![]() ![]() Wedge, Knapp, and Nissi’s conversation – which can be read HERE – covers the entire timeline of the new series, from Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, pre- and post-production, the COVID-19 lockdown, Disney’s announcement that Blue Sky would be shuttering, and the months of uncertainty as to whether Disney would ever release the finished series – it took more than a year. Most people were of the mind, “Of course we’re going to finish it and we’re going to knock it out of the park.” The motivation was stronger in a sense. Everyone I went to, I didn’t have to convince anyone or twist their arm. I think it was a solid week where they said, “Everybody step away, and talk to your families and do whatever you need to do.” It was pretty shortly thereafter that we were like, “Do we still want to do this?” We were very close to the end when the announcement was made. Knapp recalls the the state of uncertainty which loomed over everyone at the studio when Disney announced it would be closing Blue Sky: The truth of the matter is suddenly COVID hit and Disney realized-and I assume that they hadn’t thought of this-the only way they make money is when large groups of people gather in one place. In the conversation, Wedge shares his practical take on the financial circumstances which led to Blue Sky being shut down, hypothesizing a tremendous oversight on Disney’s part: Beautifully animated and featuring a stellar voice cast including Ewan McGregor, James Earl Jones, Stanley Tucci, Amanda Bynes, Mel Brooks, and Halle Berry, it’s Robin Williams who really stands out here as the hilarious and thought-provoking robot companion Fender.In the Paste story, members of the creative team behind Ice Age: Scrat Tales - including Chris Wedge, Anthony Nisi, and Michael Knapp – tell their version of the chaotic events which impacted production and eventually led to Disney shuttering Blue Sky. The film shows how different economic classes are punished for being unable to afford the next big thing in technology, whether that be a new phone or new parts. It is a great movie about friendship and economic disparities. Ratchet, who is attempting to take all the poor robots who need parts off the streets for good as part of a nefarious money-making plan. However, instead of finding Bigweld when Rodney arrives in Robot City, he finds Phineas T. When his parents need money, Rodney moves to Robot City to try and sell an invention to his hero, Bigweld. Robots centers around Rodney Copperbottom, a young robot from a small town who dreams of becoming an inventor. It’s fun, funny, clever, emotional, and poignant. Robotsis one of the most underrated animated movies of all time. To this day, it is still by far the most critically successful Dr Seuss movie adaptation, and for good reason. ![]() It was also an extremely welcome surprise to have Jim Carrey back in the voice cast (this time voicing Horton). ![]() All the whimsical magic and humor from the books is present, with humor appealing to the little ones and a few jokes for mom and dad in there too. Opting to make it an animated feature instead of going down the live-action route the previous two Dr Seuss movies did, Horton Hears a Who is visually stunning, looking like it jumped straight off the pages of the book and into the 21st Century. It would just take the courage of Blue Sky Studios to take on the next project and give it the creative treatment it deserves. The success of the How th e Grinch Stole Christmas with Jim Carrey before it showed there was a market for the beloved author’s material in Hollywood. The works of iconic children’s writer Dr Seuss were in a kind of state of limbo following Universal Pictures’ abysmal attempt at adapting The Cat in the Hat to the big screen with Mike Myers playing the eponymous Cat. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |