1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 Disney spent four years making the wrong movie. Then they threw most of it away and made The Emperor’s New Groove. Case, Sam, and guest J. Kennedy dive into the remarkable production disaster behind the beloved animated comedy, from Kingdom of the Sun and the infamous Sweatbox to Sting, drastic rewrites, cultural compromises, and the miracle of turning creative chaos into a movie this funny, warm, and endlessly quotable. Another Pass Full Episode Originally aired: October 16, 2026 Music by Vin Macri and Matt Brogan Podcast Edited by Sophia Ricciardi Certain Point Of View is a podcast network brining you all sorts of nerdy goodness! From Star Wars role playing, to Disney day dreaming, to video game love, we've got the show for you! Learn more on our website: https://www.certainpov.com Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/CertainPOVMedia Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/wcHHer4 PODCAST SHOWS: ▶ Another Pass - https://www.certainpov.com/another-pass-podcast ⏱️ Chapters 00:30 Welcome and Guest Intro 00:59 The Emperor’s New Groove 01:12 Why This Is a Fifth Episode 02:21 J’s History with the Movie 03:55 Sam’s Experience and the Representation Problem 05:35 Case’s History with the Movie 07:02 Patrick Warburton and Kronk 08:12 J’s Conversations with Patrick Warburton 11:03 Why the Movie Feels So Turn-of-the-Century 12:19 The Production Disaster Begins 12:56 Kingdom of the Sun 14:21 The Original Story 15:09 Sting Joins the Production 17:10 Casting and Cultural Representation 18:19 The Sweatbox Screening 19:54 The Sweatbox Documentary 20:34 The Creative “Bake-Off” 22:00 Rebuilding Pacha 23:21 Making Kuzco the Lead 23:49 Rebuilding the Movie in a Year and a Half 24:33 Becoming a Cult Classic 25:30 Rule of Comedy 27:06 Why the Movie Has Staying Power 28:14 The Movie’s Unexpected Heart 29:57 The Surprisingly Wholesome Ending 32:07 Kuzco Learns Accountability 32:35 Making a Great Movie in 78 Minutes 33:25 Pressure Creates the Fifth-Episode Success Story 36:11 The Ultimate “Another Pass” 38:38 How the Show’s Fifth Episodes Work 39:08 Could Emperor’s New Groove Be Improved? 40:23 Eartha Kitt and the Importance of Star Casting 41:11 Sting’s Role in Keeping the Movie Alive 45:28 Representation Then and Now 46:27 Incan, Aztec, and Mayan Influences 49:21 The Road to El Dorado Comparison 50:35 Disney’s Turn Toward Different Cultures 51:32 The Tarzan Tangent 52:24 What Is the Best Disney Movie? 56:16 Fascinating but Flawed Movies 57:45 Returning to Emperor’s New Groove 58:59 How Animation Productions Fall Apart 01:01:03 The Cost of Scrapping Four Years of Work 01:01:43 Finding the Movie’s Heart 01:03:20 The Best Movie They Could Have Made 01:04:14 Why Kronk Is Secretly the Most Capable Character 01:06:00 Yzma and Kronk 01:06:51 Patrick Warburton and The Woman Chaser 01:08:03 Kronk’s New Groove 01:09:24 Disney Direct-to-Video Sequels 01:12:03 Final Thoughts 01:12:56 J’s Plugs 01:13:18 The CPOV Discord 01:17:29 Sam’s Plugs 01:18:20 Case’s Plugs 01:18:54 Patreon and Executive Producer Shout-Outs 01:20:44 Next Time: Highlander II 01:21:07 Outro 01:21:20 Books That Burn Promo 01:22:16 CPOV Tag Another Pass Podcast http://anotherpass.libsyn.com/website <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/43318429/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/content/207643174