WINNIE THE POOH
Year: 2011
USA: Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures
UK: Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures UK
Cast (voices of): Jim Cummings, Travis Oates, Bud Luckey, Craig Ferguson, Tom Kenny, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Wyatt Hall, Jack Boulter, Huell Howser, John Cleese (narrator)
Directors: Stephen Anderson, Don Hall
Country: USA
USA & UK: 73 mins
USA Rated: G
UK Certificate: U contains no material likely to offend or harm
USA Release Date: 15 July 2011
UK Release Date: 15 April 2011
Synopsis
Walt Disney Animation Studios returns to the Hundred Acre Wood with WINNIE THE POOH, the first big-screen Pooh adventure from Disney animation in more than 35 years. With the charm, wit and whimsy of the original featurettes, this all-new movie reunites audiences with the philosophical "bear of very little brain" and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Kanga, Roo and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore, who has lost his tail.
"Well a tail is either there or it isn't there," said Pooh. "And yours isn't... there." Owl sends the whole gang on a wild quest to save Christopher Robin from an imaginary culprit. It turns out to be a very busy day for a bear who simply set out to find some hunny. Inspired by five stories from A A Milne's books in Disney's classic, hand-drawn art style, "Winnie the Pooh"
"The entire story takes place in the course of a day," says director Don Hall. "It's business as usual in the Hundred Acre Wood. Pooh wakes up absolutely famished and he happens to have no honey. So that sets him out on his journey, which is ultimately derailed, first by a contest to find Eeyore a new tail."
Pooh later finds a note from Christopher Robin that reads: "Gone out. Busy. Back soon." But then Owl misinterprets the note, proclaiming that the boy has been captured by a creature called a "Backson." Soon, the whole gang is on a wild quest to save Christopher Robin from the imaginary culprit. It turns out to be a very busy day for a bear, who simply hoped to find some honey.
Extra notes
1. Veteran Disney animator/storyman/director Burny Mattinson (a key animator on the 1974 featurette WINNIE THE POOH AND TIGGER TOO!) serves as senior story artist, with a dynamic young directing duo, Stephen J Anderson and Don Hall, at the helm.
2. Director Stephen J Anderson helmed animated films MEET THE ROBINSONS and JOURNEY BENEATH THE SEA, among others; he worked as a story supervisor on BROTHER BEAR and THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE, and as an additional story artist on 2008's award-winning BOLT. Director Don Hall is a veteran story artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios with credits including THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, MEET THE ROBINSONS, BROTHER BEAR, HOME ON THE RANGE, THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE and TARZAN.
3. WINNIE THE POOH welcomes a few new voices to the Hundred Acre Wood: Craig Ferguson (THE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON), Tom Kenny (SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS) and Bud Luckey (director of the Pixar short BOUNDIN').
4. Actress/musician/singer/songwriter Zooey Deschanel (Indie folk band, "She & Him") provides the vocals for a special rendition of the beloved "Winnie the Pooh" theme song.
5. London-born A A Milne (1882-1956), a noted writer and playwright, penned two books and several poems about the beloved Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin (named after Milne's son). His books are actually collections of stories, five of which inspired the film.
6. A A Milne's son's teddy bear inspired the beloved character. The child named his bear after Winnie, a Canadian black bear from London Zoo. Pooh was the name of a swan they encountered together.
7. Filmmakers visited Ashdown Forest where Milne wrote the books and the real Christopher Robin spent his summer vacations.
8. Tony® Award-winning songwriter Bobby Lopez, and his wife Kristen, wrote the seven spirited new songs for Pooh and his pals, including "A Pooh Bear Takes Care of His Tummy," "A Very Important Thing To Do," "Everything Is Honey" and "The Winner Song." Lopez is composer on several episodes of "The Wonder Pets," which earned a Daytime Emmy® in 2006 for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition.
