There were once plans afoot to return to the world of Disney’s Treasure Planet, but they did not come to pass – we take a closer look.
If there was any justice in the world, Treasure Planet would be regarded a little more amongst Disney’s animated output. To those who saw the film, it holds a special place, but the years have seen it fade into obscurity. It was notable at the time for being a major box office disappointment, and it’s not seemed to find too strong an audience since.
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Featuring vivid visuals and a screenplay that zips along, transporting the Treasure Island story into a sci-fi epic, Treasure Planet is a film that on paper seemed to be a sure fire hit, and one that should have kick started a franchise. Filmmakers Ron Clements and John Musker actually pitched Treasure Planet at the start of their career in 1985, but Disney refused to press ahead with it. Still, Musker and Clements worked their way up the Disney ladder during the 1990s, writing and directing many of Disney’s iconic films from that period, including The Great Mouse Detective, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Hercules.
It was only after having several successes and a further two pitches that Disney finally relented and allowed Treasure Planet to go into production.
An adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Treasure Planet follows eager young adventurer Jim Hawkins, voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as he yearns to explore land beyond his hometown. He is quickly thrust into an adventure after finding a map to the titular planet, and is taken on as a cabin boy on the RLS Legacy, where he quickly learns that mutiny is afoot.
The film features a terrific voice cast, including Levitt, Emma Thompson, David Hyde Pierce, Laurie Metcalf, Martin Short and Brian Murray.
What really set Treasure Planet apart from its contemporaries were the visuals. Featuring gorgeous, swooping shots and complex action sequences, from Jim’s solar surfing to the climactic rescue sequence, it’s no surprise that the film was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2003 Academy Awards (it lost to Spirited Away, and in fairness, it’s hard to argue with that).
So high were Disney’s hopes for Treasure Planet that then president of Feature Animation Thomas Schumacher said in an interview that “we’ve got a story and some storyboards and concepts up and a script for what a sequel to this could be. There’s also a notion of what a series could be. I have all the pieces in place and should we decide to push the button, we push the button and go with it”.
Direct to video spin offs and a television series seemed to be the main aim (as was the Disney way at the time, prior to its merger with Pixar), alongside the sequel.
Work began on the second film in earnest, with Jun Falkenstein, who worked on The Lion King as a storyboard artist, working with writer Evan Spiliotopoulos to develop a screenplay as well as the required storyboarding work.
According to an article at Flip Screened, the plot would have followed directly from the end of the first film, after Jim is accepted as an interstellar cadet. Things would pick up from there, as he becomes a hotshot student, clashing with Kate, daughter of the Academy’s Admiral Blake. Flip Screened further explained that tension soon turns to teamwork as they battle fearsome pirate Ironbeard, who aims to commandeer the Centurion, the new vessel designed and piloted by returning characters Doctor Delbert and B.E.N respectively, to become the fastest and most fearsome Captain in the galaxy.
Most of the original cast were set to return, but the directors who pushed so hard to make the original film were notably absent. Falkenstein said in an interview that “we did pick their brains, but other than that, they were not really involved.”
The directorial duo would still have been hard at work finishing and promoting the first Treasure Planet, which was months away from release.
Everything for Treasure Planet 2 hinged on the opening weekend in November 2002. This is where things went awry.
Unfortunately, Treasure Planet opened fourth at the box office behind Die Another Day, Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets, and Disney’s own The Santa Clause 2. It made, in big budget movie money, the paltry sum of $17 million against a budget of $140 million. Even the final gross would not cover the initial cost, with final estimated takings of $110 million, which to this day makes it one of the biggest animated box office financial disappointments of all time.
And that took the sequel with it. Willem Dafoe was set to play Ironbeard, to the extent that he was just thirty minutes away from recording his lines before the fatal phone call came in to say that Treasure Planet 2 was cancelled.
While it remains an absolute delight to watch, it will forever be one of the great missed opportunities that a sequel never made it to the screen. With all the potential of the characters, animation that only would have improved along with the technology available and the growing fanbase that has amassed over the years, we can only hope that with Disney’s penchant for legacy sequels made for Disney+, we may one day revisit the world of Treasure Planet….
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