The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1996 animated film produced by The Walt Disney Company based on Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Directed by Harry Trousdale and Kirk Wise . Produced by Don Hahn . Written by Tab Murphy and David Stainton. Songs by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz.
Voice talent by: Demi Moore, Heidi Mollenhauer , Tom Hulce, Kevin Kline, Tony Jay, Jason Alexander, Mary Wickes.
A likeable film, based on the classic story by Victor Hugo, although with enough plot changes for it to be unreliable as a guide to the novel. More adult-oriented than the usual Disney fare, this film is considered by many to be one of the last products of Disney's 1990s renaissance in the production of animated features, which spawned Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King. The film has been widely acclaimed for its visual and artistic merits, and its technical advances in the combination of hand-drawn and computerised animation. It has fared less well in many eyes for its scripting and characterisation, despite the engaging lead character.
This was adapted into a darker, more gothic musical production re-written and directed by James Lapine and produced by the Disney theatrical branch in Germany, of which a soundtrack was recorded in German. It was very successful and played from 1999 to 2002 before closing. More recently, The Bellringer of Notre Dame (as it has been renamed) has been scheduled for a live action TV film on ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney, as well as a possible American theatrical production, like Disney's other successful musical adaptations of their films now playing on Broadway. Nothing is set in stone yet.
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