Wild Life (lost production material for cancelled Disney animated film; late 1990s-2000): Difference between revisions

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|title=<center>Wild Life</center>
|title=<center>Wild Life</center>
|image=WildLifeTitleCard.jpg
|image=WildLifeTitleCard.jpg
|imagecaption=A title card drawn by Doug Walker.
|imagecaption=A title card drawn by Doug Walker (unrelated to the Nostalgia Critic).
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
}}
}}
'''''Wild Life''''' is a CGI-animated film directed by Howard Baker and Roger Gould that was being developed at the Walt Disney Company in the late 1990s, but was shelved in 2000.
'''''Wild Life''''' (not to be confused with the similarly named 2016 computer animated film ''The Wild Life'') is a cancelled late 1999-2000 CGI-animated film directed by Howard Baker and Roger Gould and was to be animated by Disney's then-current special effects team The Secret Lab.


It would have been a satire of 1970s American pop culture and have paid homage to popular figures at the time such as Andy Warhol, Anna Wintour & Diana Vreeland.
The movie would have been reminiscent of 1970s American pop culture and would have paid homage to popular figures at the time such as Andy Warhol, Anna Wintour, and Diana Vreeland.


==Plot==
==Plot==
Red Pittsain, the owner of a prestigious nightclub is quite distressed because Kitty-Glitter, his once-beloved diva pop sensation has dwindled in popularity. Without a star attraction, everyone will go to the club owned by Magda, editor of "Magazizi", the city's most popular fashion-magazine and Red's biggest rival. Needing something big to regain the reputation their club once had, Red and Kitty find it in Ella: an elephant from the local zoo who is able to talk. However, things do not go well for Ella at first because she doesn't think she is good enough to be a star, and she starts to have second thoughts about performing at all.
The film's plot was loosely based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'',<ref>[http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2008/01/23/dream-worlds-offers-look-at-abandoned-disney-animated-features.aspx "Dream Worlds" offers look at abandoned Disney animated features. - Jim Hill Media] Retrieved 29 May '20</ref> as it involves Red and Kitty-Glitter trying to find a new star for Club Wild Life as Kitty-Glitter, once the star attraction for Club Wild Life, has dwindled in popularity in contrast to Magda, the editor of the popular fashion magazine "Magazizi" and an operator of a popular night club that rivals Red's club.


Although, one night, while attempting to plug in a neon sign, the elephant is electrocuted and knocked unconscious. When she comes to, Ella is now under the impression that she is a famous pop singer and quickly rises to fame, much to Kitty and Red's delight. However, Ella soon tires of her the glamourous lifestyle and tells Red one night that she would like to return to the zoo.
Red and Kitty-Glitter then find their new star in Ella, a talking elephant they found in the zoo. Ella is reluctant to be a new star for Club Wild Life, but after an accident on the stage where she is electrocuted by wires, she instantly transforms into a singing diva and becomes rich and famous, much to Red and Kitty's delight. However, Ella soon gets tired of her new lifestyle and wishes to return to the zoo, which eventually causes complications for Red, Kitty, and Ella.


Not wanting Ella to leave, Red attempts to sweet-talk her into staying. Kitty catches sight of this and mistakenly thinks that Red is trying to seduce the elephant, which upsets her greatly because she is secretly in love with him. After Kitty has angrily confronted Red about the situation, Ella, not wanting to cause any more trouble goes back to the zoo.
==Development==
''Wild Life'' began production in 1999, under a team of animators that included Hans Bacher, Floyd Norman, Jim Hill, George Mac, Doug Walker (unrelated to the Nostalgia Critic actor), Craig Kellman, Buck Lewis, and Darryl Kidder, who also served as head of the story.  


However, Red and Kitty soon clear up the misunderstanding and proceed to ask Ella to come back and perform for them. Although, after being told by the elephant that she would be much happier in her old enviroment, the two understand, at which point they finally admit their feelings for one another and become a couple.
In the words of Jim Hill, the directors were hoping to create something that would really "knock the socks off the competition." They wanted ''Wild Life'' to have a mature edge and wrote some adult-oriented jokes; however, the people working on the movie, especially the animators, often worried that Disney would not want to release the film. This constant fear was realized when Roy Disney, then vice chairman of the board,  viewed the presentation reel in fall 1999 and stated that he was "appalled" at the mature humor (particularly one joke where two gay characters are about to enter the sewers and one remarked "have you ever been down a manhole before?") and ordered the film to be shut down.<ref>[http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2003/01/15/224.aspx Jim Hill's blog post on The Secret Lab, with a brief mention of ''Wild Life''.] Retrieved 03 Oct '17</ref>


==Development==
The Secret Lab had previously produced the 2000 CGI-animated/live-action film ''Dinosaur'' with Disney, but after the film was shelved, the company was shut down.
Wild Life began production in 1999, under a team of animators that included Hans Bacher, Floyd Norman Jim Hill, George Mac, Doug Walker (unrelated to the famous comedic reviewer), Craig Kellman, Buck Lewis and Darryl Kidder, who also served as head of story. In the words of Jim Hill, the directors were hoping to create something that would really ''"knock the socks off the competition."'' However, because they wanted to give it a mature edge and wrote some adult-oriented humor into the script, the animators often worried that Disney would not want to release the film. This constant fear was realized when after viewing the presentation reel that fall, Roy Disney, then vice-chairman of the board, stated he was appalled at the mature humor (particularly one joke where two gay characters are about to enter the sewers and one remarked ''"have you ever been down a manhole before?"'') and ordered the film to be shut down.


The animation for ''Wild Life'' was to be handled by Disney's then-current effects team "The Secret Lab" who had previously animated the characters in the 2000 ''Dinosaur'' film. After the film was shelved, they were closed down.
==Availability==
Though concept artwork from the film has been made available through the 2008 book on cancelled Disney animated films titled ''Disney Lost and Found: Exploring the Hidden Artwork from Never-Produced Animation'' by Charles Soloman, no footage of the film has ever been released to the public and no pictures or video of the presentation reel have ever been leaked.


==Image gallery==
==Gallery==
===Videos===
{{Video|perrow  =1
|service1      =youtube
|id1          =cPHETUfJq64
|description1  =An animation test of Kitty-Glitter.
}}
===Images===
<gallery mode=packed heights=175px>
<gallery mode=packed heights=175px>
File:WildLifeKitty.jpg|Concept art of Kitty Glitter by Hans Bacher
B4FameElla.jpg|Ella before becoming a performer.
File:WildLifeElla_(9).jpg|Concept art of Ella unhappily performing by Floyd Norman
WildLifeKitty.jpg|Concept art of Kitty Glitter by Hans Bacher.
File:WildLifeVisDevelopment (8).jpg|Visual development by Hans Bacher
WildLifeElla_(9).jpg|Concept art of Ella unhappily performing by Floyd Norman.
File:WildLifeVisDevelopment (1).jpg|Visual development by Mac George
WildLifeVisDevelopment (8).jpg|Visual development by Hans Bacher.
File:WildLifeElla (7).jpg|Concept art of Ella being electrocuted by Floyd Norman
WildLifeVisDevelopment (1).jpg|Visual development by Mac George.
File:WildLifeVisDevelopment (7).jpg|Concept art for the club patrons by Doug Walker
PreElectricElla_2.jpg|
File:WildLifeMagda.jpg|Magda by Hans Bacher
PreElectricElla.jpg|
File:WildLifeElla%26Red.jpg|Kitty watches as Ella is sweet-talked by Red
WildLifeElla (7).jpg|Concept art of Ella being electrocuted by Floyd Norman.
File:WildLifeVisDevelopment (6).jpg|Visual development by Doug Walker
Ellatrocution.jpg|
File:WildLifeElla (1).jpg|Ella by Darryl Kidder
Ellatrocution_2.jpg|
File:WildLifeVisDevelopment (10).jpg|The exterior of the club by Mac George
WildLifeVisDevelopment (7).jpg|Concept art for the club patrons by Doug Walker.
File:WildLifeVisDevelopment (3).jpg|Ella in the zoo by Hans Bacher
WildLifeMagda.jpg|Magda by Hans Bacher.
WildLifeElla%26Red.jpg|Kitty watches as Ella is sweet-talked by Red.
WildLifeVisDevelopment (6).jpg|Visual development by Doug Walker.
WildLifeElla (1).jpg|Ella by Darryl Kidder.
Ella2.jpg|
WildLifeVisDevelopment (10).jpg|The exterior of the club by Mac George.
WildLifeVisDevelopment (3).jpg|Ella in the zoo by Hans Bacher.
Scan 64 - Version 5.jpg|Sketch by Ray Shenusay.<ref>[http://rayshenusay.blogspot.com/2013/10/wildlife.html Ray Shenusay - ''Wild Life''] Retrieved 29 May '20</ref>
Scan 65 copy copy.jpg|
</gallery>
</gallery>
==External Link==
*[http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Wild_Life Disney Wiki's page on the film.] Retrieved 03 Oct '17
==References==
{{reflist}}


[[Category:Lost animation]]
[[Category:Lost animation]]
[[Category:Lost films]]
[[Category:Lost films]]
[[Category:Completely lost media]]

Revision as of 02:51, 25 November 2021

WildLifeTitleCard.jpg

A title card drawn by Doug Walker (unrelated to the Nostalgia Critic).

Status: Lost

Wild Life (not to be confused with the similarly named 2016 computer animated film The Wild Life) is a cancelled late 1999-2000 CGI-animated film directed by Howard Baker and Roger Gould and was to be animated by Disney's then-current special effects team The Secret Lab.

The movie would have been reminiscent of 1970s American pop culture and would have paid homage to popular figures at the time such as Andy Warhol, Anna Wintour, and Diana Vreeland.

Plot

The film's plot was loosely based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play Pygmalion,[1] as it involves Red and Kitty-Glitter trying to find a new star for Club Wild Life as Kitty-Glitter, once the star attraction for Club Wild Life, has dwindled in popularity in contrast to Magda, the editor of the popular fashion magazine "Magazizi" and an operator of a popular night club that rivals Red's club.

Red and Kitty-Glitter then find their new star in Ella, a talking elephant they found in the zoo. Ella is reluctant to be a new star for Club Wild Life, but after an accident on the stage where she is electrocuted by wires, she instantly transforms into a singing diva and becomes rich and famous, much to Red and Kitty's delight. However, Ella soon gets tired of her new lifestyle and wishes to return to the zoo, which eventually causes complications for Red, Kitty, and Ella.

Development

Wild Life began production in 1999, under a team of animators that included Hans Bacher, Floyd Norman, Jim Hill, George Mac, Doug Walker (unrelated to the Nostalgia Critic actor), Craig Kellman, Buck Lewis, and Darryl Kidder, who also served as head of the story.

In the words of Jim Hill, the directors were hoping to create something that would really "knock the socks off the competition." They wanted Wild Life to have a mature edge and wrote some adult-oriented jokes; however, the people working on the movie, especially the animators, often worried that Disney would not want to release the film. This constant fear was realized when Roy Disney, then vice chairman of the board, viewed the presentation reel in fall 1999 and stated that he was "appalled" at the mature humor (particularly one joke where two gay characters are about to enter the sewers and one remarked "have you ever been down a manhole before?") and ordered the film to be shut down.[2]

The Secret Lab had previously produced the 2000 CGI-animated/live-action film Dinosaur with Disney, but after the film was shelved, the company was shut down.

Availability

Though concept artwork from the film has been made available through the 2008 book on cancelled Disney animated films titled Disney Lost and Found: Exploring the Hidden Artwork from Never-Produced Animation by Charles Soloman, no footage of the film has ever been released to the public and no pictures or video of the presentation reel have ever been leaked.

Gallery

Videos

An animation test of Kitty-Glitter.

Images

External Link

References