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Producers Compare 'Phineas & Ferb' Film to 'Roger Rabbit' Hybrid Mix

by Alex Billington
November 7, 2011

Just last week it was revealed that Oscar winning writer Michael Arndt was coming onto the Phineas & Ferb movie now in the works at Disney to take a crack at polishing the script. It was also mentioned that it would be a live-action and animation hybrid mix, which is a big trend in Hollywood, but still a bit odd for a show like this. Over this past weekend I met up with producers David Hoberman & Todd Lieberman of Mandeville Films (The Fighter, The Muppets) and couldn't help but ask them to clarify what exactly they were planning for this, and I got a great answer about how excited they are to make this movie coming up.

"The next thing we have going that we're both very excited about is Phineas & Ferb, which is an amazingly brilliant Disney channel show that we're turning into a film that I cannot wait to be a part of," Lieberman told me in the interview (full video forthcoming). It turns out he's a big fan of the show himself, but I asked about how it would work, since it's a straight animation show. "It would be like Roger Rabbit, where we'd keep those characters and put them in the real world," he said, referencing Zemeckis' 1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit animation-hybrid classic. "But the show is truly brilliant, the humor, the irreverence, and it's something that we're thrilled to be a part of, seems like a great opportunity." Sounds like it's in good hands.

Animation hybrids aren't uncommon nowadays, but they're often CGI mixes, like Yogi Bear or Fox's Alvin in the Chipmunks series, but since Phineas & Ferb is a conventional 2D animated show, they're going to stay true to that in bringing it to the big screen. Phineas & Ferb, created by Jeff "Swampy" Marsh and Dan Povenmire in 2007, who also wrote the first draft of the script, already got a feature film once in the form of Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension shown as a TV special. No director is attached to this movie yet, as it's still in the script development phase right now. I'm liking what I'm hearing so far and they're certainly in good territory referencing Who Framed Roger Rabbit, we'll be sure to keep you updated!

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Jedibilly

I never liked this show. Their faces are ugly with those geometrical shapes. It's like they are too lazy to draw the animation. I know, it's a "style". Not my cup of tea.

tommyturner

They never liked you.

Jedibilly

Of course they never liked me, because I prefer good animation and style unlike you retards do.

tommyturner

Aparently you never want to host the Academy Awards. LOL
Drace

It's a cartoon, man. It's like you would say: "I never liked Mickey Mouse, because Walt Disney was too lazy to draw him with five fingers." You can think what you want, of course, but this reason to dislike the show is really ridiculous. The quality and the popularity of this show are caused by its really good concept and its creative and humourus storys. The shape of Phineas' head is just supposed to look funny for the kids, just like the Mickey Mouse ears.

ken

This kind of news makes me bang my head on the wall, wondering what could have been if they had this much dedication towards the far-superior Kim Possible.

Gordon

They tried (they REALLY did) but it didn't work. I'm still a little worried about the movie but seeing as how the producers are such huge fans of the P&F series, I'm pretty positive about this.
Drace

Far-superior? In what way? I mean, I really liked Kim Possible, but I can't compare these shows. Kim Possible was always made for teens. Phineas and Ferb is a family show - well, it's made especially for kids of course, but there are some elements in humour and story only older people would get. Plus, Phineas and Ferb is rather a comedy than an action show. Kim Possible was the same in reverse. Personally, I enjoy Phineas and Ferb more, because it has more of a classic Disney-cartoon, but in a rather modern way. And anyway, this has nothing to do with dedication. Television-business is all about success. And success is all about popularity. Kim Possible would have gotten a live-action movie if it had been popular enough. But frankly, the popularity of the show only sufficed for a DC original movie and a fourth season. (Which is rare for Disney Channel shows.)

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000256772966 Andrew Acuna

Well then you're probably in a lonely club, Jedibilly.

Jedibilly

Nope! I have many friends, asshole!

Anonymous

Personally, I think Phineas & Ferb is one of the most intelligent, fun and relevant cartoons ever made. It doesn't pander to inanities and uses both concepts and language that will stretch the minds of young people.

tommyturner

Aglet!

http://www.liveforfilms.com Phil Edwards

I love how the show references so many classic movies and TV shows. A lot of thought goes into the plot of each episode so I hope that happens with the movie.
Arcang54

Wouldn't it be cool if Vincent Martella the voice of Phineas turns up in the film live...