'Country Bear' Moive News & Rumors

[Another Voice]

The Hollywood Reporter is, er, reporting this morning that the ‘County Bear Jamboree’ movie will be released in early summer of 2002 and that a writer has been hired to draft the script for a sequel. A Disney exec is quoted as saying the bears could become a “franchise” for Disney and the studio is very excited about the film. Franchise movies are the latest hot topic around here these days and is suit-speak for “a movie with lots and lots of sequels”. With ‘Jurassic Park III’ making an fortune and the tenth ‘Star Trek’ movie getting underway, the suits are getting anxious to find their own potential money machine (there’s even another ‘Rambo’ movie in the works). Disney is not immune to the trend, although I’ve heard the planned ‘Pearl Harbor’ sequel has been shelved (yes, there really was a story put together: Rafe goes to fight the evil Nazis to insure the safety of the Japanese box office, but is shot down over France/Holland/Norway/cheapest place to film. Does he stay true to his sweetheart/mother of his best friend’s kid, or does he fall for the beautiful farm girl who’s hiding him from the evil Germans. Thankfully, we’ll never know).

On the rumor side, Disney may beef-up the music in ‘Country Bear’ and may sign a few big-name artists to do some voice work. Apparently one of the boy bands has been approached to sing the voices of a bear boy band in the film (and a hoped for smash Top 40 song). The development of the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ script is going on very well and this film may start production earlier than expected. Initially, the studio had wanted to wait to see how the bears were received before committing to any more ‘ride movies’. I’ve heard that even ideas about how to turn ‘It’s a Small World’ into a film are being pitched.

And in advance of a movie inspired by the attraction, it looks almost certain that ‘The Country Bear Jamboree’ at Disneyland will be bulldozed quickly and without notice soon after Labor Day. It’s alleged replacement – a smaller & cheaper version of WDW’s Pooh ride – is still only tentative and may be killed at any moment to fund yet another round of quick fixes for California Adventure. If the Pooh dark-ride is canned, “rumors” say that a Pooh-themed off-the-shelf spinner may be in the works (you’ll ride in bees with the center piece shaped like a giant honey pot with Winnie on top). Please remember us poor West Coast people in your prayers…

And as a bit of a trivia side note & rumor – the script for Disney’s next big summer action movie, ‘Reign of Fire’ actually started life as the first sequel for ‘Jurassic Park’. The original story was set twenty years after the first ‘JP’ film; the dinosaurs had escaped from the island and had basically taken back most of the world. Only an elite U.S. Army unit stood between humanity and the dino menace. That story was rejected and in the best Hollywood tradition, the script was recycled by simply changing the giant tourist-eating lizards into giant fire-breathing lizards. The suits in Burbank are watching the box office for the dinosaurs VERY closely these days.

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

And in advance of a movie inspired by the attraction, it looks almost certain that ‘The Country Bear Jamboree’ at Disneyland will be bulldozed quickly and without notice soon after Labor Day.

Synergy?

 

[All Aboard]

smaller & cheaper version of WDW’s Pooh ride

Is that possible?

 

[JeffH]

"I’ve heard that even ideas about how to turn ‘It’s a Small World’ into a film are being pitched"
Has Disney ever made a Horror film?

Bulldozing Country Bear as they are about to make it a franchise?
Sounds like when they finally released the Mr.Toad video AFTER the eliminated the ride (but much worse)

 

[Another Voice]

"Has Disney ever made a Horror film?"

My man JeffH!!!!

That's a great line and I'm sitting here filled with envy. It's good we can share a laugh.

 

[airlarry!]

AV:

No chance you guys in CA will get the SuperPooh ride from DisneySeas? I figure with the rumor mill so unorganized over the Bear replacement, (even heard they might be heading over to DCA) that maybe just maybe Stateside we might be getting what Eddie S calls a cool new ride technology that is just scratching the surface of what it can do.

No chance at all?

 

[Planogirl]

This whole post is a horror story.

It's A Small World as a movie? Country Bears being bulldozed while a movie is being readied? Fire breathing lizards?

Is there no end to the lunacy?

 

[MikePezz]

As attractions continue to be removed, in the near future Disney will only be able to do Movie-Park tie-ins with titles like "The Main Street Emporium Expansion", "Attack of the killer Plush Toys", "Where the Cinema and Magic Shop USED to be" and other store related classics.

 

[Another Voice]

Since I’ve heard that the new ‘100th Anniversary Parade’ at The Magic Kingdom has already been nicknamed “Merchandise on the March” – I suppose movies will similar themes won't be too far behind.

By the way, the reason for all of the “ride movies” – cost savings. Since Disney can claim the concept is based on a previously produced work, they don’t have to pay the writer for the “story” element of the script and they retain exclusive rights to the sequels.

 

[disneyphilip]

>>And in advance of a movie inspired by the attraction, it looks almost certain that ‘The >>Country Bear Jamboree’ at Disneyland will be bulldozed quickly and without notice soon >>after Labor Day.

Actually, Another Voice, you may be very wrong about this part and Pooh may not replace Disneyland's Country Bear attraction after all, since I recently found this item that you can't find in the online version of that recent "Country Bear Movie" article from the Hollywood Reporter:

"Though the company officially has not confirmed it, sources said that Disneyland plans to launch a totally revamped Country Bears attraction tied to the film."

Excellent news!!!

 

[Another Voice]

I think that's Plan E or Plan F.

Everything's subject to change at the moment both do to ecomonics and company politics. First, the whole deal still depends on the amount of money that has to go to California Adventure. As the cost of "fixes" to this place continue to grow and grow, fewer and fewer projects will be approved for Disneyland and for the Walt Disney World parks. Decisions about what to do with The California Sinkhole will be made after summer when the full extent of the damage is done.

Company politics are also playing a significant role in this. WDI has little to no say in what happens at the parks anymore. Since 'Country Bear' is a movie, there are forces in the Film Group and the "synergy" faction from Corporate are also getting involved. The players line up like this (according to rumor). WDI would like to spend some money and update the technology in the attraction to make it a true playhouse, i.e. to make the show easy to update with many shows a year (or even different shows at different parts of the day). There's also talk that 'County Bears' may turn into a television series and WDI would like for the theater to accomdate video production.

The Film and Synergy folks would like to see 'Country Bears' hang around to serve as preveiw for the movie. There's also some thought about having a "revised show" featuring the music and characters from the movie (available for sale in a new shop at the exit). But for the most part, they're happy it still be around at WDW and if there's a new version it will probably go there.

Attractions, meaning Mr. Pressler, sees 'County Bear' as wasted space, a dead attraction that can't draw a crowd on a rainy day. Mr. Pressler does see the sales figures for all that Pooh merchadise spread throughout the park. ANYTHING that sells Pooh is a good idea. ANYTHING. There are rumors that an idea was floated to re-theme 'Splash Mountain' to Pooh. Disneyland must have Pooh!!! And since WDI now reports to Mr. Pressler, guess who gets the final say.

Most bets have been placed on the attraction closing after Labor Day until the final decision is made - and few people think it will be anything other than a Pooh attraction. It may also depend on the attendance at the revamped 'Mr. Lincoln' show. I'm hoping that it's good and proves the point that refreshing a show can return it to popularity.

In the end, something entirely different will probably happen. Things are in a tremedous flux at the moment.

 

[disneyphilip]

Originally posted by Another Voice
I think that's Plan E or Plan F.

>>But for the most part, they're happy it still be around at WDW and if there's a new version it will probably go there.

Actually, DL IS going to do the tie-in and keep the WDW version as it is now.

>>Attractions, meaning Mr. Pressler, sees 'County Bear' as wasted space, a dead attraction that can't draw a crowd on a rainy day.

Actually, that attraction DOES draw crowds during adverse weather and especially on extremely hot days due to the air-conditioning. They need attractions like that to for people to visit when they can't or refuse to go on certain rides. The Country Bear Playhouse is one of Critter Country's "CORE" attractions and it's also a good place for Splash Mountain FASTPASS holders to hang out at while waiting for their return time to come. Plus, Pressler really isn't with the Attractions department anymore--he's with WDI.

 

[Coronado Williams]

Originally posted by disneyphilip

Actually, DL IS going to do the tie-in and keep the WDW version as it is now.

Cool. Where'd you hear that?

Plus, Pressler really isn't with the Attractions department anymore--he's with WDI.

Pressler is Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, with his territory including WDI, the Disney Cruise Line, Disney Regional Entertainment, and now the Ducks and the Angels. The "Attractions department" falls somewhere in there.