EVITA (the animated musical)

[StageManager2]

Posted: 12/25/05 at 2:25am

The ANASTASIA thread made me think if Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber had not rediscovered Eva Peron, would Disney have turned her life (or at least part of it) into a full-length animated musical? She certainly fits the criteria.
-- an inrresistible rags-to-riches story, a la Cinderella
-- Eva is raised by a single parent; almost all Disney heroes/heroines are either orphans or have only one parent (the mothers are often dead)
-- Eva becomes romantically involved with a dashing army colonel (subsituting here for the charming prince)
-- Eva is snubbed by the aristocracy and denounced by the military
-- the climax occurs when Peron is arrested by his military officers who resent Eva's intrusion into their political affairs
-- the workers rally behind Peron and ultimately free him from prison (there is some debate whether Eva organized the demonstration or even took part in it, but Disney writers would most likely have her be the mastermind for dramatic affect)
-- Peron and Eva are married and he easily wins the presidency
-- Eva and Peron greet the masses from the balcony of the Casa Rosada (i.e. the castle on the cloud) on the day of Peron's inauguration where they promise to take care of the poor

The Disney writers would probably do a 5 minute prolog where Eva (age 7) and her mother and siblings attend their father's funeral but are snubbed by his legal wife and family, and they'd end it at Peron's inauguration.

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/25/05 at 2:29am

I think animated films had too much of an impact on you...
Such a complex figure certainly does not fit as a cartoon,
in fact, it barely does as a musical.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 12/25/05 at 2:31am

Walt Disney had a notion of only making animated films for stories that begged for the medium. Evita clearly doesn't need the magic of animation to bring it to life.

Akiva

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/25/05 at 2:35am

And the last thing people from Argentina need, for this figure to be turned into a Disney musical...

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 12/25/05 at 4:55am

I had this dream once, where I was in a darkened cinema, and it was the year 2015. I was sitting with my-then wife, and we were having a jolly time till that point. The movie started, with the mouse-ears and the Disney logo, and the screen-card (in big bold letters) read: "ALICE UNDERGROUND, A New Musical Adventure." It then proceeded, with an R-rating, of an innocent girl falling into a drug-conjured Wonderland, surrounded by freaks attempting to kill her, cut her into tiny pieces, or (simply) drive her mad. The scene with the Queen was the most bloodiest, brutal cartoon I had ever seen. It was a really scary dream and I woke up in fear for my life LOL.

Can you imagine, if hell froze over, if Disney were as revolutionary as they were in 1939? Look at Pinocchio: an underground sea effect, an angry whale. Look at Fantasia: God created that film. And there were no resources back then. If Disney made their films, catering for all ages: creating great, adult and bloodshot, horrific (all genres) animated cartoon features: they're influence would be amazing. And imagine an Evita movie, close to the original spirit, with Eva having great sex-scenes, climbing the ladder through means of sexual intercourse. I don't think a cartoon (and the ones that are, aren't really commercial) have spread themselves too far. I mean, imagine a Disney cartoon with blood and guts. Imagine if Disney were truly "anything goes". And "once upon a time" they were. Culture didn't like blood and guts, back when Snow White was successful, but Disney have been caught in that same "friendly" process since that movie. If they ever took a bigger risk, and attuned to the times, just think of double - quadruple - the respect and awe they'd have today. And imagine if that dream came true

A joyous, joie-de-vivre musical romp of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" with anthropomorphic tools and saccharine serial-killers. I'd pay to see it anyday

And, no. I'm not a sicko. Just a knack for trying new things

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 12/26/05 at 12:36am

Bump

I want to see some discussion on this

[insomniak]

Posted: 12/26/05 at 12:41am

If you delete all of the deceit, corruption, violence and harshness, that's pretty much what Evita is.

I don't think the REAL story would work AT ALL as a child's musical. Eva Peron is one of the great enigmas of the twentieth century and deserves closer examination.

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/26/05 at 12:46am

"I had this dream once, where I was in a darkened cinema, and it was the year 2015"

No offense, but that had to be the most detailed and elaborate dream, in fact, are you sure it was a dream?

In conclusion, Evita + Animation + Disney = NO

[twotrey]

Posted: 12/26/05 at 1:32am

The Simpsons did a pretty funny takeoff of Evita a couple of seasons ago in which Lisa ran for student council president. At the end of the episode there was a big disclaimer "we have neither seen nor heard of a musical based on the life of Eva Peron." Heh.

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 12/26/05 at 1:34am

My dreams are very vivid and real. It's my source of inspiration for writing. Most of my musicals etc. started life as dreams

[MarkysSparky]

Posted: 12/26/05 at 1:47am

I saw Evita and animated in the same sentence... I had to come scuttling into this thread.

I want to go into the animation field.... and I don't really respect Disney anymore. But... they have made some seemingly dark animated films... I mean... Snow White gets a little creepy every once in a while... and The Brave Little Toaster is on a path all its own, swerving away from traditional Disney style(and it is a Disney film, mind you).

But... nowadays, I wouldn't trust Disney with anymore historical figures. I mean, it's fun to think up ideas for it and all... but it just seems out of place.

Now... me... on the other hand... I would love to try to experiment with this idea. I'm thinking about doing animated films like The Triplets of Belleville... Films of that style have a dark and political tone... things that can accomodate to the life of Peron without having to worry about the stereotypical children's cartoon way of mind.

And... talk about vivid dreams... I had a dream that was in French once... I don't speak French... It was weird.

An underground version of Alice in Wonderland would be craaaaaaaazy. *evil grin*

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 12/26/05 at 3:07am

Marky, send me a PM sometime. If you're an animator thinking along the lines I am you're just perfect. You might be interested in something I'm developing

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 12/26/05 at 9:31pm

Bump again. More discussion. You people let such good threads die LOL

[jv92]

Posted: 12/26/05 at 10:12pm

Like an above poster said, Walt only did films perfect for the medium- Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland (although Disney didn't like it himself), Pinnochio, etc. Evita animated? Where are the faires and magic and talking animals?

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 12/27/05 at 4:28am

That's still not enough. There must be more,
More! MOORREE!

[StageManager2]

Posted: 12/27/05 at 12:55pm

Just to clarify, I don't think Disney should do an animated version of Evita's life, but I think they would have if Rice & Lloyd Webber had not. They would have treated it pretty much as Disney did POCAHONTAS and Fox did ANASTASIA. That said, I also have a keen interest in the art of animation. Traditional animation, that is. It bugs me that all they're coming out with is 3-D computer animation. I miss the full-length animated musicals that Disney used to do. Movies like SHRECK will age horribly and rapidly become dated because there are too many popular culture references. They're fun for the moment, but no one will care in a few years' time.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 12/27/05 at 1:38pm

But movies like Shrek don't insult the audience with stupid dialogue, horrendous pop songs (the only reason Dsiney seems to make these nowadays) and lame stories. Evita doesn't scream "movie" at all, let alone a Disney one. I doubt they ever would (otherwise they would have done so by now). Besides, Disney has no business making true stories, since you can't trust whether or not they are really true (Hildago, a Disney film, was in fact not true, and we all know that Pocahontas is about as unrealistic as you get).

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/27/05 at 1:50pm

"Movies like SHRECK will age horribly and rapidly become dated because there are too many popular culture references. They're fun for the moment, but no one will care in a few years' time."

And an animated Evita will be loved forever?

Honestly, worst idea of the year.

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/27/05 at 1:50pm

"Movies like SHRECK will age horribly and rapidly become dated because there are too many popular culture references. They're fun for the moment, but no one will care in a few years' time."

And an animated Evita will be loved forever?

Honestly, worst idea of the year.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 2:59pm

I think some people misunderstood my initial intent for this thread. I was not stating that Disney or anyone else should do an animated film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's EVITA. After viewing the ANASTASIA thread, I was simply wondering if maybe Disney or Fox would have turned Eva Peron's life story (or part of it) into an animated musical, had Rice & Lloyd Webber not beatened them to it. It is, after all, a sort of Cinderalla story. For the record, I don't think Disney should turn the musical EVITA into an animated musical!!!

[MissMonika]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 3:26pm

i don't think Disney would've made Evita into a musical because it's so political, and not to mention that she did sleep around. and it is a tragedy since she does die, and it would be too much for little kids to handle

[StageManager2]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 4:56pm

But Miss Monika they would not have told her entire story, just up to the rags-to-riches part. In POCAHONTAS, her entire life story was not chronicled. As I mentioned above, they probably would end it at Peron's inauguration. The politics and her rise to fame would probably have been glossed over.

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 5:00pm

The more I read this thread the more I wish someone would actually do this - as a Disney parody. I would run, not walk to the theater to see this.

[hypertruffle]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 6:46pm

Honestly, I can't see Evita being animated. Evita is quite dramatic to be captured as an animation *and* be taken seriously. This is coming from an animation lover.

That'd be great though, as long as Disney won't touch it.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 12/29/05 at 6:49pm

No

Rent the King and I cartoon and you'll understand my thoughts on the subject