"Fantasia: Music Evolved," which allows players to remix songs, will include music from Queen and Bruno Mars.
Disney is turning its groundbreaking 73-year-old animated feature film Fantasia into a video game, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, though with music from classic rockers and contemporary artists.
The game, Fantasia: Music Evolved, is scheduled for release next year on Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox One and its Xbox 360 platforms.
Using Microsoft’s motion-sensing Kinect system, players wave their arms, push the palms of their hands in various directions and generally move to the music in an effort to actually remix songs. Onscreen, all that moving around is also allowing them to explore and alter their visual environments.
The game will come with more than two dozen songs, each including its original version and remixes that players can remix further in multiple ways through their body gestures.
The five songs announced are "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen; "Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars; "Settle Down" by Kimbra; "Levels" by Avicii; and "Some Nights" by Fun.
Disney didn’t disclose the financial arrangements it has with the artists. In a nod to the original Fantasia, which features music by Bach, Tchaikovsky and more, some classical music will also make an appearance.
The game was developed over two years by Harmonix, the company behind games like Dance Central and Rock Band, and will include the ability for players to share the remixed versions of songs with others. It’s a feature that insiders say Disney worked hard on, given it had to navigate tricky licensing issues.
Earlier this year Disney Interactive unveiled Disney Infinity, the company’s most ambitious gaming initiative ever. This all new game platform, delayed until August 18, unlocks the freedom to create stories and play experiences starring beloved characters from The Walt Disney Company and Pixar Animation Studios.
See a trailer for Fantasia: Music Evolved below.
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
