Will Hunchback be in a Masterpiece Editon?

[Chernobog]

What do you think? Looking at this http://disney.video.free.fr/menu/bossu/bossu1.htm (thanks, Disneykid) I feel so disappointed with the current DVD edition, specially when THOND is (for me) one the best Disney movies ever made. And the fact that there are a lot of yet-made-but-not-included bonus features gets me angry.

IMO Hunchback will be released in a masterpiece edition or another kind of 2-Disc set maybe in 2006, the same as Hercules. [/url]

[Uncle Remus]

looking at all the special features that were on the laserdisc, most likely Disney will rerelease the HoND as a Masterpiece Collection DVD if enough people show interest in the movie.

[Luke]

When it was released to DVD, there was a conscious decision to pare down and just do a single-disc release. Which means that we almost certainly WILL see a 2-disc DVD at some point.

[AwallaceUNC]

I want Hercules more than Hunchback, and I believe we'll definitely see a 2-disc set for it too, but I'm hoping we see both within the next year.

-Aaron

[MickeyMousePal]

The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Hercules should both be Masterpiece Editions or Special Editions 2 Disc DVD Set.
Both films are very good but others don't show the support they need for being great films.
Come on show your support!!!

[castleinthesky]

I think it will. Why wouldn't they release it on ME or SE? I believe any animated classics (except the war era films) that havn't been on a two-disk DVD set, will come out on a 2-disk set.

[Prince Eric]

The question is, will it be released as a Masterpiece Edition? My only clue for criteria for this collection is that it is reserved for psuedo-popular classics that have the potential to sell a couple of million copies. Alice in Wonderland was, and still is, a notorious Disney flop, but it still had a massive cult following to ensure a release. Pocahontas was not a total failure, just a financial letdown. HOwever, they can't ignore it's 2 Academy Awards (which is why I usually include it in the Fab 4, so to me it's the Fab 5 and I'm not going to start on how upset I was when I found out two years ago then it wouldn't be in the Platinum line), plus, many historians view it as a great artistic achievement on Disney's part. The explanation for Lilo & Stitch is a little more tricky. It's safe to say that the post-Tarzan movies that don't already have 2-Disc sets will probably never have them again. Those that do, will probably have those as their definative versions. However, Lilo & Stitch was one of the first, and still is, true successes of the animated cannon, which could merit a re-release as some time of 2-Disc Edition.

Sleeping Beauty and Mulan are both well-known Disney films that have mass Disney appeal. For that, they are designated as Special Editions, to indicate that they are higher that the Masterpiece Editions. I bet no one noticed this, but put your Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Sleeping Beauty, and future Mulan next to each other, and what do they all say? Special Edition! Unless you look on the cover, they all look like the belong to the same collection! No one would know what 10 belong to the Platinum line!

Now with that explanation said ( ), I think this is a probably list of Masterpiece and Special Editions. I'm beginning to think that the Special Editions will be used to cross-promote the Platinum releases with each other.

Masterpiece Edtions
Hercules - 2006
The Hunchback of Notra Dame - 2006
They're going to have to release the 90's Broadway musical-esque films as 2-Discers sooner or later, so I think this is the right time for both.
Oliver & Company - 2007
I don't know, I'm just drawing at straws here. I'm think they may want to bump the single edition into a 2-Disk. ???

Special Editions
Dumbo - March 2006
Many people always think of Bambi and Dumbo as interchangeable and anyone can see why. THis would be a nice double dip for families with small children. Plus, there's been a rumor about this for some time, and we didn't know about Mulan until fairly late in the game, so.
Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Fantasia - October 2006, March 2007, October 2007
One word: classics. Three words: must 2-Discers. They're inevitable, and I would really like it if Fantasia had an independent multi-disk set.

OK, once these are realeased, honestly and truly, I don't think any more classics will be put into the three "established collections" - Platinum, Masterpiece, and the updated Special Edtions.
There are a few candidates, namely Tarzan and The Many Adventure of Winnie the Pooh. I see both in the Special Edition category, but when released, I don't know.
I'm confident this list is a close-to-accurate guesstimate. Of course, the underdogs might sneek in, but I have no idea.

[DreamerQ18]

Okay well I agree with most that the Hunchback of Notre Dame will be realsed as a 2-disc edition sooner or later. Howvere for some reason I see Hercules and Hunchback as Masterpiece Edition. I cant find the posts in which the Masterpiece collection was explined a little better I think it was movies that were extremly popular but not enough to be consider PE. I think these movies were both great and are pretty recent so I am sure there are many bonus features they can dig up like they have with Mulan. I dont know maybe my theory is based on the fact that Pochantas will be realsed at a Masterpiece Edition and both these films came out after this one. But who knows we still havwe to wait and see what nexts years SE will be that always seems to come out near the time of the PE. And now an even bigger question is will there be 2 SE since 2 PE will be relased? But just like Prince Eric I am guessing and wondering.

[Joe Carioca]

Even though "Hunchback" is a wonderful movie (one of my Disney favorites), it was the first Disney movie since "Oliver & Company" (excluding "The Rescuers Down Under", of course) to not become a blockbuster. It made big bussness outside the US, but it was considered a letdown in North-American territorry. So, it isn't surprising to see that the arguably more popular "Alice", "Pocahontas", "Mulan" and "Lilo & Stitch" are being released before it. But it surely will get a special edition in the future... My bet is 2006, since the 2005 calendar seems to be full already.

I also think that there is material burried in the vaults made for a "Hercules" release. As I said in another post, I believe the extras for "Mulan" were produced for a canned release on LD ou special edition DVD. Hence their similarity with editions from the same era (A Bug's Life and Tarzan) and the dificulty to produce this material now that the artists were fired and the studio was closed. So, I believe there is "Hercules" edition just ready to be released in there.
"Treasure Planet" and "Home on the Range" also have had material produced for special editions, but were paired down to single discs releases (both being box-office deceptions). Still, I don't believe Disney will release special editions for them. By the way, isn't it ironic that "Home on the Range", one of the biggest flop from Feature Animation , was one of the Disney films with the "better" box-office this year?

As for the Masterpiece Collection, I don't doubt Disney has already dropped it. I believe Disney will release "Pocahontas" next year as the "special 10th anniversary edition".

Oh, Prince Eric, I would add "Saludos Amigos/The Three Caballeros" to your list of future special editions. Not because they are two of my favorites (though they are ) but because they also have the bonus features ready, the only need to transfer it to DVD.

[AwallaceUNC]

Dreamer, I've been wondering that myself. I really hope we get a SE/ME with each PE, including the Spring releases. Let's hope that Bambi's is either Hercules, Hunchback, Dumbo, Peter Pan, or Pinocchio.

-Aaron

[Luke]

Even though "Hunchback" is a wonderful movie (one of my Disney favorites), it was the first Disney movie since "Oliver & Company" (excluding "The Rescuers Down Under", of course) to not become a blockbuster.

Not to get off-topic, but with a domestic gross of $53 million, <i>Oliver & Company</i> was considered quite a success for Disney. Of course it greatly pales compared to what would follow, but it was a big step-up from <i>Black Cauldron</i> and <i>Great Mouse Detective</i>. If not considered a full-out blockbuster, which is probably your point anyway, it was a success of sorts. Heck, it did more than <i>Treasure Planet</i> or <i>Home on the Range</i> did this decade.

So, anyway, I'm not disputing your point that <i>Oliver</i> was not a huge blockbuster, just clarifying. And I'm sure you already know this, Joe.

[Joe Carioca]

No problems Luke, you are absolutly right.
What I meant to say is that "The Hunchback" was the first Disney feature to break the cycle of finantial and critical successes that had started with "Oliver" (actually, it started with "The Great Mouse Detective"). I only made sure to include "Oliver" because, as you said, it was a big hit for Disney. Not blockbuster proportion, but it broke records for animated films at the time, which is a big deal.
But, of course, it was "The Little Mermaid" that started the 'big bang' in the nineties for Disney, even though Disney tries to convince us it was "Oliver" on the DVD.

[Prince Eric]

Joe, the question was never if they had bonus materials for a special release, but the question lies in the marketability of the movie. I just collection of The Three Caballeros and Saludos Amigos would break the one million point. For instance, Sleeping Beauty has held fast at 2.2 million copies, and that's considered one of Walt's artistic masterpiece, plus, it has the added appeal of a princess movie. Alice debuted at number one during it's initial week of release, but quickly fell off the chart. I think Disney will spear head it's lucrative films, then maybe do something with it's "lower" or "less" known films.

I just thought of an idea! Why not have an anthology of less known films with maybe a few extras for each movie in the set? It be pretty fun to have a The Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective, and Robin Hood all in the same collection. Disney could really milk that idea!

[Disneykid]

I can very easily see Hunchback as a 2-Disc set as well as Hercules. To be honest, I think that when all is said and done, every Disney classic will have a 2-Disc set with the exception of the anthologies and the 70's/80's films. I have begun to wonder if the Masterpiece Collection is already dead after only one title, or if something else is going on. Pocahontas and Lilo were both going to be called ME's, but with Mulan being a SE, I suspect these two to be SE's as well. Which leaves only two options: 1) Either Disney's reserving the ME label for Walt-era films that aren't Platinums (and if so, then that's odd as the only non-anthologies that aren't platinums are Dumbo, Alice, and Sword in the Stone), or 2) they've killed off the ME line. Basically, this is what I predict will happen (with a mixture of what I want, too):

2005:
Pocahontas
Lilo and Stitch
Bambi
Cinderella

2006:
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Dumbo
The Jungle Book
The Little Mermaid

2007:
Hercules
Saludos Amigos/The Three Caballeros???
Lady and the Tramp
101 Dalmatians

Personally, I think it'd be nice if Disney packaged each anthology feature according to subject. Like, since these films are so small and probably won't have enough material to warrant full-blown 2-disc sets, they can package Saludos Amigos and the Three Caballeros together, Make Mine Music and Melody Time together, and Fun and Fancy Free and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad together. Each film will have their own little single disc edition with a commentary track, extensive "making of", galleries, and other things, and will be packaged in twos so there'll be 3 special editions of the anthologies on the market. Of course, this makes far too much sense, so Disney won't do it.

[alex.robinson]

Of course, this makes far too much sense, so Disney won't do it.

It's funny cos it's true.

[2099net]

For instance, Sleeping Beauty has held fast at 2.2 million copies, and that's considered one of Walt's artistic masterpiece, plus, it has the added appeal of a princess movie. Alice debuted at number one during it's initial week of release, but quickly fell off the chart. I think Disney will spear head it's lucrative films, then maybe do something with it's "lower" or "less" known films.

But 2.2 million copies is nowhere near being unprofitable, Kill Bill pt 1, a brand new film sold 3.9 million according to Luke's Video sales report. But it will still get a boxset and probably a reedited combined release with Pt 2.

Most studios would be estatic to get sales of 2.2 million on a film that was made in the late 1950's.

Absolutely Disney can do 2 disc editions for all their animated films and all would be financially viable and capable of supporting high-quality extras like new Making Of's, Virtual Galleries and Archive Footage.

Remember 2.2 million is for the US sales only. Virtually the same contents for their 2 disc sets are released all over the world, meaning Sleeping Beauty has probably sold closer to 6-8 million worldwide.

[castleinthesky]

Joe, the question was never if they had bonus materials for a special release, but the question lies in the marketability of the movie. I just collection of The Three Caballeros and Saludos Amigos would break the one million point. For instance, Sleeping Beauty has held fast at 2.2 million copies, and that's considered one of Walt's artistic masterpiece, plus, it has the added appeal of a princess movie. Alice debuted at number one during it's initial week of release, but quickly fell off the chart. I think Disney will spear head it's lucrative films, then maybe do something with it's "lower" or "less" known films.

I just thought of an idea! Why not have an anthology of less known films with maybe a few extras for each movie in the set? It be pretty fun to have a The Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective, and Robin Hood all in the same collection. Disney could really milk that idea!

I think The Black Cauldron, The Sword in the Stone ,and Robin Hood would be together. The Rescuers, the Rescuers Down Under, and The Great Mouse Detective Would Go together. Maybe Oliver & Company and The Aristocats would go todether.

[Prince Eric]

Yes, 2.2 million copies is by no means a failure, but it dwarfs in comparison to sales figures of the Platinum series. Besides, those figures may not necessarily yield huge profits when you consider the marketing budgets behind every special release. I still maintain that some classics will never see 2-Disc sets. The only way we would know for sure is if someone brought up the sales figures of the Gold Collection. We could glean a lot from them, i.e. which sold the best, and thus has a better chance at a re-issue.

[Lumiere]

I hope its true

[2099net]

Yes, 2.2 million copies is by no means a failure, but it dwarfs in comparison to sales figures of the Platinum series. Besides, those figures may not necessarily yield huge profits when you consider the marketing budgets behind every special release. I still maintain that some classics will never see 2-Disc sets.

Well, as far as I can see Sleeping Beauty hardly got any marketing. Alice even less.

You have to remember what's made for the US can be exported all over the world. True, it may require menu changes, dubbing and subtitling for language issues, but each of these is a relatively cheap process. So the investment in the supplements is for millions more discs than just sold in the US.

Disney made George of the Jungle 2, and despite being 8th on the list of best selling DTV titles, it only generated $7.2m in revenue. And yet one has to assume it is profitable (it's certainly outsold lots of other DTVs). So I think all 2 disc sets are profitable. They made an entire film, plus reasonable supplements for George of the Jungle 2!

As for some getting a 2 disc treatment and some not, well Disney are running out of films to release on DVD!

Depite the arrival of HD-DVD (which still hasn't got a definitive spec yet as far as I know) it will be two to three years before the installed user base is big enough for Disney to want to release their medium to high sellers on HD-DVD.

I also expect HD-DVD's take up rate to be much slower than DVDs, as it requires new players and new televisions to get the full benefit, and even when there's upgrades made to the main player and television in the household, bedrooms are still likely to be using normal DVD players and normal televisions for a good few years.

In the meantime, there's millions of new ordinary DVD users since the Gold Collection discs were released. I absolutely 100% think all the animated films will get a 2 disc release between now and 2008 or 2010 (whenever the HD-DVD userbase is considered viable).

Some studios, such as Sony, have an interest in putting good films out on HD-DVD earlier, because they have an interest in selling the hardware. Even Warner may have an interest, as some of the DVD format copyright may still be licenced on the new HD-DVD players - Warner Bros were the main creators of the DVD format and hold lots of patents (I'm sure it will if its backwards compatiable). But Disney has no ties to hardware or the DVD format.

I also expect the anthology titles to get 2 disc releases, but released in pairs as has often been speculated here.