“Cinderella, she’s as lovely as her name,” the song goes in the Disney animated classic Cinderella. On August 25th, she will look lovelier than ever when this beautiful film is released on Disney+ in a newly restored 4K version. The film is being released during Princess Week and will mark the first time that it has been available to stream in 4K. The process to get it there was a multi-year restoration effort with the Walt Disney Studios Restoration and Preservation Team along with some key players from Walt Disney Animation Studios. The result is this version of the film that will restore it to its original beauty and grandeur. It will also be authentic to the artisitic ambitions of the Studio’s creative team. It will look and sound better than ever. The film’s release in 4K is a part of the company’s ongoing Disney100 celebration. It initially premiered earlier this year at the Berlin International Film Festival. There it won a Golden Bear Award 52 years before when it debuted internationally.
Commenting on the announcement, Kevin Schaeffer, director of Restoration for Walt Disney Studios, said, “Working with our restoration team along with internal technical experts, outside vendors (like Mike Underwood at Picture Shop Hollywood) and advisors from Walt Disney Animation Studios, we were able to make this 1950 classic look and sound better than ever. We began the process by pulling the original nitrate negative from the Library of Congress, and scanning the successive exposure color records in 4K. We then did a cleaning pass to remove dirt and as many artifacts as possible. The current available restoration tools allowed us to produce a sharper and higher quality image than previous efforts. To make sure we didn’t lose any of the detail or artistic choices of the filmmakers, we turned to Disney Animation legends and authorities, including Michael Giaimo and Eric Goldberg.”
The contributions of these seasoned Disney artists and animation experts Giaimo and Goldberg was essential to the restoration. They worked with Dorothy McKim (special projects and 2D animation producer for Walt Disney Animation Studios), and Bob Bagley (digital imaging manager for Disney Animation), in concert with the preservation team to restore and preserve the rich colors, contrast, and accuracy of the original cels and artwork.
Giaimo, production designer on the upcoming 2023 Disney animated feature, Wish, along with both Frozen films and Pocahontas shared that “It was an honor to work on this restoration with Eric, and to really celebrate the original intent and classic Disney aesthetic of those great artists who worked with Walt, notably the great Mary Blair, and to get that right level of depth and saturation.”
Goldberg, one of the all-time animation greats and veteran Disney directing animator, director and mentor to new generations of artists, added, “Working with Mike to restore this film was really a labor of love. We both really love the film, and felt strongly that we had to preserve it. Viewers watching this restoration will see more clarity, but they will also see more subtlety. They’ll see differences in color from shot to shot, and discover how one color works with another. Mike and I knew what the film was supposed to look like, and it took a lot just getting back to Cinderella having dusty blonde hair and a silver dress. I’m proud that the Studio felt it was important to get this restoration right, and trusted a handful of us to do that.”
Cinderella was originally released in 1950. Initially it was hailed for its stylish and experimental look, it’s sophisticated and expressive animation, and also its delightful storytelling. At the time it was a major hit and earned three Oscar nominations. It also rescued the Studio from the storm financial straights it found itself in after the war and the challenges it brought on. It was directed by Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, and Clyde Geronimi. Ilene Woods, Eleanor Audley, and Verna Felton lent their voices to the film. The songs were written by Mack David, Jerry Livingston and Al Hoffman.
What do you think about this 4K release of Cinderella on Disney+? Are you excited to watch it and see it look lovelier than ever? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
