The Emperor’s New Groove – Nuttier Than a Holiday Fruitcake!
Kingdom of the Sun centered on the emperor Manco, voiced by David Spade, switching places with a humble peasant, Pacha, voiced by Own Wilson. The evil witch, Yzma, voiced by Eartha Kitt, turns Manco into a llama and forces the naive Pacha to do her bidding, which involved a gruesome ritual that would block out the sun forever, thereby saving her from ever aging. Manco, now a llama, learns humility, while Pancha falls in love with the emperor’s betrothed, Nina, voiced by Carla Gugino. This initial incarnation tested so poorly that Disney suspended any further production. Feedback indicated the film suffered from a lack of direction and the tried-and-true Prince and the Pauper formula proved too stale.
Disney quickly hired Mark Dindal, the director of Cats Don’t Dance, to create a more original take on the production. Unfortunately, this new comedic take was in direct opposition to Allers’s dramatic vision. The uneven storyline was met with disdain, especially from then-chief, Michael Eisner. By the summer of 1998, it was apparent to all parties involved that Kingdom of the Sun was not going to make its Summer 2000 deadline. Failure to make the deadline would have jeopardized lucrative promotional deals with the likes of McDonald’s and Coca-Cola. Allers was denied a six month extension, Prompting him to quit the production and subsequently opening the door to Dindal’s off-beat comedic conception. The Emperor’s New Groove was born.
The changes were fast and furious. Owen Wilson’s character was written out while David Spade’s character was renamed Kuzco, and given the lead role. The Prince and Pauper angle was shelved, and Pacha was recast with the voice of John Goodman. Yzma and her henchman Kronk were tweaked while the emperor-as-llama idea was used to great comedic effect. The end result is perhaps one of the most original Disney movies to date. Indeed, it’s been lauded as one of the funniest.
Though not a remarkable blockbuster, it did recover its estimated $100 million budget, and did enjoy a nomination for Best Song for Sting’s “My Funny Friend and Me.” The Emperor’s New Groove did prove successful enough to warrant a sequel, Kronk’s New Groove, though it was a direct-to-video release. In 2006, the premise was reconceived as a television series, entitled The Emperor’s New School.
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