Disney's Silly Symphonies, HBO Max Purge, and Early Shrek Concepts

HBO Max Content Purge and Creator Impact

• 📉 HBO Max has removed 35 programs, including 25 animated series like "Close Enough," causing confusion and outrage among creators.
• 🚫 Shows like "Infinity Train" have been completely scrubbed, with all related content and even soundtracks disappearing.
• 💸 Concerns are rising about the impact on creators' residuals and healthcare, as well as the difficulty of showcasing past work for future job prospects.
• 💡 The move is seen as antithetical to the streaming model, which typically aims to keep content on the platform indefinitely.

Early Concepts for Shrek and Chris Farley's Vision

• 🎬 Test footage from an early, never-completed Chris Farley version of Shrek has surfaced online.
• 🏗️ This early concept involved physical sets combined with CG characters, influenced by films like "Nightmare Before Christmas."
• 🎶 Audio clips reveal Farley's sweet vocal performances, including a rendition of "Feeling Groovy."
• 🤔 Despite Farley's talent, the discussion suggests Mike Myers' eventual portrayal was the most successful for the final film.

Disney's Silly Symphonies and The Skeleton Dance

• 🎶 The Skeleton Dance, Disney's first Silly Symphony short, was released 93 years ago and is now inspiring new merchandise.
• 🎵 Walt Disney collaborated with Carl Stalling, who became Disney's first in-house composer, to create musical scores for animated shorts.
• 💡 The Silly Symphony series, which began with "The Skeleton Dance," was crucial for Disney's early experimentation with music, color, and character animation.
• 📈 Despite initial distribution challenges, "The Skeleton Dance" gained traction and led to the successful Silly Symphony series, which introduced innovations like Technicolor.

Disney Legends and Halloween Merchandising

• 🏆 The 2022 Disney Legends honorees include Don Han and Josh Gad, with discussions on other potential recipients like Samuel L. Jackson and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
• 🎃 Disney is capitalizing on Halloween with new merchandise themed around "The Skeleton Dance," highlighting a demand for darker, nostalgic content.
• ⚠️ There's a perceived lack of new Halloween-themed intellectual property from Disney, with a heavy reliance on existing properties like "Nightmare Before Christmas."
• 🏰 The popularity of events like Oogie Boogie Bash suggests a strong audience appetite for the kind of darker, weirder content that Disney has historically shied away from.

Other Animation News and Updates

• 🎬 "Minions: The Rise of Gru" has had a decent opening in China, despite ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.
• 📺 "Luck," an animated film featuring John Lasseter and Pixar alumni, is described as an "overstuffed" and "overdesigned" story.
• 🌟 Upcoming releases include "Lost Ollie" and Season 3 of "Star Trek: Lower Decks," along with surprise new episodes of "The Sandman."