Disney can have a hit, they just aren't thinking.

[Kist]

With all of the recent "Treasure Planet bombed!" talk going around and Disney's internal problems it made me think. Maybe Disney has lost focus on what makes a hit.

I have yet to see Treasure Planet for myself so I can't judge on how well done it was. However, based on past successes and failures I have my own little theory.

Disney dosen't seem to be listening to what fans are wanting. It seems to me that the old "movies based on classic fairytales" formula is beginning to wear itself thin. Even though they tried to give Treasure Island's story a twist by setting it in a new universe I'm guessing that wasn't enough to garner mainstream interests.

However, it seems that originality has been fairing well for them. Lilo and Stitch was obviously a hit and I'm pretty sure it wasn't based on some age old fairytale or story. Toy Story and its sequel was something new and creative. Although there had been things based on a toy's point of view before Disney and Pixar did manage to make it their own classic. I think that Kingdom Hearts would be a grand idea, but of course no one at Disney seems to be realizing that (they were once rumoured to be making a movie based on the game but that sort of died out)

Then there are the old favorites Disney has. Disney has so many franchises which have been getting ignored that could be brought back for another go round. And when I say this I'm not saying make another lackluster direct to video sequel to one of their hit movies, but give something that never made it to theaters a chance.
Maybe this was just me, but I think cartoon series Disney had in the 80's and early 90's could do great now, that is of course assuming they use them well. Darkwing Duck, Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers, etc.
And if you insist on making sequels to movies how about theatrical releases of a new Ducktales (which had a hit movie already), hell how about a new Roger Rabbit? Or better yet something no one would expect! As long as it isn't a live action Sailor Moon I'll be fine.

[Tobias]

I'd rather see "Tale Spin: The Movie" than "Jungle Book 2" any day.

-Chip & Dale's Rescue Rangers
-Darkwing Duck
-Ducktales the Movie II
-Gargoyles
-The Gummi Bears

They've already proven with Ducktales, Goof Troop, and Winnie the Pooh that their animated series can be a success. They just have to start putting the movies out.

[CookieS]

What Disney is doing now is simply creating a more teen-friendly film, minus the singing. Let's face it.....almost all Disney movies have the main character and two wacky sidekicks. Treasure Planet looks great, but I have no clue as to why it would "bomb" other than people just not seeing it.

Overall the company is still looking for the next niche. What was their last hit? Monsters Inc.?

[oranthal]

treasure planet took $140M to make. very hard to make a profit off of that. and they didn't give spirited away a proper advertising campaign and a wide release.

[zano88]

this might sound crazy to some, but if disney (or any other studio for that matter) did an authentic hiphop movie with a good story and quality songs by quality hiphop artists, i think they would make a killing....especially if it were handled with a genuine respect for the culture..... maybe disney is the wrong company for this, but the success of 8mile shows that there is some untapped potential there, and they definitely know how to handle musicals

[Gary L Thompson]

Originally posted by oranthal
treasure planet took $140M to make. very hard to make a profit off of that. and they didn't give spirited away a proper advertising campaign and a wide release.

If I was a leader among Disney stockholders, and if "Spirited Away" did anything at all at the Oscars, I would be demanding that the film be given a wide release and big advertising campaign for the new year. Or else I would be seeking a total change in management. A movie that would be very easy to make a profit on because the cost of making it was paid by somebody else, nearly unanimous acclaim from critics, and good average grosses for the pitable few screens it is running so far....to not try recouping from "Treasure Planet's" failure by running "Spirited Away" would be as suicidal as Twentieth Century Fox burying "The Longest Day" and "Sound of Music" after "Cleopatra" nearly bankrupted the movie studio.

[Nightflower]

Originally posted by zano88
this might sound crazy to some, but if disney (or any other studio for that matter) did an authentic hiphop movie with a good story and quality songs by quality hiphop artists, i think they would make a killing....especially if it were handled with a genuine respect for the culture..... maybe disney is the wrong company for this, but the success of 8mile shows that there is some untapped potential there, and they definitely know how to handle musicals

Um....... sorry, but I think even if hiphop is popular, few people who like that kind of music would be able to reconcile it with Disney or even animation.

[zarius]

Disney have yet to prove to it's audience that it can carry a film without musical content ,at present, Disney-Music=Watching CNN.

The fil;m's still have strong characters, why can't the company use good characterisation their cartoons?

Disney + Bad Human Characterisation =Kim Possible

[zano88]

Originally posted by Nightflower
Um....... sorry, but I think even if hiphop is popular, few people who like that kind of music would be able to reconcile it with Disney or even animation.
As far as disney goes, that might be true......but not so for animation in general:hiphop, especially graffiti, has had a love affair with animation that goes back to its early days.....a lot of early graf characters were derived from cartoons and comic books, particularly vaughn bode, whose visual style ralph bakshi lifted for "wizards".(consequently, the design elements from this movie had a big influence also)...... the opening sequence to the first hiphop movie, "wild style" is entirely animated. years later in the "yo! mtv raps" days, many artists utilized animation in their videos (jeru, k-solo) and more recently, dice raw, deltron 3030, tupac, and people under the stairs have had fully animated music videos. Also, DJ Qbert has a 90 minute animated movie in which the entire dialogue is scratching....the movie has played festivals internationally. Truthfully, i think the only obstacle for a widely released animated feature of this kind would be getting the music right, along with not being corny about the subject matter.

[Auggie Doggie]

Let me just say that Disney cancelling their contract with Pixar is basically a carrer suicide, unless they can use live-action films, movies using the same secrets as Lilo & Stitch (but without cloning it), some anime from Miramax or what Tobias mentioned.

[Gary L Thompson]

Disney hangs on to a relationship with Miramax, which arguably has done considerable damage to their corporate image, while tossing overboard partners like Gladstone Comics and Pixar which have done them nothing but good. If I was a key stockholder, I'd be asking why at the next annual meeting....

[Nightflower]

Originally posted by Desslar
"Even if"??????? Look at the Billboard chart or MTV sometime. Hiphop practically owns them these days.

I agree that this might be a dubious project for Disney though.
...

All right... "even though".

Jeez. O_o

[Dee]

I would like to see a new Roger Rabbit. Lemme see.. the first one took place in the 30's/40s?

How about another case for Valentine? I love movies where they do a nice job in creating a 'feeling' with the sets and costumes....


but THEN AGAIN... wasn't Roger Rabbit a WB film?



...live action sailor moon? HAHAHAHA starring who? Britney Spears? EWWWWWW

[zano88]

Hey, Nightflower.....where does that Desslar quote come from?
I dont see it in this thread anywhere...and it seems to refer to your original post

[Tobias]

Originally posted by Delia97
....


but THEN AGAIN... wasn't Roger Rabbit a WB film?





Roger Rabbit was Touchstone, which is Disney owned. A live action Sailor Moon movie would be good if done right. (i.e. Not done by Di$ney, done as an action film and not a stupid and typical "teen" movie and at least rated PG-13, although R might work better)