On November 27, 2002, Treasure Planet was released in theaters and quickly became a cult film that still has many fans despite a disappointing performance at the box office. 20 years later, it’s time for Disney to produce more adventures for Jim Hawkins.
In the early 2000s, Walt Disney Animation Studios was still looking for a new direction after enjoying great success in the 90s. Disney’s Renaissance era officially ended with Tarzan in 1999 after delivering characters from all times like Aladdin, The Lion King, Hercules and Mulan, among others. These were also the years when 3D computer animation changed the game in the wake of the new millennium. Treasure Planet was one of Disney Animation’s biggest tests, combining computer animation with traditional animation. The film wasn’t as successful as expected, but it’s still a heartfelt story worth revisiting even today.
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Treasure Planet introduced some very intriguing imagery that never reached its full potential. And although it failed the theatrical test and went over its production budget, the John Musker and Ron Clements-directed film landed an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature that year. The plot had everything a good story needed, including robots, swordsmen, spaceships, and golden treasures. Jim is a charismatic and relatable protagonist who searches for his place in the universe, a journey everyone experiences at some point in their lives. It’s hard not to fall for this adorable rascal and his rocket-powered windsurfing board.
There are various reasons why Treasure Planet was not a box office success, even though it was based on a very popular coming-of-age story by author Robert Louis Stevenson. The main one is its theatrical release a few months after the premiere of Lilo & Stitch, which was one of Disney Animation’s huge critical and commercial successes in the early 2000s. lack of a big Disney villain. Much can be said about the cyborg John Silver, but he was not a heartless character and fails as a villain even though he led a mutiny against the lovely Captain Amelia. Finally, the producers failed to keep the production budget at bay, which levitated to $140 million. Treasure Planet is still one of the most expensive traditional animated films in history.
With the launch of its own streaming platform, Disney has all the means to relaunch the Treasure Planet franchise and promote it as it should. The House of Mouse is currently focused on live-action adaptations of Disney Renaissance hits, so it might be long to hope the 2002 film gets the same treatment. However, some follow-up anime series might be relatively affordable and doable. The film ended right after Jim joined the Royal Interstellar Academy, there are virtually endless stories that could follow him across the galaxy’s countless planets.
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While Treasure Planet wasn’t the perfect movie, it perfectly captured the zeitgeist of the early 2000s, when it seemed like a bright, limitless future lay ahead. The film left the door open for other stories set in the same universe, but Disney didn’t believe in its potential after the film’s disappointment. Hopefully things will change in the Disney+ era. In the meantime, Treasure Planet is available on the streaming service for a rewatch once in a while.
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