Interesting Facts About Treasure Planet

Treasure Planet is the 43rd full-length animated feature film in the Disney Animated Canon. It is based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and tells the tale of young Jim Hawkins, who fantasizes about living an exciting life on other mythical worlds. His life drastically changes when he meets old Billy Bones and learns that Treasure Planet could actually exist.

Here some interesting facts about Treasure Planet that you should know:

As a way to modernize this film and its characters, the filmmakers made the character, Long John Silver a cyborg

Filmmakers wanted to modernize this movie while also incorporating aspects from the original film.  In order to do this the crew had to operate under a 70/30 law, in which 70% of the film, its sound effects, and music, would have a traditional look, while the other 30% would be sci-fi.

James deans

The main character in this film, Jim Hawkins was based on James Dean’s personality.  The animator liked that you could feel the innocence, youthfulness, and pain of Dean’s personality and they wanted to capture that in the character of Jim Hawkins.

Filmmakers wanted to modernize this movie while also incorporating aspects from the original film.  In order to do this the crew had to operate under a 70/30 law, in which 70% of the film, its sound effects, and music, would have a traditional look, while the other 30% would be sci-fi.

Co-directors Ron Clements and John Musker also worked their partnership in other beloved Disney masterpieces such as The Great Mouse Detective, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Hercules. Later on they also helmed together Moana and The Princess and the Frog.

Treasure Planet’s plot was likewise created by the renowned writing team of Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio.  Elliot and Rossio are also behind  the following Disney and non-Disney films Aladdin, The Road to El Dorado, Shrek, and the first four Pirates of the Caribbean films.

Treasure Planet’s action is one of the things that makes it so popular. With the technology available in the 1980s or the early 1990s, such pictures couldn’t be produced, therefore the delay the filmmakers experienced actually gave them time to use more advanced equipment later.

This film, had the longest production cycle in Disney’s Post-Renaissance Era, as it took 10 years to finish

Additionally, Clements and Musker supposedly wanted to move the camera similarly to how Steven Spielberg and James Cameron shoot their films. This gave the animation more life and made it more enjoyable to watch.

Treasure Planet is Disneys greatest financial loss

“Treasure Planet” is Disney’s greatest financial loss.  They lost approximately $79 million dollars making this film

This was owing to the fact that there was a lot of competition from movies like released Ice Age and other computer-animated ones like The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Die Another Day, and The Santa Clause 2. However, it should be noted that it received favorable reviews from critics, developed a sizable cult following, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Robert-Louis-Stevenson

It has the best lesson you can find in a movie. Though the narrative of the film is concentrated on the quest for Treasure Planet, the greatest treasure of all is the lesson that Silver offers to Jim. “You’ve got to take the helm and chart your own course. Stick to it, no matter the squalls!” To believe in yourself and your dreams—and to stick with them even when people tell you to give up, or your dream seems too hard to reach—is a lesson far more valuable than “the wealth of a thousand worlds.”

The name of the ship is the, R.L.S. Legacy, which is the same initials of the author of the book Treasure Island,by Robert Louis Stevenson

The RLS name is a homage to Stevenson’s legacy, as too is the film itself. For Treasure Planet: Battle at Procyon the RLS was given a new meaning; Royal Light Ship, and denotes membership in the Royal Navy of the Terran Empire.

As the movie progresses, the character Jim Hawkins’s dark hair becomes lighter.  This was done as a way to show his transformation from a “bad boy” to a “hero”

Hawkins’ character is voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt while Emma Thompson voices Captain Amelia. Though these are the two most recognizable names in the movie’s cast, there were some other notable people involved.

James Newton Howard wrote, conducted, and recorded the music for “Treasure Planet”in less than five months

You need to sit down and watch Treasure Planet again if you don’t know the words to the song “I’m Still Here.” The song complements a lovely montage showing Jim and Silver’s blossoming romance and melodically underlines Treasure Planet’s expansive view of the galaxy. Keep “Always Know Where You Are,” the poignant song from the movie, on your playlist as well.

“Treasure Planet” was Disney’s third adaption of the popular book, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island

The film’s artist, often looked at the Brandywine School of Illustration, for inspiration for the movie’s animation design.  This style of art is known as the “classic storybook illustration.”

It has dazzling cosmic visuals. The universe of Treasure Planet is warm and sunny, golden and turquoise, in contrast to the many films that have depicted space as being cold and lifeless. Sweeping shots and persistently panning camera angles bring space to life in rich ways that surprise, delight, and remain in the memory long after the film is over.

The film’s artist, often looked at the Brandywine School of Illustration, for inspiration for the movie’s animation design.  This style of art is known as the “classic storybook illustration”

In order to test various CGI grafts, animators used footage from Disney’s “Peter Pan”