The cover of the "Yellow Submarine" film soundtrack. (Apple
Corps Ltd.)
The Walt Disney Studios announced Friday they have made a deal with Apple Corps Ltd. to develop a new 3D performance capture adaptation of the 1968 hit animated film "Yellow Submarine" to be written and directed by Robert Zemeckis.
The announcement was made at the D23 Expo in Anaheim by Dick Cook, chairman of the Walt Disney Studios.
The film will be created by ImageMovers Digital, Disney's state-of-the-art performance capture animation studio which is operated by Zemeckis and his partners, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey, who will serve as producers on the project.
For the project, Zemeckis will incorporate the 16 Beatles songs and recordings from the original motion picture licensed from Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC and EMI-Capitol Records. The songs include "All Together Now," "All You Need Is Love," "Eleanor Rigby," "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "With A Little Help From My Friends/"
"This is truly an inspired collaboration, and a wonderful opportunity to revisit one of the most imaginative and memorable musical fantasies of all time. To be working with the amazing folks at Apple Corps, and to have Bob helming the sub is truly as good as it gets. With all those incredible Beatles songs and imagery, the spectacular vision of Bob and his pioneering team at ImageMovers Digital, and a classic adventure full of wit and action, we're sure that moviegoers are going to have a great time on this latest trip to Pepperland," Cook said in making the announcement.
Zemeckis said, "'Yellow Submarine' is one of the greatest fantasy films of all time, and making this new 3D performance capture movie is a dream come true for me. With the latest advances in technology, we will be able to take moviegoers on a voyage unlike any other, and bring new excitement and dimension to Pepperland and the various sea worlds they encounter. I'm thrilled to be working with the good folks at Apple Corps and our partners at Disney on this epic retelling of one of my all time favorite films."
"With The Beatles and Walt Disney Studios, we have a partnership between two of the best loved creative entities in the world. We're very excited about the magical fantasy that will result from this collaboration. The marriage of the music of The Beatles with the talent and technical wizardry of Robert Zemeckis and ImageMovers Digital should produce something very special. We look forward to working with Bob and his team on realising his new vision for 'Yellow Submarine'", said Jeff Jones, CEO, Apple Corps Ltd.
The original motion picture was released in the U.S. on Nov. 13, 1968. It was directed by George Dunning and featured the art direction and design of Heinz Edelmann. The movie was set in Pepperland, an undersea paradise inhabited by music lovers who live in peace and harmony and are protected by Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band until they are threatened by the music hating Blue Meanies. The Beatles come to the rescue through a magical and musical adventure in their yellow submarine and bring music and harmony back to Pepperland.
For more info:
- Beatle news briefs: Yellow Submarine sandwiched
- The Beatles issue statement on death of 'Yellow Submarine' art director Heinz Edelmann
- 'Yellow Submarine' art director Heinz Edelmann dies
- EXTRA!: Disney, 'Back to the Future' director, negotiating to remake 'Yellow Submarine
Comments
But, why?? It'll all be...Disney-fied, and...just...no.
BOOOOOOOOOOOO
Terrible idea.
This is just plain dumb. Beside the music, it was the visual STYLE of Yellow Sub that makes it a classic. Re-animating it is like having someone else re-record the Beatles music. Dumb.
Couldn't we just have Let It Be on DVD first,and cd releases of live material and the promo videos,they keep doing things like Love and Rockband and neglecting the archival material that should be released.
BOOOOO seems about right.
I think it's a great idea, it will introduce another generation of fans to the Beatles, what can be bad about that and in 3D no less. The more young people that get introduced to the Beatles the better it is for the world as all their songs were about love.
I also agree with Steve, he makes a good point they should release Let it Be it was and still is a classic.
Zemeckis is a hack. Polar Express is an abomination.
I do think it is highly ironic that DISNEY of all people are attempting a take on YELLOW SUBMARINE, the most un-disney mainstream animation release going.
But like I've said earlier I'm willing to come into this very optimistically. :o)
But I am slightly disappointed that right from the outset it's planned to be only the same songs. That suggests less of a 'fun-reinterpretation' and more of a 'scene-for-scene-remake' which would be, in my opinion, completely unnecessary and uncalled for.
I suppose I should be fair and see a finished new film before I pass judgement, but it just seems stupid to me.
The Original is brilliant with incredible artwork, which John liked.
Also The Beatles themselves are in the original and they certainly won't appear in any remake.
It's too boring. zzz....
If it ain't broke,don't fix it. What's wrong with showing Yellow Submarine in it's current form to newer generations?
This is ridiculous. If Zemeckis is so interested in remaking films, why doesn't he go back & fix all the dreck he's made over the last decade.
A 3D "re-imagining" - why? What was wrong with the original? NOTHING!!! Yellow Submarine was the first DVD I ever bought (I didn't even have a player yet). I played it for my niece & nephew, who were 8 & 6 at the time. They loved it. Why doesn't Disney remake all their old "classics"? Because a great film stands the test of time. It doesn't need to be "updated." The idea that this is what's needed to get new generations into the Beatles is ridiculous.
And yes, I think we'd all rather have Let It Be than a Yellow Submarine re-make. I hope this one sinks to the bottom of the sea.
So there will be a third soundtrack album for 'Yellow Submarine' now?
The idea of having the Beatles associated with Disney just makes me want to puke.
I guess now we can expect a part of Disneyworld to be Beatle-themed (like Pirates of the Carribean & Star Wars). Some special Yellow Submarine rides perhaps?
they should do it like the "I Am The Walrus" part of the Rock Band opening montage. that animation wasn't at all like the original but looked incredible in its own right.
The original Yellow Submarine isn't even being pressed anymore! Why not a rerelease on Blue Ray instead of a lame remake? And don't even get me started on Zemekis and his horrible Polar Express. The dead zombie eyes on all his characters and animation so poor that the voice and mouth movements don't even sync up properly. Creepy and second-rate. This is a complete waste of time.
I don't really understand all of the whining and moaning about this. The original film was brilliant and I doubt a re-make is going to be better. But Robert Zemeckis is a huge Beatles fan and made one of the best movies about Beatlemania of all time - the absolutely brilliant I Wanna Hold Your Hand. I can't wait to see what he does with Yellow Submarine! It is an accurate rememberance of what it was like for many teenagers in New York in February 1964. And yes, it really was that wild. I was there!
If any of the babies here are gonna cry foul about this then what do you propose??? No new Beatles product ever again?? I have some advise for you naysayers.... I dare you to not go see it.. Pre-judging this is lame.. If you have the talents and the cash...Go make your own masterpiece..The bottom line falls on the shoulders of the Estate of the Fabs.. They seem to be making some very sound and profitable moves since the release of The Beatles at the BBC..This will be no different.. I imagine it's gonna knock your socks off given the Disney money backing it.It is after all just a cartoon....kids.
John Lennon, who barely tolerated the Beatles cartoon at the time though he softened on them later on, definitely was not interested in working for Disney. He was more than adamant when Brian Epstein approach him about the Beatles working on the Disney film 'The Jungle Book'.
Making remakes of classic films just highlights how creatively bankrupt Hollywood is right now, unable to come up with new ideas (Think recent remakes like 'King Kong', 'The Manchurian Candidate' or 'The Taking of Pelham 123').
In my opinion, rather than waste time on remaking a classic, it would be more creatively viable to make a sequel to 'Yellow Submarine', using the same characters in a totally new adventure. The obvious song to launch a new storyline with is 'Octopus' Garden', that carries the Beatles, the Boob and Old Fred into new and trippier uncharted waters.
Bob Zemeckis is a director who's made some very entertaining and creative films like 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand', the 'Back To The Future'
I am thrilled about this...and it's not because we know in advance that a Disney / Zemeckis take on YS will be perfectly executed. It simply proves that the Beatles collective is getting more and more ambitious. Honestly, ever since Live at the BBC came out - the Beatles have been extremely generous with the fans: Anthology, Love, LIB Naked, Rock Band... So a new Beatles-sanctioned movie means that they are not letting up.
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