Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor

Latest Episodes:

The Lost Mickey Mouse Projects and Animation's Future (Ep. 276) Oct 16, 2024

Show notes

in this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor take you on a fascinating journey through Disney’s forgotten Mickey Mouse projects, including the untold story of "Mickey Columbus" and other abandoned ideas that never made it to the big screen.

They also dive into Disney's challenges while bringing Mickey into the world of CGI, from his iconic ears to scrapped anniversary projects like "The Search for Mickey.”

The Wild Robot's Box Office Triumph: DreamWorks Animation's The Wild Robot continues its strong performance at the box office, paving the way for a sequel. Jim and Drew discuss what’s next for this hit film, based on Peter Brown’s popular book series.
Wallace & Gromit Are Back!: Aardman Animations is bringing the beloved duo back to the screen with Vengeance Most Fowl. Jim and Drew break down the significance of this return and what fans can expect from the upcoming Christmas release.
What’s Next for Animation Fans: With new releases like Transformers One and the latest from Aardman, there’s a lot to look forward to in the world of animation.

Tune in for all this and more on this week’s Fine Tooning!

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The Fleischer Studios Legacy: Miami’s Forgotten Animation Powerhouse (Ep. 275) Oct 08, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill dives into the latest animation news and rumors.

With Drew Taylor away, Jim covers:

Unraveling Studio Feuds and Hollywood Drama: What caused the downfall of Fleischer Studios and their ultimate takeover by Paramount Pictures?

Jennifer Lee’s Next Move: Disney Animation’s Chief Creative Officer steps down to focus on Frozen 3 and Frozen 4, while Jared Bush steps in.

Joker: Folie à Deux’s Box Office Struggles**: Warner Bros. Discovery faces losses as the Joker sequel underperforms despite the original film's success.

MuppetVision 3D’s Future: Rumors swirl about the potential impact of Disney’s new Monsters Inc. door coaster on MuppetVision 3D at Hollywood Studios.

Plus, updates on DreamWorks’ The Wild Robot and Warner Bros.’ upcoming Dynamic Duo superhero film using innovative animation techniques. Don’t miss this deep dive into the latest animation industry news and history!

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What was it like to see “Steamboat Willie” ‘s world premiere back in 1928 (Ep 275) Oct 01, 2024

Show notes

Jim Hill starts a solo edition of this podcast by discussing how well “The Wild Robot” did at the domestic box office this past weekend.

He then discusses the Halloween-themed “The Bad Guys” special which will soon be debuting on Netflix

Throughout this episode, listeners will learn about:

How will Warner Bros. Discovery be celebrating Scooby Doo this month

Who will be introducing “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” at this year’s Animation is Film Festival

What did the “Mufasa: The Lion King” production do to differentiate this film from Disney’s photo-realistic “Lion King” from 2019

Where did “Shrek the Musical” do its out-of-town try-out

Why was Jeffery Katzenberg reportedly upset with a plaque he found in the lobby of the Broadway Theater

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Jennifer Lee Steps Down, Disney’s Creative Shift, and Pixar’s Behind-the-Scenes Struggles (Ep. 274) Sep 24, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor discuss the surprising news of Jennifer Lee stepping down as Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios and what it means for the future of Disney’s animated films.

They explore:

Jennifer Lee’s New Role: How she’s shifting her focus to the upcoming Frozen 3 and Frozen 4.

Jared Bush Takes the Lead: What does this creative shake-up mean for Disney, and what projects might be on the horizon?

Pixar’s Pressure to Perform: The intense working conditions at Pixar and the studio’s struggle to produce hits like Inside Out 2 and Elio amidst high expectations and long hours.

Plus, hear the latest updates on DreamWorks’ Dog Man, The Wild Robot, and more!

Don’t miss this deep dive into the latest animation industry news and insights.

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How Coraline’s Revival Sparked Disney’s Return to Theaters (Ep 273) Sep 18, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor discuss how the successful 15th-anniversary re-release of Coraline inspired Disney to bring back some of its beloved classics to theaters.

Find out how The Nightmare Before Christmas and Hocus Pocus are making their return to the big screen this Halloween season.

Join us as we cover:

Coraline’s Box Office Success: How a cult classic reignited Disney’s interest in re-releases.

The Return of Hocus Pocus: Why is this Halloween favorite back in theaters, and what does it mean for Disney's strategy?

The Wild Robot’s DreamWorks Triumph: Early reviews from the Toronto premiere and its impact on the animation industry.

Tune in for all this and more, as we dive into the latest animation news and Halloween favorites making their way back to theaters!

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Hocus Pocus: The Halloween Hit That Left Spielberg Feeling Betrayed (Ep. 272) Sep 10, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor take you behind the scenes of Disney’s beloved Hocus Pocus and its unexpected connection to Steven Spielberg.

Discover the untold story of how the Halloween classic was pitched, nearly lost, and ultimately stolen away from Spielberg.

Tune in as we explore:

The Spielberg-Kirschner Drama: How did the An American Tail creator’s decision to pitch Hocus Pocusto Disney instead of Spielberg create tension in Hollywood?
Disney's Billion-Dollar Halloween Gamble: What convinced Jeffrey Katzenberg to greenlight Hocus Pocus after an unconventional pitch?
South Park Hiatus: Why Trey Parker and Matt Stone are putting South Park on pause until 2025 and how the Paramount-Skydance merger affects its future.
The Wild Robot World Premiere: DreamWorks’ adaptation of The Wild Robot hits the Toronto International Film Festival, and Jim & Drew dive into the excitement leading up to its wide release, including a sneak peek at The Art of DreamWorks The Wild Robot.
The Animated Opener of Joker: Folie à Deux: Learn how Sylvain Chomet brings a Looney Tunes-style sequence to life for the Joker sequel’s Venice Film Festival debut.

Join Jim and Drew for an inside look at one of Halloween’s most iconic films, plus the latest in animation news and commentary.

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“The Wild Robot” gets ready for its world premiere in Toronto (Ep. 271) Sep 03, 2024

Show notes

Drew Taylor & Jim Hill start this week’s show by discussing how “Inside Out” became the highest grossing animated feature of all time.

They also take a look at the upcoming new “Wallace & Gromit” film, “Vengeance Most Fowl”

Throughout this episode, listeners will learn about:

How many films in Hollywood history have grossed over a billion dollars overseas

Why won’t Quentin Tarantino watch “Toy Story 4”
\
How long has it been since the last “Wallace & Gromit” (i.e., “A Matter of Loaf & Death”) debuted on BBC One

Which emotion was originally supposed to be Envy’s twin in “Inside Out 2”

Who acquired the North American theatrical distribution rights for “The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie”

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Which screen legend almost directed “Pete’s Dragon” (Ep. 270) Aug 27, 2024

Show notes

Drew Taylor & Jim Hill start this week’s show by seeing how “Inside Out 2” ‘s worldwide box office stacks up against Jon Favreau’s photo-realistic “Lion King.”

They also talk about that Nightmare Before Christmas-themed light trail that’s coming to New York’s Botanical Gardens

Throughout this episode, listeners will learn about:

This long-running animated series just celebrated its 25th anniversary back in January

Will Warner Bros. be releasing Genndy Tartakovsky’s “Fixed” anytime soon

When will Pixar’s latest feature-length film be available for purchase on Blu-ray

How many movies did Robert Stevenson direct for Walt Disney Studios

Who almost played Nora, the daughter of the lighthouse keeper in “Pete’s Dragon”

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Pixar’s “Win or Lose” debuts on Disney+ on December 6th (Ep. 269) Aug 20, 2024

Show notes

Drew Taylor & Jim Hill start this week’s show by looking back at some of the animation-related news that came out of the D23 Expo.

They also discuss a number of the books that event attendees could pick up at this year’s eve

Over the course of this episode, listeners will learn about:

Who now is voicing Elio’s aunt in Pixar Animation Studios’ big release for June of 2025

Why it’s kind of ironic that the Mouse House just decided to make Frank Oz a Disney Legend

What’s the reported premise for “Hoppers,” Pixar’s Spring 2026

What’s intriguing about the visual clues that were included in the “Frozen 3” concept art that Jennifer Lee showcases at the Honda Center

How many episodes of Pixar’s “Dream Productions” did D23 members get to see at this year’s Expo

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What’s interesting about the way Netflix is marketing “Spellbound” (Ep. 268) Aug 06, 2024

Show notes

Drew Taylor starts off this week’s show by looking back at the

“Jurassic World: Chaos Panel” he moderated at last month’s San Diego Comic-Con.

Then Jim Hill discusses the three feature-length films that were made at Fox Animation

Studios in Phoenix

Over the course of this episode, listeners will learn about:

 What spot did Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” just claim on the list of all-time worldwide top

grossing films

 When will the Boomerang streaming service officially get folded into Max

 Which “Gravity Falls” -related book now tops the New York Times bestseller list

 On what television broadcast back in the Summer of 2016 did the “Moana” teaser

trailer first appear

 Back when “Titan AE” was still supposed to be a live-action production, what was

the title of this film originally supposed to be

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