Finally! A "Fables" Film! (& What That Might Be Like) + A Fables-Prequel Game This Summer

Fan made movie poster by DigitalRich

When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile. Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters have created their own peaceful and secret society within an exclusive luxury apartment building called Fabletown. But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Fabletown's sheriff, a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf, to determine if the killer is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber. (GeekTyrant)

Snow White – Audrey Tautou

I just missed this gigantic news as I started blogging again and didn't "re-announce" it, figuring anyone vaguely interested would have already gotten the news, done their happy dances to the embarrassment of the neighbors, yelled enthusiastic "Hell Yeah!" (and other expletives) along with iO9, pulled out all their Fables comic covers and started drooling over their own movie "look books" without any prompting from me.

BUT.

You know I couldn't ignore this completely...
(Note: None of these casting suggestions are mine. I wouldn't know where to begin!)

Fan made movie poster by DigitalRich

In case you're thinking "What is all this Fables business? What is it and why should I care?", here's a quick summary from toplessrobot:

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the comic, Fables focuses on a group of childhood fantasy book characters, from Snow White to Blackbeard, who have been exiled out of their Homelands centuries ago after a fierce battle with a foe known as the Adversary. Now the remaining fairy-tale creatures hide in present day New York City as they try to stay out of reach from said Adversary and live quiet, normal lives. Well, not completely normal.

Jack Horner – Matthew McConaughey

... So I'm just going to fuel the fire a teensy bit, having noted that one of the Fables writers (for the comic - not cited as being connected with the movie.. yet), Mark Buckingham, is going to ComicCon on behalf of DCEntertainment and will no doubt be plied with a billion questions about the movie (even if that's not what he's supposed to be there for exactly). 

Fan made movie poster by DigitalRich

I'm also (finally) posting these (amazingly good) fan made posters made back in 2011, just to give you a sense that this is something a lot of people have been wanting (very badly) for a very long time.

From YouBentMyWookie: 

An obvious fan of the series, DeviantArt user DigitalRich has created seven very awesome fan-made movie posters giving us a tease at what a “Fables” movie or cable series might look like. 

The posters are fairly well cast too and features Elisha Cuthbert, Peter Dinklage, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Henry Cavill, and Zooey Deschanel.

Note: I'm not going to go into the Fables vs Once Upon A Time thing here. Something tells me that's going to come up again really soon...

A nice summary of the initial news from CelluloidandCigarettes:

Director Nikolaj Arcel

THR reports that Warner Bros. is back to making a live-action film based on the DC Comics/Vertigo comic Fables. They have a script from Jeremy Slater who was tasked to write Fox's Fantastic Four reboot and have hired Danish director Nikolaj Arcel (A Royal Affair - shown at left). No word on when production is expected to begin but it sounds a little more promising than other DC based projects that are stuck in limbo (The Flash, Wonder Woman, Lobo, Sgt. Rock, Suicide Squad). Harry Potter producers David Heyman and Jeffrey Clifford of Heyday Films are also involved.

Bigby Wolf – Russell Crowe

From APP.com:

Fortunately, “Fables”’ time in the spotlight has finally come, and newcomers will get a fresh chance to get in on the story from the beginning with a forthcoming film. Heyday Films, the studio behind the “Harry Potter” movies, announced recently that they are going into pre-production on a “Fables” movie. Given the scale of “Fables,” and the fact that Heyday built their reputation on an eight-part epic, it’s clear the hope is to turn “Fables” into a thriving franchise. If the adaptation is handled as well as Heyday’s last venture, that’s practically a foregone conclusion, because the strength of the source material is undeniable.

Fan made movie poster by DigitalRich

Toplessrobot also gave us a good "top 10" list of what we really should be seeing in the first film. (Because, really - you think they're going to make just ONE? How could they??) Here's a brief, excerpted recap:

10. Flycatcher And Boy Blue - These two characters turn from silly little sidekicks within the first couple of stories into a couple of the biggest heroes in the big battle that takes place later on. All I'm saying is that it would be nice if we get to see them at least once... 

9. Prince Charming's Snarky Attitude - The Prince Charming that you know and love from the fairy tales is non-existent in the Fables universe... He's a rather despicable character throughout the first few volumes, but he grows on you. Like an infection. 

Geppetto – Bryan Cranston

8. Drama on the Farms - All I really want to see is the homicidal Goldilocks and some of the other animals on the Farms try to hunt down Snow White. Without spoiling too much of the story, the revolt that happens on he Farms has a lot to do with rebuilding the relationship between the sisters Snow White and Rose Red; it's a cool little story and it shows how different and dangerous their worlds are compared to what we're used to in the children's books. Actually, all I really want to see is some of those animals, like one of the Three Bears, with a rifle in its hands. Because I've always been in favor of the right to arm bears.

Fan made movie poster by DigitalRich

7. The World Of Our Fairy Tale Exiles - The brilliant thing about the overall look for whatever sets will be made for Fables is that they can be done practically without too much effort, with the only real kind of CG we'll have to see coming from some of the animals and more mystical creatures...The comic contains very lush, detailed-yet-simple backdrops so it'll be a delight to see how those assigned to the film elaborate on the wonderful illustrations. Let me emphasize: elaborate on the wonderful illustrations! Ignore them at your peril, people. 

6. The Creatures - Since we're dealing with a flurry of mystical creatures, ranging from Shere Khan to the Three Pigs, we will have to see them at some point running around with the rest of the Fabletown folk...

Old King Cole – Robert Duvall

 To read the points in full, see examples from the graphic novels and for numbers 5 through 1 go HERE to toplessrobot and read the rest.

Myself? I want to see some of that amazing artwork, particularly by James Jean, translated well onto the big screen (I have a collection of it HERE). The covers keep drawing you back, no matter what you think of the adventures going on throughout the series, and those alone are enough to set your imagination flying with fairy tales of the edgy kind.

There's one thing that's clear, when you start to look at how a movie of Fables might look: this is no princess movie! If Once Upon A Time has soured guys on fairy tales at all (and Grimm isn't doing the trick for them) then this will help - a lot. This is definitely a not-for-kids or pixie-dust crowd project. (Gotta love how fairy tales are so versatile!)

Fan made movie poster by DigitalRich

Fan made movie poster by DigitalRich

One thing I haven't read anywhere yet is a statement from Fables creator Bill Willingham himself. I'm really curious to know what he thinks, now that it will be clear that anything Fables movie related will be worlds away from Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest of OUAT.

Rose Red – Keira Knightley

If you're enjoying imagining the cast possibilities and rediscovering the wealth of characters available to "play" with in Willingham's world, there are a couple more line-ups HERE & HERE for you to consider (with character descriptions).

In the meantime, if you're a gamer, you have a Fables game "The Wolf Among Us" to look forward to (a Willingham-approved-prequel to the comics series that may just give us some clues to the movie - maybe - see below) and, of course, anything Fables movie related that leaks from ComicCon, we'll be sure to share ASAP.

There's a write-up and first look of the Fables game HERE.

It's due out THIS SUMMER on Xbox 360, PC, Mac and PS3 (so, any minute now...).

Fables Spin-Off "Fairest" Free Preview Now Available

Fairest Issue #3 cover art by Adam Hughes for April 2012 (just released)

Now is the time to head to your local comic book store and try out the soon-to-be-released Fables spin-off, Fairest, for FREE. The Vertigo 2012 32 page sampler is completely free and one of the four Vertigo monthlies being previewed is the brainchild of Bill Willingham. Many of the stories are apparently going to be "pre-Fables" stories so if you are curious about the Fables graphic novels but are daunted by the 100+ issues available, this is a good way to start, and we're told you don't need to know anything about the Fables world to enjoy it. If you're a dedicated Fables fan you can also put your fears to rest. Mr. Willingham assures there will be plenty of surprises for you too.

In case you haven't heard of Fairest before, here's the copy:

New York Times best-selling, award-winning creator Bill Willingham presents a new series starring the female FABLES. Balancing horror, humor and adventure, FAIREST explores the secret histories of Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, The Snow Queen, Thumbelina, Snow White, Rose Red and others. 

The first 6-issue arc follows the misadventures of Briar Rose after she is stolen away by the goblin army in FABLES #107. Fan-favorite artist Phil Jimenez (WONDER WOMAN, THE INVISIBLES) returns to Vertigo to pencil the opening storyline. Award-winning cover artist Adam Hughes (WONDER WOMAN, BATGIRL) provides covers, starting with a wraparound cover on issue #1. 

Future arcs will be written by 2011 Arthur C. Clarke winner Lauren Beukes with art by Inaki Miranda, and iZOMBIE scribe Chris Roberson with art by Shawn McManus! And remember: They may be beautiful, but there will be blood. 

story by BILL WILLINGHAM
art by PHIL JIMENEZ
cover by ADAM HUGHES
PRICE: $2.99
IN STORES: March 7, 2012

In an interview HERE from January 20, 2012, Bill Willingham talks about his plans for Fairest, including the writers and artists, their approaches to the stories and his use (and other writers' uses) of fairy tales in this new "sister-series". Here are three excerpts that caught my attention:

Fairest Issue #1 wrap-around cover art by Adam Hughes for March 2012 

Let's understand that the tone and the diversity will come from the writers themselves because we're not assigning them stories. We're not saying, "Here, do a Cinderella story and have this, this, and this happen to her." It's more, "Do you have a Cinderella story?" Of course with Chris and Shawn, not only were able to answer yes to one of those, they were able to answer yes to many of those. That's the same template with the others. Lauren Beukes had a very particular Japanese mythology-based, folklore-based Rapunzel story in mind, which answers the question, "Where does the wishing well come from?" and it answers it nicely with a very sound folkloric base. We said, "Yes, of course that has to be what that story is!" These are different characters; we want them to be considered wildly different. We don't want a bunch of cookie-cutter beautiful female leads, we want vastly different ones, so having different writers is obviously the way to do that.

...Why did you want to tell the story of Sleeping Beauty in this very first arc rather than, say, Spratt or any of the other characters?

Well, interestingly enough I didn't think about Sleeping Beauty -- if I was to be one of the regular returning people in this rotation I was going to go with Thumbelina. The idea of a tiny character in a very big world appealed to me and I think there's a lot you can do with that that hasn't been explored yet. But Thumbelina couldn't really be the first arc in this because one thing we discussed is, if we are going to do this we've left poor Briar Rose sleeping away for years if not forever. So the very first thing we have to do with "Fairest" is get her awake and back in action, and we thought it was politic to kick off the series with me doing the first arc. So that's why those two combined together. We have a very specific place where all three of those characters -- Ali Baba, Briar Rose the Sleeping Beauty and the Snow Queen -- are going to be left in at the end of this arc. But they're places where other writers can pick them up and run with them if that turns out to be the case. My job is to kind of get these characters in the right place to be part of the whole "Fairest" rotation, the whole "Fables" rotation again, and hopefully tell a good story in the process of doing that. 

Fairest #1 variant cover by Phil Jimenez with color by Romulo Fajardo Jr.

...What is it about fairytales that originally captivated you as a storyteller?

Several things. One of the, I don't know if you'd call it faults, but one of the aspects of the way I write stories that I don't think is as strong with me as it is with other writers is I don't feel I introduce characters well. It takes me a while to get to know them. With using characters that have already been established, everybody's read and knows a little bit of, "Well of course I know Snow White, at least I know this much about her." That kind of awkward, ice-breaking introductory moment at the beginning of this kind of storytelling is bypassed. We can move right beyond that into the meat of it. Sure there are some introductory aspects in that, sure this isn't the Snow White you thought you knew and this is what's happened to her lately. But that's not quite the same, because that builds more intrigue. The reader interest is already written into the equation. You don't have to romance the reader into liking that character. That's one aspect of it.

The other aspect of it is just the idea that these are folktales in every sense of that. They're not just public domain characters that anyone can use because of vast collective ownership. If everyone owned every 100% piece of this character in some kind of multiple universe overlap kind of way, everyone who wants to can come along and do their own Snow White. That kind of just absolute freedom -- it's like the universe of a million previous authors and writers and story-spinners has left this to you in their will. Why not make use of these treasures that have been handed down to you? Interestingly enough they left it to everyone else too, but that's OK! It's having a treasure trove where you can play any kind of game you want. How could I resist that?

Fairest Issue #2 cover art by Adam Hughes for April 2012

You can read the whole interview HERE (please note that there is a large gap in the middle making it look like a short article but scroll on down for the rest).


Fairest Issue #1 is scheduled to go on sale March 7, 2012.

(I'm beginning to feel like there should be a fairy tale release calendar we can collaboratively keep plugging things into somewhere online. 2012 is a busy year for fairy tales!)

Theater: "How To Survive A Fairy Tale"

How To Survive A Fairy Tale Poster design by Eamonn Donnelly 

Note: Please excuse any weird layout and formatting issues. I'm having difficulties getting the fonts, their colors and the image anchors to stick.

If you were dropped into the middle of a fairy tale, how would you survive? What if you had never been allowed to read them?

Inspired by Neil Gaiman's Instructions, Lifeline Theater's Jim Grote (Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type, Dooby Dooby Moo and Duck for President created with composer/lyricist George Howe) has written a new non-musical family play that I hope will not only have a long run but become popular and be performed by other theaters everywhere.

 

“How to Survive a Fairy Tale” is about a kid named Jack whose parents are a princess and a frog. Because their fairy tale did not turn out as it should have, they shield Jack from fairy tales. Although well-read — the family library contains tomes on all manner of subjects — Jack knows nothing about fairy tales. In his home they are verboten.

One night Jack’s parents go out and a book that Jack has never seen before beckons to him from the bookshelf. As Jack reaches for the book it bonks him on the head, sending him into a deep sleep. He awakens in a forest in the middle of the “Red Riding Hood” saga. The play evolves into a madcap romp through fractured versions of “The Three Bears,” “Three Billy Goats Gruff” & “Hansel and Gretel.” Jack learns a survival tip or two in each fairy tale, & in the end those tips allow him to solve his parents’ dilemma.

 "It (Gaiman's "Instructions") just kind of got the wheels going in my head,” Grote said. He thought, “Wouldn’t it be interesting if you had a kid who had no knowledge of fairy tales and was suddenly thrust into that world and how would he deal with it?”

You can read the rest of the article HERE and see the main website for the play HERE.

There's a nice blog entry HERE by the artist who did the poster for "How To Survive A Fairy Tale" in which he talks about being inspired by Bill Willingham's Fables graphic novels and by Arthur Rackham's color palettes. I really like the Fables nod and hope teachers, parents and students will see the poster and make the connection that fairy tales are not just for kids. 

So many "fairy tale theater" productions have this (awful) amateur feel to them (argh!) and add to the idea that fairy tales shouldn't be taken seriously by thinking adults. The notion that any fairy tale not playing on Broadway (or in a Disney World/Land) or staged by a world class opera or ballet company just isn't worth seeing (or spending your hard-earned money on) is both incorrect and sad.

Hopefully, both the production of How To Survive A Fairy Tale, the presentation via the Fables-esque poster, the acknowledged inspiration of Neil Gaiman's Instructions (I wonder if Mr. Gaiman is aware of this?) and the reportedly smart and layered writing of the show gives people a reason to reconsider this.

There is a short preview clip at the bottom of the website page HERE (that I wish had much better production value for many reasons!) in which you can see the tone the play takes - one that's clearly aimed at younger children but doesn't (appear to) talk down to them. It's a hard balance to achieve and is the reason successful family plays and musicals, such as Once Upon A Mattress remain rare but popular. While How To Survive A Fairy Tale isn't really in that league, especially as it was written with a specifically very audience in mind, I do wish Lifeline the best with what promises to be a great play.

Now if only I could go see it!

In the meantime, I'll have to go re-read Instructions again... and again...

How To Survive A Fairy Tale, performed by Lifeline Theater, opens at their Rogers Park venue in Chicago IL on January 7th and runs through February 26th. Visit their website HERE for booking information and more.

Article: Making Fairy Tales Realistic With Fables Creator Bill WIllingham

Fables Issue 1 Cover

"All of the folklore and fairy tale characters from the stories you know so well, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Snow White, the Big Bad Wolf...are still alive today, living in our world, after having been chased out of their own very magical worlds by the vast armies of a wicked conqueror known only to them as The Adversary," explains series author Bill Willingham of the initial premise. "Now, these refugees have banded together in an underground community in New York City."

 Since I've just posted on Bill Willingham's Fables  - the premise of which I've included above in the creator's own words - I thought it'd be interesting to look back on his approach to fairy tales and how he adds his own dose of realism (before Once or Grimm appeared).

This article is from io9.com in June this year to coincide with the release of the anthology Happily Ever After which Mr. Willingham wrote the introduction to, and has a lot to say on Mr. Willingham's thoughts about fairy tales and about writing based on them.

K: Why do you feel that fairy tales continue to be popular through the years?

  W: One, because they belong to everyone, and not just everyone in terms of group or national ownership, which is a silly notion, but every single individual who wants to do something with them, or simply read along, or watch along, as someone else does something new and wonderful with the material.

Two, because fairytales are powerful...

(you can continue reading HERE).

I like that Mr. Willigham has a self-imposed rule on how he uses tales too, to keep a solid grounding:

...The original tale of each character I use happened just the way the old tale states it. Then I work on what's happened since then, and how I can justify the changes I make in the character, in reasonable story terms. Now there is some wiggle room there, since many of these old stories have multiple versions, and so I can pick the version that works best for my plans, and still remain true to the governing rule.

 Check the images below for a quick summary of how the Fables story started (or at least where Bill Willingham starts writing his version of the characters).

 You can read the whole article on how Mr. Willingham writes reality into fairy tales, as well as a little more on the anthology HERE.

Between the Pages: Video Discussion on Fairy Tale TV, Movies & Fables

With all the recent fascination in fairy tales being updated and twisted, Bill Willingham's Fables have come up in discussion since day one of the Once & Grimm TV premieres, the concern being that his long popular idea has been "ripped off" (with special finger pointing at the Once Upon A Time producers).

Bill Willingham himself met with the Once Upon A Time producers to sort out any misunderstandings (a meeting which went very well) and has assured fans in a self-interview/essay that there is no "rip off" in progress but instead more of a "fairy tales in the zeitgeist" situation. You can read all about it in this article HERE from earlier in the month which has the "self-interview" and a more recent one HERE in which the Once creators are interviewed on their view of the meeting (this is the one The SurLaLune Blog linked to this week).

I have to post an excerpt because no matter what gripes and niggles I have about anything based on fairy tales, this is my main feeling too. Mr. Willingham asked himself this (and I'm posting the "general" answer part, though he gets more specific in the article):

"Do you like (the ABC series) Once?" 

I like anything that raises the awareness of fairy tales and folklore as the raw stuff from which some of our best stories are being told today. The mercenary part of me hopes that every single fan of "Once" will also check out "Fables." Remember, stories aren't automatically in competition with each other. If I like Batman, it doesn't mean I have to dislike Captain America. I'd hate for "Fables" to be the only fairy tale-based story out there. If that were the case, I'd have nothing to read or watch for pleasure in this genre I love. I want more of what I want. Snacks are nice, but a feast is better.

Not all fans are so accepting of this trend though, particularly comic book enthusiasts, despite Mr. Willingham's plea to fans to back-off with the accusations:

As grateful as I am to discover so many loyal Fables readers, willing to man the barricades, to help protect a story they love; as much as it moves me to realize I’ve been part in creating something that clearly moves you, affecting your lives in ways only a good story, well-told can, I think it’s time to lay off.

Some of the fan responses haven't been nice at all, calling Mr. Willingham a "coward" (among other things!) but I think it's clear that despite it all, Fables is very likely to attract a whole new slew of fans because of Once. (Maybe that's the fan-plan after all. :D ) As far as I can tell Mr. Willingham hasn't responded to these comments and personally, I don't think he should have to. I think he said it all incredibly well in his interview/essay.

This leads me up to today's actual post topic (apparently I had more preamble in me than planned!) which is a new web show called "Between the Pages". It discusses issues going on in the comic book world with a guest and right now, fairy tales are the hot topic. This week they discuss everything from comics to TV series to the variety of movies coming out based on fairy tales. Take a look:



What do you think? Do you agree with their assessments for the TV series? How about their movie success (or lack of) predictions?

While we're on the topic of comparisons, I thought I'd throw this is in for some extra fun. Here is a "pre-Once" article from October which pits Disney characters against their Fables counterparts to see who wins. Here's the idea:

The idea of fairytale characters exiled into the real world appeals to readers because of their familiarity with the characters -- or at least the kid-friendly version from Disney. But how would the Vertigo revamps stack up against their all-ages counterparts? We've asked Invincible Super-Blogger Chris Sims to put some of our favorite Fables against their Disney counterparts for a head-to-head comparison to find out!

It's a recommended read and should leave you smiling. :) Check it out HERE.

Comic Book Stores Gear Up for the Holiday Season With Fairy Tales

With two popular TV series based on fairy tales and lots of buzz about fairy tale movies in the making, comic book stores are looking to grab a piece of the pie during this season-of-selling.

In this article - written for Black Friday sales - a number of comic book stores tell what - beside many, many copies of Fables - these stores are stocking up with and recommending for fairy tale fans.

See this article HERE and scroll down for the lists of recommendations. There may be a few ones here you haven't heard of.

Also - Fables Covers by James Jean is still on sale at Amazon.com.

Fables TV Series Pilot Greenlit

As announced in my previous post on Disney's Snow Queen, you may want to note that ABC (owned by Disney) is looking to produce a TV series adaptation of Fables, which features Kai and the Snow Queen as characters (Snow Queen shown below), is currently in the Pilot production stage (i.e. greenlit and beyond). No news on whether Kai and the Snow Queen will be featured yet, of course. It's probably not at all related but considering it's very early in Snow Queen's development (assuming they start from scratch - which, since having the opportunity to see some development a few years ago, I sincerely hope they do) I'm sure artists (at Disney Feature Animation) will be taking note at how the characters are handled if they appear, despite that they're Bill Willingham's versions.OK, now I've repeated that, here's a little more of the Fables TV Series news:

The news was leaked yesterday by The Hollywood Reporter, much to all involved's surprise apparently. (The announcement is HERE.)

From Newsarama:

Vertigo’s Fables may soon be translated to television as ABC has committed to a pilot for an hour-long drama series based on the comic book.

The pilot for the Fables television series will be produced by Warner Bros. TV and written by Six Degrees' Stu Zicherman and Raven Metzner, who describe themselves as "lifelong comic book fans" that fell in love with the Fables comic when it debuted in 2002.

Newsarama also talked to Bill Willingham about his thoughts on Fables going to TV.

NRAMA: Do you like the idea of Fables being a TV series? Do you see it as something that would work for episodic television?

BW: Well, I think it's probably better suited to an episodic presentation on TV than it is to, like, a major motion picture. That said, I would have loved to see the scope of a feature film.

You can read the whole article and interview HERE.2010 looks like it's going to be FULL of fairy tales on all fronts. :D

Snow Queen Confirmed As Next Full-Length Disney Feature

The rumors about Disney working on Snow Queen have been around for a long time now and it's true it has been in development and then taken off the boards in the past (so to speak). Now, however, it's been confirmed as being back in the development stage of production (with a release likely in 2013).Pixar's John Lassiter made it very clear he wanted to do more fairy tales when he took over the revamping of Disney Feature Animation and he was just as passionate about returning to hand drawn animation. Snow Queen has not been confirmed as the next full-length hand drawn animated feature going into production after the Winnie-the-Pooh feature (which doesn't appear to be full-length from the way it's spoken about, but I could be wrong on that count). It appears they're fully on track with the announcement that they plan to "release a hand-drawn animated film every 2 year keeping in with the tradition and work that built Disney to where it is today".You can see a very brief announcement HERE by Producer Peter Del Vecho and a little speculation about it. (Whether the project is titled "The Snow Queen" or just "Snow Queen" isn't clear.)

I found an article HERE from June which effectively assembled all the rumors and past tidbits on Snow Queen and is quite informative with interview quotes. It was one of the first places to give some substance to the idea Snow Queen was back in the feature plan this year, though it hasn't been updated with this news from the last couple of days (the comments section confirms it as of November though).The concept art you're seeing here is by development artist and animator Harald Siepermann who released a ton of old sketches from his portfolio a while back. These Snow Queen pieces were among them (you can see all of the sketches from the different projects HERE). He was interviewed back in 2008 and had this to say about the designs he was working on:

HS: I worked together with Dick Zondag on The Snow Queen. I’ve known him since Balto, actually, which we did for Steven Spielberg animation. When the time came for The Snow Queen, they gave me call and then I did some first design based on a young Meryl Streep kind of character. Unluckily, the project was canceled because Disney didn’t want to go into fairytales anymore at that time. They said that they wanted something wise, witty and more modern, because at that time, you know, everybody said that the Disney formula was dead and nobody wanted to see princesses and stuff like that. So, that project was canceled, sadly. But I spent a couple of weeks on some Queens, trying different levels of caricature on her, some more cartoony, others less.

No news on the artists attached to this project yet, though Alan Menken ("Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Mermaid") is said to already be at work on the score.

You may want to note that ABC (owned by Disney) is looking to produce a TV series adaptation of Fables, which features Kai and the Snow Queen as characters, is currently in the Pilot production stage (i.e. greenlit and beyond). No news on whether Kai and the Snow Queen will be featured yet, of course. It's probably not at all related but considering it's very early in Snow Queen's development (assuming they start from scratch - which, since having the opportunity to see some development a few years ago, I sincerely hope they do) I'm sure artists (at Disney Feature Animation) will be taking note at how the characters are handled if they appear, despite that they're Bill Willingham's versions.

Hmm. Perhaps that announcement should have been in a separate post. OK - I'll repeat that info shortly... ;)

Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love

You may be aware that Fables comic creator Bill Willingham has a novel (the prose kind - which is new for him) on the way titled "Peter and Max" (the story of the villainous Peter the Pied Piper and his twisted brother Max) but did you know there's also a min-series of Cinderella in the works due for release after the novel?

The six-issue spin-off series will be called "Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love" and is due for release in Fall 2010 (I'm guessing the title is an homage to the old James Bond film "From Russia With Love".)

If you don't know about the Cinderella character a la Bill Willingham style here's a description from Newsarama.com:

While the Fables version of Cinderella seems innocent enough, running her tiny shoe store on the streets of Fabletown in New York, she has a secret that doesn't seem to jibe with her immaculate wardrobe and perfectly applied lipstick. Despite her "day job" as a divorced princess who sells shoes, she is secretly a super spy whose well-honed sleuthing skills make James Bond look like a pansy.

(You can read about the Cinderella character from the Fables world HERE in Wikipedia.)

While the "Peter & Max" novel details more of the Fabelstown universe and expands on it in a way Bill says he's been unable to do in the graphic novels, the Cinderella series is more of a stand-alone set of stories. Here's a quote from an interview with IGN Comics to help explain in Bill's words:

IGN Comics: I also wanted to get into the Cinderella mini-series that starts in November. Cinderella has always been the secret assassin of Fabletown. How is she going to function now that Fabletown doesn't even exist? Is there a significant change to her mission now?

Willingham: Well, you're right. Cinderella is an assassin. I suppose that's fair. I sort of think of her as the James Bond of Fabletown. If you have a dirty little thing that needs doing and you need it kept off the books and off the record, she's the one you send out to do it. Her story starts when the Fables are still in Fabletown. I don't want to give away too much of the story, but what we've done is sort of written her out of the Fables storyline for the time that this special mission takes place. She's pretty much on her own. She gets involved with Fables outside of Fabletown and starts uncovering all sorts of dastardly things that may be important to Fabletown, but not necessarily tying into current storyline.

...The one thing about Cinderella stories that seems to have shaped up here is that she's okay on her own. You don't just make her one amongst a large cast of Fables. The stories we tell about her are basically that she's this resourceful weapon you can fire at a problem and know that she'll take care of it.

And here's a quote from the Newsrama interview with Chris Roberson who is the main writer Bill Willingham chose to work on the mini-series:

CR: I probably can’t say too much, but what I can say is that Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love is about spies, sex, and shoes; that we find out what happened to Cindy’s Fairy Godmother, and that Happiness isn’t always forever after; and we once-and-for-all learn the burning question of who runs Cindy’s shoe store when she’s away gallivanting.

You can find the whole interview with IGN which talks about "Peter & Max", the Cinderella mini-series and more HERE, and the interview with Newsrama HERE.