Tarzan First Impressions

[Sotiris]

Little known fact: When we were animating on ‘Tarzan’, Disney reached out to Harrison Ford to voice Kerchak. As it turned out, Lance Henriksen did a fantastic job! I think you can still see a bit of Harrison in the design, though - around the brows. Here’s a shot I animated of him.

Source: https://www.instagram.com/robbpratt/reel/CFdSMWEDy0_/

After posting the Young Tarzan drawings last week I was reminded of this Deep Canvas test I had done. This was done early on before I had a design for Young Tarzan, to test the first Deep Canvas background effect. The first shot is the painted 3D background. The second is a traditional 2D background. They wanted to see if they would go together well, as well as how would a hand drawn character fit on it. After Glen Keane came on to the film they did the really cool test of Tarzan tree surfing.

Source: https://www.instagram.com/johnripa/reel/C0udCaOydmd/

All of Jane's sketches throughout Tarzan are drawn by Brenda Chapman, Disney storyboard artist on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Rescuers Down Under and head of story on The Lion King, before directing The Prince of Egypt and Brave.

Source: https://x.com/GoofyMovieDir/status/1276644286713393153

The artists that designed Tarzan were all involved in the development and approval of all of the merchandise that hit the shelves in 1999.

Source: https://x.com/GoofyMovieDir/status/1276652988459659264

[JeanGreyForever]

That's interesting that Harrison Ford was considered for the role at one point. I'd never heard that before. I wonder if Disney ever reached out to him afterwards for another role.

[JTurner]

My opinion on Tarzan: it's good, but not great. I liked Hunchback, Mulan, and other Disney films better. But I still would watch Tarzan over the likes of Home on the Range, Brother Bear, Treasure Planet, or any Disney CG movie any day.

[Disney's Divinity]

Little known fact: When we were animating on ‘Tarzan’, Disney reached out to Harrison Ford to voice Kerchak. As it turned out, Lance Henriksen did a fantastic job! I think you can still see a bit of Harrison in the design, though - around the brows. Here’s a shot I animated of him.

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/BsHrK67h6Dm/

I can definitely see it. The finished product's Kerchak is great as-is, but Harrison Ford would've been good, too.

Looking back at my posts in this thread, I've shifted a tiny bit on Tarzan. I still think it's just an average film with great music/animation (Sabor and Glenn Close are other highlights), but I always enjoy the film when I'm watching it. Like Hunchback, it's a film I like less when I'm just thinking about the film than when I'm watching it for some reason? One of the best things about Tarzan is that it doesn't shy away from the violence that should be expected from the jungle. Anyway, as far as my old posts, my opinion's shifted a great deal more on Atlantis than Tarzan. But I do feel the same way about Tony Goldwyn as I did then.

[Sotiris]

The El Capitan is screening Tarzan in honor of its 20th anniversary.


Source: https://www.facebook.com/ElCapitanThtre ... 433416372/


Source: https://www.facebook.com/ElCapitanThtre ... 960341372/


Source: https://www.facebook.com/ElCapitanThtre ... 372896372/

[JeanGreyForever]

I'm just glad Disney hasn't entirely forgotten this film between this and the D23 Panel although it's a shame we aren't getting any forms of merchandise, not even a sketchbook ornament.

[Sotiris]

Imagination to Animation: Tarzan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIdeRqbxZDk

[Sotiris]

I knew that Mulan started as a TV project, but wasn't aware Tarzan did too.

Tarzan started as a Disney Television Animation project and saved her job. Everyone knew that when production on A Goofy Movie ended, their jobs would be over. Carole shared how she received a fax message in Paris announcing that her contract on the film was done, but Kevin Lima had another trick up his sleeve. “Originally it was a TV one before it went to features,” Carole shared about Kevin Lima’s next film, Tarzan. He requested that the team from A Goofy Movie be kept on and moved to that project, which saved Carole’s job. And when the film moved to Disney Feature Animation, she found herself back where her Disney career started.

Source: https://www.laughingplace.com/w/article ... ter-hours/

[Disney's Divinity]

In a way, I think A Goofy Movie deserves to be an honorary member of the Renaissance. It certainly fits alongside those films much better than The Rescuers Down Under.

It's a shame Mulan didn't get a film-based TV series even more considering it began as a TV project in the first place.

[Sotiris]

It's a shame Mulan didn't get a film-based TV series even more considering it began as a TV project in the first place.

It came close to. A pilot was produced in 2004 called "Mulan and the Treasures of Qin" with Ming-Na reprising her role. I wonder why it wasn't picked up. A damn shame, really.

[DisneyFan09]

I knew that Mulan started as a TV project, but wasn't aware Tarzan did too.

You didn´t? I hope you don´t take this the wrong way, but it´s been known for years. Through Starlog Magazine and David Koenig´s Mouse Under Glass. I hope I didn´t insult you.

In a way, I think A Goofy Movie deserves to be an honorary member of the Renaissance. It certainly fits alongside those films much better than The Rescuers Down Under.

I know, right? Technically it fits perfectly, since it is after all a glossy, romance-driven musical in the same vein as those from the canon-list.

It came close to. A pilot was produced in 2004 called "Mulan and the Treasures of Qin" with Ming-Na reprising her role. I wonder why it wasn't picked up. A damn shame, really.

Indeed. But it´s remarkable that it took Disney so long to develop a pilot of it. Why not planning it when Mulan was at it´s peak?

[blackcauldron85]

So Disney *can* make new Tarzan merch?!
New T-Shirts Featuring “Tarzan”, “Pocahontas”, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “A Bug’s Life” Designs Bring ‘90s Retro Style to Walt Disney World
https://wdwnt.com/?p=317852

[Disney's Divinity]

I wonder if Disney has paid for the rights again? Is there any way to check that out to know if they had? I know there’s been speculation about a Tarzan live-action remake, which I think is very likely since every other Renaissance film is getting one / has got one, and Tarzan and Mulan were the most successful post-TLK Renaissance films. So they may have paid for the rights for that reason… I really, really hope so.

I would love to see a re-make, of course. But I'd also love the original film to finally get Funko pops and also appear in Kingdom Hearts again (at PS4-5 level graphics, too!), and receive more merchandise in general for that matter. It's really a win all around. I hope they have.

[JeanGreyForever]

Finally the conversation has returned to Tarzan...it felt like a Mulan thread for some time.

So Disney *can* make new Tarzan merch?!
New T-Shirts Featuring “Tarzan”, “Pocahontas”, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “A Bug’s Life” Designs Bring ‘90s Retro Style to Walt Disney World
https://wdwnt.com/?p=317852

Yay! So long overdue and I love those T-Shirts for my three favorite films post The Lion King. Also to those who mistakenly believe that Tarzan and Mulan were the most successful of the post TLK films, that couldn't be further from the truth and false propaganda like that shouldn't be spread. Pocahontas was the top grossing after Tarzan. As for Hunchback, it still made more worldwide than even Mulan did. Pocahontas, Hunchback, and Tarzan are still part of WDAS' top 10 grossing films from the 90s and 2000s, whereas Hercules and Mulan don't factor at all.

[blackcauldron85]

I wonder if Disney has paid for the rights again? Is there any way to check that out to know if they had?

I've been searching for a while & have not come up with an answer yet...

[Disney's Divinity]

Thanks for trying though, bc85. There may not be any way to find something like that out, unfortunately.

[DisneyFan09]

Wow. I´m happy that Disney are still able to make merchandise for their less promoted features in the same way they did when they were released. I like those pics from those merchandise.

[blackcauldron85]

Um, this came up in a Google search for me (I was looking for a particular image not about his bum lol):

Can Tarzan Swing On Vines Using His Arse Cheeks, An Investigation
https://goat.com.au/disney/can-tarzan-s ... stigation/

And I guess the original:
https://www.reddit.com/r/theydidthemath ... lench_his/

[Sotiris]

“Tarzan” Director Seemingly Disappointed By Treehouse Changes at Disneyland
https://www.laughingplace.com/w/disney- ... treehouse/

[carolinakid]

To be honest, I was a fan of the original DL Treehouse as Walt Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson (1960) was a childhood favorite film of mine (and still is). The Tarzan redo was ok but never a favorite, but I could live with it because the WDW version remained the same.
I have not experienced the new DL version yet, but I doubt they did anything to “improve” the original. This version from what I’ve seen and read veers too radically from the original Disney version imo, and yes, I’m aware the attraction is now “inspired” by the original version and that the classic Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, based on the film, is gone forever...