Disney DTV updates

[2099net]

Here's a list of upcoming Disney DTV releases, according to DVD Exclusive I'm not sure how often these get updated, some of the production status quoted seem rather dated.

Atlantis: The New Adventures
Buena Vista (Walt Disney Television Animation)
Family: A sequel to the 2001 animated theatrical release.
Status: on hold indefinitely; Release: TBA

"Atlantis: The New Adventures" was to be the proper sequel to "Atlantis:The Lost Empire" and was to be the prequel to the animated TV series. Now, with the TV series also cancelled, all we will get is "Atlantis II: Milo's Return" - three episodes from the aborted TV cartoon with new wraparound animation (perhaps from "Atlantis:The New Adventures"?) masquarading as a feature. Think Disney's "Tarzan and Jane".

Bambi II
Buena Vista (Walt Disney Television Animation)
Family: A sequel to the 1942 Disney classic.
Status: preproduction; Release: TBA

Yes, they are doing a "Bambi II". What's worse it may be CGI (the project has reportedly flip-flopped between hand-drawn and CGI a number of times). May be 2004's DTV thearatrical release.

Dumbo II
Buena Vista (Walt Disney Television Animation)
Producer: Jeannine Roussel; Director: Robert Ramirez; Head of story: Burny Mattinson; Characters: Dumbo the elephant, Timothy the mouse, Claude and Lolly the mischievous twin bear cubs, Dot the curious zebra, Godfry the independent hippo, Penny the adventurous ostrich
Family: After accidentally getting disconnected from the circus, the animal children end up in the big city and have to figure out how to get home.
Status: in production; Release: TBA

Even though this was previewed on the "Dumbo" DVD, I understand this is cancelled. Time will no doubt tell.

The Hefalump Movie
Buena Vista (Walt Disney Television Animation)
Original songs: Carly Simon; Reprise "Deep in the Hundred Acre Wood"
Family: The next Winnie the Pooh story, which will follow 2003 theatrical release Piglet's Big Movie.
Status: in production; Release: 2005

A candidate for theatrical release in 2005? Not if the performance of "Piglet's Big Movie" are taken into account.

Lilo and Stitch II
Buena Vista (Walt Disney Television Animation)
Voice cast: Jason Scott Lee
Family: A sequel to Disney's summer 2002 animated theatrical release to follow a related TV series; Cast: Jason Scott Lee
Status: in production; Release: 2004

Not much news on "Lilo and Stitch II" - basically just reaffirming what we already know.

The Lion King I½: Hakuna Matata
Buena Vista (Walt Disney Television Animation)
Screenwriters: Jeff Ahlholm, Colin Goldman, Tom Rogers; additional screenwriters: Raymond Singer, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer; Executives in charge: Sharon Morrill, Brian Snedeker; Songs: "Warthog Rhapsody" by Elton John and Tim Rice, original songs by Lebo M.; Voices: Nathan Lane (Timon the Meerkat)
Family: A follow-up to the top-selling original animated video premiere of all-time based on the top-grossing animated movie of all-time.
Status: in production; Release: TBA

Release is February 2004 - see existing discussion thread for more information.

Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas
Buena Vista (Walt Disney Television Animation)
Family: A follow-up to the 1999 video premiere movie of episodic holiday stories with interstitials.
Status: preproduction; Release: TBA

The sequel to "Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas" of course! I'm not sure when this was last checked. Rumoured to be the Christmas 2003 release (but perhaps not if their status is correct) and also rumoured to be CGI.

Mulan II
Buena Vista (Walt Disney Television Animation)
Voices: Ming Na, Donny Osmond, Lea Salonga, B.D. Wong
Family: A sequel to Disney's 1998 animated theatrical release.
Status: preproduction; Release: 2003

Again, not sure about the reported status and release information. Most sites now list this as a 2004 release (but IMDB.com still lists 2003 too)

Mulan III
Buena Vista (Walt Disney Television Animation)
Screenwriters: Raymond Singer, Eugenia-Bostwick Singer
Family: The third chapter based on Disney's 1998 animated theatrical release.
Status: in development; Release: TBA

I understood work on "Mulan III" was being done in parallel with "Mulan II", so I again question the reported status. Once "Mulan II" is complete, the creators will give full attention to the third film. No reliable release date has been mentioned.

Rolie Polie Olie: The Baby Bot Chase
Nelvana/Disney
Directors: Ron Pitts, Mike Fallows
Family: A trilogy of episodes based on the TV series.
Status: prerelease; Release: June 3

Stitch!
Buena Vista (Walt Disney Television Animation)
Directors: Tony Craig, Robert Gannaway; Screenwriter: Jesse Winfield; Executive producers: Tony Craig, Robert Gannaway, Jess Winfield; Songs: Michael Tavera; Voices: Zoe Caldwel, Tia Carrere, Daveigh Chase, Kevin MacDonald, Ving Rhames, Kevin Michael Richardson, Chris Sanders, David Ogden Stiers
Family: Other alien experiments land on Earth, and Lilo and Stitch must rescue them and change them from bad to good.
Status: in production; Release: Aug. 26

Confirmation that the origional voice cast will return, and a little snippet of the plot. Not expected to be as polished as "Lilo and Stitch II"

Tarzan II
Buena Vista (Walt Disney Television Animation)
Music: three original songs by Phil Collins Family: The story picks up immediately following the end of the story in Disney's 1999 animated theatrical release.
Status: in production; Release: 2004

The "true" sequel to Disney's "Tarzan" ("Tarzan and Jane" was episodes from the TV series). I always thought "Tarzan II" was to be a prequel to the first film featuring a pre or early teen Tarzan. This would indicate otherwise.

Air Bud 5: Buddy Spikes Back
Buena Vista (Keystone Entertainment)
Director: Mike Southon; Producer: Anna McRoberts; Director of Photography: Adam Sliwinski; Cast: Caitlin Wachs, Katija Pevec, Jake Smith, Tyler Boissonnault, Rob Tinkler, Edie McClurg, Patrick Cranshaw, Cynthia Stevenson
Family: After her best friend moves to California, young Andrea takes up volleyball to win the chance to visit her.
Staus: completed; Release: June 24

Not sure if this is classed as a Disney film or not.

BMXP
Buena Vista (Keystone Entertainment)
Family: In the fourth movie in the series, the most valuable primate takes on BMX biking.
Status: in development; Release: TBA

A chimp rides a BMX?!? How can this fail?

George of the Jungle 2
Disney
Director: David Grossman; Producers: Jordan Kerner, Jon Avnet; Editor: Alan Cody; Production designer: Stewart Burnside; Art director: Daryl Porter; Cast: Julie Benz, Thomas Hayden Church, Marjean Holden, Angus T. Jones, Christina Pickles, Chris Showerman
Comedy: George, now a father, heads to Las Vegas, where he must help his brother.
Status: in production; Release: Oct. 21

Confirming what we already know.

Minkey P.I.
Buena Vista (Keystone Entertainment)
Family: A chimp is a detective.
Status: preproduction, shooting mid-January; Release: TBA

A chimp is a detective?!? How can this fail?

Most Valuable Primate 3
Miramax/Buena Vista (Keystone Entertainment)
Director: Robert Vince; Writers: Anne Vince, Anna McRoberts; Producers: Robert Vince, Anna McRoberts; Executive producer: Anne Vince; Director of photography: Mike Southon; Cast: Devin Drewitz (Pete), Robby Benson (Pete's dad), Louie the chimp (Jack), Bernie the chimp (Jack), Baby Jack the chimp (Louie)
Family comedy: Jack the chimp befriends Pete, who's new to the area, and together they get into snowboarding adventures.
Status: shooting in Vancouver; Release: 2003

A chimp is a snowboarder?!? How can this fail?

Chimps sell! Everybody loves a good monkey film, so it would seem.

[Loomis]

Well, Loomis will measure on an Ugh-o-meter (Ugh is bad - Yay is good )

Ok, before I say anything more - chimps are funny.
But animal movies are cruel.
But an Animal (from the Muppets) movie would be both cruel and funny in a good way.

Atlantis - haven't got the new DVD yet (came out here this week, bought Winnie the Pooh instead). I thought Atlantis stood well on its own.

Ughs
Bambi 2: Bambi's Revenge (aka Bambi 2: Electric Boogaloo) - why lord why?

Dumbo 2: If Pigs Could Fly - see above

Mulan sequels - see above

Yays!
Stitch Sequels - I kinda like the little blue guy. Have you noticed?

Heffalumps - anything with more Pooh related merchandise is fine by me. There can never be enough Winnie the Pooh films IMO.

Lion King - again, original good, first sequel (which was the first Disney DTV sequel to a masterpiece ever, was it not?) didn't suck.

The Rest
Couldn't care less.

But will I buy them all eventiually? You betcha!

[Jake Lipson]

I'm really, really excited about The Lion King 1.5 and will definitly buy that. I *might* rent the Mulan, Tarzan, and Lilo & Stitch follow-ups as well as Twice Upon a Christmas. I could care less about the others.

Loomis - the first Disney direct-to-video sequel was The Return of Jafar in 1994, which was the first five episodes of the TV series edited together into a feature. It became a huge success and launched their cheapquel craze.

[Loomis]

Loomis - the first Disney direct-to-video sequel was The Return of Jafar in 1994, which was the first five episodes of the TV series edited together into a feature. It became a huge success and launched their cheapquel craze.

Ah! So that is where the madness began!
(LK2 must've been the first one I bought...).
If only the clock could be turned back....

[Starion]

Jim Hill says:

"Dumbo 2." This project -- along with "Bambi 2" -- is currently on hold. Why for? Because Disney Television Animation is still trying to decide whether or not it wants to go forward with CG sequels to both of these classics.

That's right. A computer animated follow-up to both "Bambi" and "Dumbo."


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