"Magic Kingdom, baby . . . MAGIC KINGDOM!"

It's been a couple years already since it was announced Jon Favreau was walking away from directing another installment of the Iron Man franchise to instead direct the ultra-ambitious Disney fantasy Magic Kingdom.  


Since then we've seen . . . well, nothing.  And heard almost less.  Described as Night At the Museum in Disneyland, I admit I've been aprehensive about the whole project.  Disney has always been careful not to pull the curtains back too far.  It's probably the best reason the popular Kingdom Keepers book series has never been adapted for the big screen.  They reveal a little too much about the magic.  Or at least people think they do.  I admit I wasn't crazy about seeing a movie that takes place inside my beloved Magic Kingdom.  God forbid it's a hit and the lines get even longer! 

After the crash and burn of Jon's last outing, Cowboys & Aliens, I wondered if the whole Magic Kingdom project might be in jeopardy.

In a recent interview Favreau assured fans that Magic Kingdom is still going ahead full-steam.  But for this project, that doesn't necessarily mean fast.  

“I went back to back to back with three movies in a row, Iron Man, Iron Man 2 and Cowboys & Aliens, all of them with release dates announced as I walked in,” Favreau said. “As I cracked the script for the first time we already knew the date and the poster, in some cases the cast. On this one, Magic Kingdom is a big film. It’s a very special piece of intellectual property with all the characters from the park and the legacy of Walt Disney.”

“Fortunately there’s no rush on it. I’ve been working on it as a writer now and we’re looking forward to beginning that long lead prep as you would on an animated film. Then you work your way to where you know what the whole movie is going to be before you ever roll camera. You actually watch it as the Pixar people do and actually watch it on a screen and evaluate it before you ever roll camera.”

Oh, and did you catch that little studio name drop?  That's right, Pixar is now involved.  Don't get the wrong idea. This still to be a live-action flick, with of course a heaping helping of CG.  The combination of Jon Favreau (very much a personal hero going back to PCU) and John Lasseter certainly boosts my excitement and confidence levels in this movie.  Lasseter is an artistic genius, and while he's the master of their reinvention, he's still something of a curator of Disney animation history and tradition.  And to be quite frank, I think it will be good for Pixar to start looking in new and different directions, but perhaps that's for another discussion.


I will say it's nice to hear someone in Hollywood saying "we're taking our time to get it perfect."

And he's right.  This movie has to be perfect.  This subject matter is precious.  To many of us, it's sacred.  You screw it up . . . the aftermath won't be pretty!

Keep in mind that Favreau recently signed on to direct a big screen version of the hit musical Jersey Boys, which is slated to roll before Magic Kingdom.  Meaning the Disney flick is still a few years away.  
But all this news is nothing but encouraging. 


"That's (gonna make) so (much) money, baby!"

I'm also intrigued by Favreau's comment that he's considering making the vulture in Club 33 a character in the movie.


"I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. Favreau!" 

Check out the full interview here:
 http://www.craveonline.com/film/articles/192815-pixar-is-helping-with-jon-favreaus-magic-kingdom