Animation World Magazine, Issue 3.4, July 1998


Films

Mulan. © The Walt Disney Company.
Mulan, Disney's 36th animated theatrical feature film, opened in U.S. movie theaters on Friday, June 19. Directed by Barry Cook and Tony Bancroft, Mulan is the first feature to be primarily produced at Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, which opened in Orlando nearly two years ago. In the Disney tradition of adapting classic tales, Mulan is based on a 2,000 year-old tale of a young girl who joins the Chinese army. The film's cast includes voices by Eddie Murphy, Pat Morita and June Foray, and songs written by Matthew Wilder and David Zippel. In case you haven't noticed the billboards and TV advertising, the film's opening will also be promoted on talk shows and specials airing on Disney-owned networks ABC and the Disney Channel.

Note: This issue of Animation World Magazine features a
review of Mulan by Andy Klein.

Lost Disney Short Found. A rare 35mm nitrate print of Alice's Spanish Guitar, an animated short film made by Walt Disney in 1926, has recently been found and donated to George Eastman House International Museum of Photography of Film. It is the only nitrate print of this film known to have survived. The eight-minute black & white film combines live-action with animation, like the 17 other films in the Alice in Cartoonland series, which starred child actress Margie Gay trapped in an animated world. The George Eastman House hosted the annual summer school for the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), through June 26, and is also home to the only permanent film preservation school in the U.S., The L. Jeffrey Selznik School of Film Preservation.

For more information about George Eastman House, visit the
"Hidden Treasures" article in the March 1998 issue of Animation World Magazine.

Fox Vamps Up Next Feature. Fox Animation Studios has confirmed another animated feature in development; a musical based on the story of Dracula. It is expected that the film will be the third release from Fox Animation Studios, which made it's debut with Anastasia last fall and is still in pre-production on its second feature, Planet Ice, slated for a 1999 release. The Dracula film is being developed with Josh Whedon and his production company, Mutant Enemy, which is also developing several other vampire-themed projects, including another live-action feature based on the TV series property, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Whedon's other projects in animation include writing the screenplay for Disney/Pixar's
Toy Story, as well as one of the songs for Simba's Pride, Disney's direct-to-video sequel to The Lion King.

Fox Not Freezing Planet Ice. Ten development personnel and artists involved in pre-production on Fox's next animated feature, Planet Ice, were given lay-off notices and completed their last days of work on May 29. The film's former director, Art Vitello parted ways with the project at least one month ago. However, resulting rumors that the film has been canceled are being denied by Fox Animation Studios. Division president Chris Meledandri said, "The film was never in production. It is still in pre-production." He added that the studio "currently has a very small crew on the film," which is in the process of "finding out exactly how they are going to make it." In February, Fox announced that the film will be released in 1999. Fox is expected to make a new announcement regarding Planet Ice soon.


Note: Readers may contact any Animation World Magazine contributor by sending an e-mail to editor@awn.com.


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