What A Cartoon Movie! - The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Patreon)

When Jeffrey Katzenberg phoned Beauty and the Beast directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise and told them "you're making The Hunchback of Notre Dame," the two men—and the moviegoing public at large—had no idea how they could possibly adapt Victor Hugo's dark novel into a family friendly movie. Three years and some minor compromises later, Disney's adaptation of Hunchback entered the world, and amounted to one of the most experimental and mature films the company would ever make in its lifetime. And while Disney would create many great films in the quarter-century to follow, few have come close to taking the risks of Hunchback (even if it somehow got a "G" rating).

This month, our summer of the Disney Renaissance rolls on with an ultra-long discussion of 1996's The Hunchback of Notre Dame—just in time for its 25th anniversary!