KungFu version of Snow White (really)

[ghost1000]

Check it out at AICN:

http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=12206

 

[Another Voice]

Guess what folks – this one is real. Here’s the blurb from The Hollywood Reporter.


Dis buys Harmon-Elder 'Snow' job
May 10, 2002

The Walt Disney Co. has acquired the spec script "Snow and the Seven," a "Snow White"-inspired action-adventure with a martial arts bent from the writing team of Josh Harmon and Scott Elder. Set in late 19th century China, the tentatively titled "Snow" revolves around an aristocratic young Englishwoman who flees her Hong Kong home after her life is threatened by her stepmother. The woman takes refuge at a Shaolin temple, where seven Shaolin monks are chosen to keep her safe from the supernatural forces that seek her. Loosely inspired by the "Snow White" fairy tale, the film will likely feature several legendary Hong Kong action stars as the woman's protectors. "Snow" is being produced by Andrew Gunn ("The Country Bears") through his Disney-based Gunn Films and will be overseen for the studio by production vp Brigham Taylor. First-time writers Harmon and Elder are no strangers to the Disney lot. Harmon works in the studio's story department, while Elder is Taylor's former assistant. Harmon and Elder are repped by CAA. (Josh Spector)


I guess when a movie is too “important” to make a cheap, sleazy TV-animated sequel, you might as well remake it as a cheap, sleazy violence-lading ‘Hidden Tiger’ knock off. Too bad 'The Rookie' didn't teach them anything.....

 

[Doctor P]

LOL. What will they think of next?

 

[HB2K]

They already ignored Walt's desires for the film by releasing it & they've ba$tardized every other asset he left behind....it's only a matter of time.

 

[MikePezz]

What's next, a hip-hop, urban-city setting for Sleeping Beauty? Musical score brought to you by Ice-T and Snoop Dog.

 

[Another Voice]

Mr. MikePEzz, are you the trades?

There's a pitch in the company for an "urban" version of 'Alice in Wonderland' with an all hip-hop cast and music.

 

[Peter Pirate]

The truth is I personally don't care one way or the other about the crap that they put out, but I am concerned about the lack of direction in relation to quality...I mean, they can do sequels, direct to video or Snow White starring Sandra Berhard & Bobcat Golthwaite for all I care, as long as the good stuff (P.Diaries, The Rookie, Sixth Sense & hopefully L&S) keep coming. The real harm comes from a total lack of quality vs. a total inventory of crap, IMO...I mean I want to see quality from Disney first, then the other profit driven **** is simply gravey to the bottom line... But in no way is 'Peter Pan 16 - Courting Wendy's Great, Great Grandaughter' ever going to be a classic...

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

Peter. You say:

I mean, they can do sequels, direct to video or Snow White starring Sandra Berhard & Bobcat Golthwaite for all I care, as long as the good stuff (P.Diaries, The Rookie, Sixth Sense & hopefully L&S) keep coming.

And I couldn’t disagree more!!! You see. I really believe that every sequel or direct to video diminishes the company. It reflects on badly on the brand.

I have always believed in a couple simple equations when it comes to Disney.

Disney = Quality
Disney = Family values
Disney = Expensive (relatively) but…
Disney = Value

It’s really that simple. I think that pretty much sizes it up. And every time they put out something that doesn’t balance each side of the equation – They tarnish their image and the brand they represent

Let’s face it Peter, they’re already doing it!! Even the great defender of balding CEOs, our friendly neighborhood Pirate, is now admitting that some pretty ‘schlocky’ things are being paraded in front of the public under the Disney name. How long until the rest of the public really starts to believe that Disney is becoming a “Mickey Mouse” operation, in every bad sense of the phrase!!??

 

[Peter Pirate]

Well Landbaron, we've pretty much always parted company at about this point...I do agree to much trepidtion with the apparant plan that Disney films have been following, but you & I will always disagree on the 'lesser' projects. I think they can be effective as a cash cow & not diminish the brand as long as the quality offerings are plentful & still very much first class as we're hoping 'L&S' will be. My reasons, well, the kids for one. Mine liked the sequels to 'Aladdin' for example. They immediately noticed that the music was inferior but the story was acceptable to them and they don't care about 'perfect' animation. So while I agree that Disney shouldn't be hoisting pure schlock upon us, I personally have no problem with the second & third tier - As long as tier 1 is strong & plentiful (which I'll admit hasn't been the case as of late).

 

[Another Voice]

Mr. Pirate – it doesn’t cost any more money to produce good work instead of schlock. All it takes is talent and effort. Why not take all those resources that are going into sequels and knockoffs and do something good with the money? I’ve heard that the production and marketing costs for ‘The Rookie’ were less than the costs for ‘Peter Pan 2: Return to Neverland’. Which one would you rather have? (Hint: the baseball movie made more money than the cartoon.)

If the point of The Company is simply to churn out “cash cows” than they really out to change the name from “Disney” to “Just Another Studio”. What's the point of having a brand name if you don't even try to maintain its image?

 

[Peter Pirate]

it doesn't cost any more money to produce good work instead of schlock...

If thats true then I agree...But how can a basically existing idea like a sequel, written by 'up and comers', animated by 'up & comers' without the eye for detail & perfection not be less expensive to make? I know this flies in the face of what we consider to be 'Disney' but still if Disney were to be able to get their house in order and once again be the preminent animators & film makers in T-Town then what would be wrong with the occasional 'knock-off' to fill the coffers?

 

[Another Voice]

How can it be more expensive to make?

Easy. This is Hollywood and suits cost money. You’ve got development meetings to cater, focus groups to pull together, you’ve got to go out and hirer another executive’s sister’s former boyfriend to write a song, there’s the trip to London for the MacDonald’s Happy Meal executives, artist after artist to go through until you find the box cover art that really “sells” the movie, and then there’s that really fabulous premier party to throw for all the executives in the division. The “tinsel” in Tinseltown has nothing to do with making a movie but it costs huge amounts of money.

The other way is to give a person with a great idea and passion the money to actually make the film. Every penny spent (and a lot of heart) ends up on the screen. In the end, people who see working on a film as nothing but a job treat it like a job. People who see working on a film as fulfillment of a dream treat it like that. No one is going to plop down $7.50 at the box office of $19.95 at the store because some forth level creative executive had his car waxed on the film’s budget – the audience pays because of what they see.

As for just making a quick buck from sequels, isn’t the “magic” of synergy being able to spread a product ACROSS the company – movies, television, parks, merchandise – instead of going deeper and deeper down the same path? It seems that keeping a family at WDW longer to watch ‘The Lion King’ show makes the company more money than trying to con them into buying ‘The Lion King 17 – Timon and Rosie Together Again At Last’ for $9.99 at WalMart. And even sequles fail to fill the coffers after a while. When was the last time you saw a 'Batman' movie?

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I find this plot to be interesting. This could be a really good movie...not aka Hidden Dragon but aka Big Trouble in Little China. All it requires is good writing & good acting to be a movie (albeit cheap) that you don't mind tuning it over and over if it happens to be on the tube.

Disney made tons of schlock movies when I was a kid...look at all the Kurt Russell & Dean whats his face movies...pure quality? I think not.

Just because its not big budget animation doesn't mean its bad.