INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
#0INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 3:23pm
I was thinking about INTO THE WOODS and the possibilities of a future revival. It most likely will not happen (I hope) for at least 15 or so years. And maybe, then, they'll use a new director with an original idea of how to re-stage it.
But, how many people think it would work as an animated feature film musical? With the amount of Musical Movies that have been made, are in production, or have been announced for future production...I don't think a film adaptation of this would work if done with real actors and such. BUT, I think this show could have major possibilities as an animated feature film. It can definitely have a family appeal...even though it's ending is not typical of the Disney musicals...it still is uplifting. And they could use somg big name singer/actors for the voices of the characters. I think it would attract a lot of people and have major box office potential.
Does anyone have any views on this?
#1re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 3:28pmIf it WERE to be made into an animated film, I'd rather see it done with three dimensional animation - like claymation or puppets of some sort, as opposed to hand drawn like a disney film.
theatreboi11
Broadway Star Joined: 5/9/05
#2re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 3:28pmAnimated film? God I hope not!
#3re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 3:29pmWasn't it being developed as an animated flick a few years back? It could work, sure, but it would have to be drastically rewritten. No one's going to put out a nearly three hour animated fairy tale, no matter how inspired the ideas enclosed.
NYC_or_Bust
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/8/05
#4re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 3:32pmThat's a tough one for me....I LOVE INTO THE WOODS, however, i can't help but be a little weirded out by the idea of an animation feature film....when i think animation (more or less) "cartoon", i think of the medium as directed towards little kids...and i'm sorry but anyone who has a spine and knowledge of the show KNOWS, it's not for children....unless they only did the first act...
toodramatic
Stand-by Joined: 12/29/04
#5re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 3:32pmI dont think ITW would work as well in movie form as some of sondheims other shows like sweeny, a little night music, passion, company. If it were done as an animated film it would probably attract alot of smaller kids and be way over there heads and many adults would scoff at it being a cartoon and not look at its many levels.
NCGuy
Broadway Star Joined: 4/8/04
#6re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 3:33pmWasn't Jim Henson's company attached to a possible movie version years ago (early nineties, maybe)?
#7re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 3:42pmNo. It's really not a kid's fairy tale and will be mistaked for one. I like the clay idea, but i mena it COULD work though I wouldn't want it to. Tell people to buy the DVD trhat way if they want it for their kids they could get to experience "live" theatre.
To Kill A Mockingbird
#8re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 3:45pmThere was a planned animated version many years ago. It didn't go anywhere though.
Mythus
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/16/04
#9re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 4:33pmWell, it's a book already, so I suppose it could be made into a film. I think it would be hard to make it work, though.
#10re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 4:35pmIf it were to be made into a movie, I'd rather see it as a live-action, darker take on the stage show...
#11re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 4:49pm
The show is almost three hours long. It would have to undergo some MAJOR pruning to cut it as animated film like the kinds Disney makes.
The film announced years ago, wasn't animated. It was going to feature live actors and "creatures" from Jim Henson's creature shop (think Labrinyth). Supposedly Susan Sarandon was going to play the Witch.
A script was written and was pretty horrible. Sondheim himself supposedly suggested some changes that really didn't work.
Probably just as well it never happened.
roquat
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/25/05
#12re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 5:02pm
"I dont think ITW would work as well in movie form as some of sondheims other shows like sweeny, a little night music, passion, company. "
There actually is a film version of "A Little Night Music", which Harold Prince directed. It used most of the stage cast but put poor Elizabeth Taylor in the role of Desiree. Supposedly her rhythm and counting were so bad that Len Cariou, recreating his stage role opposite her, had to tap her on the shoulder (out of the camera frame) when it was her turn to start singing (especially during "Send in the Clowns") The other women included Diana Rigg (Charlot), Lesley-Anne Down (Anne) and Hermione Gingold (Madame Armfeldt) and they managed to be pretty funny and sang rather well. The movie, though, was leaden and clumsy where it meant to be light and charming, and it was a major flop. Pauline Kael of "The New Yorker" slung a devastating arrow at it, summing up the mass audience's anti-Sondheim attitude which us passionate Sondheim-ites keep battling:
"Do people really enjoy Stephen Sondheim's sour sentimentality--songs like 'Every Day A Little Death?' The punks are cheerful by comparison."
I'm waiting and praying for the promised "Sweeney" movie. It could be so wonderful if they don't screw it up!
#13re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 5:04pmh
#14re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 5:04pmFour words: THE KING AND I.
#15re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 5:07pm
"Four words: THE KING AND I."
Two words: Never again.
Besides...ITW is leaps and bounds better.
Link Larkin Wanabe
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/1/04
#16re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 6:13pm
"No. It's really not a kid's fairy tale and will be mistaked for one."
Um...And why can't an animated feature be for adults? Why does North America have this perception that animated films (especially traditional, hand drawn) are only really for kids. This is the reason I had to switch from the animation industry to the theatre, because Dinsey and Dreamworks both got rid of their traditional feature animation departments.
But back to the topic. I would LOVE to see a Tim Burton stopmotion animated film of this show, in the style of Nightmare and the upcoming Corpse Bride. I think it would be stunning.
Hell...I would love to see a Tim Burton or Terry Gilliam live-action feature film. I think both those directors could do a brilliant job.
Akiva
Nath
Stand-by Joined: 7/3/05
#17re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 7:36pm
I love woods, and could see it as a live action film ala labryth/princess bride veign... quite dark and quirky... yeah it';ll never happen...
(ps bring back the disney animated musical-ala beauty and the beast and aladdin!)
#18re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 7:39pmI wouldnt like to see claymation, but I think Pixar or Dreamworks could make this movie a real spectacle. Plus I love ITW.
#19re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 9:37pm
Thank you, Link. Animation does not have to be for kids, and its roots are quite adult. You don't think the likeness of Betty Boop was made for the stroller set, do you? I think Jay Ward actually got it most right-- writing on two levels serves the adults, nad the racy jokes go right over the kids' heads. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go back and wacth a Rocky and Bullwinkle video. Boris and Natasha incessantly made S&M references, Fearless Leader was a Nazi, etc...
Could something like that be done with ITW? Hmmm... If it had to be reworked to shorten anyway and they found the right wit to do the adaptation, maybe, but it would not survive intact...
The Wizard of Oz cartoons were horrible.
#20re: INTO THE WOODS - Would it work as an animated feature film?
Posted: 7/7/05 at 10:15pmThere's no question that caroons can be for adults - look no further than the Simpsons or Family Guy. I don't see that as the issue. I don't think ITW is RIGHT for animation -- I think the very nature of making it animated would give the IMPRESSION of making it for kids. I would think we'd get more Little Pigs/Wolf stuff thrown in BECAUSE it's animated - things like that. I think, however, a Shrek like idea isn't horrible....if Shrek wasn't ALREADY so much in the same vein.
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