Banjo the Woodpile Cat (film)

Banjo the Woodpile Cat is an upcoming animated feature film directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman and produced by Don Bluth Films and Released by Universal Pictures

It is a remake of Bluth's 1979 short film of the same name.

The film's animation technique combines traditional hand-drawn animation (with digital ink and paint/animation using Toon Boom and Adobe Flash)

The soundtrack is newly arranged by Alan Silvestri and performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square.

The film will be presented in theaters, IMAX 3D, and Digital 3D.

Plot
In a farm in Payson, Utah during the 1940s, Two Cats and their owners, the Jones Family, looked at Their newborn kittens. The Dad named the only male one Banjo, as the Mom named them Emily and Jean. later that night, The Family looked at the moonless night sky, with many beautiful stars.

In the weeks that went by in the coming winter, Banjo started to pull some pranks as He constructed a woodpile made of broken twigs from a rotting tree. Of course, Banjo's Father disapproves, since the twigs might have poison ivy and termites. a few days later, As Banjo taunts his sisters about being on the woodpile, the hapless kitten falls down from the rotted wood making him twist his paw, as Banjo's Sisters laugh. Banjo's Father comes and tells His daughters not to laugh at Banjo's expense. Later that night, Banjo and His father talked in private about why Banjo fell. feeling that His son needs some growing up, Banjo's Father decided to task Him with hunting down rats. Banjo disapproved since He thinks Rats taste worse than mice.

The next morning, Banjo chases a rat, but He couldn’t bring himself to kill it. Instead, He warns the rat not to come back. Banjo’s father was disappointed. Since he thinks the rat will come back and won’t be alone.

During the next following days, Banjo could be seen causing mischief around and outside the house in one case, Banjo climbs inside a grain silo, Climbing up a tree, but doesn’t know how to get down, and what crossed the line is when Banjo was asleep, when His sisters think He died, and when He woke up, He accidentally scares His sisters and hides in the woodpile. Later that night, Banjo overhears a conversation and what Banjo hears is that Mr. Jones will send Him to obedience School. Banjo feels bad and thinks about leaving home.

Later, as the sun was about to rise in a few minutes, Banjo thinks about a place to hide. unfortunately, before Banjo had a chance to hide, Mr. Jones puts Banjo in a pet crate, to be sent to Midvale Obedience Academy. Along the way, Banjo gets free, escapes the truck, and lands on a pile of newspapers to break His fall. however, He is confounded by Dogs, the straycatchers, and the freezing cold temperatures. Banjo hides in an alley under a garbage can lid. next to Him, He encounters a cat named Crazy Legs, who shows Him around Salt Lake City. Meanwhile, back in Payson, Banjo’s father hears from the Jones’ phone call that Banjo is missing, devastating Him and Amber, thinking Banjo escaped somewhere. Mr. Jones, thinking Banjo got desperate and escaped, goes off with His wife to find him while He told the Penelope to stay and watch over the cats in case Banjo comes back home.

Back in Salt Lake City, as Crazy Legs continues the tour, Banjo asks if He ever saw the stars in the night sky. Crazy Legs sadly said ‘No’, since the city’s Lights made it too bright to see. Crazy Legs insists that they should stay at his owner's home for a while until they can figure out a way to get Banjo back home. Along the way, Crazy Legs tells a story to Banjo about how he saved his owner's life from a gangster.

Two years ago, Leopold is playing his violin at his apartment as Crazy Legs listens contently. Suddenly, a loud banging is heard on the door and a hardened gangster named Lazlo Popham and his pet dog named Bubbles barges in. Lazlo tries to extort Leopold for money by pointing his gun at Crazy Legs. Leopold pleads Lalzo not to kill Crazy Legs, prompting Lazlo to instead point his gun at Leopold. Lazlo then sics Bubbles on Leopold, but Crazy Legs comes to the rescue and claws Bubbles and Lazlo's faces. Vowing to be back for revenge, Bubbles and Lazlo escape from Leopold's apartment and Leopold hugs Crazy Legs as appreciation for saving his life.

A few minutes later, Banjo and Crazy Legs arrived at Leopold's apartment. The first thing they see is Leopold playing his violin at the living room. Leopold then welcomes back his beloved cat while introducing himself to Banjo. Banjo was surprised to see that Leopold can understand his language and Leopold explains that he, along with a friend of his, have an uncanny ability to understand cats and dogs after wishing upon a shooting star one night. However, since nobody else in his apartment building would believe his story, he and his friend decided to keep that magical ability a secret.

Musical Numbers
1) Overture

2) He couldn't be good (Sung by the chorus)

3) That Kitten Ain't Nothing but Trouble(Sung by Mr and Mrs. Jones, Penelope, Rusty, Amber, Emily and Jean to the tune of My Boy, You May Take it from Me from Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore)

4) The Rain Song (Sung by Banjo and Penelope)

5) Just Stick With Me(Sung by Crazy Legs and Banjo)

6) Pretty Boy Popham is What They Call Me(Sung by Lazlo Popham and Bubbles to the tune of Minnie the Moocher)

7) Boogie Baby (Sung by Zazu, Marina and Cleo)

8) The Lonely Ballad of Tundra (Sung by Tundra)

9) Goodnight, Banjo (Sung by Crazy Legs, Muriel, Leopold, Zazu, Marina, Tundra, and Cleo to the tune of Goodnight, Ladies)

10) Leopold's Prayer (Sung by Leopold and Crazy Legs)

11) Ain't We Got A Cunning Plan (Sung by Lazlo)

12) Banjo and Tundra's Duet (Sung by Banjo and Tundra)

13) You Can't Run Forever (Sung by Lazlo, Bubbles, Banjo, and Crazy Legs)

14) There's No Place Like Home (Sung by Banjo, Crazy Legs, Muriel, Leopold, Zazu, Cleo, Marina, and Tundra)

15) Just Stick With Me/He Couldn't Be Good Reprise (Sung by Banjo, Crazy Legs, Zazu, Muriel, Leopold, Mr. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Penelope, Rusty, Amber, Jean, Emily, Cleo, Marina, and Tundra)

Cast
Hugh Laurie as Leopold Wood/Lazlo's Singing Voice

Kath Soucie as Banjo

Eddie Murphy as Crazy Legs

Julie Andrews as Muriel Hill

Jennifer Hudson as Zazu/Marina/Cleo

Jim Cummings as Mr. Jones

Tress MacNeil as Mrs. Jones

Tara Strong as Penelope Jones

Tom Hanks as Rusty

Paula Tiso as Amber

Nancy Cartwright as Emily

Elizabeth Daley as Jean

Mark Hamill as Lazlo "Pretty Boy" Popham

Frank Welker as Bubbles

Ami Foster as Toodles

Christina Lange as Truffles

Differences between the film and the short

 * The story starts when Banjo and Her sisters are born.
 * Banjo's personality is more soft-hearted, but still a bit mischivous.
 * Banjo's Father is still strict like in the 1979 version, but He worries about the well-being of His kittens and their future.
 * Banjo's Unnamed Parents names are Rusty and Amber.
 * Although Amber wasn't seen much in the original TV special, Amber can be portrayed as being considerate and disagreeing with Rusty's idea of punishing Banjo.
 * Halfway past the film, Banjo encounters a young, but depressed female Himalayan Kitten named Tundra who becomes Banjo's first kitten friend.
 * Banjo and Penelope sing the Rain Song, ending with both of them sobbing.
 * The two sympathetic puppies from the short interact with Banjo a bit until their owner calls for them to get inside.
 * Their names are Toodles and Truffles
 * The owners of Banjo's family, Penelope and her parents Mr. and Mrs. Jones, make an appearance, with Mr. Jones being twice as strict towards Banjo as Rusty.
 * In addition, Mr. Jones gets easily annoyed by Banjo's antics including the time Banjo breaks the ornaments and the time Banjo left the sink running.


 * along with a scene where He listens to a radio announcement regarding WWII, in desperate need of Silk. As Rusty explains to His son that Silk is used for making parachutes.
 * Meanwhile, Mrs. Jones and Penelope are portrayed as being gentle like Amber.


 * A musical number involving Mr. Jones, Penelope, Mrs. Jones, Rusty, Banjo's sisters, and Amber discussing Banjo's behavior, with Mr. Jones suggesting they should lay down the law and send Banjo to obedience school (Which Rusty agrees) while Mrs. Jones and Penelope disagreeing with the idea (As Amber feels worried).
 * Banjo's family and owners discover Banjo is missing after a phone call from the obedience school, saying that the cage Banjo was in was empty.
 * Though Crazy Legs' profession was never explain, Crazy Legs is revealed to be a musician.
 * While the original version never had a true main antagonist, on account that Bluth was pressed for time, the antagonist was going to be a Tough scarred cat named Rocko, but now, in the reversion, a gangster named Lazlo Popham and his sidekick Bubbles take the role.
 * The reasons why they became antagonists because two years ago, Lazlo tried to extort money from Crazy Legs' owner, Leopold, and even commanded Bubbles to attack him until Crazy Legs comes to the rescue.
 * While Crazy Legs, Zazu and her sisters were strays in the original version, Crazy Legs belonged to a kind hearted violinist named Leopold Wood and Zazu and her sisters belonged to an old woman named Muriel Hill, who used to be a silent movie star.
 * In addition, Leopold's brother has joined the army during WWII.
 * Crazy Legs was revealed to be a stray kitten until Leopold found him and took him in as his pet.
 * Leopold and Muriel are the only two people who can understand the language of their cats, but kept this secret hidden from the public.
 * Instead of a pack of dogs chasing Banjo and Crazy Legs, Lazlo and Bubbles chase after Banjo and Crazy Legs, with Lazlo trying to kill Crazy Legs in an act of revenge but fails when Banjo knocks Lazlo out by dropping a flower pot on him.
 * A recurring running gag occurs whenever someone says "New York City". For example, when Lazlo says "New York City", people and animals alike would overhear him and reply "New York City?!", prompting Lazlo to shoo them away by saying " Get outta here!"