Why Would Stephen Sondheim Allow Disney to Change “Into the Woods”?
The film went through some controversy prior to shooting, when Sondheim seemed to divulge all of the changes Disney was planning to make to his musical. (Most of these changes did not come to pass, partly because the film was still in development, when ideas were still evolving.) At one public appearance, someone asked Sondheim about teaching his musical in school and how to instruct students about the potential changes made to the film adaptation. Sondheim said, “you have to explain to them that censorship is part of our puritanical ethics, and it’s something that they’re going to have to deal with. There has to be a point at which you don’t compromise anymore, but that may mean that you won’t get anyone to sell your painting or perform your musical. You have to deal with reality.”