The Hunchback of Notre Dame (also known as The Bells of Notre Dame in some countries) is a 1996 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released to theaters on June 21, 1996 by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fourth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, the film is loosely based on Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. While the basic structure remains, the film differs greatly from its source material. The plot centers on the Gypsy dancer, Esmeralda; Claude Frollo, a powerful and ruthless judge who lusts after her; Quasimodo, the protagonist, Notre Dame's kind-hearted but deformed bellringer, who adores her; and Phoebus, the chivalrous if irreverent military captain, who holds affections for her.

Despite the changes from the original literary source material in order to ensure a G rating, the film does manage to address some rather mature themes; i.e. sexual obsession, infanticide, religious hypocrisy, prejudice, and social injustice. It is also the first Disney movie to use the word "damn", although it is used only in the religious sense. In the DVD audio commentary, the filmmakers note that the gargoyles might exist only in Quasimodo's imagination and thus may well be split-off pieces of his own identity.

The film was directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale and produced by Don Hahn, the directing/producing team behind Beauty and the Beast. The songs for the musical film were composed by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz and featured the voices of Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Kevin Kline, Paul Kandel, Jason Alexander, Charles Kimbrough, David Ogden Stiers, and the late Mary Wickes and Tony Jay. A direct-to-video sequel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II, was released in 2002.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame was the second Disney film directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise after the hugely successful Beauty and the Beast in 1991. The duo had read Victor Hugo's novel and were eager to make an adaptation, but made several changes in order to make the storyline more suitable for children. This included making the film's heroes, Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Phoebus, kinder than in the novel (Phoebus, in particular, was a villain in the novel), adding three anthropomorphized stone gargoyles in the form of sidekicks, and keeping Quasimodo and Esmeralda alive at the end.

The film's animators visited the actual cathedral at Notre Dame in Paris where the story is set for a few weeks. They made and took hundreds of sketches and photos in order to stay fully faithful to the architecture and detail. Some in-jokes were incorporated into this; for example, the murals inside the cathedral are decorated with the names of the animators. Another example can be found when Phoebus and Quasimodo enter the grave leading to the Court of Miracles; the tombstone is inscribed with the names of the members of the Layout Department, and a caricature of Marec Fritzinger, Head of Layout Department, can be found on the coffin.

Several of the film's voice actors had been sighted from past projects Trousdale and Wise attended. For example, Tony Jay, the voice of Judge Claude Frollo, was selected based on his short role as Monsieur D'Arque in Beauty and the Beast. Also, Paul Kandel, the voice of Clopin, was chosen after the directors saw him playing the role of Uncle Ernie in the opera production of Tommy. Demi Moore was chosen for the role of Esmeralda based on her unusual voice, as the directors wanted a non-traditional voice for the film's leading lady.

The movie opens in 1482 Paris with Clopin, a gypsy puppeteer, telling a group of children a story about the bellringer of Notre Dame ("The Bells of Notre Dame"): One night long ago, four Gypsies tried to enter Notre Dame but were stopped by Judge Claude Frollo, the Minister of Justice. One gypsy woman, carrying a bundle, attempts to flee, but is caught and killed by Frollo. Frollo then realizes that her bundle is a deformed baby, which he attempts to drown, believing it is an unholy demon. He is stopped by the Archdeacon, who tells him to care for the child to save his own soul from going to Hell for killing an innocent woman. He reluctantly agrees, naming the baby Quasimodo, "...which means 'half-formed.'"

Twenty years pass, and Quasimodo's deformities are evident in his face and crooked back. For the past twenty years, Frollo has locked him in the belltower to "protect" him from the cruel and wicked world below. Frollo insists that Quasimodo should not be among people as cruel as his mother, who "abandoned" him, and that he obey Frollo's requests in order to thank Frollo for taking him in and raising him as his son. Quasimodo is watched over by his three guardian angels in the form of stone gargyoles: Victor, Hugo (puns off of the name of the author of the original book, Victor Hugo), and Laverne. On January 6, the day of the "Festival of Fools", Frollo realizes Quasi's desire to join the crowd. Frollo warns about how the world will reject him, but Quasimodo dreams of joining them nevertheless ("Out There").

Meanwhile, Phoebus, Captain of the Guard, returns to Paris after helping "the war effort" for many years. (The war is never named.) He helps save a gypsy dancer, Esmeralda, from being arrested before meeting Frollo. Frollo tells of his plans to kill the Gypsies in Paris by destroying their sanctuary, known as the Court of Miracles, saying, "The real war, Captain, is what you see before you." As the Festival begins, the two of them head into town to join and patrol the crowd. At the same time, Quasimodo sneaks out of the tower in disguise and watches the Festival, where Clopin and the Gypsies are performing ("Topsy Turvy").

Amidst the festivities, Quasimodo briefly meets the beautiful Esmeralda and is fascinated by her. When she dances on stage, Phoebus is fascinated as well, and Frollo is attracted yet disgusted. When the time comes to crown the ugliest member of the crowd as the King of Fools, Quasimodo is chosen and then crowned (the humorous behavior of the crowd leading him to believe he is being honored). Moments later, the crowd ties him down and throws food at him. Despite Quasi's appeals for help, Frollo does nothing but glare, much to the disgust of Esmeralda, who saves Quasimodo from the crowd. Frollo orders her arrests for disobeying his orders to leave Quasimodo where he is and she uses stage magic to cause her to disappear. Frollo, on the other hand, thinks her disappearance is real witchcraft. He orders a city-wide search for Esmeralda, believing she is a witch, while an ashamed Quasimodo promises never to disobey Frollo again. When he returns to Notre Dame, Esmeralda, in disguise, follows him inside.

Phoebus sees her and follows also. He flirts with Esmeralda in the cathedral, although her pet goat, Djali, doesn't approve. Frollo finds her but is unable to act because she has claimed sanctuary and is supported by the Archdeacon. While alone, Esmeralda sings of a better world for the Gypsies ("God Help the Outcasts"). She then finds Quasimodo in the bell tower, and Quasimodo falls in love with her because she is kind to him. He helps her escape Notre Dame before singing of his love for her ("Heaven's Light").

Meanwhile, Frollo is disturbed by his own lust for Esmeralda and fears eternal damnation as a consequence ("Hellfire"). When informed that Esmeralda has escaped, he goes hunting for her in and around the city. His guards and (A reluctant) Phoebus begin burning down houses and arresting gypsies in a great hunt for Esmeralda. Phoebus intervenes during one of these inquisitions and is shot by Frollo's soldiers. Left by Frollo for dead, Phoebus is saved surreptitiously by Esmeralda. Meanwhile, in the cathedral, the gargoyles reassure Quasimodo that Esmeralda returns his love ("A Guy Like You"). Moments later, Esmeralda arrives and asks Quasimodo to keep Phoebus safe; Quasimodo dislikes Phoebus but agrees out of love for Esmeralda. He is then heartbroken as Phoebus and Esmeralda kiss.

That night, Frollo arrives and tells Quasimodo that he is going to storm the Court of Miracles the next morning with one thousand soldiers. Quasimodo and Phoebus venture out and find the Court to warn them, but they are believed to be spies and are captured by Clopin and the Gypsy guard ("The Court of Miracles"). Their "trial" and execution is stopped by Esmeralda, but Frollo, having followed Quasimodo to the Court with soldiers, arrives at the same time. Frollo orders Quasimodo to be locked in the belltower and arrests everyone else, announcing that Esmeralda will be burned at the stake the following day for witchcraft.

The next day, to the seeming disgust of the large crowd, Frollo is preparing to burn Esmeralda in front of the cathedral. Quasimodo, his determination restored by the encouragement of the gargoyles, breaks free of his chains and snatches her from the pyre, taking her up to the belltower and claiming sanctuary. Phoebus and the arrested Gypsies break free, incite the citizenry against Frollo's unjust rule, and together, storm Notre Dame against Frollo's men. Quasimodo also pours molten lead from above to scare the guards away, but Frollo manages to break into the cathedral, where he finds Quasimodo weeping over the unconscious Esmeralda. Frollo attempts to kill Quasimodo, promising to "end his pain," but Quasimodo fights back.

Quasimodo and the semi-conscious Esmeralda escape onto the balcony, and Frollo follows. During the battle, Frollo tells the truth about Quasimodo's origins and almost pulls Quasimodo down from Notre Dame with his cape, but Quasimodo catches himself and pulls Frollo down with him. Esmeralda grabs the hunchback and tries to pull him up, while Frollo is able to swing up and climb onto a gargoyle. The evil judge then prepares to kill Esmeralda while he dramatically shouts, "And He shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit." (The expression sounds vaguely biblical but is not actually from the Bible.) As Frollo raises his sword, the gargoyle begins to come loose. Frollo drops his sword, slips, and is able to catch himself, but when he looks in the face of the gargoyle, it comes to life in his eyes and changes into a devil-like dog, and he screams in terror. Finally, the gargoyle breaks, and a screaming Frollo plummets to his death into the molten lead below. Quasimodo falls from the tower himself, but is caught and saved by Phoebus. Quasimodo then "gives his blessing" to Esmeralda and Phoebus's relationship.

Esmeralda and Phoebus exit the cathedral, triumphantly. When the cheering dies down, Esmeralda decides there's one last issue to resolve. Returning to the cathedral, she brings Quasimodo outside and introduces him to the crowd. The crowd is still wary of Quasimodo because of his appearance, but when a young girl shows no fear of him, the crowd accepts and honors him with a spontaneous parade, while Clopin sings a reprise of "The Bells of Notre Dame."

The Hunchback of Notre Dame opened on June 21, 1996 to very mixed and conflicting reviews, and opinions on the film vary greatly even today. On one hand, Roger Ebert awarded the film four stars out of four and hailed it as "the best Disney animated feature since Beauty and the Beast - a whirling, uplifting, thrilling story with a heart-touching message that emerges from the comedy and song." Near the end of his review, Ebert compared the film favorably to other entries in the Disney Renaissance era, such as Aladdin, The Lion King and Pocahontas. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave high praise to the film calling it the best of "Disney's serious animated features in the multiplex era" and praising the characterization of Quasimodo: "They've given their outcast hero a face so supple and responsive that we vibrate to his every glimmer of sadness and joy."

On the other hand, critics such as Marjorie Baumgarten of the Austin Chronicle were less kind, writing that the film "ultimately misses its target, as it's more likely to find acceptance with an older-than-average Disney crowd." Indeed, the film's violence and thematic elements were a particular criticism of such critics, arguing that the film was far less kid-friendly than past Disney features. Some even compared the opening scene in this film to the opening scene in Tim Burton's Batman Returns (Quasimodo and The Penguin being both physically deformed). Batman Returns received almost exactly the same reviews and critical reception as Notre Dame. Generally, critics and viewers agree with James Berardinelli, who awarded the film three stars out of four. Berardinelli praised the film for its "stunning visuals and family entertainment value" but noted that it was "the least-enjoyable animated feature to come from the studio since its 1989 rebirth."

Predictably, a large amount of criticism was provided by fans of Victor Hugo’s novel, who were very unhappy with the changes Disney made to the material. Critics such as Arnaud Laster, a leading scholar on Hugo, accused Disney of simplifying, editing and censoring the novel in many aspects, including the personalities of the characters. In his review, Waiting for Hugo, Laster wrote that the animators "don't have enough confidence in their own emotional feeling" and that the film "falls back on clichés."

In its opening weekend, the film opened in second place at the box office, grossing $21 million. The film saw small decline in later weeks and ultimately grossed just over $100 million domestically and over $325 million worldwide. Although the film could not outgross its predecessors, Aladdin, The Lion King and Pocahontas it nevertheless outgrossed other Disney Renaissance films, such as The Little Mermaid and Hercules.

Quasimodo - The not-so-average hero with a heart of gold. He is the bell ringer of the Notre Dame Cathedral. He is physically deformed with a hunched back and is constantly told by his guardian Judge Claude Frollo that he is a monster who will never be accepted. However, the opening song asks listeners to judge "who is the monster, and who is the man".

Esmeralda - A streetwise gypsy girl who befriends Quasimodo and shows him that his soul is truly beautiful, even if his exterior isn't. She greatly dislikes the horrible ways that gypsies are treated and throughout the movie attempts to seek justice for her people.

Judge Claude Frollo - A ruthless and corrupt judge who is Quasimodo's guardian.

Captain Phoebus - A man who returns to Paris to be Captain of the Guard under Judge Frollo.

Clopin - A mischievous gypsy who will defend his people at all costs.

Hugo, Victor, Laverne - Three gargoyle statues who become Quasimodo's close friends.

The Archdeacon - A kind man who helps many characters throughout the course of the movie, including Quasimodo and Esmeralda.

Frollo's Fear: The fan name of the briefly living gargoyle that he is destroyed with.

Characters in the Novel who aren't in the Film:
Gringoire: An impoverished poet and Esmeralda's husband by Gypsy law. In the novel, Esmeralda saves him from being hanged in the Court of Miracles.
Fleur-de-Lys: In the novel, Phoebus' young fiancee of noble descent, and Esmeralda's female rival.
Jehan: Frollo's younger brother, who is always begging Frollo for money. In the end he joins the gypsies.

Differences of Characters who appear in the Novel and in the Film:
Frollo: In the film, Frollo appears as cold and hating towards Quasimodo. In the novel, Frollo actually took in the orphaned Quasimodo willingly, and later plots with Quasimodo to kidnap Esmeralda. In the novel, while Quasimodo does not go out in the open on his own, Frollo does nothing to stop him from leaving the cathedral. In the novel, Frollo is a priest, in fact the Archdeacon of Notre Dame, while he is a judge in the film and the Archdeacon is a separate character.
Phoebus: In the film, Phoebus seems to hold a genuine love for Esmeralda, and sincerely wants to help the Gypsies. In the novel, Phoebus is truthfully as antagonistic as Frollo, perhaps worse than Frollo. In the book, Phoebus is engaged to be married, and only lusts after Esmeralda. He also is not a friend to the outcasts. In the end of the book, he helps drive them out of Paris, and rejects Esmeralda to be with his fiancee.
Clopin: In the movie, Clopin is portrayed as a clownish, fun-loving Master of the Revels, and a lighthearted leader of the Gypsies. In the novel, Clopin is just the opposite. His humor in the novel is darker, and he isn't a jester, but rather, a father and serious protector of the outcasts, especially Esmeralda.

Other Notable Differences:
In the film, Esmeralda's execution is done by burning her at the stake. In the novel, she is hanged.
At the Feast of Fools in the film, Clopin is the Master of Ceremonies. In the novel, Gringoire leads the Festival.
Quasimodo's past is completely changed in the film. In the novel, he was abandoned at the doorstep of Esmeralda's mother, who in turn was repulsed and gave him up to an orphanage, as opposed to the film, where Quasi's mother died trying to save him from Frollo.
The ending in the film is a happy ending (as befits Disney). In the novel, only Gringoire, Phoebus, and Fleur-de-Lys remain alive at the end. Phoebus and Fleur also marry.
In the film, Esmeralda finds sanctuary in the cathedral after insulting Frollo. In the novel, she only finds sanctuary after Quasimodo saves her from her hanging.
In the film, Frollo is in active pursuit of the mysteriously hidden Court of Miracles, which is seen as a huge underground city. In the book, Frollo shows no interest in finding the Court of Miracles, and the actual 'court' is no more than a tavern in a poor section of town.
Esmeralda and Phoebus' relationship in the novel is based a lot more on sex than real love.
In the novel, Esmeralda marries Gringoire to save him from being hanged in the Court of Miracles. In the film, she saves Phoebus and Quasimodo only by telling Clopin who they were.
In the film, Frollo has sentenced Esmeralda to death on a count of merely suggested 'witchcraft.' In the novel, Esmeralda is formally charged with the attempted murder of Phoebus (she was, of course, framed by Frollo) Also, in the film, Esmeralda has absolutely no trial. However, the trial is a huge part of the book.

The film was adapted into a darker, more Gothic musical production, re-written and directed by James Lapine and produced by the Disney theatrical branch, in Berlin, Germany. The musical Der Glöckner von Notre Dame (translated in English as The Bellringer of Notre Dame) was very successful and played from 1999 to 2002, before closing. A cast recording was also recorded in German. More recently, Bellringer has been considered for a live action TV film on ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney (although the project has apparently stalled), as well as a possible Broadway production.