My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analyses: "Gigantic" - The Upcoming Disney Giant That Was Eventually and Unfortunately Pulled Down From the Disney Sky

Hi folks! Welcome to my My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analysis blog. A blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films, Disney or Animation in general! These entries are just meant to be my analyses. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries are meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies.

Make sure to leave a comment if you like this site! And if there's something you think could be improved, please let me know. But in a constructive way, please. And just a note; I'm not a Native English writer, so my incorrect grammar may be notable.

And finally; If you haven't seen the films, beware of spoilers! And the funny lines aren't meant to be nothing than funny. So I hope you won't find them offensive. If so, I apologize

This addition was originally written in October 2017 when Gigantic's cancellation was confirmed. Personally I`ll confess that I was dissapointed when I heard about it. So this entry was a rare addition about an deleted project. And it's certainly risky to write about one. But hey, some risks we must take in life, right?

Look at this, Pocahontas and Smith. This is how you stare :)

And a new era of smolders, headbangings
and complains :)

On my previous entries I've stated how Disney's fairy tale adaptations have suddenly morphed into "Princess"-movies (without getting into that debate now). No matter how you put it, perhaps it's not a strange staple after all. Most of Disney's fairy tale adaptations have included Princesses. But it's not like Disney are the only ones who should've been blamed for that staple. After all, Princesses is a stock trope that is usually present in fairy tales.

Notice one pink wrong :)

Of course it's completely redundant to state how Disney have built their cornerstone around their fairy tale features. Yet what's remarkable is despite how Disney are often perceived as synonymous with them, they've made few fairy tales in a row. In Walt's time there was a huge span between each fairy tale movie. The only eras which actually had fairy tales in a row, have been the Renaissance and the Revival era.
The only "Princess" movies of this era who hasn't been based on a fairy tale has been Moana and Raya and the Last Dragon. Two completely original stories about daughters of Chiefs. Which are enough to place them in the famous Princess franchise (despite how Moana was been desperately labeled as an anti-Princess when her movie was released).

Some guys from Topsy
Turvy made those :)

Among this catalog was Gigantic supposed to take place. And at least it would've been the first fairy tale with a male lead in the Revival era (which would've made it instantly comparable to Aladdin). But unfortunately fate decided otherwise.

Gigantic took a $98 million write-off. It was then the first original project that was developed by WDAS (since Disney morphed briefly into sequel territory, but not in the same way as Pixar has done). Which made it's loss even more impacting (especially since Disney promoted characters for upcoming movies in their pictures. Since Gigantic made an appearance in Zootopia).

Disney`s Previous Adaptations of Jack and the Beanstalk

At least I tried to reach ya :)

A new adaptation of Jack and the Beanstalk may not be the most
invigorating thing from Disney. Having they've already adapted that short tale trice before; As a Laugh-o-Gram short in 1922, which has been hard to find afterwards.

Three of these versions including Mickey Mouse, actually. First the short named Giantland, which was the first short where Mickey was featured in a fairy tale setting. And the more widely promoted Mickey and the Beanstalk from Fun and Fancy Free. Which had several alternative versions and different narrators (one of them with Sterling Holloway, while initially narrated by star Edgar Bergen). Which preceded some TV airings of Dumbo in the 1980's (yet it was made to revive Mickey's popularity and proposed as early in 1940). Disney also adapted the Best Animated Short Film-nominated Brave Little Tailor in 1938. While not being a Jack and the Beanstalk-tale, it still featured a giant.

At least I'm not Braveheart :)

Walt was afraid of making

Mickey and the Beanstalk, since he feared that it could murder his short feature characters. Originally it was named The Legend of Happy Valley and was intended to be in The Wind of the Willows. It was added with filler to stretch out it's screentime. But let's not forget that Disney has made full-length features of stories the studio has made shorts of before, folks; As Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland.

Don't blame me
for being poor :)

Of course it's questionable and remarkable that Walt Disney Animation Studios were considering to adapt the Beanstalk story into a real full-length feature. But it's easy to assume that the project was inspired of the new roll of fairy tale adaptations. And of course since Disney are known for taking liberties with their adaptations (as both Tangled and Frozen are evident of), there was no need to believe that Gigantic would stay close to it's original predecessor.

The Plotlines of Gigantic

I'm going to place you
among my bees :)

Alongside these prior animated Revival beauties, Gigantic suffered the same adjective-swap as them. By morphing from Giants to Gigantic (yet I personally preferred Giants, since it was short and sweet). Giants was announced in 2013 and was going to be directed by one half of Tangled's directing team, Nathan Greno and Inside Out-writer Meg LeFavue. And produced by Dorothy McKim (Prep & Landing, Get a Horse). It was going to have the same songwriting team from Frozen, Robert and Kristen Anderson Lopez (which of course there's no need to scrutinize why). Veteran Mike Gabriel (Wreck-It-Ralph, Pocahontas, The Rescuers Down Under) was also a part of the project. So it looked like Gigantic was on good hands.

Look mommy, I can
lift this wee toy :)

The first treatment was (of course) a different one. Being about Jack encountering a family of five Giants, named after Fee Fi Fo Fum rhymes (Feebus, Fifen, Fogel, Fobert and Faustus, who was perhaps not named after the abbreviation. But at least was an antagonist with a relatable side). And it would have a love quadrangle. As Jack's love interest was the merchants daughter, Angelina. And a rich traveler named Marco (who's a good guy) was also interested in her. A fourth human in this quadrangle was a scrappy tomboy named Inma.

The main storyline was about a pact between the humans and the giants. Where the humans was providing harvest and livestock to the storm giants. Which would in return keep the threats away from the bay. However, the story center around the conflict between humans and the giants, while Jack ended up befriending one of the giants.

I don`t come
with a warning :)

Since most of these Revival films have been road trip movies, Gigantic would with no doubt followed that same path. However, on Disney's D23 Expo 2015 (when Moana was officially announced), it was retooled to throw the quadrangle and
focus on Jack and a eleven year-old giant named Inma (based on a fiery, bigger than life-personality of a girl the crew met in Spain, labeled as "the princess of their people"). Apparently Jack hates kids, so it was a logical set up for the conflict in this movie! This new version was set in Spain during the age of exploration, which would be a deliberate parallel to Jack's own discovery (which was the reason for the Spanish setting). The world above the clouds would include different cultures and giants. And to the dismay of those who've grown tired of the Revival trope of a male/female character journey, Jack was going to help Inma find her way home.

However, it was confirmed that some designs of Jack's pregnant wife was available during the Expo. As well as some of a gypsy-like character named Lucia and a lady who looked African-American (who was cited to look like an humanized version of Rafiki).
While Jack himself was just shown publicly through the concept art, he was said to be a blend of Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon and Flynn Rider from Tangled. The Storm Giants would be the antagonists, who would create havoc and wreck everything. And Inma's would be the daughter of their leader, which both Jack and her would try to stop. The elements from the original tale, as a goose and a harp, were both there.

Of course none of the designs were actually finalized. But a song by the Lopezes was performed on the D23 presentation. A tune sung by Inma called I Love My Little Man, which apparently were in the pop-Broadway style of Frozen. However, the song didn't gain much word nor praise. Yet a finalized model of the beanstalk itself, alongside with a finalized cow, was among the presentation (which a video managed to capture). At least the Spain setting would give the project a geographic identity, as Disney haven`t truly made a animated feature with that setting before (and no, I`m not counting Wish, since it had a fictional, Iberian setting).

While we could always speculate on the tone of the film, at least Kristen Lopez said in December 2016 that it was going to be lighter than Frozen. While Nathan Greno, however, said that it was going to be emotional! Despite this, Gigantic's making has been a bumpy road! The project was announced in 2013, a couple of months prior to Frozen's release, and scheduled for a 2016 release. Later on, it was pushed from a 2018 release to a 2020 release. Before being finally canned in October 2017. So it's development was indeed a long one!

Disney`s Previous Discarded Projects

And sure, folks! We could always scrutinize about the true reason of Gigantic's cancelation forever! Regardless of what explanation the folks at Disney will give us. Since we live in a world where reasons behind conflicts are usually sugarcoated or ignored (it's true, guys). However, it was reported that the reason were story problems. But what's really contradicting (and remarkable) is that there was some tweets the day prior to it's cancelling that Gigantic was still rolling. Which is strange and weird. indeed!

And Gigantic haven't been the very first Disney project which been scrapped, of course. It`s happened since Walt's time and the examples are ongoing (Hiawatha because of it's serious tone, Don Quixote because of being too adult and dark. Chanticleer, while cited to be perhaps Disney's best film ever made. Swan Lake, Fraidy Cat, Mort, Romeo and Juliet, Aida, Tam Lin, Marco Polo, King of the Elves and continuations of Fantasia and The Rescuers).

I can't help being
green and prettier :)

While Pixar has of course shelved a couple of projects in the 2010`s, their most public project that comes to mind is Newt. Whether Gigantic has been the most known cancellation of Disney is not something that should be discussed. But at least it`s been the most public one for now.

However, in June 2019, it was confirmed that Gigantic was not far into production beyond story reels and CG character testing. Tweeted by director for Taiko Studios and animator Andrew Chesworth. Both saw an early screening and liked where it was going. Saying that it was a blend of modern Tangled and 1940s Sleepy Hollow-era Disney, influencing the artistic conversations. And also having the Johnny Appleseed/Mary Blair whimsy feel like, in modern CG and some of the conquistador flavor.

In December 2019, the Lopezes revealed in an interview for Frozen II that they had five or six songs written for Gigantic. But they had many songs they loved from it and claimed to having recycled one of them in Frozen II. And sure, as I mentioned earlier, the cancellation was disappointing! My main reason to looking forward to it, was because of Disney's well known ways to tackle fairy tales. Which honestly was the same reason to look forward to Tangled; For being a Disney adaptation of a well known, iconic fairy tale and it's visual possibilities with pastel colors settings. Since the movie has been scrapped, it also scrapped Disney's planning of a Spanish Pavilion for Epcot.

However, in August 2020, some atwork from Gigantic was featured in They Drew as They Pleased: Volume 6—The Hidden Art of Disney’s New Golden Age book. While it featured various discarded projects, it has it`s own section of Gigantic. As well concept art and artwork which hints of what the movie could`ve been (yet it apparently reveals little of why it was cancelled). In 2021, some color keys by Andy Harkness has been posted on Instagram.

Epilogue

So yeah. While the crew at Disney have officially labeled Gigantic as dead, we always could hope that Disney could revive it in the future. It`s probably a naive hope of mine. But after all, it's happened before. Just to be said, several projects that has suffered development hells throughout many years. Perhaps not like Gigantic, but still in their own way. Both Tangled and Frozen are relevant examples of this. In the meantime, we'll have to accept that Disney has decided to scrap Gigantic. But we could always wish upon a Star.

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My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analyses

tirsdag 31. oktober 2017

"Gigantic" - The Upcoming Disney Giant That Was Eventually and Unfortunately Pulled Down From the Disney Sky

Make sure to leave a comment if you like this site! And if there's something you think could be improved, please let me know. But in a constructive way, please. And just a note; I'm not a Native English writer, so my incorrect grammar may be notable.

And finally; If you haven't seen the films, beware of spoilers! And the funny lines aren't meant to be nothing than funny. So I hope you won't find them offensive. If so, I apologize

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