Aladdin Central Messageboard

[Calluna]

http://www.jimhillmedia.com/articles/12192003.1.htm

Jim -

I hate to ask this, since it's been asked of you twice in one form or another, including once by me. But the natives over in the "Aladdin" fandom are getting restless...

You said previously that "Aladdin" was coming to IMAX January 2004 and the reason we hadn't heard anything was because Disney was waiting so they wouldn't spend so much on advertising. Well, it's December 18th now, so either they're waiting *really* late or the date's been changed or cancelled. The IMAX website lists (this film) as coming out in 2004 (no more specific) and the Disney Giant Screen Movies page doesn't mention "Al" at all, but says that Disney's holiday Imax release is "The Young Black Stallion." Did "Aladdin" get bumped to a later date (again?!) or just cancelled altogether?

Thanks a bunch,
Heather

Heather -

Jeese, I don't know what to tell you. I mean, I know for a fact that -- over the past two years -- Disney Feature Animation has devoted hundreds of man hours (and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars) getting "Aladdin" ready for its IMAX debut. But then -- when both "Beauty and the Beast: The Special Edition" and "The Lion King" both under-performed during their large format runs -- the accountanteers who are currently running the Mouse Factory suddenly decided that perhaps they should keep Robin William's Genie in his lamp for a little while longer.

What exactly is the problem here, Heather? Well, given all the money that the Mouse had spent on prepping "BATB" and "TLK" for their large screen debuts (Plus the millions more poured that the corporation had poured into the promotion of these two pictures), Mickey had really expected to get some sort of return on that investment. But when that didn't happen in both 2001 or 2002, Disney then decided: "Well, maybe people really DON'T want to pay to see cartoons that they already own in the REALLY BIG screen. Maybe we should show them something new instead."

Enter "The Young Black Stallion." Or -- as the folks at Walt Disney Studios prefer to refer to it -- IMAX's last hope.

To explain: The real reason that "The Young Black Stallion" is being released in what had been previously announced as "Aladdin" 's old slot is that the Walt Disney Company is giving large format theaters one final chance. If "The Young Black Stallion" actually manages to connect with audiences, Disney may opt to continue its flirtation with IMAX. Produce new films specifically to be shown for large format theaters. If -- on the other hand -- "The Young Black Stallion" comes up lame at the box office, the Mouse may opt to this whole IMAX idea out to pasture.

The real sad part of this story is that the IMAX versions of "Aladdin," "The Little Mermaid" and "Pocahontas" are reportedly already prepped and sitting in the can, ready to unspool. But -- if what I'm hearing is correct, Heather -- the only way that we're now ever going to see "Aladdin" on the REALLY BIG screen is if Buena Vista Home Entertainment opts to show the film in IMAX this fall as a special promotional event prior to the official kick-off of the sales of the "Platinum Edition" of "Aladdin."

Which makes me sad, Heather. Why for? Because "Aladdin" really is one of my favorite Disney animated films. And I was so looking forward to seeing "Friend Like Me" and "Prince Ali" play out on the big screen. Here's hoping that the folks at Disney Studios have a change of heart and at least allow this John Musker and Ron Clements classic to at least have a short run in large format theaters sometime in 2004.

If not ... well, here's the deal, Heather. When the "Platinum Edition" of "Aladdin" comes out in the Fall of 2004, you and I are finding the largest plasma screen television possible. And -- as the "Aladdin" DVD plays -- we are going to sit impossibly close to the screen, okay?

Is it a date?