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Disney's Failed Next Big Thing: Treasure Planet

Isenhart Productions

108,954 views

In this video essay I explore the history behind Disney's failed next big thing: 2002's Treasure Planet. I try and find out why it failed financially, and offer up some of my personal thoughts on the project.

Treasure Planet 2: https://animatedviews.com/2014/buried...

Write for Animation Interview: What Went Wrong with Treasure Planet

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Chapters:

Intro: 0:00
Behind the Film: 0:40
Why It Failed Commercially: 6:25
My Thoughts: 12:45
Conclusion: 17:45
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Letterboxd:
https://boxd.it/5NDWn

Instagram:
Instagram: isenhart_productions

Isenhart Reviews:
@isenhartreviews

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Music Attribution:

"Study And Relax" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

"Backbeat Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Smooth Loving" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Space Jazz" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Vibin Over Venus" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Sources:

https://web.archive.org/web/200903302...

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-x...

https://web.archive.org/web/201003090...

https://web.archive.org/web/201003090...

https://ew.com/article/2002/08/18/tre...

"Treasure Planet" 20th Anniversary - Cast ...

https://www.howardashman.com/blog/joh...

https://www.laughingplace.com/news-pi...

https://bombreport.com/yearly-breakdo....

https://www.writeforanimation.com/art...

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-x...

https://sites.psu.edu/thebeautyofanim...

http://www.wordplayer.com/columns/wp4...

20 Comments

@carlosalbertolealrodriguez5529 8 months ago

"Treasure Planet" and "Atlantis". Two science fiction favorites of mine, that just bombed.

@BlimberryBoi 8 months ago

I only watched this movie 4000 times as a kid

@Timesup2001 8 months ago

Eating a bowl of cereal while watching the box promoting Treasure Planet in my kitchen, knowing I would see that movie in the cinema later that day, is one of my core childhood memories.

@SuprousOxide 8 months ago

9:40 Not only do kids easily get attached to older protagonists, they often reject the token kid sidekick that shows and movies add to appeal to kids.

@tedgruver7618 8 months ago (edited)

Treasure Planet didn’t go against just Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Die Another Day and The Santa Clause 2, it was also against The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Gangs of New York, Eight Crazy Nights, The Wild Thornberries Movie and Star Trek: Nemesis, the last three also bombed at the box office.

@amorojaz27 8 months ago

What I love about Treasure Planet is that the filmmakers didn't just transplant the story of Treasure Island into a space opera setting. They made sure the setting served the story.

@Kaligo1471 8 months ago

Damn.....finding out they had to go through all that only for it to flop is now even more of a gut punch

@gamebawesome 8 months ago (edited)

Disney really shot themselves in the foot when they put this in the same month as the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

@MaresMaresMares64 8 months ago

The mix of 2D and 3D was nearly flawless. Studios still struggle with this today.

@mikoajryniak2644 8 months ago

I remember when people were saying "Disney should remake Treasure Planet". Nowadays, if such thing happened I am sure many would be rather frightened than excited.

@Zombiesnyder13 8 months ago

When Disney wants us to watch something, they'll smother us to death with marketing

But when they don't want us to watch something, they won't even bother promoting it

@jbcatz5 8 months ago (edited)

BEN being an idiot is addressed in the plot, he’s literally missing part of his brain and it’s only recovered right in the climax. As far as counterparts go, it’s definitely more trying to appeal to the kids than the book’s Ben Gunn really missing cheese.

To be fair, the doctor and the captain being sidelined when the plot gets to the planet is following the book’s plot, which had Jim operating on his own more while the adults are holed up in a stockade. The movie is actually a really faithful take on the book’s plot, setting aside, just with aged up Jim addressing his father issues through Silver added.

@dotFAFO 8 months ago

This film was a staple. My pops worked for Disney Animation, I mustve seen this movie like 12 times at a Disney campus before it came out. Still love it.

@minniemin1324 8 months ago

Treasure Planet was ahead of its time and deserved so much better

@Luke-GO 8 months ago

I strongly believe that this movie had the potential to become another Golden-Age success.

@IKEA_SSB 8 months ago

The rusty robot thing’s render in the Disney DVD bingo game scared the hell out of me as a kid

@mesousagaby740 8 months ago

Honestly, Lilo and Stitch's marketing is awkward as well, because it's basically Stitch hijacking other Disney animated movies when the actual film itself has a lot of heart and a solid message about family. I think they got lucky in that case. I mean, Lilo barely appears in any of them.

@ghpkomodo 8 months ago

8:11 “Men are the hardest ones, I would say to get to come.” My wife will be shocked by this information 😂😂😂

@Morfe02 8 months ago

That secuel of Ironbeard sounds better as a TV season like they did with Atlantis 2
i mean you already got the story and designs, they could pull a little budget to make it

@Reggie_Plays 8 months ago

I haven't seen Treasure Planet since 2002. My dad took me to see it in the theater to keep my mind off of my baby brother having his bad kidney removed. I don't remember much, but I do remember enjoying it, and then seeing my brother in the hospital after. All these years later, I feel like I should watch it again with my (now grown) little bro.