What if Walt Disney was the producer of Looney Tunes/Walt Disney Animated Classics/The Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1996 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation for Walt Disney Pictures. The 34th Disney animated feature film, the film is based on the French novel of the same name written by Victor Hugo, but uses anthropomorphic animals rather than people, similarly to their previous film Robin Hood and The Prince and the Pauper. The plot centers on Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame, and his struggle to gain acceptance into society. Directed by Kirk Wise, Gary Trousdale, Don Bluth and Gary Goldman and produced by Don Hahn, it was the first feature which began production after Walt Disney's death. The film's voice cast features Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Tony Jay, Kevin Kline, Paul Kandel, Jason Alexander, Charles Kimbrough, David Ogden Stiers, and Mary Wickes in her final film role.

Produced during a period known as the Disney Renaissance, the film is considered to be one of Disney's darkest animated films as its narrative explores such mature themes as infanticide, lust, damnation, genocide, and sin, despite the changes made from the original source material in order to ensure a G rating received by the MPAA. The musical score was written by Alan Menken, with songs written by Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, who had previously collaborated on Pocahontas, released the year before.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame was released on June 21, 1996 to generally positive reviews and was a commercial success, grossing over $325 million worldwide and becoming the fifth highest-grossing release of 1996. The film received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for Menken's musical score. A direct-to-video sequel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II, was released in 2002.

Plot
In 1482 Paris, a gypsy puppeteer narrates the origin of the titular hunchback. A group of gypsies sneak illegally into Paris, but are ambushed by Judge Claude Frollo, the Minister of Justice of Paris, and his soldiers. A gypsy woman in the group attempts to flee with her deformed baby, but Frollo chases and kills her outside Notre Dame. He tries to kill the baby as well, but the cathedral's archdeacon intervenes and accuses Frollo of murdering an innocent woman. To atone for his sin, Frollo reluctantly agrees to raise the deformed child in Notre Dame as his son, naming him Quasimodo.

Twenty years later, Quasimodo, now a young man, has gone partially deaf from ringing the bells. He speaks to the objects in the cathedral such as the bells, statues, and gargoyles. He daydreams about going to the Feast of Fools. Frollo arrives at the bell tower and asks him who he is speaking to. When Quasimodo answers that he has been speaking to his friends, Frollo reminds him that stone cannot talk. They recite the biblical story of the flight into Egypt and Saint Aphrodisius, whose name Quasimodo has a hard time pronouncing. After that, Frollo complains about how he must attend the Festival of Fools. Quasimodo offers to accompany him for protection. Frollo declines and warns him that he would be shunned for his deformities. Quasimodo reminisces about his "sanctuary" and how he would love to spend one day out there.

Down below, the Feast of Fools begins. Meanwhile, Captain Phoebus of the Paris Guard arrives at the city and flirts with some women. Frollo later welcomes Phoebus and tells him that there is no time for "rest and recreation" as they must get rid of the city’s scum. At the Festival of Fools, Esmeralda, a kind gypsy, dances for the crowd. After that, they get ready to crown the King of Fools, who ends up being Quasimodo, who was entered to the contest by Esmeralda. In the middle of the celebration, he is humiliated by the crowd after a citizen starts a riot. Frollo refuses to have Phoebus intervene, but Esmeralda rescues the hunchback and uses a magic trick to evade arrest. Frollo intervenes and stops the riot, and then asks Quasimodo if he is now aware that he was right about how cruel and wicked the world is. Quasimodo tells him that he will never leave the bell tower again

Esmeralda follows Quasimodo inside Notre Dame, but Frollo tells her that her kind isn’t allowed in the church and tells her that Quasimodo is his responsibility. Esmeralda asks if he has any charity, to which Frollo responds that he may be able to save her. After Frollo leaves to conduct mass, Esmeralda prays to the Virgin Mary and asks God to help the less fortunate. Phoebus finds Esmeralda and they both argue and fight. Phoebus tells her not to cause anymore trouble and that he’s simply following orders. She tells him to please let her go so that she may see Quasimodo. Phoebus tells her not to fight battles that cannot be won, but she says that she cannot help it.

Esmeralda runs up the stairs to the bell tower and befriends Quasimodo. Encouraged by the bells and gargoyles, Quasimodo gets to speak to her. Quasimodo rings the bells and tells them to "sing for her". Frollo runs up to the tower, confused as to why he is ringing them at completely the wrong time. Frollo is shocked by Esmeralda’s presence because he thought she had left. He offers her shelter at the cathedral so that he may save her soul, but she rejects his offer. Frollo orders Phoebus to escort her out of the church and that she is to be arrested if she ever sets foot in Notre Dame again. Frollo lectures Quasimodo for thinking that Esmeralda is kind and tells her that she is a dangerous person sent from Hell.

Having developed lustful feelings for Esmeralda, Frollo starts to roam the streets every night. After walking down an unknown alley, he discovers the gypsies celebrating with wine and dance. Phoebus pays them a visit to have a little fun, and discovers that Esmeralda is there. The dancing resumes as Frollo, despite his efforts, is unable to look away.

Up at the tower, some of the objects tell Quasimodo not to think of Esmeralda because Frollo forbade it, while others tell him that no one should be able to dictate his thoughts. Quasimodo thinks about the many times he’s observed couples in love, and how he never thought himself worthy of being loved until now. Frollo, meanwhile, begs the Virgin Mary to save him from Esmeralda's "spell" to avoid eternal damnation.

At the Bastille, Frollo arrives unexpectedly to ask King Louis XI for special powers to stop a gypsy witch in order to protect the citizens. The King tells him to do whatever he feels is necessary, but to be prudent. Having obtained the necessary permission, Frollo instigates a citywide manhunt for Esmeralda, eventually ending up at a brothel known for hiding gypsies. When they do not yield what he is looking for, Frollo orders Phoebus to burn it down. Phoebus defies him and Frollo orders his arrest. Esmeralda shows up to stop him, and a fight breaks loose. During the commotion, Frollo stabs Phoebus and frames Esmeralda for it. Esmeralda and Phoebus escape and Frollo continues the hunt, while Quasimodo grows worried about her whereabouts.

Esmeralda returns to Notre Dame, and asks Quasimodo to hide Phoebus, who is badly injured. She gives Quasimodo a woven band which doubles as a map to the Court of Miracles, and she leaves. Despite the gargoyles' warnings not to help Esmeralda, Quasimodo becomes inspired by the story of Saint Aphrodisius to go out to the world and help her. Frollo returns to Notre Dame later that night and asks Quasimodo about Esmeralda's whereabouts, but Quasimodo tricks Frollo into not knowing where she is. A guard comes up to the tower to tell Frollo that they know where the gypsy is. Frollo cheerfully tells Quasimodo that they will now be successful in capturing her and leaves.

Using the map Esmeralda gave him, Quasimodo and Phoebus find the court to warn the gypsies. Phoebus discloses that Frollo will attack at dawn, and the gypsies start to pack up to relocate. When Phoebus asks Esmeralda to go with her, they embrace and acknowledge their love for each other. Quasimodo looks on, heartbroken that his love will never be returned. Frollo interrupts and thanks Quasimodo for helping him find the Court of Miracle and arrests the gypsies present as well as Phoebus.

Frollo visits Esmeralda at her prison cell, and tells her that he can save her if she accepts being with him. When Esmeralda refuses, he threatens Phoebus' life as well. He tells her that his love for her burns like hot lead and attempts to rape her. He halts when a guard shows up with Phoebus. Frollo thinks that allowing her to have a final conversation with Phoebus will make her rethink his offer. Esmeralda tells Phoebus that the only way to save both of their lives is to give herself up to Frollo. Phoebus pleads that she does it so that she may save herself, which Esmeralda refuses. They speak about a day when life will change for the better.

At the bell tower, the gargoyles try to encourage Quasimodo to confront Follo so that he may save Esmeralda. Quasimodo refuses and tells them to leave him.

Outside of the cathedral, Frollo reads off Esmeralda's crimes, which include entering Paris illegally, stabbing a soldier of the church, and witchcraft. He declares that her sentence is death, but Frollo gives her one last chance to save herself and tells her to think of his offer. Esmeralda answers with spitting on his face. Angered, he lights the pyre to which Esmeralda is tied. Quasimodo rescues Esmeralda and takes her back to the cathedral. Phoebus convinces the people of Paris to fight against the guards, but they are still able to make their way to the cathedral and they try to break into it. Upon seeing this, Quasimodo dumps a cauldron of molten lead onto the guards, but Frollo manages to enter. In the cathedral, Esmeralda thanks Quasimodo for being a good friend and she dies of smoke inhalation. Frollo comes in and asks Quasimodo if she is dead, which he confirms. Relieved, he tells Quasimodo that they are finally free of her poison. Encouraged by the gargoyles, Quasimodo throws Frollo to his death in the molten lead below.

Devastated, Quasimodo realizes that everyone he's ever loved is now dead. Phoebus arrives and discovers that Esmeralda has perished and tries to carry her away, but is unable due to his injuries. Quasimodo carries Esmeralda's body outside and sets her down in front of the crowd. Phoebus encourages him to leave the cathedral into the outside world, where the citizens hail him as a hero and accept him into society.

Voice cast

 * Tom Hulce as Quasimodo (a frog)
 * Demi Moore as Esmeralda (singing voice by Heidi Mollenhauer) (a mouse)
 * Tony Jay as Judge Claude Frollo (a wolf)
 * Kevin Kline as Captain Phoebus (a mouse)
 * Charles Kimbrough, Jason Alexander, and Mary Wickes as Victor, Hugo, and Laverne
 * David Ogden Stiers as the Archdeacon (a owl)
 * Paul Kandel as the Narrator

Trivia

 * This is one of the Disney animated films to have no humans (not counting the human puppeteer who narrates the beginning of the film).