In November, Disney’s newest princess movie, Wish, is premiering. Although it does not fulfill some fans’ desire for a full 2D film, the backgrounds for Wish are animated in 2D, while the characters still appear in 3D.
Despite many fans requesting more classic 2D animation, Disney continues to ignore them in favor of a 3D style.
Since Walt Disney Animation Studios began producing movies in 1937 with Snow White, the iconic 2D style has shaped childhoods for generations. But after 3D animation grew more popular in the early 2000s, Disney chose to change its style.
Since 2D is a stream of drawings, it takes much longer to animate every small movement the characters make.”
— Katie Fillipih
This trend began with Chicken Little in 2005. Today, Disney’s animated films such as Encanto, Luca, and Soul are also animated in 3D.
After so many movies in this style, many fans have called for a return of the iconic 2D animation, stating that it is much more nostalgic and artistic compared to a technical 3D style.
Despite the numerous requests, an end to 3D in Disney animation is highly unlikely.
Disney representatives have stated in the past that they originally made the switch to 3D animation because of lower labor costs, since it requires less work by animators. Since 2D is a stream of drawings, it takes much longer to animate every small movement the characters make.
On the other hand, 3D can be completed primarily with CGI, which takes a significantly shorter amount of time. This means that Disney can produce movies at a faster rate to keep up with view’s demands for new content.
However difficult the struggle of switching back to 2D animation would be for Disney, it would be well worth the effort. This change would set the company apart from others and therefore draw more attention from viewers.
Fans still have a long way to go to get a modern 2D Disney movie in the works, but the newest princess film is a great start.
