following the song, Cook and Lasseter continued their discussion by turning to Cars. Directed by John Lasseter, Cook described it as a giant hit for the company. Lasseter was excited to announce that Cars 2 would be arriving for the summer of 2011, a year earlier than previously announced. Lasseter described his world travels to promote Cars, and finding himself speculating on how Mater and the gang from Radiator Springs would fare among foreign cars. Brad Lewis, the director of Ratatouille has been assigned to Cars 2.
In addition to the new feature, Lasseter also announced that a series of shorts, called Cars Toons were to be released. The series, under the umbrella title of Mater�s Tall Tales (�If I�m lyin� I�m dyin�!�) will be seen theatrically and on the Disney Channel. The first in the series, Rescue Squad Mater was shown, Future titles include Mater the Greater (Mater as the world�s greatest stunt car) and El Mater-dor (Mater as the world�s greatest bull-dozer fighter).
The conversation next turned to the movie that started it all, Toy Story. Lasseter was pleased to announce that both the original Toy Story as well as Toy Story 2 were to be released in Disney Digital 3D. Toy Story, he said, was proving a beautiful candidate for the treatment. These re-releases would the pave the way for the much anticipated Toy Story 3. The story, Lasseter said, starts at the point where a grown up Andy is leaving for college. The toys always knew this day would come, and this film follows their reactions with humor and poignancy.
All of the principle performers from Toy Story have agreed to return for Toy Story 3, starting with Tom Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen as Buzz. Even Barbie is included in the cast, and, making his feature film debut, Ken! As Lasseter wound up his presentation, Green Army Men rappelled from the ceiling, and the stage was filled with the Toy Story gang, singing and dancing �You�ve Got a Friend in Me.� As the number concluded, and the last of the Army Men departed the stage, Dick Cook pointed out Disney�s commitment to going green.
Cook reminded the audience of Disney�s quest not only for quality, but new technology as well. Proof of this, he said, was in their slate of 3D releases, more features than any other studio. When Chicken Little was given a limited release in 3D, there were only 80 theaters equipped to screen it. Today there are over 1,000. �3D is not just a passing trend,� Cook asserted. He then pointed out that even Jeffrey Katzenberg at DreamWorks might release that company�s first ever 3D release.
As the audience was invited to slip on their 3D glasses, Cook spoke of Bolt, scheduled for a November release. Top billed among the voice actors are John Travolta and Miley Cyrus. �John is so good,� quipped Cook, �He can play an old dog and a new dog in just a few months.� A working print of Bolt was then screened in its entirety.
Bolt official site: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/bolt/
Bolt extended film clip: http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/bolt/extended-clip
Following Bolt and a lunch break, guests were invited to tour a display of production materials and techniques created for the new Bob Zemeckis production of Disney�s A Christmas Carol, scheduled for a November, 2009 release. There was a special emphasis on the way the technology would be harnessed to allow star Jim Carrey to play Ebenezer Scrooge at every stage of his life, from childhood to old age. There was also an impressive collection of models, renderings, and �virtual� props, as well as a large area showing how the motion capture system is employed.
Back in the theater, Cook introduced the film�s creator, saying, �There�s no one more in the forefront of change than Bob Zemeckis.� When asked why he had chosen A Christmas Carol for his next film, Bob first said, �Well, the writing is pretty good.� He then went on to say he felt it was one of the greatest stories in the English language. He also was attracted to it because it is a time travel story, a subject that fascinates him. What he wanted, he said, was to present the story as Charles Dickens envisioned it. In motion capture, he continued, you are limited only by your imagination.
When asked how Jim Carrey had reacted to his first motion capture performance, Zemeckis suggested that Cook ask the star himself. Jim Carrey then entered from the wings, and joined the conversation. He gave Dick Cook a big hug, and mugged for the crowd before sitting down. He first stated that A Christmas Carol was not actually his first experience with motion capture. He had, he said, been attached to a project many years earlier, before the technology had caught up with the vision. He described having his head clamped into a vise, then attempting to portray a fish. He was pleased to note that Zemeckis had freed the technology, and the performers.
In addition to playing Scrooge, Carrey also plays the Ghosts, as well as other characters, seven personalities in all. Whan asked if he was able to keep them all straight, Carrey just laughed and said it was like a big party, with a lot going on up there, anyway. On a serious note, he spoke warmly of what a dream it was to work with the best material and the best director.
Cook pressed on, asking Carrey if Disney was paying him seven slasries for his various roles. �You will eventually,� laughed Carrey. He added that he was a good investment, though. When Cook pointed out that A Christmas Carol was Carrey�s first film for Disney, the comic revealed that the very first film he had seen was The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, starring a young Kurt Russell.
After thanking Zemeckis and Carrey, Cook turned to filmmaker Tim Burton. He stated that Disney was proud and excited to have the visionary Burton on board to create his version of Alice in Wonderland. Fantastic artwork filled the screen, showing Burton�s unique reimagining of Lewis Carroll�s world. The crowd applauded as Cook announced that Johnny Depp had been signed to play the Mad Hatter. �Any time this guy wears a funny hat,� said Cook, �It�s good news for Disney.�