John Musker

Pixar Remembers Animation Legend, Joe Ranft

by Max Steven Miller    Posted: March 14th, 2010 at 9:34 am

Yesterday would have been the 50^th birthday of Joseph Henry “Joe” Ranft.  Although the name might not immediately jump out at you, Joe Ranft was an influence and presence in most of our lives.  Ranft was one of the brilliant minds behind many of the Disney and Pixar films that have become staples in movie theaters and households all over the world. He worked on numerous classic films including The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Toy Story. He was the vocal talent behind some of Pixar’s most memorable characters such as Heimlich the Caterpillar in A Bug’s Life, Wheezy the Penguin in Toy Story 2, and Jacques the Shrimp in Finding Nemo. Sadly, five years ago, Ranft passed away in a tragic car accident.

To honor his memory, his 50^th birthday, and the amazing vision he brought to the world of animation, The Princess and the Frog director John Musker created an original, short animated film backed by the enchanting sounds of jazz singer, Madeleine Peyroux’s “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go”.  Fittingly, it was done as a story reel:

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 11th, 2009 at 1:20 am

Disney’s 2D animated musicals never wore out their welcome.  Some studio buffoon just figured that maybe kids didn’t want singing in their animated films any more.  And then that studio buffoon decided that because 3D animated films were succeeding and a recent string of 2D films had flopped that no one wanted hand-drawn animated movies any more.  This is why the last Disney 2D animated musical was Mulan in 1998.  11 years later and Disney, with the support of Pixar chief John Lasseter, has brought back hand-drawn musical movies with The Princess and the Frog.  But this isn’t a return of Disney animation; it’s a rebirth.

6 Movie Clips and a Featurette from Walt Disney’s THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: November 18th, 2009 at 11:45 pm

“‘The Princess and the Frog’ is a return to the timeless world of hand-drawn animation at Disney. It’s an ageless fairy tale, but with a fresh twist that combines everything we look for in great stories: comedy, adventure, music-and most of all, the kind of heart that always sets Disney animation apart.”

~ John Lasseter, Executive Producer and Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Opening on November 25^th, in limited release, is Walt Disney’s return to 2D animation, The Princess and the Frog.  After years of focusing on computer animation, The House That Walt Built is returning to its roots and I couldn’t be more excited.  While I don’t know if The Princess and the Frog is going to be a classic like Aladdin or Beauty and the Beast, I know there is a place for traditional animation alongside what Pixar does so brilliantly with computers.  So if you feel like I do and want Disney to make more 2D films, you’ve got to buy a ticket when Princess and the Frog goes nationwide on December 11^th.  So to help promote the film, we’ve been provided with six clips from the movie and a featurette.  Check them out after the jump:

Exclusive: Director’s Ron Clements and John Musker talk THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG at Comic-Con

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: August 2nd, 2009 at 8:34 am

I love Walt Disney’s “Aladdin”. It’s one of my favorite animated movies and it’s a classic that will play for generations. So when I found out director’s Ron Clements and John Musker (“Aladdin”, “The Little Mermaid”) were doing press at Comic-Con for their new hand drawn animated movie “The Princess and the Frog”, I was  happy to get some time with them. While I love Pixar films and other CG movies, I’m really looking forward to Disney returning to its roots.

So if you’re a fan of their previous movies or just looking forward to their next one, after the jump you can watch my extensive interview with the two writer/directors. During the interview they told me they’ve assembled an all-star team of animators for “Princess and the Frog”, they talked about the music, John Lasseter’s involvement, what’s the status of their previous films hitting Blu-ray, what they might do next, and a lot more. Take a look:

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