Some conformation of an old rumor.

[WDWHound]

I was watching Tech TV today while I was home sick. Tech Live had a story on Tresure Planet. It was pretty much a run of the mill story, nothing exciting. How ever one small comment caught my attention. The last thing they said was "Disney has announced that Treasure Planet will probably be the last of Disney's big budget animated films".

I have heard this here before, but never from the press.

By the way, Diane Disney Miller will be on the Screen Savers (another Tech TV program) tonight to discuss the history and future of animation. Pity that the Disney Company doesn't plan to be part of that furture.

 

[EUROPA]

BOTTOM LINE

Disney had already said that "Treasure Planet" was the last of the series of big-budget animated blockbusters.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=298458&perpage=15&pagenumber=2

 

[WDWHound]

Ah, I had missed that thread. I just kept hoping they would come to their senses.

By the way, the interview with Diane was mostly about Walts biography which just came out on DVD. Its worth catching if you're up later tonight when they rebroadcast it.

 

[raidermatt]

Keep in mind that Lilo & Stitch is not considered a "big budget" animated film.

So that statement alone doesn't mean Disney is getting out of the animation business.

But there are some serious questions about it that are yet to be answered.

 

[Bob O]

So i guess that means disney is going to let others like Pixar to make great animated movies while they contuine to downsize!!!!

 

[Testtrack321]

I have a feeling that our good friend AV will have more info latter.

 

[Another Voice]

There’s really no change from the plan that been put in place for months. Disney is out of the traditional feature animation business. A lot of people have been fired, the rest are waiting. The era is over – until someone can rebuild the Company again.

The only traditional animation feature in the works is ‘Brother Bear’ (title subject to change) that’s limping along in Florida. I read over at Jim Hill’s site that the film’s release date has been moved up to next holiday season, but some of my sources say there’s still an internal debate about simply abandoning the film altogether. Whatever happens, the rumor remains strong that Florida Feature Animation will be closed when the film stops production.

The other films in the works are CGI movies, the first of which was supposed to be ‘My Peoples’. But that one's in so much trouble that it was pushed back a year (in a swap very similar to the ‘Lilo’ and ‘Treasure Planet’ fiasco). Eisner is convinced that traditional animation is dead and only CGI has a future. Rumors are that all pen-and-ink people in Burbank will be gone by Spring and the few that are left had better learn how to use a mouse.

The “animation” you will be seeing from Disney is typified by films like ‘Peter Pan 2’ and ‘Jungle Book 2’. These are really non-Disney made direct-to-video creations that are being given a theatrical release as part of the marketing campaign. Or at least that was the plan. ‘PP2’ pretty much flopped at both the box office and on the store shelves. The entire strategy is being rethought. In typical fashion only the marketing is being blamed for the failure, not the low quality of the film involved.

The current drive is to lower the costs of the direct-to-video films even more. The hot new plan is to recycle existing material. Both the Cinderella and the Tarzan movies are nothing more than episodes of Saturday morning series stapled together into “movie”. The new ‘Stitch’ sequel will follow that same pattern.

Eisner has yet to grasp, and he may be incapable of ever grasping, is that technology doesn’t make the movie, the story does. Whether the films are ink-on-celluloid, computer graphics or crayons & construction paper – the film’s going to fail if the story is bad. ‘Treasure Planet’ would not have been any better if it was 100% CGI (despite today’s spin coming out of Team Disney Burbank). But making a good movie requires the hard work of talented people. Eisner is only interested in quick and cheap.

What started with ‘Snow White’ has come to an inglorious end with ‘Treasure Planet’. Somehow I think the world is a less imaginative place now.

 

[Jeff in BigD]

I guess he figures that if he's going down, he's taking the company down with him.

 

[AllisonG]

This all makes me so sad.
All I can do is hope and pray that someone rides in on their white horse and saves Disney from disaster.
Eisner needs to go.
Should we start some sort of campaign? Cause just thinking about what could happen is depressing.

 

[LSU Tigerfan]

Hey,

Be it far from me to mess up everyone's doom and gloom attitute, but Disney has been in this position before. Does anyone remember how big a flop "The Black Cauldron" was? Disney revamped and hit its stride with Little Mermaid, B & the B, Aladdin, and the Lion King. I really do think that Disney can revamp and succeed again.

I also think that the difference in those films wasn't just the story -- it was the songs !

Disney's animated movies NEED hit songs to make them special.

Songs like "Kiss the girl," and "Whole New World," stick with people and were hits in their own right.

What hit songs have there been lately from Disney?

 

[WDWHound]

Originally posted by LSU Tigerfan
Be it far from me to mess up everyone's doom and gloom attitute, but Disney has been in this position before. Does anyone remember how big a flop "The Black Cauldron" was? Disney revamped and hit its stride with Little Mermaid, B & the B, Aladdin, and the Lion King. I really do think that Disney can revamp and succeed again.

The difference is that Disney never announced before that it was getting out of the big budget animated feature business before this. Yes, I agree they can come back, but not under the current management.

I agree for the most part about the songs, but I don't think every Disney animated feature needs to be a musical. Lilo and Stich proved that. Bambi is a another good example. Don't get me wrong, Disney songs are great, but it is the story and the characters that really make people want to see a movie.

 

[lodgelady]

LSU Tigerfan- I agree about the music. Lilo and Stitch was pretty, but it needed some great original music along with the cute Elvis stuff.................SIGH. Disney won't mean excellence in animation or showmanship anymore. They will be running behind the pack instead of upfront.

 

[eeyore0062]

Personally, and not to step on anyones toes, but the last of the really good animated features, storywise was Mulan. Once they stopped the musicals, and tried to convert to action animation, they lost momentum. They need to get back to what they do best. Converted fairy tales have been Disney's mainstay... look at Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast.... the list goes on.. and of course, we can't forget The Lion King! Lilo and Stitch wasn't bad, but you could tell it was not up to the old Disney Standards

Hopefully, Disney will find its way back home, and stop trying in immitate other animators. Disney is the father of animation, and should take pride, and not try to copy others, or rely on sequels! Walt is probably turning in his grave (or cryogenic vault)!

 

[airlarry!]

LSU TigerFan:

I agree with you 100%, and not just because of your name...

I watched The Black Cauldron again not too long ago, and not only is it the worst butchering of a beloved series of novels in the history of Disney animation, but its just down right embarassing. It is the bottom of the hill that started with movies like Fox & Hound and Oliver & Co (which had good stories, but just...looks...I dunno...'cheap.')

Even The Rescuers2 seemed like a made for tv movie, only with a bigger effects budget.

When Ei$ner watches these films, does he see magic?

 

[treesinger]

The more Disney pulls away from doing a grand traditional picture they don't have a chance at recapturing their animation glory days. Even though Treasure Planet has a storied history, it does not have the wide appeal like " Beauty And The Beast, " or, " The Lion King ". The farther off Disney goes in its own direction, the farther the popularity of their films tends to go. It's a shame. Treasure Planet looks like a well done film, but its target audience is not going to make a classic. And a classic is what Disney desperately needs.