Finetuning Episode 44: The Lion King Premiere & Comic-Con Strategies

The Lion King Premiere Experience

• 🦁 Drew Taylor shares his experience at the world premiere of Disney's The Lion King at the Dolby Theatre.
• 💡 The film is described as an animated film through and through, utilizing pioneering filmmaking techniques, not a special effects movie.
• ✨ The premiere included an afterparty with activities like making "pride rocks," McDonald's Happy Meals, and Dole Whip.
• 👏 The audience reaction was overwhelmingly positive, with applause after each musical number, similar to "The Princess and the Frog."

Box Office Performance and Release Strategy

• 📊 Toy Story 4 is performing well but slightly behind the box office numbers of Toy Story 3 when adjusted for ticket price increases and screen count.
• 🎯 Disney has positioned The Lion King for a long run at the El Capitan Theatre, suggesting high expectations for its box office success.
• 🎟️ Special fan events at the El Capitan include a $35 ticket for a reserved seat, exclusive merchandise, and even a 6 a.m. "sunrise screening" with cereal and coffee.

Trailer Reactions and Film Analysis

• 🎬 The trailer for Mulan was praised for its epic, historical feel and the casting of the lead, despite the absence of Mushu and songs.
• ⚠️ Maleficent: Mistress of Evil trailer received a less enthusiastic response, with concerns about its necessity and potential silliness, though Michelle Pfeiffer and Angelina Jolie's dynamic is noted.
• 📜 Discussion delves into the original script for Maleficent, revealing cut scenes involving the fairy court and a different ending where Maleficent removes her horns.
• 🎭 The voice cast of the new The Lion King is lauded, with special mention of Billy Eichner as Timon and Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, who are described as stealing the show.
• 🎤 Beyoncé as Nala is noted for having more to do in the film, with her singing performance alongside Donald Glover highlighted.

Navigating San Diego Comic-Con

• 🗓️ The opening day of Comic-Con features concurrent panels like Batman Beyond's 20th anniversary and discussions on The Toys That Made Us and SpongeBob's 20th anniversary.
• 🤯 The sheer volume of programming necessitates strategic planning and triage to decide which panels to attend, with the understanding that disappointment is likely.
• 🚶 Attendees are advised to be prepared for camping out in rooms for desired panels, as crowds can be significant even for later events.
• 🌟 Even if unable to get into a panel, attendees are encouraged to walk the floor, meet people, and enjoy the convention experience.

Animation Industry News and Projects

• 📺 The Cuphead Show is announced for Netflix, featuring a hand-drawn animation style inspired by 1930s rubber hose animation, with key creatives from the Mickey Mouse shorts involved.
• 🎂 Popeye's 90th birthday will be celebrated at San Diego Comic-Con with a panel moderated by Gary Marone and input from animation historian Jerry Beck.
• 🎙️ Drew Taylor discusses his Light the Fuse podcast focusing on the Mission Impossible franchise and his upcoming appearance on the Collider podcast to discuss John Carter.
• 🎧 Jim Hill mentions his various podcasts, including Disney Dish, Looking at Lucasfilm, Universal Joint, and The Marvelous Disney podcast.