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Home , Atlantis (franchise), Bambi, Dumbo, John Lasseter, Lady and the Tramp, Tangled

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screen magic Clockwise from main picture: gets aspirited makeoverinTangled; (1942), amilestone in animal realism; Ursula the sea witchfromThe Little Mermaid (1989); (1994), still the highest-grossing hand-drawn ; postersfor (1941),The Jungle Book (1967) and and the SevenDwarfs(1937);Siamese cats, voiced by PeggyLee,fromThe (1955); (1940); and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice sequence from (1940) Tangledupinfairytales: Walt Disney’s remarkable return

Disney’s 50th animatedmovie,arebootofRapunzel, is destined to be an instant modern classic. Tim Teeman gets theinsidestory on themost expensive cartoonyet made,and asks wherenextfor thestudio thatturnedthe humble folk storyintobox-officegold

t’sclear from the outset that chronological order,beginningwith the The scriptisfast-pacedand filledwith Pinocchio.Wealso want it to feel panybought in 2006 —brought horsing world,”Keane says), mostbeautifully in a classical painting, notably the Rococo althoughforthefullyearDisneyreporteda Arecent reportclaimedthat —after Regardless of the future of cartoon the one thing it has above anyofthe other (terrible title, great film) is not going firstanimated feature, Snow Whiteand the wisecracks;theintention,Conlisays,wasto contemporaryand ring true in the years to “renewed life” to the studio after“adecade around scenewhenaseaoflanternsisreleasedinto canvasesofJean-Honoré Fragonard. “The 19.8 per cent rise in profits, while rising 2009’sThePrincessandtheFrog,whichwas fables, Disney is “in agreat position”, bigstudios.”But stockholders are not to be the classic tale of Rapunzel SevenDwarfs,1937. mirrorthe reparteeofthe classic come. When Iarrivedhere we were editing of malaise, which wasn’t the firstI’d experi- Maximus is out the sky.Another scene, in which Rapun- essential elements of aDisney animation,” revenues(at $38 billion) made2010 a critically acclaimedbut had adisappoint- Steven Gaydos, the executive editor of dewy-eyedand Gaydos notes that Disney when the prince, who is really a In its calculated mixture of classic and battle-of-the-sexes comedies, though usingrazors and tape. We’re aware of the enced.WhenMichaelEisnercame[aschief to get the bad zel’s hair is illuminated,also represents a Keanesays,“aresincerity:youmustbelieve “financial and strategic success”, according ingbox-office return—Tangled wasthe Variety,says. Rich Ross, who as Disney’s cannot afford to stumble. The margin for schmuck and has stolen acrown, modern, Tangled is ahigh-water mark: it’s modernised. “There wasnoway Rapunzel Disneylegacy, thestorytellingthatpreced- executive officer in 1984] the guysinTangled technical breakthrough, he says; as well as in the characters; and appeal: how you to BobIger,Disney’s president and chief lasthurrah forthe Disney fairytale, with chairman overseesworldwideproduction, costly mistakesinmoviesisunforgiving. I comestoour long-tressedheroine’s as smartasShrek and as exquisitely wasgoingtobeadamsel in distress. In the ed us. We payhomage but we are not slav- were movedout of the Disney office intoa the vividlushness of aforest.This tech- drawthe audience in.”Technologyshould executive.In2010 the company bought thecompanyditchingits heritage (the logo distribution and marketingfor the com- Conli says that the market foranimation tower, where sheconks him on the wrought as Snow White.Rapunzel (voiced 1950s the wasacertain ish.CGIallowsyoutopushthingsfarther.” former coffin factory.”That “decadeof nically enhancednaturalism canfeel be usedinthe service of storytelling, both , amaker of gamesfor Facebook itself is afairytale castle) for21st-century pany’sanimated and feature films, comes is growing. “Itisbecoming more sophisti- head and locks him in awardrobe. Using by ) is aDisney heroine at way; that changedin1989 with The Little GlenKeane, theanimationsupervisorof malaise” forWalt Disney Animation creepy, though.Thepeachilysmooth,waxy mensay, nottheotherwayround.“Brilliant users, for$563 million and announced characters and superheroes. Stungbythe from aTVbackground, and, Gaydos notes, catedand mainstream. Four out of tenof the finest of Disney’s animated drawing, leastonspeakingterms with feminism, as Mermaid, who wasassertive.Now in Tangled,whostartedhiscareeratthestudio Studiosseemsparticularlyacutewhencom- cheeks of Rapunzel and Flynn reminded animation engagesthe heart,”Conli says. plans to expand its California Adventure accusation, Ed Catmull, president of Dis- “instinctively understands the importance 2010’sbiggest moviesare animated.” (Toy the latestin3-D technologyand asharp instrumental in her bid forfreedomasher Tangled our 21st-centuryheroine wants to 33yearsagoonThe Rescuers,recallsin 1981 paredwith Pixar’s output: in the early me of the fake“babies” that people buy to “Computer is another word forpencil. We andHongKongthemeparks,andto builda ney and Pixar’s animation studios, issueda of franchisesand merchandising, how to Story3,the part-animated AliceinWon- script, this new version of the classic fairy- “prince”,Flynn (voicedbyZacharyLevi), takeher partinthe world.”Conli wants the goingtosee an early screeningofthe origi- Pixar gave us Monsters Inc, Finding careforinplaceoftherealthing. don’twant the 3-Dtobeinyour face, but to resortinHawaii. statement claimingthat fairytales“are buildthebestfromabrand”.Rossintendsto derland, Forever After and Howto talewill,Disneyestimates,grossmorethan who transforms himself from scoundrel to film to appeal to youngand old, “and we nal .JohnLasseter,then aDisney ani- Nemo and ;Disney : Conli’sfavouritecharacter —the one pull youintothe screen.”Lasseter,Conli Disney’s mostrecent high-profile alive and well at Disney ... We have a bringinbig-namedirectors,suchasGuiller- Train Your Dragon.) Keane would liketo $300million(£193million)worldwide. hero. Their courtship is overshadowed by want youtofeel you’ve been to a‘Disney’ mator,accompaniedKeane and both were The Lost Empire, TreasurePlanet and that madehim cryatakeymoment,not to claims, has brought to Disney “something American opening, the much-hyped Tron: number of projects in development with mo delToro(Pan’sLabyrinth), who will see computers usedto“elevateand cele- Ifindustryrumoursaretrue,thefilmcost the villainess, (amazingly film. There are design elements that echo impressedbythe early shots of the light BrotherBear. be spoilt here —isMaximus, an initially we lost forawhile: tellingstoriesfromthe Legacy performed mutedly at its opening new twists that audienceswill be able to directa3-D action-adventure version of bratehand-drawn animators’art in away $260 million to produce, makingitthe voicedbyDonna Murphy), whose song SleepingBeauty,,SnowWhiteand cyclesinspace. “Wecame back exhilarated Tangled began its present screen life14 aggressive horse who becomesahero. heart.He has re-energisedus.” weekend at the American boxoffice (on enjoyfor manyyears to come”.However, The Haunted Mansion basedonthe Disney wehaven’tseen”. mostexpensive animated film yet(even MotherKnowsBestisachillingandconvin- at the technical possibilitiesthe film years agoafter being, as Conli has said, “on “That’s the true success of animation,”he But,with its apparently record-breaking December 18), taking$43.6 million, having the forthcomingDisney/Pixar slateseems theme-park attraction. Meanwhile, John It is in this intriguingpush-pull marriage had an official production budget of cingencapsulation of the twistedco-de- showed and depressedwecouldn’t do it.” and offthe shelf”for 60 years. The end says, “when youcan give acompletestory budget, Tangled will have to work hard to costareported$170million to make. The fairytale-free: 2 (2011), Winnie the LeeHancock (The Blind Side)will direct of oldand new artistrythat the keytoDis- “only”$237 million) and the second-most pendent relationship that shehas with Tangledisa But it madethem determinedtoinnovate result,Keane says, “feels likethe end of the to anon-speakingcharacter.” turnaprofit. (“The studio never discusses studio is keen, then, for Tangled —the first Pooh (2011), Gnomeo &Juliet (2011),Brave Electric Boy,Genius,basedonthe true story ney’s film-makingfuture lies, forall its expensive feature film (after Pirates of the Rapunzel. The score, composedbyAlan asmuchaspossible.Lasseterwentontorise process where the studio itself wastrying Keanedescribesthedizzyinginterplayof budgets”isthe Disney mantra.) And a Disney film to be executive-producedby (2012)andReboot Ralph(2013). of Ryan Patterson, who at 17 created an theme parks, TV stations, videogamesand Caribbean: At World’sEnd). When Tangled Menken, is so good that it sounds Broad- high-watermark: it’s through the ranks at Pixar,which was to find its new identity. Youworry con- hand-drawingand CGIthat goes into genuineprofitiswhatthemediaandenter- Lasseter —tobeseen as amilestone and electronic sign-language device that used merchandising. But however well Tangled openedinNovember in the US, it became way-ready.“We wanted to makeamovie responsible forthe original ToyStory,the stantly,but whenever the studio seems everyscene, everymovement. He recalls tainment giant needs afterreportinga6.7 future talisman. In 2009 Disney also sensors in aglove to translatehand move- does,Disney needs more than one success the second highestgrossingfilm to open at with music,such as Cinderella and Sleeping as smartasShrek and firstcomputer-animated feature film to be on the brink of disastersome- Freddie Moore, one of the original Disney per cent fall in fourth-quarterprofits at the acquiredMarvelEntertainmentanditsfull mentsintolettersonascreen. to guaranteeitsownfairytaleending. Thanksgiving after ToyStory 2.Disney’s Beauty,not amusical,”, Tangled’s (which ledtoaslew of popular , thingcomesalongtoturnits fortunes animators,workingtoperfect“thecuteand end of last year,despitethe success of Toy complementof comic-bookheroesfor $4.3 Watch the The strengththat Disney mustplayto, as exquisitelywrought for Tangled at Tangled isattheBFI,LondonSE1, on 50th animated film, its release is being producer,says. “Itcould become aBroad- includingABug’s Life,ToyStory2andCars). around.”The 3-DtechnologyinTan- stretch”ofMickey Mouse’sface. Visually, Story3,thehighest-grossingfilm of2010. billion,apurchasethatIgersaidmeantthat thetimes.co.uk/film Gaydos says,is“that feelingthat when January16andreleasednationwideon marked by ayear-longseason at the BFI in waymusical. It would needtoberewritten, Keane claims that Lasseter —who became gled leads to some truly stunning the film-makers want the viewer to feel Declinesinits TV and theme-park busi- Disney’s brand and purchase portfolio was people leave the cinema, they know ...that January28. TheBFI’sDisney50season London, where all 50 are being shown in butthosearediscussionsI’d welcome.” as Snow White aDisney employeeagain when the com- effects(“Itfeels likeareal living “comfortable”,Conli says: they reference nessdraggeddownDisney’s overallresults, “strongerthanever”. wasa‘Disney’film. That brand identityis beginsonJanuary23.bfi.org.uk