Animated movies are a staple of the business, and through decades of tireless work and evolution, these films possess the power to compete with blockbuster live-action flicks when done right. Disney rules the roost, but there are other studios making huge films, as well. Because of this, the genre has continued to thrive and reach unprecedented heights in recent years.
Disney may be at the top, but even they are not immune to swinging and missing every once in a while. As vast and impressive as their library is, if you look closely enough, you will find films that totally bombed. Treasure Planet was nothing close to being a hit, and yet, it has turned into a bit of a cult classic.
Let’s look at the evolution in perception of Treasure Planet!
The Budget Was Out Of Control And The Animation Was Passé
One of the important things to keep in mind when looking at the production of the film is the overall cost of bringing the project to life. Even though Disney has deep pockets and is usually able to recoup their investments, they wound up learning a harsh lesson with the failure that was Treasure Planet.
According to Screen-Queens, Treasure Planet was made for about $140 million, which made it the most expensive animated film of all time during that era. We have seen Disney cross this number in recent years, but it is important to keep in mind when Treasure Planet was made. Disney seemed comfortable spending this type of money given that the source material, Treasure Island, had been around for years and this was going to be a modern and futuristic take on the timeless novel.
Another thing that is incredibly important to look at when examining this flop is the fact that Treasure Planet was a mix of both computer and hand-drawn animation styles. At this point, Pixar had come along and really shifted things in terms of popular animation style, and even DreamWorks was more than happy to capitalize on the newfound success of movies that were purely computer-animated. Turns out, using a style that was dated wound up being detrimental to the success of the project.
Even though Disney was taking a rather unconventional approach with the animated styles and had sunk an incredible amount of money into the project itself, they were still hoping that audiences would show up to the theater to support their latest endeavor.
It Bombed At The Box Office
In November 2002, Treasure Planet was finally released into theaters. Instead of being able to hit the ground running and resonate with audiences around the world, Treasure Planet was unable to come anywhere close to even matching its production budget.
According to Box Office Mojo, Treasure Planet was only able to generate $109 million at the global box office, meaning that gross loss was $31 million less than what they had spent to make the movie, not even factoring in advertising. Even though the movie was stunning to look at, the utilization of older animation styles wound up hurting the project in more ways than Disney could’ve imagined.
According to BombReport, Treasure Planet wound up losing Disney about $74 million, making for an incredibly expensive and underwhelming project.
It’s not like critics outright trashed the film, as it does hold at 69% on Rotten Tomatoes and is over 70% with the fans. In fact, one of the primary reasons why there was a shift in perception with this movie is the fact that it was nominated for an Academy Award, according to IMDb.
Fans Have Kept The Love Alive
Thanks to fans at the time liking the movie and the fact that it received an Academy Award nomination, Treasure Planet was a film that many people were willing to see once it was released on DVD.
Through the years, many fans and media outlets have all talked about their love for Treasure Planet and the fact that it is perhaps the most underrated film in Disney history. People on social media have even taken to their preferred platforms to share their appreciation for the film, and all of this has contributed to the fact that Treasure Planet has continued to live on and thrive in a cult classic way.
In fact, there are plenty of people out there who have even called for Treasure Planet to get a live-action remake, and rumors from sites like We Got This Covered has suggested that it might happen. Sure, it was not as huge as the other projects they’ve used for live-action adaptations, but they could genuinely do some amazing things with this property.
Treasure Planet may have been a huge flop at first, but through the years, it went on to find the audience it was looking for the entire time.