The Disney that never was....

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disneyfella
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The Disney that never was....

Post by disneyfella »

I was just reading today in an old "Starlog" magazine issue (March 1981), about a few films that were in production at Disney. It is pretty interesting, because the magzine is all about science fiction, and therefore made annual listings and updates on what the different studios were working on in the genre. In development and in release at Disney were the following films:

Condorman
The Devil and Max Devlin
Knights of Eden
Time Warp

Tron

They go on to offer some production information on each of the movies (i.e. Devil and Max Devlin was originally scheduled for a Christmas 1980 release, but was postponed until a February 1981 release partly because of the musician's strike and partly because of intense Christmas competition, etc.), but simply list the two bolded films as in development or temporarily shelved.

I was very interested in learning more about these films and what they could have become (I'm a huge sci fi geek), and was wondering if anyone had heard of these before, or if there are any good sources to go to.

What are your thoughts on these unreleased pictures.....are there any other titles of unreleased pictures that you all know of?
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Post by UmbrellaFish »

I had heard Walt Disney planned an animated biography about Hans Christian Andersen. His life story is so intresting, I always wished it had been made.
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Post by blackcauldron85 »

The Disney that never was is one of my favorite subjects! I haven't heard of those movies...I pretty much only know of animated movies that were never made, but I really should look into live-action films that weren't made.

Animated-movies.net was a wonderful resource for now-unmade films. Here are some links to some newer movies that were never made:

"Antonius"
http://web.archive.org/web/200302261252 ... onius.html

"Chanticleer"
http://web.archive.org/web/200303030542 ... cleer.html

"Don Quixote"
http://web.archive.org/web/200303030221 ... ixote.html

"The Emperor and the Nightingale"
http://web.archive.org/web/200303072318 ... ngale.html

"Fantasia 2006"
(the page isn't working, but a lot of the shorts for this have been released separately)

"Fraidy Cat"
http://web.archive.org/web/200306081321 ... dyCat.html

"Gnomeo and Juliet"
http://web.archive.org/web/200301010355 ... uliet.html

"My Peoples"/"Once in a Blue Moon"/"Angel and Her No-Good Sister"/"A Few Good Ghosts"
http://web.archive.org/web/200301052250 ... oples.html
(this website has an animation reel with some footage from this film:
http://www.projectfirefly.com/3Danimationreel.html) [I had thought that it wasn't working because it doesn't work on my computer,but I just tried it on Bobby's computer, and it works!!!!!!!!!! :pink: :pink: :pink]

"The Lady of the Lake"
(page not working)

"Neighborhood Kids"
http://web.archive.org/web/200303030937 ... dKids.html

"Selkies"
http://web.archive.org/web/200301112014 ... lkies.html

"The Snow Queen"
http://web.archive.org/web/200301052212 ... Queen.html

"StoneFlight"
http://web.archive.org/web/200301112002 ... light.html

"The Three Pigs"
http://web.archive.org/web/200301141116 ... ePigs.html

"In Search of Mickey"
http://web.archive.org/web/200301141114 ... Mouse.html

"WildLife"
http://web.archive.org/web/200302172058 ... dLife.html

I also just found this blog, and these 2 articles about unproduced shorts & movies of the 1930s & 1940s:
http://samuraifrog.blogspot.com/2006/10 ... 1930s.html
http://samuraifrog.blogspot.com/2008/02 ... 1940s.html
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disneyfella
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Post by disneyfella »

GREAT links Amy! I'm seriously going to spend like a few hours drooling over all of those...lol.

After some cursory research, there are a few books out there that deal with unfinished Disney films (however, they are ALL books about animated films....no love for the live actions...lol). Anyway, they are:

"The Disney That Never Was"

"Paper Dreams"

"Before the Animation Begins"


Some of these are out of print or expensive to purchase, but you SHOULD be able to find them at your local library. Neat stuff....you should check them out.
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Post by blackcauldron85 »

No problem, Aaron! I have spent so many hours on that website throughout the years- it's just so sad that it was closed down. Some of those links don't always work, but you could just go to www.archive.org and type in "www.animated-movies.net" in the search box and click on the links shown until some work.

I've read "The Disney That Never Was" before, and I've glanced at "Paper Dreams"...they're definitely interesting. I wish that an updated version of "The Disney That Never Was", or a new book along those lines, could be made. One with not only the movies that never made it at all, but also including information on the productions of other films and the changes that occured (like how "Kingdom of the Sun" became "The Emperor's New Groove"). If I knew how to write a book like that, that's what I would do with my life.
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Post by disneyfella »

Sometimes Disney releases books with all kinds of production artwork, etc. I have "The Art of Hunchback of Notre Dame" and it is virtually a history of production with amazing art on the film.

Do they have something like this for "The Emperor's New Groove". I'd be anxious as well to read any chronicle on this troubled production.

Or how about the long overdue chronicling of the production of "The Black Cauldron"!|?!?!?!?!? I was just reading a Tim Burton biography the other day and I was shocked to find out that he was busy doing production work for The Black Cauldron and The Fox and the Hound before making Vincent or Frankenweenie or Hansel and Gretel. I would certainly enjoy looking at his take on some of those characters!
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Post by blackcauldron85 »

Some of Tim Burton's concept art for TBC can be seen in the bonus features on the TBC DVD.

And I think that "The Sweatbox" is currently the best resource on TENG's production. But good luck being able to watch it. :(
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Post by disneyfella »

What is "the sweatbox"? I vaguely remember hearing about this....but for some reason it has escaped me.....
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Post by blackcauldron85 »

When Sting was hired to write songs for "Kingdom of the Sun", one of the stuipulations was that his wife, Trudie Styler, had to be allowed to make a documentary on the production. Her resulting film, "The Sweatbox", deals with the production, from "Kingdom of the Sun", to "Kingdom in the Sun", to "The Emperor's New Groove". It shows things from "Kingdom of the Sun", like songs and artwork and voice actors doing their thing. It was shown in a few film festivals back in the day, but it hasn't seen the light of day since.
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Post by disneyfella »

Sort of like that "Apocaplyse Now" documentary....lol. It sounds really cool.



On a side note, I was just reading in "Of Mice and Magic" a book by Leonard Maltin that due to the success of the 1983 short "Mickey's Christmas Carol" there were a few other ideas put into production that never made it......

"In the wake of Mickey's success, the studio announced that the classic Disney characters would appear in other short subjects, but "SWABBIES", a naval yarn, and "SPORT GOOFY", a spoof of athletics, were plagued by production problems and internal squabbles. "Sport Goofy", directed by Darrell Van Citters, was reportedly too goofy for studio executives' taste, and Disney veteran Ward Kimball was hired as a consultant to completely revamp the film, which wound up, considerably changed, as a 1987 network TV special called "SPORT GOOFY IN SOCCERMANIA".



Kind of neat...now I want to watch that tv special...lol.
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Post by PeterPanfan »

I love learning about Disney films/tv series/specials that were never picked up. Although, it always makes me sad/mad that they wern't in the first place..

Oh,well. I think the films I wanted them to do the most that they didn't are:

The Snow Queen
Don Quixote
Chanticleer
The Search For Mickey Mouse (or, In Search of Mickey)
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Post by rougescrooge »

Well you never know, maybe someday down the line any of them may still get made, and with the right convergence of talent, something grand might end up on screens.
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Post by Sky Syndrome »

UmbrellaFish wrote:I had heard Walt Disney planned an animated biography about Hans Christian Andersen. His life story is so intresting, I always wished it had been made.
I wonder if Rankin Bass knew about that. They released a stop motion animation/live action movie in 1966 titled "The Daydreamer". It's about teenage Hans Christian Anderson running away to find a fabled place, The Garden of Paradise, filled with special edible flowers that make you knowledgable when you eat them. Along the way, he daydreams dreams that become basis for stories he'd write as an adult.

EDIT: The movie came out in June of 1966 and Mr. Disney died in December so he might have seen it if he had free time.
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Post by disneyfella »

I found another cool article I thought I would share. It was from a magazine called "Persistence of Vision" circa 1995 (some of these projects were completed, though not as originally planned):



..."There has been a wave of Disney remakes lately, starting with Jungle Book. A live-action version of 101 Dalmatians is also underway. It has been reported that David Newman has written a script for a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea remake. It is said to be significantly different from the original; only Nemo, the Nautilus, and the squid have been kept - beyond that it is reported to be "very different." Disney is anxious to do the film, because of the advancements with their new computer system. The Nautilus is projected as being totally computer generated. The films Mighty Joe Young, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and 20,000 Leagues, appear to be a start to a reported new Disney policy - they want to do one big live-action family event film every year.

..."Disney just acquired the rights from the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate for Tarzan. This Disney project is reported to be headed to animation, but one source claimed that she heard live-action.

....."Shortly after the opening of Pocahontas, the edict came down to put more cute animals into The Legend of Mulan. The animated feature already included a cute little dragon, and rumor now is that a cricket will be added to the film. (Jiminy?)

..."Hercules is in active development and appears to be heading for a 1997 release. Hunchback is set for 1996, and Mulan has apparently been pushed back to 1998. Voice talents rumored to have been chosen already for Hercules include, Hal Holbrook, Danny Devito, Matt Frewer, and Bobcat Golthwait. Ron Clements and John Musker are directing, and rumor is that Hercules is there followup to Aladdin. They are looking for a really wild film- it's been called Disney's version of It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Art direction for the film is rumored to be some of the most crazed stuff Disney has ever done.

....."The computer animation guru John Lassiter's Disney collaboration, Toy Story, is scheduled for release this fall. The Disney/Pixar combination is currently working on James and the Giant Peach. While on the subject of computer animation, the project that is fascinating everybody at the Disney studio is "The Dinosaur Project." It is an attempt to do, with computer generation and without Pixar's help, the most lifelike dinosaurs ever done. A rumored test reel was completed, and was reported to have been "very highly received." They are looking to expand the ten minutes of footage into a full-length feature for a scheduled Christmas, 1997 release.

....."Fantasia Continued, continues. The following sequences from the original are being kept: Sorcerer's Apprentice, Nutcracker, Dance of the Hours, and night on Bald Mountain (without the Ave Maria sequence!). Six new sequences are being added. Five of them were reported last issue - and have not changed - the sixth sequence is rumored to be a piece by Shostakovich (one source claims Piano Concerto #2).

....."The Pomp and Circumstance sequence has been changed again. Originally it was going to include every Disney animated character - but it wasn't working. Disney is now back to one character Donlad Duck - in the version of Noah and the Ark. It is reported to be genuinely funny and inspired. Hearsay claims that the marketing campaign for Fantasia Continued will be built around Donald and this sequence.

....."Of great concern to Disney Feature Animation is the defections to Dreamworks SKG. Currently Dreamworks is working on the Prince of Egypt. Stephen Schwatz, who was working on Mulan, has apparently left to do the music for "Egypt". Also the people that wrote the original screenplay for Aladdin are working on "Egypt" for Dreamworks. Katzenberg continues to attempt to lure creative people away, and seems to be having some success. (In fact is is rumored that the reason Prince of Egypt, a story of Moses, was chosen as a first project was in an attempt to lull away one of Disney's top animators, whose Christian beliefs are well known.).

....."Also in the preliminary work stage for Disney Feature Animation is Around the World in 80 Days and Quetzalcoatl. The recent "Gong Show" for Disney Animation put six titles into active development. Some are odd choices, especially since the "adult-developed" Pocahontas is not doing as well as Lion King. Early reports claim that the standard comment for Pocahontas is "It was good, but it wasn't a Lion King". The six titles are: King Lear, Pygmalion, Sheherazade from "Thousand and One Nights", Ramayana, The Flame of Peace, and The Scarlet Pimpernel.








Again, I think it is kind of interesting to try to imagine the climate at the Studios during those time to see what all was in the pipeline and what some thought/hoped the direction of the company was going to be. It is interesting because we KNOW where the company went with each of these projects (well....most of them), and it's a fascinating process to see and one can easily appreciate it. Now if only we can see "The Sweatbox"...lol
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Post by blackcauldron85 »

That's really interesting!

I'm glad that they didn't remake "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"- I think that the remakes are unncessary (although I do enjoy both "Parent Trap" films very much).
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Post by Escapay »

Great find, Fella!
The Article wrote:Disney's version of It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
Now that would be something I wouldn't mind seeing. I know they're talking about Hercules, but that idea is pretty cool. Imagine Peg Leg Pete running off the road and then telling Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and a few other characters that there's a great treasure under the big W. Then a big race towards the W commences with additional Disney characters joining in the fray. And Ethel Merman's irate mother-in-law character can be played by Cruella De Vil! :P :lol:
The Article wrote:....."Of great concern to Disney Feature Animation is the defections to Dreamworks SKG. Currently Dreamworks is working on the Prince of Egypt. Stephen Schwatz, who was working on Mulan, has apparently left to do the music for "Egypt". Also the people that wrote the original screenplay for Aladdin are working on "Egypt" for Dreamworks. Katzenberg continues to attempt to lure creative people away, and seems to be having some success. (In fact is is rumored that the reason Prince of Egypt, a story of Moses, was chosen as a first project was in an attempt to lull away one of Disney's top animators, whose Christian beliefs are well known.).
Wow...that's a bit of studio gossip/backstage wars that I wasn't aware of.
The Article wrote:Early reports claim that the standard comment for Pocahontas is "It was good, but it wasn't a Lion King".
Thank god. Pocahontas is the superior of the two.
The Article wrote:The six titles are: King Lear, Pygmalion, Sheherazade from "Thousand and One Nights", Ramayana, The Flame of Peace, and The Scarlet Pimpernel.
Wow, I really would love to see what Disney could do with Pygmalion...

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Post by blackcauldron85 »

Escapay wrote: Wow, I really would love to see what Disney could do with Pygmalion...
Maybe the "Pygmalion" that's mentioned in the article develped into "Wild Life", since that has been said to have been "Pygmalion"esque...

hmmm...
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Post by disneyfella »

@Albert - You know who they were talking about with that "Prince of Egypt" remark don't you? I was shocked myself. I never knew or thought of it.....but if makes sense if you know much about Glen Keane.




@Amy - I was thinking the same thing. After reading up on WildLife, it sounds like it evolved into that and (as of now) got shelved.




Here's some more unfinished Disney history...sort of. Apparently, "The Brave Little Toaster" had begun story development in the Disney studios! It ended up falling away and was picked up by a different producer. They made the film, and it was eventually "re-acquired" by Disney. I thought that was kind of interesting. I always wondered who made "The Brave Little Toaster" and why Disney had anything to do with it. Apparenlty it was their idea to make a movie out of it to begin with!
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Post by PeterPanfan »

I've kind of noticed this trend with Disney..

They always seem to think of something, do away with it, and then the second someone else has an idea like theirs, they do their original idea.

Two examples:

1). Someone pushed the idea of The Black cauldron in the seventies, but Disney thought it was too dark. Don Bluth then released some dark films, and Disney did The Black Cauldron.

2). Disney had the idea of The Brave Little Toaster, and then put it away. Then someone else wanted to do it, and Disney was re-aquired with it.

That probably made no sense. :roll: :P
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Post by Escapay »

That Disney Fella wrote:@Albert - You know who they were talking about with that "Prince of Egypt" remark don't you? I was shocked myself. I never knew or thought of it.....but if makes sense if you know much about Glen Keane.
Actually, I didn't know it was Keane! Hmm, I wonder how much better the already-stellar The Prince of Egypt would have been if Keane worked on it.
Panfan wrote:1). Someone pushed the idea of The Black cauldron in the seventies, but Disney thought it was too dark. Don Bluth then released some dark films, and Disney did The Black Cauldron.
The Black Cauldron was a Disney film that was always in development hell, ever since the early 70s or so. The project really didn't get underway until about 1980 or 1981, IIRC, which co-incided with Bluth beginning production on The Secret of NIMH. I can't remember which one *really* started first, though I doubt that The Black Cauldron was made as competition for The Secret of NIMH, especially since it didn't come to theatres until 3 years after The Secret of NIMH, which itself wasn't successful at the box-office and only gained an audience years later on VHS.

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