New Image from Disney’s Rapunzel

Published by Jeff Leins on: December 31st, 2009

With their 50th Walt Disney Animated Classic (not including Pixar movies), the Mouse House is returning to what they do best: fairy tale musicals.  Based on the story by the Brothers Grimm, Rapunzel tells the story of a fair maiden (Mandy Moore) banished to a high tower with a single window.  The witch (Donna Murphy) and later a dashing prince (Zachary Levi) gain access to Rapunzel by climbing her long hair.

Dean Wellins (Iron Giant) and Mark Kennedy (Tarzan, Hercules) developed a modern take on the traditional tale.  Rapunzel is a more independent heroine who uses her 70-foot locks for more than just a ladder, like whipping and tying people up. Why she doesn’t tie the witch up remains to be seen.

The image below, scanned from the magazine Studio Cinelive by French site DisneyPixar.fr (via Slashfilm), gives a great look at the visual style Disney is working to achieve for this film. Rather than the CG renderings of late or the 2D hand-drawn look, director Glen Kleane is basing the concept on the painting “The Swing,” by French Rococo artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard. By using non-photorealistic rendering, the movie will seem almost painted on the screen, while still allowing the depth and three-dimensional aspects of modern animation.

You can find more images and concept art here. Rapunzel is scheduled for November 24, 2010.