Written by: Barry Cook
Directed by: Barry Cook

Music by: Ricky Skaggs

Production Start Date: June 2003
Release Date: Summer 2005
 
 

CAST
 

Angel... Dolly Parton
Abe Lincoln (folk art puppet version of Abraham Lincoln)... Hal Holbrook
Ms. Spinster... Lily Tomlin
Herbert Hollingshead...  Diedrich Bader (Oswald on the Drew Carey Show)
Arvilla Tugthistle... Jean Smart
Elgin Harper... Travis Tritt
Good o' Boy... Mike Snider
Blues Man... Lou Rawls
Old Man Mcgee... Charles Durning
Elgin Harper, an off-the-wall hillbilly... James Carville (Disney announced then denied his involvement in the project)
Ashley Judd
 
 

STORY

This backwoods bluegrass musical will feature 2-D characters that interact with 3-D props and settings: it centers on a folk art puppet version of Abraham Lincoln (voiced by Hal Holbrook) that’s been crafted out of an old push broom.
 
 

INTERESTING FACTS

This project was first heard of in March 2002, when it was reportedly in story-boarding and visual development stage of production.

Disney hopes that by using CG to create all of the puppets that play such a prominent role in My Peoples--the whimsical moments of this movie will seem that much more magical.

The film was originally rumoured to be a retelling of the Hatfield & Mcoys legend in Kentucky--which was later denied.

Although Selkies was expected to be the next feature animation at Disney's Florida Studios after Bears, My Peoples was greenlighted first in early 2002.

My Peoples is based on an original idea by Barry Cook (Mulan), who also wrote the screenplay and will direct the feature.

During their free time, animators assigned to this project are now learning the Maya program as two thirds of the film is expected to be digital.

Kentucky native Ricky Skaggs is expected to compose a bluegrass soundtrack for the movie.

An April 2002 Times article states that My Peoples will be a "combination of 2D/3D" and should hit theaters in 2003.

  In May 2002, Thomas Schumacher, the president of Disney's animation division, confirmed that My Peoples was currently in the pipeline, and went on to describe the film as a "bluegrass musical of 2-D characters in a 2-D world that you watch transform and become 3-D."

  'Michael' wrote in that same month that "last week I was on the Animation Tour at Disney/MGM in Florida to see if they were working on anything new. To my surprise they were quite visibly working on Bears in all the guest areas. I spoke with the tour guide to ask about its release date, and wound up having a long conversation about upcoming and past features. The guide was really knowlegable and a great guy, and he wound up bringing up My Peoples. I was surprised as I had never heard any real confirmation of the project, and didn't really know what it was about. He said that it would be a 2D/3D project and would feature Dolly Parton. This was news to me, as I had only heard her name as a possible for Sweating Bullets [aka Home on the Range]. Anyway, he assured me she was on My Peoples."

  'Alexis' added to the rumour mill stating that Dolly Parton would indeed voice an angel in the movie, Lily Tomlin would join the cast, and the movie would take place in Appalachia.

  'Sir Farticus' commented on August 10, 2002 that "people seem to be excited about My Peoples which is the feature to come after Bears. It's a completely CG film, not too sure about the story or anything else... but people are saying it's looking to be an interesting developement. It'll be another departure from the Disney stereotype. You gotta give'em a hand for trying!"

  An Animated Movies spy visited Disney's feature animation department in California in August 2002 and reported that "there is some work on 3D, and everything else is in traditional animation. The characters are toys made of shirt buttons, plates, pens, thimbles, threads... As if a magnet had attracted all these on one object. Very elaborate backgrounds, and beautiful human characters. I saw images from a scene in a car where a little girl realizes the toys are alive."

  The Drudge Report stated that same month that Democrat political star James Carville had been offered a high-impact role in the movie. "While producers in Burbank are worried about Carville's lack of acting experience, Disney filmmakers have become convinced he has the perfect vocal qualities for the part: an off-the-wall hillbilly, studio sources reveal. Ricky Skaggs is doing the music; Dolly Parton is set to play the voice of an angel. Lily Tomlin, Travis Tritt, and others--including Washington's favorite 'Ragin' Cajun'--are also in the Appalachian animation. The characters in Disney's high-budget brew My Peoples are made of shirt buttons, plates, pens, thimbles, threads and an old push broom. The backwoods bluegrass musical will feature 2-D characters that interact with 3-D props and settings, written and director by Barry Cook [Mulan]. 'The movie has got a lot of laughter and a lot of fun,' says a source. The Bluegrass Blowout is set for release in '05."

  USA Today confirmed officially on August 22, 2002 that "CNN's James Carville joins Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, Lou Rawls and Travis Tritt in providing voices for a new animated Disney movie, working title My Peoples. An Appalachian tale with bluegrass music, it's set for release in 2005. The characters are toys made of found objects such as buttons, plates and pens."

  Lou Rawls is the singing voice of the animated fickle feline Garfield.

  James Carville himself confirmed in August 2002 to the Washington Post that he had read for a role in a Disney animated film. "I'm interested in having fun," Carville told us. "With a 7- and 4-year-old daughter, what dad wouldn't want to do that?" Carville, with his ragin' Cajun accent, would play a hillbilly. "It's about all these characters who are thrown out and come back to life," Carville said. "It's going to be a respectful movie about Appalachian culture." A Disney spokeswoman could not confirm Carville's involvement at press time.

  'Sir Farticus' reveals that the Disney project's title is going to be changed "very soon," and confirms that "Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin are in the film. There are 7 CG characters and 7 traditional characters."

  Disney honcho Thomas Schumacher revealed in an interview with Dutch business magazine DVD-BIZZ in January 2003 that Ashley Judd joined Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin in Once In A Blue Moon--the new title of My Peoples.

  Several Disney animators visited Morehead State University's Kentucky Folk Art Center in the fall of 2002. They said that they were doing some research on an upcoming project, and reportedly spent a couple of hours checking out all of the handmade folk art contained therein. They had several sketchbooks with them, and filled them all. They seemed to be very interested in the KFAC, and said that they would return soon.

  Disney producer Kendra Haaland (associate producer of Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Mulan and Hercules) led a team of artists in September 2002 to the Folk Art Center in Morehead, KY, as well as to the Huntington Museum of Art to check out the work of the late Lewis County folk artist Charles Kinney. Haaland said then the trip was for an animated movie project still in the early stages, and didn’t want to leak out much more. Disney was back in the area in late November auditioning more than 400 boys between the ages of 5 and 10 at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg for a speaking part in the movie. Auditions, which were looking for a boy with a good Southern accent, were also held in North Carolina.

  Ricky Skaggs has been named executive music producer/music consultant for the soundtrack. Lori Kampa, one of the folks in Skaggs’ Nashville-area office, confirmed that Hank Williams III, Dolly Parton, Travis Tritt, Lou Rawls and Mike Snyder are among the other musical guests lending talent to the movie soundtrack.

  'Boo' reported in March 2003 that one of the main songs would be "Appalachian Joy" by Ricky Scaggs. "Also of note Andreas Deja did test animation on Elgin Harper & digital production working on all seven of the Peoples."

  Andreas Deja did confirm the same month that "between learning 3-D and doing production on My Peoples, there's really not much time. Disney is looking into where we're going to go. We're definitely going to be in the business of doing Disney movies, but we'll see.  I have just started [taking 3-D animation courses], because I know it's important. It will be interesting to see if I can add to that in a personal way, because I think computer animation needs a personal touch. It's still a little technical to me. You want to see the personal influence of an animator. I want to try it out and see if I can improve the animation and the quality of the acting. But, of course, I will always have a love for traditional animation. No question about it. Personally, I don't think I would ever give up drawing. It just isn't possible. It is impossible. But with computer animation, the challenge is to improve it and see what you can bring to it in a personal way. So on the evening and on weekends, I will draw. That's my tool. That's my love."

  Disney's chief of animation David Stainton revealed in an April 2003 interview that he had put two high-profile projects, Chicken Little and My Peoples, on hold because he said they needed more focus. "There's a point in every movie where the whole thing falls apart, that moment where you look at it and say, 'We have to retrench,' " Stainton said. "It was that time."

  Jim Hill explained on April 30, 2003 why production on My Peoples had been put on hold. "This Barry Cook project reportedly has a very pleasing score (written by Ricky Skaggs) as well as some pretty intriguing characters. But the film's story was supposedly a mess. Which is why David allegedly tossed out the film's original screenplay and brought a brand new set of writers to try and save the film.  Now where this gets interesting is that [Disney Animation chief David] Stainton's orders to My Peoples / Once in a Blue Moon's new team of writers reportedly went something like this:  1. You can't touch Ricky Skaggs' songs.  2. You have to use the characters--more importantly, the character designs--that had been created for the first version of the film.  3. The film's new story has to have plenty of heart and humor." Disney insiders added that "from the discussions in the hallways, it is going positively forward, with a crew continuing working on it. This go and stop process is nothing new. Give me a animated movie title that hasn't gone through this process of re-working the script during production?."

  Newsweek referred to the project as Elgin's People in an article published in late May 2003. "Elgin’s People features a computer-generated rag doll voiced by Dolly Parton, animated in three dimensions (how else?)."

  'Kevin' learned on June 4, 2003 through an MGM Studios animator that "My Peoples has finally officially been given the go internally.  The film will be 70% CGI & 30% traditional animation. This movie, along with other stuff Disney is working on has been in development for a few years, but no story has been formulated yet (which he says is a problem and not the way it should be done)." Indeed, the Orlando Sentinel confirmed a few days later that Disney Animation chief David Stainton had put My Peoples on hold in early 2003 but decided to go forward after the story was reworked.

  Entertainment Weekly referred to the project as Angel and Her No Good Sister in a July 2003 article. "Disney's bluegrass project mixes CG with 2-D work. Early reportsw said James Carville was involved, but Disney says he's not and will confirm only Dolly Parton."

  On September 29, 2003, the Los Angeles Times and the Orlando Sentinel announced that My Peoples was now tentatively called A Few Good Ghosts, and would be half computer-generated and half 2-D.