Live Action Mulan Film in China

asianmoviepulse.com

Hong Kong director, Jingle Ma has created a live action movie based on the folk tale of Hua Mulan

starring Wei Zhao.

This is not necessarily business, nor completely Disney related, but I don't care because this is pretty boss.

Of course, Disney made an animated version of the Chinese folklore in 1998, but this film will not have

Broadway style musical numbers, an Eddie Murphy voiced sidekick, or convenient solutions to all problems.

Instead, it will focus more on the more human (rather than godly hero) aspect of the character and her

emotional response in fighting.

As of now the film opens in China, Singapore and Malaysia on Friday, but distribution deals for the U.S.

and Europe are being negotiated.

/Not really related, but pretty exciting anyway.

More Ross Administration

Rich Ross has been listening in on Business of Media or something because now he's trying to convince Hollywood they have to completely rethink traditional distribution methods to compensate for the internet as a growing platform for entertainment. This involves more targeted marketing (as we've seen with Facebook and Hulu) and a shorter window between theater release and home-viewing. (I'm still ambivalent and curious for the future on this last point. Will a shorter window mean higher DVD-or in the future, KeyChest- sales as the movie will be fresh in audiences minds? Will this be at the expense of box office sales since audiences know they won't have to wait long to just own the movie? Will exhibitors than have to fight to stress the importance of a theater-going experience? Stay tuned.)

More changes come from the previously mentioned staff changes. The booting of Daniel Battsek (of specialty label Miramax) exemplifies Ross and Bob Iger's growing emphasis on safe family-friendly movies and franchises/sequels which are more easily recognizable and marketable. Unfortunately, they seem to know and don't care that this will come at the expense of original ideas and stories, which is extremely disappointing. (If only there were more people like my man, John Lasseter who'd try to make them see the light.)

Now, according to Ross, "it's brand over everything else." Sad.

More marketing recognition* comes to the need for "more movies that appeal to women." Given their stereotypical penchant for doing things in groups (like trips to the bathroom), it seems to make more sense that women are more likely to want to see a movie in theaters. At least online, women 25 to 54 are "heavy online ticket buyers" and movie ticket purchasers are 39% more likely to be female." This is why we have Twilight movies.

*This should count as like, 3 blog posts right? :]

Rich Ross Restructuring

Continuing the thread of changes under Rich Ross, the new chairman of Walt Disney Studios has already made some changes.

• Greg Brandeau, vice president of Pixar Studios, will be chief of technology at Walt Disney Studios
• Alan Bergman, still president of WDS, will get added responsibilities of managing studio franchises, to reflect Ross' "focus on brands that can be utilized by other divisions within the company"
• Oren Aviv will still oversee live-action movies
• Bob Chapek, president of home entertainment, is now also head of distribution for "all outlets for Disney movies, including theaters, DVD, pay television and new media"
• New marketing head TBA

Unfortunately a handful of executive have already be left by the wayside or have left due to the changes including Jim Gallagher (former marketing head), Dick Cook (chairman replaces by Ross), Daniel Battsek (former president of Miramax), and Mike Zoradi (formerly oversaw world wide distribution and marketing).

It seems many positions will now report directly to Ross, Chief Executive Bob Iger, or Chapek. Part of the reason they're using is that these interconnected responsibilities will help promote inter-division coordinating on marketing. Some are citing higher-ups' disatisfaction with the marketing of their recent big budget, computer animated, A Christmas Carol.

Disney thinks of more creative ways to interconnect their marketing and advertising than actual creative content. It seems they've become all about stretching everything out of what little they come up with and make the most money possible simply out of franchises.

I wish they'd stop shuffling around and listen to my man, John Lasseter about how people really care about good content.

Mark Zoradi Leaves Movie Studios

Mark Zoradi has left his position as president of Disney's motion picture studios following the departure of his former boss Dick Cook, succeeded by Rich Ross.

Since Bob Iger's appointment of Ross, there have been talks of restructuring Disney's distribution techniques. They plan to shorten the window between theater release and DVD release to keep up with consumers wanting movies on demand, now, anywhere.

Personally, this doesn't seem like a great idea. In the age of video on demand, movies online, etc, movie theaters still have a surprising amount of business. Going to the theater is an event and a way to see the movie as soon as possible. Closing the gap between theater release and DVD release seems to just make less incentive to go to the movie since you don't have have as much time to wait.

Jonas Second Season

Only this blog could make me look up Jonas Brothers pictures...

As mentioned before, Disney greatest revenues come from their media studios/tv, and they love pushing franchises to their fullest.

While Disney Channel's show featuring the Jonas Brothers (Jonas), is second in sales and viewers to Hanna Montana, they've stilled gained quite a bit of popularity.

According to ABC News the show just earned its second season, as well as a second season of the short-form reality series, Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream.

The second season of Jonas will move the boys to a new location, as the characters pursue various media industries over the summer in California, getting them out of the studio and trying something new.

Hannah Montana is also getting another season - its fourth.

Possibly the easiest way for Disney to make money is coming up with one or two great franchises and using them across the board with merchandising, video games, movies, music, shows, etc.

Re: Epic Mickey, Mouse's New Look

As I mentioned in the last post, with Disney Interactive Studio's upcoming Epic Mickey game, they seem to be capitalizing on the retro trend by redesigning the iconic mouse to more closely resemble his Steamboat Willie roots with longer, more slender limbs.

Epic Mickey

No really, that's the title of Disney Interactive Studios' new video game set for release on the Nintendo Wii next year.

The game seems to be a puzzle/platformer game based on the story of the famous Mickey entering Cartoon Wasteland, where all Disney's old characters like Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (Walt's first star in 1927) have been thrown to the wayside. Screenshots and concept art from Total Video Games show kind of trippy cartoon, steampunk, and retro visuals.

The basic premise of the game seems basic and boring - hero enters strange world, hero must save world, hero does puzzles and collects things. The real reasons Disney seems to be making the game to grow their video game branch and market something to gamers and retro Disney fans. It's also another case of Disney digging in their vaults for old characters to exploit rather than legit new content.

I'm curious to hear reviews of the game in the future and see how well the steampunk visuals turn out.

Return to Hand Drawn Animation

"I've never understood why the studios were saying people don't want to see hand-drawn animation.

What people don't want to watch is a bad movie."

Oh, John Lasseter, you get me every time.

Back in 2003, Disney converted to all digital animation after they had a couple hand-drawn flops (Treasure Planet, Brother Bear) while other studios made out great with their CG works (Shrek, Finding Nemo). Now they're probably realizing, as Lasseter points out, the problem was the stories, not the animation and are therefore kickin it old school style with their next princess movie, The Princess and the Frog. Also, traditional animation may come out cheaper than computer versions, as upcoming The Princess and the Frog managed.

Of course this means Disney had to refurbish half of their production department to accommodate their old, stored hand animation desks and equipment. In a heartwarming move, this also involves rehiring old Disney employees that had been booted at the dawn of CG animation.

This move was brought on in part by Pixar's Ed Catmull and John Lasseter, ironically, the men pretty much responsible for computer animated feature films.

The fact that Disney's The Princess and the Frog, due out this December, is very traditional - both in animation style and it's "Broadway-style" musical numbers - comes as a great selling point for those interested in animation, nostalgic for old Disney films, and a new generation of kids that haven't fully experienced such a Disney Princess movie.

Another tactic to create buzz for the movie should come from word-of-mouth after advanced screenings in NYC and LA with special events held afterwards.

Regular US Release Date: December 11, 2009.