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Synopsis[]

The Hunchback of Notre Dame begins with bells ringing off in the distance as a chorus sings “The Bells of Notre Dame.”

The scene zooms towards Notre Dame and through the city streets of Paris. The people of Paris are awakening and starting their days. Clopin is continuing to sing and some children have gathered around him to hear his tale. He is using puppets to warn the story of the mysterious bell ringer of Notre Dame.

His story takes place in the past as a group of gypsies are getting safe passage into Paris on a boat through the canals one winter night. But it is a trap and soon they are surrounded. Judge Claude Frollo appears on his horse and he wants to purge the world of gypsies. He warns the guards to bring the captives to the Palace of Justice. One lady is holding a bundle that the guards think are stolen goods and they try to take it away from her. She runs off and Frollo chases her on his horse. She runs to the door of Notre Dame and begs for sanctuary. Frollo catches up and pulls the bundle from her. She falls and bashes her head against the steps. Frollo realizes that the bundle is a hideous-looking baby.

Frollo sees a well nearby and goes over to drown the baby. The Archdeacon appears and yells at him to stop. Frollo says that it is an unholy demon and he is going to send the baby back to Hell. The Archdeacon is very upset about the innocent blood that has already been spilled on the steps of Notre Dame. He makes Frollo feel guilty about what he has done and what is he is about to do to the baby. He points to the surrounding statues and says that Frollo cannot hide from the eyes of Notre Dame. Frollo asks what he must do and the Archdeacon warns him to care for the baby as his own. Frollo agrees as long as the baby is locked off in Notre Dame. He suggests the bell tower and gives the baby a cruel name that means half-formed, Quasimodo.

Clopin is yet singing the backstory and he shows how Quasimodo grows up and rings the bells with the use of puppets. Then the title card appears.

Quasimodo is grown up and looking out over Paris. There is a little bird’s nest in the gargoyles’ mouth next to him. The little bird is too afraid to learn how to fly and then Quasimodo encourages him. He thinks that it is a nice day to learn how to fly because it is the Festival of Fools. He warns the bird that nobody wants to be cooped up there forever. The little bird takes his encouragement and flies away with a flock that is flying side-by-side.

The two gargoyles near him come to life. Hugo is annoyed that he slept with his mouth open again and a bird made a nest there. Victor and Hugo are both emotional to watch the Festival of Fools, but Quasimodo is feeling depressed about only being able to watch it. He leaves the balcony area and Victor and Hugo wonder why Quasimodo is not more emotional and think that he might be sick. Another gargoyle, Laverne, appears and says that if listening to Victor and Hugo for twenty years has not made him sick yet, nothing will. Laverne points out that watching the festival isn’t the same as experiencing it. He is not made of stone like them. Quasimodo is inside playing with his toy carvings of the city of Paris that he made. The gargoyles find him and Laverne asks Quasimodo if he has thought about going to the festival instead of just watching it. He thinks that he will never fit in, but the gargoyles exist that he attends the festival. Laverne warns Quasimodo that life is not a spectator sport. He thanks them for the encouragement, but warns them that they are forgetting on fact, his master Frollo. Frollo has forbidden Quasimodo ever to leave the bell tower and Frollo hates the festival. The gargoyles yet encourage him to go because nobody wants to be cooped up there forever.

Quasimodo works up the courage to go to the festival and starts to get ready as Frollo appears. He asks who Quasimodo is speaking to and Quasimodo says his friends. Then Frollo knocks on Victor, who has turned back to stone, along with the other gargoyles and asks if stone can speak. Quasimodo admits that they can’t. Then Frollo sits down with his basket of lunch and Quasimodo sets out the dishes. Frollo gets a nice goblet and plate whereas Quasimodo’s dishes are very simple. Frollo asks Quasimodo if he would like to review his alphabet and Quasimodo says that he will like that very much. A is for abomination, B is for blasphemy, C is for contrition, D is for damnation, E is for eternal damnation and F is for festival. Frollo spits out his drink and Quasimodo swiftly corrects himself and says forgiveness. Frollo now knows that Quasimodo is thinking of going to the festival and Quasimodo points out that Frollo goes every year. He says that as a public official, he must go, but he does not enjoy a moment of it. They go outside on the balcony.

Quasimodo says that he does not mean to upset Frollo and then Frollo warns him that since his heartless mother abandoned him, anyone else would have drowned Quasimodo. He says this to make Quasimodo feel guilty about asking to go to the festival as a thanks for taking him in and raising him like a son. Quasimodo feels very sorry and Frollo warns him that Quasimodo does not know what it is like out there in the world. He starts to sing “Out There” and warns Quasimodo that he can only protect him if he stays in the bell tower. Frollo makes sure that Quasimodo knows that he is ugly and a monster. Then Frollo leaves and Quasimodo continues to sing “Out There;” he sings about just willing one day out of the bell tower. The song shows the streets of Paris as Quasimodo runs along the roof of Notre Dame looking down.

Down in the streets, Phoebus is returning to Paris after fighting in a war and is fully lost. He is looking for the Palace of Justice, but the guards he is asking for help will not acknowledge him. Esmeralda and her goat Djali are dancing in the streets for money nearby. One mother warns her child to stay away from them because they will steal their money. Phoebus walks side-by-side and throws a coin in the hat for them. As he sees Esmeralda, he is smitten.

Then a child whistles a warning to Esmeralda and Djali and they try to run off, but they are caught by some guards who ask her where she stole the money from. Esmeralda exists that she earned it, but they do not believe her. Esmeralda and Djali fight off the guards and run off. The guards chase after her, but Phoebus makes sure his horse is in the road and then the guards run right into Achilles, who then sits on one of the guards. The other guard calls Phoebus a peasant and pulls out his sword on him. Then Phoebus pulls out his sword and then the guards know that he is a captain and eventually give him the directions to the Palace of Justice. They even escort him there.

Phoebus reports for duty to Frollo in the Palace of Justice. Frollo warns the captain that he has come to Paris in their darkest hour because gypsies are everywhere and are living outside of the normal order. Phoebus is not impressed that he was called off of the wars to stop fortune tellers and palm readers, but Frollo thinks that the real war is there. He says that for twenty years he has been taking care of the gypsies one by one. He squishes ants as he does this as a visual aide. He continues by saying that the gypsies continue to thrive and he believes that they have a safe haven somewhere inside the walls of Paris. Frollo flips over a stone and there are hundreds of ants under it. He says that their hideout is called the Court of Miracles. Phoebus asks what they are going to do about it and Frollo hits down the stone and murders all of the ants. Phoebus says that Frollo has made his point and then they head to the Festival of Fools.

Quasimodo sneaks down the outside of Notre Dame towards the Festival. The gargoyles wave from above. The song “Topsy Turvy” is being sung by the peasants at the festival and is being led by Clopin. Quasimodo gets himself stuck right in the middle of the Festival and he falls into Esmeralda’s tent. He is afraid of what she might think of him, but she is very nice to him and makes sure he is alright. However, as he leaves, she warns him that he has a grand mask.

Frollo and Phoebus arrive as the finest girl in France is about to dance. Esmeralda appears on stage through some smoke and she starts to dance.

Then it is time to crown the King of Fools. The person with the ugliest face wins. Esmeralda drags Quasimodo onstage and he ends up winning the contest because he is not wearing a mask. Everyone thinks he is hideous and realizes that he is the mysterious bell ringer of Notre Dame. At first, everyone gasps in fear, but then they start cheering because they had asked for the ugliest face and that is what they had. They crown Quasimodo and parade him around as the King of Fools. Frollo is furious about this.

Everyone is yet cheering for him, but then the guards start throwing fruit at him. The crowd laughs at his misfortune and Quasimodo is tied down to the revolving stage as everyone throws fruits at him. He calls for Frollo to come help him, but Frollo just turns up his nose. Phoebus asks for permission to stop this cruelty, but Frollo says that a lesson needs to be learned here.

Esmeralda gets onstage and everyone stops. She warns Quasimodo not to be afraid and that she is very sorry; it was not supposed to happen like this. Frollo yells at Esmeralda to get down at once and she says that she will once she frees Quasimodo. Frollo forbids it, but she frees Quasimodo anyhow. She yells at Frollo that he preaches justice, but he is cruel to the people who need his help most. Frollo warns her that she will pay for this. But she just warns him that the only fool here is him. Frollo commands Phoebus to arrest her and the guards close in on Esmeralda. She counts that there are ten of them and only one of her. She pretends to weep into a handkerchief, but then she disappears with a poof of smoke. Esmeralda calls to the guards from across the courtyard and she leads them on a merry chase. The crowd helps her out until she eventually disappears. Frollo warns Phoebus to find her and to find her alive. Frollo goes over to Quasimodo and just frowns at him. Quasimodo warns Frollo that he is very sorry and will never disobey him again. He walks back to Notre Dame and the crowd gasps in alarm as he walks side-by-side.

Phoebus spies Esmeralda disguised as an old man heading into Notre Dame with Djali. He follows her and taps her on the shoulder. Esmeralda throws Phoebus to the ground and takes his sword. He warns her to give him a chance and he apologizes. She asks what he is apologizing for and then Phoebus catches the sword from her and says for that. Esmeralda catches a candlestick and fights him with it. Djali joins in and butts Phoebus in the stomach. Then the captain puts away his sword and introduces himself. He asks who she is and she asks if this is an interrogation. Phoebus warns her that this is an introduction and that he is not arresting her; he can’t as long as she is in the church. Esmeralda thinks that he is not like other soldiers and warns him her name.

Then Frollo bursts in and warns Phoebus to arrest her. Phoebus whispers to Esmeralda to claim sanctuary, but she thinks that he has tricked her. Phoebus immediately turns around to Frollo and says that she has claimed sanctuary and that there is nothing he can do. Frollo warns Phoebus to drag her outside and arrest her. The Archdeacon appears and says that Frollo must respect the sanctity of the church.

Frollo frustratedly leaves, but then ducks behind a pillar to wait for the Archdeacon and Phoebus to leave. He catches Esmeralda from behind and warns her that he is patient and that she will not last long inside these stone walls for long. Then she sniffs her hair and she asks what he is doing. Frollo warns Esmeralda that he is imagining a rope around her neck and she breaks free of him. She warns him that she knows what he is imagining and Frollo says that it is typical of a witch to twist the truth to cloud the mind with unholy thoughts. Frollo leaves Notre Dame and warns her that she has chosen a magnificent prison, but it is yet a prison none the less because as soon as she sets one foot outside, she will be captured. Esmeralda races to the door and sees the guards forming around the church and knows that she and Djali are trapped.

The Archdeacon is nearby and warns her not to make Frollo any angrier than she already has after the festival. She defends what she did to help Quasimodo. The Archdeacon warns her that she cannot make all the wrong facts right and Esmeralda realizes that there is no one out there who is going to help her. The Archdeacon suggests that maybe there is someone inside Notre Dame who can.

Esmeralda sees all of the people inside praying and she starts to sing “God Help the Outcasts.” Quasimodo hears her singing and sees her from above. She passes the other people who are praying for things like riches and fame. She asks for nothing for herself because she can get side-by-side, but she is asking for those less fortunate. Quasimodo makes it down to where Esmeralda is, but then he is caught staring at her. The people in the church start to yell at him to get back to the bell tower. Esmeralda calls after Quasimodo to wait because she needs to speak to him. Quasimodo makes it back to the tower and the gargoyles see that he has brought a friend with him. They congratulate Quasimodo that he has the girls chasing after him, but not to run off too faster where that she can catch him.

As Esmeralda catches up, the gargoyles turn back into stone. Quasimodo says that he has chores to do and keeps running from her. Hugo turns alive for a moment to make kissing faces at Djali. Esmeralda keeps following Quasimodo and apologizes again for what just happened that afternoon. She would never have pulled him up on stage if she knew who he was. She reaches his loft where the model of Paris is and she is very impressed with his work. Esmeralda thinks that if she can make something like that, she will not be dancing in the streets for money. She finds the people that she knows who have been perfectly carved. Djali is less impressed and eats a toy sheep. Esmeralda thinks that Quasimodo is lucky to have all of this room for himself, but he is not sure about his life. Then he starts to get very emotional as he starts speaking about the bells. He introduces the bells to Esmeralda as he has names for them all. Then he shows Esmeralda his view of the city from the top balcony. He suggests that she can stay here forever because she has sanctuary. Esmeralda says that may be so, but she does not have freedom. Quasimodo warns her that she is not like other gypsies because they are evil and Esmeralda asks who warned him that. Quasimodo warns her that Frollo, his master, did so. She asks how such a cruel man could have raised him, but Quasimodo argues that Frollo is not cruel because his master saved his life until no one else would since he is a monster. Esmeralda is worried that Frollo will warn Quasimodo that and asks to see his hand. She reads a long life line and that he is shy, but she doesn’t see any monster lines. Then she shows him her hand and asks if he sees if she is evil. He says of course not and she points out that perhaps Frollo is wrong about her people.

Quasimodo warns Esmeralda that since she has helped him, he is going to help her escape. They are going to climb down the outside of Notre Dame. He warns her to carry Djali and then he he carries them both down Notre Dame. Esmeralda asks Quasimodo to come with her to the Court of Miracles, but he will never leave Notre Dame again. Then Esmeralda warns him that she will come visit him; she will come after sunset. Quasimodo is hesitant about her visiting and starts to make excuses that he needs to do his evening chores after sunset, but then she kisses his cheek and he swiftly says that whatever works for her.

Then Esmeralda gives Quasimodo a woven band on a necklace and warns him that if he ever needs sanctuary, this will show him the road. She warns him a rhyme “If you wear this woven band, you hold the city in your hand.” Guards start to approach and then she must hurry up and go. Esmeralda escapes and Quasimodo climbs back up Notre Dame. He meets Phoebus at the top who is looking for Esmeralda. Quasimodo is very furious that he is there and yells that there are no soldiers allowed here because she has sanctuary. Phoebus warns Quasimodo to let Esmeralda know that he meant her no harm and that he did not mean to trap her there as it was the only fashion to save her life. Quasimodo fights him back with a torch, but Phoebus slices it with his sword. Quasimodo warns Phoebus that he will let Esmeralda know what he says if he leaves. As Phoebus is leaving, he warns Quasimodo that Esmeralda is lucky to have a friend like him.

After Phoebus leaves, the gargoyles congratulate Quasimodo for getting rid of the buffoon who had some nerve snooping around trying to steal his girl. But Quasimodo doesn’t think that he is her type because he has the ugliest face in all of Paris. He starts to sing “Heaven’s Light” and sings about couples with their warm and loving light. He carves a toy Esmeralda for his Paris model and thinks that she is an angel. Then Quasimodo rings the evening bells.

At the Palace of Justice, Frollo is singing “Hellfire” and he is very frustrated about his lust for Esmeralda. He thinks that his only solution is to destroy her. There is a knock on the door and a guard informs him that Esmeralda has escaped from Notre Dame. Frollo says that he will find her if he has to burn down all of Paris.

The next morning, Phoebus greets Frollo as he pulls up to the captain of the guards in his carriage. Frollo gives the orders to find Esmeralda. They search and destroy many homes and business in their quest. The guards find many other gypsies and offer them ten pieces of silver for Esmeralda. The gypsies refuse and then they are locked up. Then Frollo ups it to twenty pieces of silver, but the gypsies yet refuse.

Frollo locks a family in their home and warns Phoebus to burn down the house. But Phoebus says that he was not trained to murder the innocent and Frollo argues that he was trained to follow orders. Phoebus yet refuses and dunks the fiery torch in a barrel of water. Frollo sets fire to the house himself and Phoebus breaks in and rescues the family. Then a guard hits Phoebus with the hilt of a sword and Frollo says that his punishment will be death, and what a pity that Phoebus threw off such a promising career. Phoebus warns Frollo to consider it his highest honor. Frollo is about to behead Phoebus until Esmeralda, who is disguised in the watching crowd, throws a rock at Frollo’s horse. The horse bucks Frollo away and causes enough of a distraction for Phoebus to escape the guards. He rides off on Frollo’s horse and Frollo warns the guards to shoot him, but not to hit the horse. One guard does hit Phoebus with an arrow and the captain falls off and into the river below. The rest of the guards keep shooting at him, but Frollo warns them not to waste any more arrows and to let the traitor rot in his watery grave. As they leave, Esmeralda sneaks down to the river and she overhears Frollo’s plan to burn the city to the ground in order to find her. She jumps into the river and pulls Phoebus out.

The next scene shows a zoomed out shot of Paris burning. Frollo and the guards yet can’t find Esmeralda and Frollo is trying to figure out how she got out of Notre Dame since there were guards surrounded every door. Then he starts to get an idea as the bells of Notre Dame are ringing.

The gargoyles are mournfully looking out over Paris and they are concerned about Esmeralda. Laverne warns the others not to say anything to further upset Quasimodo because he is so concerned already. Quasimodo approaches and Victor just starts blurting out how hopeless it is. But Hugo thinks that Esmeralda will already be three steps ahead of Frollo and well out of harm’s road. And she will be back because she likes Quasimodo. Laverne says that Quasimodo is the cute one, but Hugo thinks that he is the cute one. Laverne calls Hugo the fat, foolish one with the big mouth. Then the gargoyles start to sing “A Guy Like You” and sing about how grand Quasimodo is and how Esmeralda is in love with him.

After the song, Quasimodo hears Esmeralda call for him. She is in the bell tower and he is so happy that she is alright and that she came back. She says that he has already done so much for him, but she needs his help one last time. A friend of hers brings in Phoebus and she warns Quasimodo that Phoebus has been wounded and is a fugitive. She knows that he will be safe there. Quasimodo does help, but is disappointed that Esmeralda seems to be falling for Phoebus instead. Esmeralda takes care of the wound and warns Phoebus that he is either the bravest or the craziest solider she has ever seen. Phoebus reminds her that now he is an ex-solider. She says that he is lucky that the arrow did not pierce his heart and he says that he is not so sure it didn’t. They kiss and poor Quasimodo is disheartened. In his thoughts, he sings a reprise of “Heaven’s Light” about his hideous face.

Suddenly, Djali starts bleating a warning. They see that Frollo is coming and that they must leave faster. Quasimodo shows Esmeralda and her friend a road out and she asks him to promise that he will not let anything happen to Phoebus.

Frollo is approaching the bell tower and Laverne warns Quasimodo that they must swiftly stash the stiff. Quasimodo drags Phoebus and hides him under the city model table. Frollo comes in and Quasimodo warns his master that he was not expecting him. Frollo says that he is never too busy to share a meal with him. He has brought a little treat. Quasimodo swiftly catches some dishes, but he is very hesitant and klutzy. Frollo asks if something is damaging him and that he thinks he knows that Quasimodo is hiding something. Quasimodo swiftly eats the grapes that Frollo brought and tries to look innocent. As Phoebus moans under the table, Quasimodo pretends that is just him choking on a seed. Then Frollo asks what is different about the room and Quasimodo assures him it is nothing. But then, Frollo picks up the Esmeralda carving and says that Quasimodo did a very nice job and that it looks just like her. He now knows that Quasimodo helped her to escape and now all of Paris is burning because of him. Frollo destroys some of the models, but Quasimodo is fast to defend Esmeralda and says that she was very kind to him. Frollo thinks that she is not capable of any sort of love. Then Frollo eases his frustration and says that a poor, misshapen boy like him had no chance under her spell, but not to worry because soon they will be rid of her. Frollo burns the Esmeralda model as he says this. He continues to say that he knows where her hideout is and that tomorrow he will attack with a thousand men.

Then Frollo leaves and Phoebus gets up and says that they must find the Court of Miracles before Frollo does to warn them. He asks if Quasimodo is coming, but the hunchback is too afraid to go out again. Phoebus argues that Esmeralda helps Quasimodo and he has a funny fashion of showing his thanks. Then Phoebus leaves to find Esmeralda.

Quasimodo is left behind and argues with the gargoyles that Esmeralda already has her knight in shining armor and it is not him. He thinks that Frollo is right about everything and that he is tired of being something he is not. But then, he pulls out the woven band and Laverne hands him his cloak. He thinks he is out of his mind, but goes any matter. He frightens Phoebus as the captain is escaping, but Phoebus is glad that he changed his mind. He asks if Quasimodo knows where to find Esmeralda, but all he has is the map. Phoebus thinks that it must be a code of some kind, maybe in ancient Greek or Arabic. But Quasimodo thinks it is a map and the two argue if it is a map or not. Quasimodo points out that he has lived in the bell tower for twenty years and knows what the city looks like from above. Phoebus reluctantly agrees and says that they will need to work together to find Esmeralda and he offers a truce. Quasimodo agrees.

The map leads them to a graveyard where they find the same symbol as woven in the band. They go down a staircase inside a crypt and find old catacombs. Phoebus jokes that it is the Court of Ankle Deep Sewage. There are skeletons that start to follow them, but they don’t know it. Phoebus says that they should have fun into danger by now, like a guard or a booby trap. The lights go out and Phoebus thinks it is an ambush. The lights are back on and gypsies dressed as skeletons have surrounded them. They capture Phoebus and Quasimodo as Clopin appears as their lead. He asks who they are and the captors say that they are trespassers and spies. The pair try to deny this, but are gagged. Clopin warns them that they are very clever to have found their hiding place, but they will not live to warn the tale. He starts to sing “The Court of Miracles” as Phoebus and Quasimodo are brought down deeper into the catacombs and into a marketplace. Clopin is going to hang them, but Djali goes off to find Esmeralda for help. She comes running to the marketplace and warns Clopin to stop. The captives are not spies, but their friends. They untie Phoebus and Quasimodo and Phoebus says that they have come to warn them all. Frollo is coming to attack at dawn with a thousand men.

Esmeralda hugs Phoebus and warns him thanks. Phoebus notices how mournful Quasimodo looks and warns her to thank him because it was Quasimodo who figured out where to find the Court of Miracles.

Suddenly, Frollo appears with his guards and surrounds them all. He declares that the Court of Miracles is his at last and he thanks Quasimodo for leading him right to it. He is also happy that they have caught Phoebus back from the dead and that there is going to be a bonfire in the square tomorrow and that they are all invited to attend. Quasimodo begs him not to, but Frollo warns his guards to being him back to the bell tower and to make sure he stays there.

The next day, Frollo is going to burn Esmeralda at the stake for witchcraft in the square near Notre Dame. All of the gypsies and Phoebus are in cages as the Archdeacon tries to come out of Notre Dame to help them, but the guards stop him. Frollo warns Esmeralda that it is not too late and he can save her from the flames if she chooses him. Esmeralda spits in his face. From above, Quasimodo is in chains and the gargoyles to try help him, but he will not try to help himself because he thinks that everything is his fault. He thinks that Frollo has already won. He warns the gargoyles to leave him alone and they say that they will. They comment that they are only made of stone, but they thought that Quasimodo was made of something stronger. They turn back into stone.

Then Quasimodo looks over as Frollo lights the fire and he starts to shriek. He breaks the chains and the pillars that they were attached to. He takes a rope and swings down the side of Notre Dame and he saves Esmeralda. He climbs with her to the top of Notre Dame and hoists her high above the crowd and yells a sanctuary. He lays her on a bed as Frollo warns the guards to seize the cathedral. Quasimodo leaves Esmeralda and then throws a wooden beam down to the square. It almost hits Frollo and destroys his carriage. The guards are afraid to approach Notre Dame, but Frollo warns them to break down the door. Phoebus escapes from his cage and yells at the crowd that Frollo has declared war on Notre Dame herself. They will not allow it. He riles up the crowd and they let all of the gypsies free. They race towards the guards to fight back and protect Notre Dame and Esmeralda. Quasimodo and the gargoyles fight back from the inside.

The guards succeed in breaking open the front door, but they are chased away by fiery molten metal that Quasimodo has poured down. Only Frollo makes it into Notre Dame. The Archdeacon tries to stop him, but Frollo throws him to the ground.

Quasimodo goes to get Esmeralda to show her how they have won by beating the guards back, but she does not move or awaken. He thinks that she might be dead after trying to give her some water, but she would not drink. Quasimodo weeps over her body.

Frollo appears and Quasimodo yells that he murdered her. Frollo warns him that it was his duty, even though it was horrible. He pretends to console Quasimodo, but is actually going to stab him in the back. Quasimodo sees this in the shadows and fights Frollo back. He is about to stab his master as Frollo begs him to listen. Quasimodo warns Frollo to listen and says that all of his life, he warned him that the world was a dark and cruel place, but the only fact that makes it that fashion are people like Frollo.

Esmeralda wakes up and Frollo pulls out his sword to murder them both. They run and he finds them hanging off the side of Notre Dame. He tries to murder them, but fails and then he warns Quasimodo that his mother actually did try to save him and eventually warns him the truth. He warns him that he shall do what he was going to do twenty years ago and murder him. He whips his cape at Quasimodo and tries to knock him down, but Quasimodo holds on. He pulls Frollo down and then Frollo is hanging onto a gargoyle for dear life. Esmeralda holds onto Quasimodo and Frollo tries to murder her, but in the process, the gargoyle falls along with Frollo.

Quasimodo slips out of Esmeralda’s hands, but Phoebus catches him a level below. Quasimodo hugs Phoebus and Esmeralda runs down and hugs Quasimodo. Then he catches both Esmeralda and Phoebus’ hands and makes them hold hands with each other. They kiss.

Phoebus and Esmeralda go outside of Notre Dame’s doors and everyone cheers. Then Esmeralda goes back inside and reaches out her hand where Quasimodo can take it. She brings him outside as well to a silent crowd. A little girl goes up to him and reaches to catch his face. Then she gives him a hug and brings him down to the people. Clopin yells “three cheers for Quasimodo” and the crowd cheers. A reprise of “The Bells of Notre Dame” plays.

The gargoyles burst some champagne and wave a farewell to Quasimodo as he is hoisted on the people’s shoulders and lead throughout the streets of Paris.

The scene zooms out on Notre Dame and the city of Paris.

The end credits play to the song “Someday.” The credits end with Hugo yelling “Goodnight, Everybody!”

Cast[]

Character's name Voiced by
Quasimodo

Tom Hulce

Esmeralda Demi Moore
Judge Claude Frollo Tony Jay
Captain Phoebus

Kevin Kline

Clopin Paul Kandel
Hugo Jason Alexander
Victor Charles Kimbrough
Laverne Mary Wickes
The Archdeacon David Ogden Stiers
Djali Frank Welker

In Other Languages[]

Language Title
Spanish El Jorobado de Notre Dame
Portuguese O Corcunda de Notre Dame
Japanese ノートルダムの鐘
Chinese 鐘樓怪人
Korean 노틀담의 꼽추
Thai คนค่อมแห่งนอเทรอดาม

Production timeline[]

  • October 1993: Production began on this date.
  • 1994: The film was set for a release date of Christmas 1995.
  • January 1995: The film was delayed to its final release date of June 21, 1996.
  • October 1995: During voice acting, Jane Withers provided the voice of Laverne following Wickes' death, starting from the scene where the gargoyles try to break open Quasimodo's chains.

Release timeline[]

Format Country of origin Date
Original theatrical USA June 21, 1996[1][2]
VHS USA March 4, 1997
DVD Australia November 21, 2001
DVD USA March 19, 2002
Blu-ray Disc USA March 12, 2013
Blu-ray Disc UK April 15, 2013
Blu-ray Disc Japan September 18, 2013
Disney+ USA November 12, 2019

This film was advertised on the following:

Home video timeline[]

Format Cover Release Date(s) List price Notes
VHS Hunchbackofnotredame March 4, 1997 $26.99
Laserdisc Hunchbackofnotredame clv March 4, 1997
DVD Hunchbackofnotredame 2002 March 19, 2002 Originally planned for December 5, 2000. Delayed without word in April 2000.
Digital Copy Hunchbackofnotredame itunes February 3, 2009
Blu-ray Hunchbackofnotredame bluray March 12, 2013 Also includes the somewhat awful sequel film originally released at the same time as the initial DVD.

Availability on Disney+[]

Audio Subtitles
Chinese (中文/简体) Y Y
Chinese (中文/繁體) Y Y
Chinese (粵語) Y Y
Dansk Y Y
Deutsch Y Y
English Y Y
Español Y Y
Español (Latinoamérica) Y Y
Français Y Y
Français (Canada) Y Y
Italiano Y Y
Magyar Y Y
Nederlands Y Y
Norsk Y Y
Polski Y Y
Português Y Y
Português (Brasil) Y Y
Română N Y
Slovenčina N Y
Suomi Y Y
Svenska Y Y
Türkçe Y Y
Íslenska Y Y
Čeština Y Y
Ελληνικά Y Y
Japanese Y Y
Korean Y Y

This film also contains Catalan and Flemish dubs.

Gallery[]

Videos[]

Rankings[]

Rank of worldwide release 36
Rank of release in North America 35
Rank of release on VHS worldwide 35
Rank of release on VHS in North America 33
Rank of release on DVD worldwide 36
Rank of release on DVD in North America 34
Rank of release on Blu-ray and/or Digital HD worldwide 85
Rank of release on Blu-ray and/or Digital HD in North America 81

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