I found this Fan-Art here and thought it was GENIUS and I had to post it;
Notre Dame de Paris Fan-art featuring the Simpsons
It’s the Simpsons as Notre Dame de Paris character pose from the end shot of Belle. Which Looks like this
Notre Dame de Paris end shot from Belle with Garou, Daniel Lavoie, Patrick Fiori and Helene Segara
I just want to take a moment and get this out there.
Tim Burton
Quasimodo Rescues Esmeralda Illustration
Josh Brolin
A few months ago it was announced that Tim Burton was rumored to be directing a new adaptaion of The Hunchback of Notre Dame slated for 2013 and attach to this is actor Josh Brolin of such movies as Jonah Hex and True Grit as Quasimodo. I was reading some of comments people left on the websites that announced this and mostly they were discussing how Johnny Depp was not playing the leading character in a Tim Burton movie. Unusual? Yes but does this mean that Johnny Depp will not be in the film?
Johnny Depp
My guess he will. Let’s face it Quasimodo not exactly a Depp role, sure he played Ed Scissorhand but I can’t envision Depp as Quasimodo. However I could see him as Gringoire. Gringoire is a poet and sometimes he used as a story-teller (as he more less is the voice for the writer) and more often than not he has been paired up with Esmeralda. I would predict that Johnny Depp will play Gringoire, I can see him as Frollo or Phoebus, however he could play Clopin. For Depp to Play Clopin it would depend of the direction of the film. Clopin is not actually a gypsy in the book but in the film Clopin takes on all of the leaders of the Court of Miracles, so sometimes he’s a Gypsy and sometimes he’s not. However I could see him as Clopin or Gringoire. Though I would lean towards Gringoire.
Helena Bonham Carter
As for Helena Bonham Carter (another staple in a Burton movies), there is a lack of females in Hunchback of Notre Dame and it’s up to the film’s direction if they’ll have more than just Esmeralda. I wouldn’t cast Carter as Esmeralda or Fleur de Lys ( if Fleur de Lys is in this adaptation). Pending on film direction I would cast her as Sister Gudule, Esmeralda’s mother. However if the film doesn’t go for Esmeralda’s back story which I’ve only ever seen twice in adaptations, Carter will have some cameo of some sort maybe La Falourdel (the women who house Phoebus rents a room from in order to seduce Esmeralda). In case I would predict her to be in the film is some capacity.
I hope they get someone who is more akin to Esmeralda in the book; someone who is not overtly sexy and youthful, that would be refreshing to see.
Anyway these are all rumors and predictions, but I would love to hear what you think on this upcoming movie.
Ah, the voice acting in Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame. Some of it’s great, some it is just ok and some of the casting is off, which seems to weaken the believability of the characters. This is more or less in the order of rank, as I see it or hear it.. yeah.. I know lame joke.
Tony Jay
The highlight of the voices in the movie is Tony Jay’s rendition of Judge Claude Frollo. Jay’s cold sounding baritone mixed with his british accent makes for the perfect bad guy voice. He gives Frollo’s voice an air calm control that at any second could explode into fevered anger. Also his voice is seductive, you can believe this guy is a charmer and yet he speaks with command and authority. Jay’s voice helps make Frollo a more interesting character.
Jay had been a veteran Disney voice actor and voice actor in general. He’s been in a number of Disney related films and television shows as well many other non disney films, television and recordings of broadway shows. On his IMDB page he has 150 credits but I think he most known for Frollo mainly because Frollo is a horrible person and his voice accentuates brilliantly.
Tony Jay was nominated for an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Voice Acting.
Paul Kandel
Paul Kandel voiced Clopin and is a Broadway performer. He’s probably the best singer in the film (the crescendo at the end of Bells of Notre Dame gets me every single time) and that’s probably why he ended up with the most songs in the movie. In fact Clopin sings more than he actually speaks. Kandel gives Clopin a sense of fun and whimsy but he also gives him a flair for the dramatics which is a boon for the introductory scene since it’s not funny.
David Ogden Stiers
David Ogden Stiers voiced the Archdeacon. Stiers like Jay is a veteran voice actor and has been in many major Disney movies. He’s also primarily a television actor. Stiers runs the gambit of tones with the Archdeacon’s voice; tenderness, command, authority, concern and a little amusement (the Archdeacon sounded a little amused when he thinking about Esmeralda’s merry chase). Just because the Archdeacon is by all account a glorified extra Stiers’ voice helps makes the character more interesting.
Kevin Kline
Kevin Kline voiced Phoebus. Kline does well as Phoebus but I think he falls short of Jay and Kandel because I mean really, Phoebus isn’t a hard role to play. Phoebus has a dry wit but so Kline, I mean Kline is practically playing himself. I give Kline credit, he made Phoebus funnier than probably was originally intended which makes him more interesting as character. Because without the humor would Phoebus have been memorable? My guess is no. Kline is also partly responsible for Achilles’ name. He insistent that horse have a name, so they gave the Phoebus’ horse a name at Kline’s insistent.
Fun Fact about Kline’s process – to get into the character of playing a knight, Kline held a sword in hand during recording sessions. He even ruined some recordings because he would hit the microphone (accidently, I’m sure.)
Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander voiced Hugo. As much as I dislike the gargoyles, I think the voice acting is fine. Jason Alexander is best known as George Costanza on Seinfeld. George is uptight and neurotic, the total opposite of Hugo. Hugo is fun-loving and laid back. I think Alexander does very well in the role. But again, is a fun-loving partier a demanding role? No, not really.
Charles Kimbrough
Charles Kimbrough voiced Victor. Kimbrough has been in many types of media; film, TV and voice acting. Kimbrough does well enough as the prim, more serious-minded Victor, but it’s hard to lay out Victor’s personality compare to Hugo and Laverne. So it’s hard to identify how well Kimbrough did as Victor.
Mary Wickes
Mary Wickes voiced Laverne. Later in Wickes’ career she played cranky old ladies. Two of the movies I remember her in were Little Women (Aunt March) and Sister Act (Sister Mary Lazarus), both characters are tell-it-like-it-is, cranky old ladies much like Laverne. So while she does well in the role she definitely playing her type of role.
Jane Withers
I want to mention Jane Withers briefly. Mary Wickes died as the film was being recorded and so Jane Withers stepped in to finish the recording and took over the role of Laverne. There are some lines where Wickes started and Withers finished, which is testament to Withers; acting to able to sound almost identical to Wickes.
Tom Hulce
Tom Hulce voiced of Quasimodo. Tom Hulce is most known for his role in Amadeus Mozart. I do not find any fault with Hulce’s acting, I think he does a good job giving Quasimodo tenderness, gentleness and a bit of pitiable emo-ness. I also think Hulce does well exhibiting both Quasimodo’s natural disposition and in contrast to his attitude when he’s with Frollo. So Why is Hulce’s performance second to the last on this Blog post? Well that is because I wonder what the directors were smoking in making Quasimodo a school boy that’s gentle and sweet. Quasimodo is suppose to be gentle but only to Esmeralda. He’s not suppose have a school boy. I can understand why Disney did this and I understand why Hulce’s voice is good for this type of role but just because I can understand it doesn’t mean I have to condone it. Honestly they made Quasimodo into a Disney Princess. Hulce has a clear voice which is a commonality to the Disney Princess trope. Think about, Quasimodo is a Disney princess, he just a male and not very pretty.
Demi Moore
Demi Moore voiced of Esmeralda. Like Quasimodo, I think casting was way off. I get that they wanted something different. The directors liked Moore’s husky and rough tone of voice and they liked that she also had a tenderness to it, but Moore ages the character. It’s weird looking at the concept art, how youthful Esmeralda started and how mature she looks/acts in the movie. I understand that the decision to cast Moore was intentional and as part the process of animation is that Esmeralda took on Moore’s looks and mannerism but I don’t think the pay off was good in the long run. I think Esmeralda is too much like Moore and effectively Moore was playing herself (or at the most her type-cast role) so she didn’t exactly have to exert her acting prowess. Also I think Moore got the role due to sex appeal and popularity. And point Deductions for being the only one of the cast not able to sing her character’s song, though if can’t sing than she can’t sing, but they could have just had Heidi Mollenhauer do the role in it enitety, she is an singer/actress after all. They fact they they didn’t just mean that Moore was cast for her popularity and appeal.
Shout Outs/Kudos to:
Gary Trousdale
-Shout out/Kudos to Gary Trousdale voice of Djali (that not a bleat) and the Old Heretic.
Corey Burton
Bill Fagerbakke
-Shout out/Kudos to Corey Burton and Bill Fagerbakke, Brutish and Oafish Guards these two made those characters hilarious.
Agree or Disagree, I’d love to know your opinions
Next Time- Going to Start Looking Music/Songs, starting off with beginning “The Bells of Notre Dame”
This is a little photoshop image I did. It’s essentially Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Esmeralda, Quasimodo, and Phoebus in the costumes of their counterparts from Notre Dame de Paris. The costumes are like Digital Textures.
Disney Hunchback characters cosplaying as Notre Dame de Paris Esmeralda, Quasimodo, Phoebus
Here are the pictures I used from Notre Dame de Paris for the fan-art;
Helene Segara as Esmeralda from Notre Dame de Paris
Garou as Quasimodo from Notre Dame de Paris
Patrick Fiori as Phoebus from Notre Dame de Paris
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Phoebus is the dashing and handsome captain of the guard. Due to this namesake, Phoebus (Apollo) he has a very yellow look, gold armor, blond hair and a beard. He has a bit of a Roman look. His beard, with cape his hair style, aquiline nose are all more Roman than late medieval. Oddly enough, Phoebus’ only describe featured in the book is his mustache which is in the “Burgundian Style.” Phoebus is first Disney guy to get facial hair, so kudos to Disney for at least taking something from the book as a basis. Well one could argue that in the 23 version and the 39 version Phoebus had a mustache, so who knows what Disney was going off of, besides the production crew. At least they went there and gave him some form of facial hair The important this is that Phoebus should be handsome, he can be a jerk, a hero or a gloried extra but he must be a pretty boy, and Disney at least did that.
Phoebus concept art isn’t much different than how he appears in the movie. However he looks like John Smith from Pocahontas. For More Concept Art of Hunchback
I mean, It’s John Smith with a beard.
Phoebus wears the most useless armor ever, honestly I don’t know why he bothers with it, maybe the gold makes him feels special or pretty but clearly it’s just for show. Djali hits him in the gut and inflicts some pain but when a candelabra hits him the face he shakes it off. He gets shot with an arrow through back (and yet it almost got his heart) and he nearly drowns in it. Frankly he’s better off without it.
Phoebus’ look is pretty generic looking considering the rest of the characters. He’s conventially handsome with a slight roman look mix with a little John Smith through for good measure. The result is a tad on the boring which is why his look didn’t change much from the concept art.
Next Time – Clopin
I was hoping to post the Phoebus installment of “Let’s get Superficial” today since I won’t be able do it this weekend, however it’s been delayed and it’s not ready yet. But since I’m trying to update more often (two-three times a week), I’ve made this for fun;
Find the differences and leave a comment with the answers. There are 6 differences in total. There are not meant to be too hard or too challenging, just fun. I’ll post the original picture next time. So have fun. ^_^
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Esmeralda is the most divergent character in the Disney version from the book in both looks and personality. I already talked about her personality, now let’s look at her looks.
The Disney Esmeralda looks 100% a traveler*. She has a darker complexion, dark hair, and light green eyes (with no glint). Her eyes also do not change color pending on how much light is in the space, which kind of makes them look witchy. She keeps her hair pulled back which it creates volume. This bigger hair makes her look older. When her hair is down she looks younger. Her hair also has a slight curl. Though in the middle of the epic running away from Frollo, her hair looks straight but that could just be inconsistencies in animation or the wind, take your pick. But it does look straight. However it also fair to point out that this voluminous hairstyle was on trend in the late 90s.
Her age is very vague. Most of the Disney characters have a rough age range or they just say how old they are like Ariel and Jasmine. With this shift in Disney heroines being somewhat more independent and less dreamy, they appear to be older than the typical “Disney princess” (except Tiana, I would say she is like a compromise between the archetypal Princess and the confident independent heroine of the late 90s).
The question is how old is Disney’s Esmeralda? With the age inflation that Disney implements, I’d say she most likely 22 at the youngest, which is “old” for a Disney heroine. The long and short of it is, Esmeralda is meant to be older like “she’s been around.” This is not my phasing, watch the commentary, it’s the scene where Esmeralda is helping Quasimodo from the pillory. To listen to the commentary, The DVD.
One reason why this version made her older could have been to help establish her relationship with Quasimodo as more maternal, more like a big sister than romantic. This could have made her pairing with Phoebus appear more palatable for the audience, though given a lot of bad-faith internet discourse it didn’t really work that way.
Against the original novel by Victor Hugo, Esmeralda’s looks are very different. Esmeralda is never described in graphic detail but she’s described as very beautiful frequently by many characters. Disney Esmeralda is meant to be beautiful certainly but she is never called beautiful in the movie. The closest mention to her looks is Clopin saying she’s “The Finest Girl is France.”
Esmeralda in the book is not genetically a full traveler*. Her mother is a French women and while her Father could have been a traveler, it is never actually mentioned who was her father.
Esmeralda has a golden skin tone, black hair and black eyes. Part of Esmeralda’s charm in the book is her innocence and her total unawareness of her own beauty. Disney’s Esmeralda is the complete and utter opposite; she knows her appeal, exploits it and given that quote by the director Kirk Wise that I mention earlier, I’m not sure how innocent is in the movie. So it safe to say that Disney did not use Hugo for even a basis of Esmeralda’s design.
Looking at the concept art, Esmeralda started off looking more youthful and somehow along the way she lost the youthful look. My guess the vocal inspiration turned the tables on the character design. Alas Demi’s Moore doesn’t sound youthful, at least not when the film was recording the voices. For More Concept Art of Hunchback
It’s actually not Disney’s fault that Esmeralda’s looks/acts sexy whereas Hugo’s Esmeralda did not. The fault lies in the film history of Hunchback movies.
Esmeralda has long been depicted as sexy or at least no stranger to feminine charms. Esmeralda has also been depicted by actresses who are more known for their sex appeal. Such actresses have been Stacia Napierkowska, Theda Bara, Gina Lollobrigida and Salma Hayak. Also Disney models their characters after the voice actor playing them, so with the choice of Demi Moore it was inevitable that Disney Esmeralda was going to be sexy and follow the line of sexy Esmeraldas.
In a featurette of the movie, Moore said she could see herself in Esmeralda’s animation. While Disney took their cues from the 1939 version, I think Esmeralda’s look was based somewhat on Gina Lollobrigida’s Esmeralda as well as Demi Moore (maybe, I can’t really tell, I haven’t seen a ton of Moore’s films discern her mannerism and/or acting style in Esmeralda’s animation.)
*Since 2021 the blog has been using the words Travelers or Nomads to convey the group of people that Esmeralda is associated with while trying to be respectful. You can read that post here. I do tend to favor the travelers usage.
Next Time Phoebus
Judge Claude Frollo
As I mention in my Character analysis of Frollo, he is of the elegant Disney Villain variety. Other Villains include but are not limited to, Jafar, Yzma and Doctor Facilier. Frollo is thin and tall, (perfect super model body). He has a very angler face and a hook nose. Like many of the characters he has small eyes. Oddly enough he has grey hair but black eyebrows which are thin. Thin eyebrow makes one look older and fuller brow make one look younger. So Disney Frollo is old, and considering he looked old in the back story, he’s probably clocks in at 60 or so.
Frollo and Phoebus Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney
Judge Claude Frollo
He wears a long black robe with purple and red elements. As I also mentioned in my 1939 costume post, long black slabs of fabric look very unapproachable and it’s like a giant arrow that says” I’m a bad guy”. The first time you see Frollo, you know this be the villain. Of Course a big black scary horse helps, plus he arrests people for no reason. However his clothes assert his evil.
Frollo and Quasimodo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney
Frollo and an illusion of Esmeralda during Hellfire
Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney
So how does Disney Frollo compare with Frollo in the book? Well in the book Frollo’s face is described as austere, calm and sombre. He’s bald with a few gray hair that form a natural tonsure. He has a broad forehead that is furrowed with wrinkles and deep-set eyes. His eyes are the only thing expressive about him. Frollo is also 35 in the book. Which is supposed to be old but the idea is that he’s not too old, just old to shallow 16 year-old. Disney Frollo’s does has an austere look but Disney didn’t base Frollo’ s design off the book. They based it off of Sir Cedric Hardwicke’s look. They have the same dower look that gives way to insane bat-shit crazy looks. They have the same framing locks which is impossible not to notice. Disney’s Frollo is just older and balder, though he’s only balding. But it doesn’t take a genius to see where Disney got their inspiration from. Disney Frollo is almost an exact copy of Hardwicke’s Frollo.
Lemud Illustration of Frollo
Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney
Jehan Frollo (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame
Next up Esmeralda the “pretty” one
Esmeralda singing "God Help the Outcast" Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Quasimodo’s Reveal
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In an effort to get the audience of Quasimodo’s side, Directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale gave Quasimodo a gentle disposition made compete with a kind look. He has big, friendly doe eyes, a full head of red hair and wears a green tunic. Two of the more uglier factors are his big stub nose and his teeth (large teeth in the front of his mouth). I mean for Disney he’s ugly but for Quasimodo he’s adorable. I think Disney was afraid of making Quasimodo too ugly and risk scaring people off of seeing the movie.
Quasimodo gazing at Esmeralda
Quasimodo
Quasimodo accepts Esmeralda and Phoebus as a couple Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
It’s also interesting to mention (and I’ll be mentioning this again) that for many characters in the movie there is not glint in the eyes. Many of the characters their eyes are just small black pupils, exception would be Esmeralda who has green irises, black pupils, and no glint. Quasimodo is one of the few who does has a sparkle in the eyes (other are Djali (though inconsistent) and the little girl who gave Quasimodo a hug, who doesn’t have it till the final even though you see her at the beginning.) Maybe this glint is indicative of innocence, an inconsistencies, or playing favorites? I dunno. I can understand why Quasimodo would have it but for Djali and little girl (only at the end) to have it and no one else, I sense a deeper reasoning here. I’m going with innocence.
Quasimodo shine in the eye Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Djali Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Little Girl Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
So how does Disney Quasimodo compare with book Quasimodo?
Oh not at all. I said Quasimodo is adorable here. In the book he is not, not at all. Quasimodo is described by Victor Hugo as having a horse-shoe mouth, a small left eye with bushy red eyebrow, a right eye that’s completely hidden by a monstrous wart, uneven broken teeth with gaps that project out like tusks, callous lips, and forked chin. He was also described ” a giant who had been broken and badly put together again. Disney’s Quasimodo looks like to extent but everything about is soft and round. His mouth is normal. His eyes are both visible despite the protrusion, His hair isn’t bushy in the slightest, it’s smooth and straight and he eyebrows are slightly think but not bushy. His teeth are uneven but not like tucks. He doesn’t have callous lip or a forked chin (he hardy has either).
Illustration of Quasimodo
Quasimodo Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Same character and yet no comparison.
In the concept art for Quasimodo ranges all other the place. Sometime he look scary (the way he should look) and sometimes almost handsome ( he just needs a haircut, and eyebrow plucking). For More Concept Art of Hunchback
A Monstrous version of Quasimodo Concept Art Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
The closest to movie version Quasimodo Concept Art Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Jockish looking Quasimodo Concept Art Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Quasimodo in the scope of things is just deformed, not ugly. There are ugly people in the crowds in the movie and they don’t have the crutch of deformties for an excuse. I mean Frollo is no looker himself.
Next Character up – Frollo
Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney
Not that I’m trying push my humble little Hunchback wares but I wanted to share some new shirts with you good people. Not sure I’ll continue doing the “what would would X do” but we’ll see. Quasimodo, Frollo, and Esmeralda are the trifecta characters anyway. The what would shirts are based on the book. I hope these shirts at least cracks a smile, or two. Edited 3/1/12 I added a Gringoire shirt and a Cartoon Rendering of Quasimodo, because who does want to wear a picture of Quasimodo on their person….
