Man hacks Disney movie, inserts himself and girlfriend into Sleeping Beauty for a fairy-tale proposal
THE STAR
Friday, 10 Jan 20207:05 PM MYT
By Qishin Tariq
A film maker took six months to edit himself and his partner in Disney's Sleeping Beauty to surprise her with a sneak proposal. — Screengrab from Youtube
A Disney movie led to a real-life happily ever after, when US filmmaker Lee Loechler secretly edited Sleeping Beauty to spring a surprise proposal on his unsuspecting girlfriend.
With the help of Australian animator Kayla Coombs, Loechler digitally inserted himself and high school sweetheart Sthuthi David into the roles of the main characters in the 1959 animated movie.
Specifically, they changed the key scene where Princess Aurora is awoken from the sleeping curse by a kiss from Prince Phillip.
“For the past six months I've been animating my girlfriend and myself into her favourite movie, Sleeping Beauty. With the help of some local Redditors, I popped the question in a 'crowded' movie theater,” he posted on social network Reddit.
The post contained a video with a split screen of the edited movie playing, with Loechler and David watching.
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During the key scene, the prince opens a ring box on the screen and then throws it at Loechler, who 'catches' it, breaking the fourth wall. (This was actually achieved by having a conspirator, hidden behind the screen, throw a ring box to Loechler at that precise moment.)
Loechler then gets down on one knee to propose. David apologised to the audience in the hall before saying yes to Loechler.
The screen then cuts to the three fairy godmothers applauding and celebrating at the news.
However, the audience was in on the proposal, as they were made up of strangers Loechler had recruited through Reddit plus some friends and family hidden among them.
In the post, made a month before the proposal, he explained that he and David were high school sweethearts but split up when they moved away for college, then through “freak happenstance” reconnected ten years later and got back together.
He said strangers willing to help out would get a free screening of most of Sleeping Beauty, pizza and/or beer afterwards, a wholesome and memorable Monday night, a successful entry into the annals of “we did it, Reddit!” and his eternal gratitude.
In a humorous outtake, in the ensuing hubbub the theatre played an alternate version of the proposal in which David says no, showing scenes of the seven dwarves from Snow White crying copious tears, with Loechler shouting “She said yes!” at the movie projectionist.
No word yet on whether the House of Mouse approves of Loechler's stunt.
