Personally I think that this fandom is once again over dramatising over nothing, I don’t think these characters will steal the Mane 6’s spotlight, and now I explain why: by their look it’s pretty obvious that these characters will have apposite factions that will appear the right amount of time in the Movie:
 
-Storms King is the villain and Tempest Shadow his right hand (or at least an henchpony of him), so their role of antagonists will be covered the same time of, you know, other villains in movies;  
-Celaeno and Capper are obviously pirates who work on the same boat, and will appear together in the same moments;  
-And of course we have Queen Novo and Princess SKYSTARS which…. are obviously mother and daughter respectively, and the ones the Mane 6 will have to find that Meghan Mccarthy hinted the last year at the SDCC.
 
None of these characters will steal the M6’s spotlight, you guys are over dramatising once again… grrrrr internet….

I bet Queen Novia and Princess Skystar will be more useful than Celestia

@Theopticals  
oh god what is this  

 
@FLUTTERBADASS  
I was hoping that they would finally introduce humans into the series  
HOERS NOT MUNKY
 
okay cat furries and piratekeets are pushing it but still the only good human is no human

Holy shit this thread is depressing..

The only left now is that Mexican dude I think his name was Micheal Pena.

@Prof.NightJack
 
I’m not saying this setup is doomed to fail or will never work, I’m saying I’m highly doubtful that it will come together seamlessly.

@CleverTwist  
You mean an example of a movie with a good number of characters and setting up the world?  
Well I know of one that is a really good example but if I bring it up it will likely launch you into a drama fit.
 
There was The Lego Movie that had time for us to get to know what most of the characters are like, true it was on Emmet more then the others but we had the time to learn about at lest eight other and how the world there worked.
 
How to Train Your Dragon also set up the world and got up to know what the characters where like, again it’s true it was on a smaller number for most of it but we had the time to learn of the others, and there where not just a few.
 
Just having a lot of characters doesn’t mean it won’t work, and you can’t really split the time for them all to shine equally, but you can get it so we get to know what they are like and how the world around them works.  
And as we know the mane 6 already that cut down the time to get to know them, and we know how the world works so only need to now how the new places connect to what we already know, so more time cut down.  
In an hour and a half run time this will actully have more time then other movies that have to set everything up.

To be honest I wouldn’t be surprised if they introduced aliens into this movie i.e. the ones from another planet that travel around in starships.

well i’ll say this, this will be an interesting movie. we got MC skat cat, an actual queen, a sea pony, what i can only assume is a female version of jack sparrow or a bird version of captain amelia from treasure planet, and lord tirek 2.0. not gonna lie i am now looking forward to watching this movie, considering that i have to know the origins of these characters!

@Prof.NightJack
 
Okay, give me examples. If you think this is something than can feasibly work, I want evidence of such. Because unless I can see that a formula like this has been known to show positive results, I remain skeptical.

@CleverTwist  
There have been some good moves that might not of had as many characters but in about the same run time has to set up a good number of characters and the wold it’s set in, so to think a movies with some already defined characters and only explaining on the world is somehow unable to make it in the same time frame is kind of silly, even a little dumb.

@CleverTwist
 
Excuse me, what the fuck? Why was this comment deleted?

@FLUTTERBADASS  
Equestria Girls will have to make do, then.

It’s not that much of a spoiler.
 
Also I was hoping that they would finally introduce humans into the series.

@Background Pony #065E  
He hasn;t said anything about previous experience, so no he’s not.  
He’s only talking of a time limit, one I don’t think I have seen said anywhere, and the number of characters needing there own time to shine.  
Like we can’t a number of characters tied together and share the spotlight at the same time..

@Prof.NightJack
 
He is just using our previous experience with the whole show, MLP always have rushed ending, same with EQG, same with the comics.
 
Why this movie that already have even more character and plots that any episode/EQG movie/MLP comic would be different?

@CleverTwist  
First off, has it actully been said what the run time is?  
Second, just because they have twelve characters and some new locations doesn’t mean there isn’t time for it all.

Anyway, why don’t use king charlatan design for the Storm King instead yeti tirek?
 

@Background Pony #065E
 
I feel like this entire movie is going to feel rushed. And I’ll be damned if they sequel bait us…

@CleverTwist  
sounds like the friendship games all over again.

@CleverTwist
 
Like any finale/opening episode, this movie will end with a rushed ending. That happen in the show since the first season with nightmare moon

@The Mike  
what is this the 7th time?

@Prof.NightJack
 
Main 6 plus new 6 is twelve characters to focus a single hour and half movie on. Plus whatever new location we are likely going to get, maybe two. Trying to balance the new characters, give them enough screen time to establish their personalities, develop them, give the environment some context, still give the Mane 6 some time to shine, and who knows what else is in here…
 
Yeah, I’d say this movie has quite a lot legwork to get all this done in such a short timeframe.