Kingdom Hearts (2003 Pilot): Difference between revisions
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==Development== | ==Development== | ||
After the completion of the | After the completion of the film ''{{w|Eight Crazy Nights}}'', Seth Kearsley's agent informed him of a project with Disney TV for an animated series based on ''Kingdom Hearts'', so he attended a meeting to discuss the concept, looked through an art book, and was given a copy of ''Kingdom Hearts'' to play. He was impressed by the game and saw potential in its story.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTDKDITSfnA Seth Kearsley on YouTube: '''Kingdom Hearts and Eight Crazy Nights connection.''']</ref> | ||
Kearsley agreed to the idea, but was displeased with the initial script, which placed Aladdin as the main character with ''Kingdom Hearts'' characters as guest stars, rather than a ''Kingdom Hearts'' story taking place in Aladdin's world. He asked the head producer if he could do a rewrite, and despite initial conflicts, his request was approved. Kearsley was given a large amount of creative freedom with the project, even drawing all of the storyboards himself, and handling some of the editing and compositing. Kearsley was also allowed to use detailed backgrounds from the original ''Aladdin'' film | Kearsley agreed to the idea, but was displeased with the initial script, which placed Aladdin as the main character with ''Kingdom Hearts'' characters as guest stars, rather than a ''Kingdom Hearts'' story taking place in Aladdin's world. He asked the head producer if he could do a rewrite, and despite initial conflicts, his request was approved. Kearsley was given a large amount of creative freedom with the project, even drawing all of the storyboards himself, and handling some of the editing and compositing. Kearsley was also allowed to use detailed backgrounds from the original ''Aladdin'' film from the Disney archives. | ||
Kearsley took inspiration from the anime ''{{w|Cowboy Bebop}}'' when writing Sora, Donald, and Goofy's interactions within the Gummi Ship, and used the music track "Patricide" from the film ''{{w|Gladiator (2000 film)|Gladiator}}'' when Riku is taken by the Darkside in the lamp chamber scene.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaO92mBdJNM Game Union interview with Seth Kearsley]</ref> | Kearsley took inspiration from the anime ''{{w|Cowboy Bebop}}'' when writing Sora, Donald, and Goofy's interactions within the Gummi Ship, and used the music track "Patricide" from the film ''{{w|Gladiator (2000 film)|Gladiator}}'' when Riku is taken by the Darkside in the lamp chamber scene.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaO92mBdJNM Game Union interview with Seth Kearsley]</ref> | ||
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The pilot episode was well-received by test audiences, performing better than all of the other projects being tested at the time. However, Disney ultimately shelved the project as to not conflict with the release of future games. | The pilot episode was well-received by test audiences, performing better than all of the other projects being tested at the time. However, Disney ultimately shelved the project as to not conflict with the release of future games. | ||
On November 21, 2013, Kearsley found storyboards of the pilot | On November 21, 2013, Kearsley found storyboards of the pilot and posted his favorite panels on his DeviantArt account, revealing the pilot's existence to the public.<ref>[https://www.deviantart.com/sethkearsley/art/Kingdom-Hearts-Pilot-Board-415016339 Seth Kearsley on DeviantArt: '''Kingdom Hearts Pilot Board''']</ref> | ||
In July 8, 2014, Kearsley was interviewed by the website Gaming Union, where he described the plot of the pilot in detail. While Kearsley was willing to try and look for the pilot's animatic, he had concerns about legal action if he were to release it at the time. | In July 8, 2014, Kearsley was interviewed by the website Gaming Union, where he described the plot of the pilot in detail. While Kearsley was willing to try and look for the pilot's animatic, he had concerns about legal action if he were to release it at the time. | ||
On September 22, 2016, Kearsley's sister found a VHS of the pilot in her garage labeled "'''KINGDOM HEARTS''' "KH DVD V.6 MOV" ALT" and dated August 28, 2003. Kearsley posted a photo of the VHS on Twitter and tried to spread word of its discovery | On September 22, 2016, Kearsley's sister found a VHS of the pilot in her garage labeled "'''KINGDOM HEARTS''' "KH DVD V.6 MOV" ALT" and dated August 28, 2003. Kearsley posted a photo of the VHS on Twitter and tried to spread word of its discovery.<ref>[https://twitter.com/SethKearsley/status/779055424209158144 Seth Kearsley finds a VHS of the pilot]</ref> | ||
In January 2022, Kearsley was involved in a life-threatening car accident, and afterwards decided that he wanted to show off his work while he still had time. On September 27, 2022, Kearsley posted another photo of the VHS on Twitter, this time asking for help to transfer its content to a digital format.<ref>[https://twitter.com/sethkearsley/status/1574917393477824512 Seth Kearsley on Twitter: "'''Who knows an easy way to import VHS to digital? #KingdomHearts'''"]</ref> The following day, he released a cast list for the show, additionally clarifying that {{w|Bobby Edner}} would have replaced {{w|Haley Joel Osment}} as [[Sora]]<ref>[https://twitter.com/sethkearsley/status/1575150136287580160 Seth Kearsley on Twitter: "'''Cast list #kingdomhearts'''"]</ref> due to a schedule conflict.<ref>[https://twitter.com/sethkearsley/status/1575153699197841408 Seth Kearsley on Twitter: "'''Schedule conflict. He may have been cast as Sora if the series went and His schedule cleared.'''"]</ref> | In January 2022, Kearsley was involved in a life-threatening car accident, and afterwards decided that he wanted to show off his work while he still had time. On September 27, 2022, Kearsley posted another photo of the VHS on Twitter, this time asking for help to transfer its content to a digital format.<ref>[https://twitter.com/sethkearsley/status/1574917393477824512 Seth Kearsley on Twitter: "'''Who knows an easy way to import VHS to digital? #KingdomHearts'''"]</ref> The following day, he released a cast list for the show, additionally clarifying that {{w|Bobby Edner}} would have replaced {{w|Haley Joel Osment}} as [[Sora]]<ref>[https://twitter.com/sethkearsley/status/1575150136287580160 Seth Kearsley on Twitter: "'''Cast list #kingdomhearts'''"]</ref> due to a schedule conflict.<ref>[https://twitter.com/sethkearsley/status/1575153699197841408 Seth Kearsley on Twitter: "'''Schedule conflict. He may have been cast as Sora if the series went and His schedule cleared.'''"]</ref> | ||
On October 11, 2022, after some attempts to transfer the pilot himself, Kearsley went to a media transfer company to do it instead. He posted the 11-minute pilot to his YouTube channel later that day, but was later | On October 11, 2022, after some attempts to transfer the pilot himself, Kearsley went to a media transfer company to do it instead. He posted the 11-minute pilot to his YouTube channel later that day, but was later taken down.<ref>[https://twitter.com/SethKearsley/status/1581025737926070272 Seth Kearsley on Twitter: "'''As some of you have already seen. The #kingdomhearts animatic is taken down. I got the call from an old friend at Disney who was politely asked to politely ask me to take it down.'''"]</ref> The animatic has since been uploaded to archive.org. | ||
==Plot== | ==Plot== | ||
