DVDizzy Forum

Have Disney films been distributed by Warner Bros in the UK? I know that they took charge of the Limited Issue re-releases, but did they distribute some of Disney's films theatrically? Looking at an online poster store, I saw a poster for Peter Pan, which contained the WB sign on it in the corner:

http://www.ukquad.com/peterpan.jpg

I did a search on the BBFC, and it seems as though 90s reissues for this movie, along with those for The Rescuers, Fantasia, Cinderella and Snow White as well as the premiere releases of Oliver and Company and The Little Mermaid. Did WB have distribution rights in the late 80s/early 90s for Disney films?

Sorry if this is not on the topic of International DVDs, but this forum is the closest relavant forum.

Nope, never heard of this before! Perhaps Sir 2099 of Net could proffer an explanation?

Well here's maybe part of the answer....

In France, the equivalent of Limited Edition DVDs in 1999 were all released under the label of Warner Bros. and not Buena Vista. It was also the case for other Disney DVDs such as the earliest editions of Alice in Wonderlans, The Sword in the Stone, A Bug's Life and others. I don't know why but it was the very 1st Disney DVDs in France and then it became BHVE released DVDs... Go figure ?!

I believe that Disney/Buena Vista (whatever you want to call them) had no UK based distribution outfit in the 70s and early 80's. After all, there were only a few Disney movies made each year at this time. It was only with the creation of Touchstone/Hollywood Pictures and the VHS boom that made Disney open up a Buena Vista UK (or www.filmfactory.co.uk as they call it on the web ).

I do not know when this was opened, but it could have been in the early to mid 80's (or perhaps even later keeping Touchstone in mind). I suppose they had agreements with other distributors at this time, which could have been Warner Bros.

I have the first UK dvd release of Dumbo and that has the Warner logo on the back and says its distributed by Warner UK.

Disney saw nothing first in DVD, so they give the rigths for a couple of years to Warner, also here in the Netherlands Warner released a bunch of DVD's and most are re-released by Disney again later.