Disneynature News

JamesDFarrow · Post by **JamesDFarrow** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:23 am

Don't know if this has been posted already. Don't have time to look as I am supposed to be working. LOL! Anyway looks like new nature films on the way:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/22/busin ... isney.html

James

Jules · Post by **Jules** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:12 am

I see one major problem with this undertaking.

The motivation is financial, and not artistic.

steve · Post by **steve** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:48 am

I see one major problem with this undertaking.

The motivation is financial, and not artistic.

Ever the optimist, I hope that this will be a return to the kind of innovative TV production overseen by Walt in the 50s and 60s. Maybe its the influence of Lasseter and Co. at Disney? They seem to want to return Disney to its past greatness - perhaps this is one path towards achieving that goal?

Escapay · Post by **Escapay** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:13 am

Jules wrote:The motivation is financial, and not artistic.

At the end of the day, Jules, everyone's motivation is financial. In this crazy mixed-up world we live in, money still makes the world go round and without it, it's very hard for most humans to survive within a level of comfort they are accustomed to.

Albert

Jules · Post by **Jules** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:08 am

I understand what you mean, Scaps, for of course even Walt Disney himself had a business to run, and he needed to make money, or Walt Disney Productions would have been history.

However, it seems Walt Disney was never really blinded by money. He never really let it dictate what kind of movie to put into theatres. Money was secondary to art!

With this kind of attitude, I doubt the Disney company would ever consider a continuation of Fantasia, because of course - for the high ranking officials Fantasia has no commercial value (though I disagree). Some people view John Lasseter's arrival to Walt Disney Animation Studios as a breath of fresh air. But let's face it ... Walt Disney Animation Studios is just a fraction of the Walt Disney Company. The rest of it is still moving along with blinkers, and I don't think ol' Johnny can do anything to change that.

disneyfella · Post by **disneyfella** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 3:45 pm

I'm pretty partial to the Disney documentaries of late (i.e. Roving Mars, Ghosts of the Abyss, Aliens of the Deep, America's Heart and Soul, etc.). This is just exciting news for me

Check out the amazing trailer!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_i-vIKBD_s

Jules · Post by **Jules** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 4:04 pm

I'm confused with the 'Disneynature Films' label. Is it like a motion picture banner like 'Walt Disney Pictures' or 'Touchstone Pictures'? In other words, an alternate one?

disneyfella · Post by **disneyfella** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 4:56 pm

I'm assuming it is just another branch of the Disney banner.....much like "DisneyToon Studios".

Barbossa · Post by **Barbossa** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:23 pm

disneyfella wrote:I'm pretty partial to the Disney documentaries of late (i.e. Roving Mars, Ghosts of the Abyss, Aliens of the Deep, America's Heart and Soul, etc.). This is just exciting news for me

Check out the amazing trailer!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_i-vIKBD_s

The trailer is on Yahoo as well. Here it is:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/180942748 ... 4K97tfVXcA

Looks good! Maybe they could call this series True Life Adventures V2.0.

Here's the iceberg castle logo from the trailer:

Jules · Post by **Jules** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:12 am

Thanks for that pic Barbossa!

By the way, I've researched and clarified the matter. Disneynature Films is a new film label just like Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures and Miramax Films. It will obviously join the existing ones as the latest one.

And as you can see, it has a pretty gorgeous logo - seemingly inspired by the traditional Walt Disney Pictures setup.

blackcauldron85 · Post by **blackcauldron85** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 7:44 am

The article mentions that in 2009 will be "Earth", in 2010, "Oceans", and in 2012, "Chimpanzees". I wonder why the other films, if 2 are to be released per year, were not mentioned at all? Surely they've gotten along well on the second film for 2009, right?

This is very exciting, but I kind of am upset at the fact that the only reason Disney is making nature films is because of the success of "March of the Penguins" and "Planet Earth". They're just copying other's ideas. Sure, there are so many subjects in nature that there could be countless films, but if MotP and PE hadn't been successful, then Disney wouldn't have thought about making nature films, right?

*edit*
I was curious, so I checked out Wikipedia's Disneynature page, and it lists upcoming Disneynature films. Of course, we can't always trust Wikipedia, but it mentions the following titles:

The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos- Co-directed by Matthew Aeberhard and Leander Ward, and produced by Paul Webster (Kudos Pictures), this film will take viewers to mysterious lives of flamingos. Worldwide roll-out begins December 2008

Oceans- Nearly three-quarters of the earth’s surface is covered by oceans. French co-directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud have set out to capture the full expanse of these waters that have played such a crucial and constant role in the history and sustenance of man. The deep and abundant oceans are places of great mysteries and dangers that this film will dare to explore. Domestic release 2010

Orangutans: One Minute to Midnight- Directed by Charlie Hamilton James and produced by Frédéric Fougea, this film tells the true story of a six-year-old male orangutan and his little sister, who must take an incredible journey to find a home and a family. Worldwide release 2010

Big Cats- Audiences will get to meet three mothers – a lioness, a leopard and a cheetah – as they explore their world on the great plains of Africa. Co-directed by Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergill and produced by Alix Tidmarsh, this film will show how these magnificent animals survive on their power and their cunning, while they protect and teach their cubs the ways of the wild. Worldwide release 2011

Naked Beauty: A Love Story that Feeds the Earth – In this film, nature is ready for its close-up … a very close-up, as exacting macro photography takes us to the realm of flowers and their pollinators. Acclaimed filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg introduces us to a bat, a hummingbird, a butterfly and a bumblebee, demonstrating their intricate interdependence and how life on earth depends on the success of these determined, diminutive creatures. Naked Beauty is produced by Blacklight Films and Alix Tidmarsh. Worldwide release 2011

Chimpanzee- Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield co-direct this intimate look at the world of chimpanzees, with Christophe Boesch, head of the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, serving as principal consultant and Alix Tidmarsh as producer. To be shot over three years in the tropical jungles of the Ivory Coast and Uganda, Chimpanzee will help us better understand this exceptionally intelligent species. Worldwide release 2012

The article mentions that "Earth" will be among the first, and it lists the Flamingos film as being released in 2008...I wonder if that's true.

disneyfella · Post by **disneyfella** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 8:53 am

I remember about 5 or 6 years ago learning that Disney had started nature filming again. I wonder if these films are the end product of that.....I know it usually takes a few years to film these things.

Also, the Blu Ray discs initially had short nature films as bonus features that were NOT available on regular DVD....are those programs at all related to DisneyNature....or the true life photography that was being done several years ago?

disneyfella · Post by **disneyfella** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 8:54 am

ooooohhhH!

I just read that James Earl Jones will be narrating the DisneyNature film "Earth".

Very cool news!!

steve · Post by **steve** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:09 am

That logo is beautiful.

amelle · Post by **amelle** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:24 pm

blackcauldron85 wrote: This is very exciting, but I kind of am upset at the fact that the only reason Disney is making nature films is because of the success of "March of the Penguins" and "Planet Earth". They're just copying other's ideas. Sure, there are so many subjects in nature that there could be countless films, but if MotP and PE hadn't been successful, then Disney wouldn't have thought about making nature films, right?

"Earth" is just a rehashed movie version of Planet Earth anyway. The film came out here in the UK already with different narrator. Alastair Fothergill is an amazing film maker anyway so I look forward to his projects with Disney. I've read that Disneynature will be based in France.

gardener14 · Post by **gardener14** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:07 pm

Will these films have wide releases in mainstream theaters or will they be in limited release such as in art houses or Imax theaters?

Barbossa · Post by **Barbossa** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 8:35 pm

gardener14 wrote:Will these films have wide releases in mainstream theaters or will they be in limited release such as in art houses or Imax theaters?

Whatever the outcome, we already know reyquila is buying!

PeterPanfan · Post by **PeterPanfan** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 7:38 am

I hope they're released in mainstream theatres, as I live in a small town, and have no IMAX theatre near me.

steve · Post by **steve** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 10:53 am

PeterPanfan wrote:I hope they're released in mainstream theatres, as I live in a small town, and have no IMAX theatre near me.

Me too. There was only one IMAX in Ireland, but it shut down because it wasn't making enough money showing documentaries. This was in the days before every other big movie was getting an IMAX release - no Star Wars or Harry Potter - just documentaries about dinosaurs and what not. I did get to see Fantasia 2000 there though!

UmbrellaFish · Post by **UmbrellaFish** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:14 pm

Neat-o! When these come out I will be buying them.

DVDizzy Forum

Latest Movie Reviews

🎬 DVDizzy Top Stories️️

Disneynature News

Disneynature News