Fantasia 2000

A sequel to Fantasia from 1940: eight segments built on pieces of classical music. Seven are new; only The Sorcerer's Apprentice returns from the original. The person behind it was Roy E. Disney. As Walt Disney's nephew and the company's vice chairman, he pitched the idea to CEO Michael Eisner in 1984. Eisner described the moment: it was as if a big light bulb went on over his head. The decision came in 1991 with the home video success of the original, which drew 9.25 million pre-orders, and Eisner funded production out of those proceeds. The segments are introduced by famous names: Steve Martin, Itzhak Perlman, Quincy Jones, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Penn and Teller, James Levine and Angela Lansbury. The release strategy was a first. It was the first major Hollywood picture released in IMAX and the first feature-length animated film in the format. It played 75 IMAX theatres from January to April 2000. Unable to secure exclusive booking at the California Science Center's existing theatre, Disney built a temporary 622-seat IMAX venue in Los Angeles at a cost approaching 4 million dollars. The box office fell short: 90.9 million dollars worldwide against a budget of 80 to 85 million. The long IMAX run probably ate into the wide release that followed. Who it is for: viewers who like classical music and experimental animation. Who it is not for: anyone wanting a story. It is eight separate pieces with no narrative connecting them.