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Treasure Planetarium

For many, Treasure Planet will be the movie that killed Walt Disney Feature Animation. A grandiose, overblown project, costing $140 million and recouping less than one third that cost at the domestic box office. Ultimately, Treasure Planet will be the last vanity project at the studio. Musker & Clements may be two of the most talented directors at the studio, having already succeeded with the Little Mermaid and Hercules, but this last feature has spelt the end of this type of production. The future lies firmly with less costly fare such as Lilo & Stitch and the upcoming Brother Bear (in theaters on Saturday November 1).

However, Treasure Planet did have life outside the 50 states. Across Europe, the movie was a blockbuster success. The Disney marquee name seems to carry a greater weight in Europe than in the United States these days, with each feature attracting audiences far and wide to the latest Disney family fare. In the U.K., Treasure Planet was released this past February and was popular with families, pulling in over $10m during its run. However, the movie also boasted a unique collaboration for Walt Disney Feature Animation and Buena Vista International, the distribution arm of the studio outside the U.S.

For the first time, Disney teamed up with another theme park operator to create a Disney attraction at a non-Disney facility. The partner was Tussauds, the European park operators whose assets include Thorpe Park and Alton Towers (the latter always being at the cutting edge of rollercoaster technology, most recently with the incredible Air and Oblivion). However, most tourists recognise the group for its namesake, Madame Tussauds. The waxworks museum at Baker Street in London is one of the oldest tourist attractions in the world and has been a priority destination for visitors to London for decades. It is at this central London facility that Disney and Tussauds unveiled their first partnership.

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