Lilo and Stitch ending edited due to 9/11!

[The Clown Prince]

This is part of an interview that the CHUD website did. Here it is...

(CHUD Note: According to published reports, LILO & STITCH had to undergo a heavy edit following the 9/11 attacks. Reportedly, the film's final chase scene involved Stitch stealing a 747 from the Honolulu airport, and flying it through the city itself, dodging things like skyscrapers, buildings & such.)

CHUD: I understand there were a lot of changes made after the September 11th attacks, and that a sequence had to be significantly altered as a result. How did you approach that problem, and how did it affect the bottom line of the picture?

Clark Spencer: You know, September 11th happened. We were on east coast time, and within a couple of hours, we realized we had to make a change in the film. There was no meeting - It wasn't even a conversation in some ways - it was just sort of obvious, out of respect, that this part of the film needed to change, but we still needed a rescue. And so, the directors and myself went into a room and tried to figure out how we were going to make this change and be very smart about it, because we're at the very end of our production process.

I'm very fortunate to work with people like Chris and Dean (DeBlois, Co-Director). They come from story, and they can surgically go in and come up with a way of doing it, which doesn't mean you have to alter everything significantly.

Basically, we went in and took what was an airplane and transformed it into a spaceship. We were able to keep much of the same animation and much of the same moves that had already been choreographed and planned for that sequence and just kinda trade the two out. We were lucky because we had never talked about how Jumba and Pleakley arrived on earth, so they could go back to the spaceship that was just hiding in the woods, and the rest of it could just happen from there.

What's amazing is that... When you have a moment in time at the end of a film, everyone's really ramped up, and they're able to push stuff through very, very quickly... And when you have everybody knowing that this is the right thing to do, out of respect for that moment in time, people just work their butts off. And, to be honest with you, our schedule change, which should have taken us several months to do, probably took us about 3 and a half weeks. We were fortunate, because we had already planned our film so that it was going to get done early no matter what for the summer release. So, we had the luxury of time to finish it.

CHUD: Was the Airplane footage ever put together? Do you think we'll ever see it on a DVD someday, maybe as a special feature or some such?

Clark Spencer: There may be. We're starting to talk about that kind of stuff right now, it terms of what types of scenes from the film that were originally done will now be seen on the DVD... there's actually several in the film that changed as we were making the movie. It's a natural part of our process. Because it takes so long to make them, we put 'em up, and we decide what's working and what's not. So, there'll probably be several things on the DVD. (*** CHUD NOTE*** They'd better work fast. According to film site DVDToons.com, Wal-Mart is expecting to have the LILO & STITCH DVD on its shelves by December 10th of this year.)

At least we'll get to see some of that stuff on DVD. On another touchy subject that a lot of members here have about Disney sequels, just read this from the same interview...

CHUD: I understand there are already a sequel in development over at Disney's TV animation division, along with a Children's television show. Are you involved in those projects?

Clark Spencer: Yeah, we are, a little bit. It's interesting. In our process, it takes so long to do these things, so you've got to commit early. Even before the film comes out, we've already started development for a sequel for the TV animation division to actually animate, as well as a TV series. Our involvement has been more in the setup -- what these two films will be about storywise. There's a whole different team of people that'll actually go off and direct and make them. We wont be involved in that part of the process. But in terms of the initial ideas, and what's going to happen to those characters, we've been intimately involved with that part.

It's kind of fun, but it's weird at the same moment. Your film hasn't even been released, and people are already talking about how it's going to have this longevity. It's the first time for us that we've stepped back and realized that the movie may actually have a life of its own. You don't assume that. You just assume that you're making your movie, and it'll come out, and then one day it'll be gone and nobody will ever talk about it again. But you forget that we're part of this very large company, with the Disney name on it, that will go out and use these properties in many different ways.

Disney just can't let a movie be by itself can they? Later on in the interview, Clark Spencer says that Lilo and Stitch was originally supposed to be a Spring 2002 release and Treasure Planet summer 2002, but marketing thought it best since the film takes place in Hawaii, that it should be a summer film, thus Treasure Planet getting bumped to November 15.

For the full interview which was actually pretty good (talks about how suprisingly easy it was to get the rights from everybody for Elvis songs etc.) and lots of pictures, go here http://www.chud.com/news/june02/june2lilo.php3

The Clown Prince

[Random]

Neat interview, thanks.

I wonder how faithful they're going to be to the Honolulu skyline? Because we've only got like a 10 blocks by 10 blocks area of tall buidings downtown. This is no NYC. And then Waikiki's even smaller. With a few others scattered around.

If they are faithful I hope I see my building. It's 20 stories.
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No they can't I have decided to believe that such things never happen and don't exist. (Return of Jafar *shudder*) Fool me, twice shame on me.

[czyznyck99]

Well, this confirms it.

No one will EVER pilot a plane for an action sequence EVER again.

I'm not saying that's bad.

As far as a single hit movie being left alone when there are millions to make and lose off of sequels, an animated series, and action figures, not to mention the usually weak video game adaptation???

Sheeeya right...

Heh Heh

Later, heroes.

[Joe Wagner]

While I am not an advocate for Disney's cheapquels I will say that I'm happy that the original creative team will be attached to the project. I think a project like Lilo and Stitch actually demands a sequel - much like Tarzan, Aladdin and Atlantis. There have been a few of their sequels I have enjoyed but for the most part I do wish that they would leave their older movies alone - if they need a sequel it should have the same quality the original had. It's when they decide to force-feed us these cheapquels that people get both offended and annoyed.

-Joe!

[JohnCrichton]

Wow.... eh, good idea.

Having him pilot a 747 through a city although would've been cool as hell prior to 9/11, is just a bad idea now.

Sounds like the film's interity stayed intact tho.

[GrayGhost]

No one will EVER pilot a plane for an action sequence EVER again.

I am sure after a few years pass the editing will stop - or at least I hope it will. If it doesn't it just shows how weak we are. Just like when they pulled the Seinfeld episode in reruns when Susan died from licking the envelope. It is called fiction people.

[DR. BELCH]

--have you noticed that the female characters in this movie don't have the stereotypical cute Disney heroine nearly-nonexistant button noses? Lilo looks like a little Karl Malden....

[Mackenzie Rainelle]

That's because Disney's at least attempting to get the ethnic look right while still making it stylized, and also because most of the main female characters are related, so it stands that they'd share at least some facial characteristics.

[Sharklady]

> Just like when they pulled the Seinfeld episode in reruns when Susan died from licking the envelope. <

They haven't pulled that ep in my region- I've seen it in reruns at least twice.

[GrayGhost]

Originally posted by Sharklady
> Just like when they pulled the Seinfeld episode in reruns when Susan died from licking the envelope. <

They haven't pulled that ep in my region- I've seen it in reruns at least twice.

So have I. I believe they only pulled it once.

[John-Paul]

Knowing Disney they won't but hopefully we get that scene on DVD's!