By the D23 Team
Never miss a minute of Loki on Disney+? Share your love for the god of mischief, the Time Variance Authority, or just general timelines shenanigans with these downloadable wallpapers. Make room on the timeline for new episodes of Loki streaming on Disney+ every Wednesday.
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Imagineer Bob Gurr has always been a man on the move. And, for almost 40 years, he helped move many a happy Disney theme park guest aboard vehicles and ride conveyances of his own design. As he’s often quipped, “If it moves on wheels at Disneyland, I probably designed it.”
And he certainly has. Bob has developed more than 100 designs for attractions ranging from Autopia and Matterhorn Bobsleds to the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Monorails, and more.
Born in Los Angeles on October 25, 1931, young Bob was fascinated with tools, mechanical devices, and cars. Later, he attended Art Center College of Design on a General Motors scholarship, where he studied industrial design. Upon graduation in 1952, he was hired by Ford Motor Company, but soon purchased a rubber stamp marked “R.H. Gurr Industrial Design” and went into business for himself.
Shortly thereafter, WED Enterprises, today known as Walt Disney Imagineering, hired Bob to consult on the design of miniature cars for the original Autopia attraction. Walt Disney was so impressed with Bob’s knowledge and skill that he invited him to join the Imagineering family, which then was solely dedicated to the design and construction of Disneyland.
Over the next nearly four decades, Bob worked transportation magic developing the memorable Flying Saucers attraction in Tomorrowland, the antique cars and double-decker buses of Main Street, U.S.A., Ford Motor Company’s Magic Skyway, which premiered at the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair, and more. Bob also helped design the mechanical workings of Disney’s first Audio-Animatronics® human figure, Abraham Lincoln, featured in Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.
In 1981, Bob retired from Walt Disney Imagineering, but occasionally consulted on Disney projects, including the giant Ursula creature featured at Tokyo DisneySea. He continues to make mechanical magic while living his favorite philosophy, in the words of Malcolm Forbes: “While alive, live!”
By Zach Johnson
Two-time Emmy® Award winner Tony Hale pulls double duty in the new Disney+ original series The Mysterious Benedict Society, streaming Friday with two back-to-back episodes. Starring as both the brilliant Mr. Benedict, benefactor of the prestigious Boatwright Academy, and the nefarious Mr. Curtain, the school’s shockingly familiar headmaster, Hale steals every scene he’s in—just as he’s done countless times over the course of his career. From an awkward vice principal in Love, Simon to a sentient spork in Toy Story 4 and Forky Asks a Question, Hale’s character work always makes us laugh. To celebrate the premiere of his new series, we’ve rounded up our nine favorite performances from his Disney oeuvre.
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip
In this 2015 comedy from 20th Century Studios, Hale brings the laughs as Agent James Suggs, the hapless air marshal who puts the Chipmunks on the No Fly List—then chases them across the U.S.! He blames the Chipmunks for ruining his last relationship, and he’ll stop at nothing to get his revenge… even if that means sacrificing his dignity in the process.
Doc McStuffins
In 2013’s “A Very McStuffins Christmas,” Tobias the elf (voice of Hale) accidentally breaks a toy while delivering presents on Christmas Eve, so he asks Doc McStuffins (voice of Kiara Muhammad) to fix it. All she needs is a replacement part, and Tobias knows just where to find it: the North Pole! Three years later, in “The Doc McStuffins Christmas Special,” Tobias once again enlists the help of Doc (voice of Laya DeLeon Hayes) after a power outage on Christmas Eve threatens to ruin the merry holiday for children all over the world.
Jake and the Never Land Pirates
Hale voices the mad scientist Doctor Undergear in five episodes in 2015-2016: “The Island of Doctor Undergear,” “Shark Attack,” “The Legion of Pirate Villains,” “Crabageddon,” and “Captain Hook’s Last Stand!” Evil and eccentric, Doctor Undergear craves attention and power—but he’s no match for Jake (voice of Gabe Eggerling) and the Never Land Pirates.
Love, Simon
In this 2018 dramedy from 20th Century Studios, Hale plays Mr. Worth, the Vice Principal of Creekwood High School. Desperate to be liked by his students, he doesn’t always say the right thing. But his heart is always in the right place, and Mr. Worth makes a point to publicly support senior Simon Spier (Nick Robinson) after he’s outed by a fellow classmate.
Star vs. the Forces of Evil
Star (voice of Eden Sher) continues to search for her mother, Moon (voice of Grey Griffin), in 2019’s “Escape from the Pie Folk.” She eventually crosses paths with Pie King (voice of Hale), the duplicitous ruler of Pie Island, and discovers Moon has been living among the Pie Folk—without her memories. After Moon’s recollection returns, she decides to leave with her daughter. This enrages Pie King, who orders his subjects to foil their escape plan.
Toy Story 4
In Disney and Pixar’s heartwarming 2019 film, Bonnie (voice of Madeleine McGraw) handcrafts a toy using a disposable utensil, googly eyes, and pipe cleaner. The result is Forky (voice of Hale), who thinks he’s trash and not a toy—despite being told otherwise. Enter Woody (voice of Tom Hanks), who takes it upon himself to make Forky see his worth.
Amphibia
In 2019’s “Children of the Spore,” Hop Pop (voice of Disney Legend Bill Farmer) buys a potion from the mysterious Apothecary Gary (voice of Hale) that is said to make the kids more obedient… but he uses too much, accidentally turning them into mushroom zombies! Gary—a mushroom possessing a frog—then reveals he’s zombified all the citizens of Wartwood! In order to defeat Gary, a fast-thinking Hop Pop frees Bessie (voice of Dee Bradley Baker), who devours all the mushrooms, thereby turning everyone back to normal.
Forky Asks a Question
In this collection of 10 shorts, created exclusively for Disney+ in 2019, a curious Forky (voice of Hale) asks random questions, with topics including love, money, time, and more.
The Mysterious Benedict Society
Mr. Benedict (Hale) charges a group of gifted youngsters—Sticky Washington (Seth B. Carr), Kate Wetherall (Emmy DeOliveira), Reynie Muldoon (Mystic Inscho), and Constance Contraire (Marta Kessler)—with infiltrating the L.I.V.E. Institute to prevent a worldwide emergency. They all attend the prestigious Boatwright Academy, where the headmaster, Mr. Curtain (Hale), bears a striking resemblance to their new school’s mysterious sponsor…
By Kimi Thompson and Ed Ovalle, Walt Disney Archives
Our story begins with none other than our founder, Disney Legend Dave Smith. A Southern California native and UCLA reference librarian, Dave began his research on Walt Disney Productions (known today as The Walt Disney Company) after expressing an interest in compiling an extensive bibliography on Walt Disney himself. He received project approval from the Company in 1967 and spent more than a year researching all Disney publications and productions.
The Disney organization was so impressed with Dave’s work, they asked for him to come to The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, to begin work preserving company history. His first day as an archival consultant for Walt Disney Productions was on October 20, 1969, setting him up in office 3H-1 just down the hallway from Walt’s offices in the original Animation Building.
After Walt Disney’s passing in 1966, his offices remained largely untouched for a few years. His brother and co-founder of the Company, Roy O. Disney, wanted to preserve Walt’s papers, awards, and memorabilia. On November 3, 1969, Dave made preparations to extensively photograph Walt’s offices for historical preservation purposes. These photos would later be instrumental in the restoration of Walt’s offices led by the Walt Disney Archives in 2015.
During his inventory and cataloging of Walt’s offices, Dave found many treasures that offered a glimpse into Walt’s life. In 2015, Dave recalled, “…I went and listed every chair and table and desk, but also every book on the bookcase, and every paperclip in the desk drawers and all that sort of thing.” A total of 2,269 items in 464 boxes, including furniture and ephemera belonging to Walt, was inventoried and stored.
In December 1969, Dave completed his consulting work, and turned in his proposal for the founding of the Walt Disney Archives shortly thereafter. He would return to the studio lot periodically for meetings and updates on the proposal over the next six months. Here we have the original proposal that Dave submitted, dated January 1, 1970.
On June 22, 1970, the Walt Disney Archives was established to collect, preserve, and make available for research the historical materials relating to Walt and the company he founded. Dave continued to work in office 3H-1 in the original Animation Building at The Walt Disney Studios lot, the same one he used while working as a consultant for Walt Disney Productions. His first project of inventorying and cataloging Walt Disney’s offices (Suite 3H) helped establish the Archives as a department and was the beginning of our now vast collection.
Check back next week to read more about the history of the Walt Disney Archives, and how we continue to preserve the history and heritage of The Walt Disney Company!
By Zach Johnson
Much like her character, Scarlett Johansson knows how to keep a secret.
But last week, she graciously offered an unredacted look at Natasha Romanoff’s ledger when she joined Black Widow co-stars Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, and David Harbour, plus director Cate Shortland and producer Kevin Feige, for a virtual press conference moderated by ESPN’s Sarah Spain. Before the film releases July 9 in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access (in most Disney+ markets), we unearthed five things you need to know about the first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
1. The ghosts of Natasha’s past continue to haunt her.
Set after the Avengers’ breakup, Natasha’s world is further upended when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. “There was a large period of her life we didn’t know about—not just her childhood, but this period of time between Civil War and Infinity War,” said Feige. “And that period, we felt, was right to creatively focus on, to be able to discover more about her past, more about her present, and give a hint at the at the legacy and the future, all at the same time.” Shortland said she wanted Natasha’s story to feel like a “really exhilarating” fairground ride, while also feeling very raw: “We wanted it to be both.”
2. Natasha’s principles are what set her apart in the MCU.
After six onscreen appearances as Natasha, Johansson went into Black Widow knowing her character inside and out. After all these years, what she loves most about Natasha is her virtue. “She has a lot of integrity,” said Johansson. “She’s a big character, and she’s not afraid to admit when she’s wrong. She’s kind of endearing that way. She’s curious about herself and about other people—and I think that makes her stand out, as superheroes go.”
3. Yelena and Natasha’s sisterly squabbles hit different.
Pugh joins the MCU as Yelena Belova, a product of the Red Room’s ruthless training program. Broken and outspoken, she has a complicated relationship with Natasha, to put it mildly. It wasn’t difficult for Pugh to get into character, as her first day of filming involved a passionate fight scene opposite Johansson’s character. “I was throwing Scarlett up against a wall and she was smashing my face in a sink,” Pugh recalled with a laugh. “There is no greater way to break the ice than wrestling Scarlett Johansson to the floor.” The fight is “driven by emotion,” Johansson added. “There’s no real end goal there; it’s just two people expressing their frustration, their power struggle, and their genuine surprise and affection for one another. It’s like two lion cubs. It was such a unique way to bond with another actor, but it also felt like a very safe way to do it.” According to Shortland, the fight scene was filmed amid a heat wave in Budapest. “We kept having to stop shooting. It was like a microwave oven,” Shortland said. “It was great watching these two women fight and make it look effortless. They’d stop, we’d hose them down, and then we would put them back in.”
4. Alexei refuses to believe his glory days are behind him.
The Red Room’s answer to Captain America, Harbour’s Alexei Shostakov aka the Red Guardian is a super soldier and spy who lived a lifetime of triumph during the Cold War. Alexei’s years of espionage are behind him, but he still considers himself the ultimate hero. “He is filled with grief and remorse about the choices that he’s made—emotionally, spiritually, nutritionally,” Harbour said. “The comedy itself comes out of the ego that he’s built to defend against the feelings of that remorse. In other words, he has to be so bombastic because he can’t stop and feel these things, these failures, so he has to build himself a confabulatory, psychotic reality where he is the hero—and that’s inherently silly.”
5. The Red Room has done a number on its Black Widows.
Melina, played by Academy Award® winner Weisz, is a highly trained spy who has been cycled through the Red Room’s Widow program four times. After various undercover missions, she became one of the Red Room’s lead scientists. Now living on a pig farm in Russia, she’s surprised when Natasha, Yelena, and Alexei show up on her doorstep. She must now decide where her loyalty lies. “I just thought she was a really unusual character,” said Weisz, also making her MCU debut. “This was really unlike anything I’ve ever done, and it felt incredibly intimate, incredibly emotional. I had to steel myself most days to stop laughing at David Harbour, because he’s one of the most eccentric, original, funny people on this planet.” Unlike Weisz, Melina isn’t so easily charmed. “What I liked about Melina was that she has absolutely no sense of humor—like, none—which possibly makes her quite funny sometimes,” she said. “People are many things, and what the writers got onto the page, and what Cate directed, were highly complex people who are very contradictory.”
By Zach Johnson
Disney Legend Robin Roberts is serving the tea this summer.
Today, Disney+ shared the trailer and key art for Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts, premiering Wednesday, July 28, exclusively on the streaming service. Roberts, beloved co-anchor of Good Morning America and ABC News, serves as host and executive producer of the series, which is also executive produced by LeBron James through his media conglomerate, The SpringHill Company. In addition to Roberts and James, the executive producer team is comprised of women, BIPOC, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
In each episode, Roberts sits down with three famous women who share experiences that are both personal and moving. As the show’s title suggests, Roberts’ guests will often “turn the tables” and interview her—and each other—in heartfelt and often humorous conversations that showcase authenticity and vulnerability. Special guests include Debbie Allen, Sofia Carson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jenna Dewan, Sheila E., Melissa Etheridge, Mickey Guyton, Betsey Johnson, Billie Jean King, Tig Notaro, Raven-Symoné, and Josie Totah.
Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts is produced by Rock’n Robin Productions and The SpringHill Company. In addition to Roberts and James, executive producers are John R. Green and Reni Calister from Rock’n Robin Productions and Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson, and Philip Byron from The SpringHill Company. Kadine Anckle is showrunner.
By Christina Pappous, Walt Disney Archives
Did you know that today is the 25th anniversary of Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame? Released in 1996, the animated feature vividly brought the timeless characters and story from Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel to a new generation of filmgoers. Prior adaptations of Hugo’s novel included the 1923 silent version starring “The Man of a Thousand Faces,” Lon Chaney as well as Charles Laughton’s turn as the tragic Quasimodo in the 1939 film. In Disney’s adaptation of the novel, the creative team streamlined the novel’s sprawling plot and most importantly, made Quasimodo the film’s protagonist. By doing so, the film poignantly became, in the words of producer Don Hahn, the “story of an outsider—a frightening visage with a beautiful soul—one who wants to be accepted by the world around him but must tackle his own inner fears in order to do so.”
One of the most powerful ways the artists and animators behind Hunchback communicated this was through the character design of the gentle Quasimodo. The process of designing the famed bell-ringer was a unique challenge, as co-director of the film Gary Trousdale and the creative team wanted to be sure that Quasimodo was not “malevolent, bitter, and vicious, but a put-upon guy who, beneath his surface appearance and his being emotionally stunted, has a loving heart of gold.” In animating Quasimodo, supervising animator James Baxter utilized horizontal shapes to better distinguish him from the towering, ominous vertical lines of his wicked guardian Judge Claude Frollo and the Gothic architecture of the cathedral. As Baxter put it, Quasimodo’s “being bent over was a metaphor for his wanting to hide. We wanted him wrapped in on himself, able to bend over and cower in his most oppressed moments.” However, it was key that Quasimodo’s design enabled him to be adept and agile enough to scale the bell towers of the cathedral with ease. The maquette of Quasimodo from the Walt Disney Archives beautifully demonstrates the complexities of Quasimodo’s personality.
Of course, one of the most touching elements of the film is Quasimodo’s tender friendship with the kind and compassionate Esmeralda. Like Quasimodo, Esmeralda is an outsider and the animators infused her character design with warmth, vivacity and most importantly, a balance between softness and strength. In the words of director Gary Trousdale, Esmeralda is “the first person to treat Quasimodo like a human being” and through the friendship he develops with her, he makes his first connection to the outside world beyond the walls of the cathedral, gains the courage to confront his fears and, ultimately, finds his way “out there.” Be sure to celebrate Quasimodo’s journey and watch The Hunchback of Notre Dame, streaming now on Disney+!
By the D23 Team
D23 Gold Member The Rocketeer 30th Anniversary Pin Set – Limited Edition
Strap on your jetpack and celebrate 30 years of the hood ornament himself with this The Rocketeer pin set created just for D23 Gold Members. Showcasing logos for the Rocketeer and two of Cliff Secord’s favorite Hollywood haunts, the South Seas Club and the Bull Dog Café, this D23 Gold Member-exclusive three-pin set is the perfect way to commemorate this high-flying milestone.
Our The Rocketeer pin set, offered in a Limited Edition of 1,500, will be available exclusively to D23 Gold Members on shopDisney at 7 a.m. PT on June 21, 2021.
*Available while supplies last. To purchase, you must log in to shopDisney.com with the Disney account tied to D23 Gold Membership. Pin sets are sold for $24.99 each, plus applicable sales tax. Maximum of one (1) pin set of this style for purchase per D23 Gold Member for online orders. Shipping not available to PO boxes; shipping and handling fees may vary for all online orders. Other restrictions may apply. All information is subject to change including, but not limited to, artwork, release dates, editions sizes, and retail prices.
By Courtney Potter
Big news from our pals at Disney Channel: They’ve just announced a brand-new animated series called Kiff—a nutty animated buddy-comedy from South African creators and executive producers Lucy Heavens (Space Chickens in Space) and Nic Smal (Caillou), set to debut in 2023. Emmy® Award-winner Kent Osborne (SpongeBob SquarePants, Phineas and Ferb) is co-producer and story editor. This scoop was recently revealed at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, which celebrates African animation this year.
The series follows Kiff, an optimistic squirrel whose best intentions often lead to complete chaos, and her best friend Barry, a sweet and mellow bunny. Set in the bustling mountains—where animals and magical creatures live together in harmony—the series features the duo taking their town by storm with endless adventures and zest for life. Each half-hour episode, comprised of two 11-minute stories, will include a new original song.
As Heavens and Smal revealed, “Kiff, a slang word for ‘cool’ in South Africa, was inspired by the people and places we experienced when we were growing up in Cape Town, with many of the characters reflecting the personalities of our own family and friends. It’s really ‘kiff’ that we can now share a bit of our world with kids and families everywhere.” Keep your eyes peeled for more information on the series in the coming months…
Depending on where you live, you may be privy to some real hot weather this coming weekend—which includes Juneteenth and Father’s Day!—so why not stay inside, keep cool, hang with your friends ‘n’ family, and enjoy some fantastic content from around the worlds of Disney? There’s a new episode of BUNK’D on Disney Channel; the premiere of Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer (from National Geographic Documentary Films and Trailblazer Studios) on National Geographic; and so much more.
Much like how charming candelabra Lumiere felt during a certain culinary cabaret, it is with greatest pride and deepest pleasure that Disney+ earlier this week announced some truly delightful news: The streaming service has greenlit a new limited musical series, Beauty and the Beast (working title), from Disney Branded Television and ABC Signature!
An eight-episode prequel to the 2017 live-action film, Beauty and the Beast will star Luke Evans and Josh Gad, reprising their roles as Gaston and LeFou (Louie)—respectively—and will introduce Briana Middleton as Louie’s stepsister, Tilly. The series will follow this unlikely trio after a surprising revelation about Tilly’s past comes to light, sending them on an unexpected journey filled with romance, comedy, and adventure. While the mysteries of the past are uncovered and the dangers of the present grow, old friends and new enemies reveal that this familiar kingdom harbors many secrets.
Beauty and the Beast is developed, executive produced, and written by Gad, Edward Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz, each serving as a co-showrunner; the series’ creative team also set to include Tony® Award-nominated director Liesl Tommy, who will serve as an executive producer and direct the first episode. The project will feature an original soundtrack from Disney Legend and EGOT Award-winning composer Alan Menken, who will also serve as an executive producer; plus, Academy Award® nominee Glenn Slater will write the lyrics for the first episode. (And musical fans, never fear: a soundtrack for the series will be released by Walt Disney Records.)
Production on Disney+ Beauty and the Beast (working title) is slated to begin in spring 2022.
In further Disney+ headlines: Take a peek at the cute opening title sequence just revealed for their series Chip ‘n’ Dale: Park Life, now premiering Wednesday, July 28.
Comprised of three seven-minute stories, each episode follows those iconic tiny troublemakers Chip and Dale as they try to live the good life in a big city park while still having giant-sized, sky-high adventures. Nervous worrier Chip and laid-back dreamer Dale make the perfect odd couple: they’re best buddies and they drive each other nuts. In their perpetual pursuit of acorns, these ultimate underdogs are joined by Pluto, Butch, and other fan-fave Disney characters as they face down bullies great and small.
Filled with laugh-out-loud cartoon comedy, wacky adventures, and heartfelt storytelling, the 12-episode series—produced by Xilam Animation—will debut new episodes weekly on Disney+.
Prepare for summer fun as Disney Junior invites viewers to “Jump into Wow” with premieres of two new series: Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends and Mickey Mouse Funhouse—both featuring beloved characters starring in all-new adventures sure to delight kids and families alike.
Premiering Friday, August 6, with a simulcast on Disney Channel and Disney Junior at 9 a.m. ET/PT, Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends is the first full-length Marvel series for preschoolers! The series follows Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, and Miles Morales and their adventures as the young heroes team up with Hulk, Ms. Marvel, and Black Panther to defeat foes like Rhino, Doc Ock, and Green Goblin… all while learning that teamwork is the best way to save the day. The series voice cast includes Benjamin Valic as Peter Parker, Lily Sanfelippo as Gwen Stacy, and Jakari Fraser as Miles Morales. Prior to the series premiere, a series of animated shorts titled Meet Spidey and his Amazing Friends will debut on Monday, June 21, on Disney Channel (9:25 a.m. ET/PT) and Disney Junior (7:25 p.m. ET/PT).
Meanwhile, premiering Friday, August 20—with a simulcast on Disney Channel and Disney Junior at 8 a.m. ET/PT—Mickey Mouse Funhouse continues Disney Junior’s legacy of showcasing the legendary Mickey Mouse and his pals for a preschool audience. The series introduces a new character, Funny, an enchanted talking playhouse voiced by Harvey Guillén, who takes the gang on adventures to unique lands that inspire the imagination, introducing a whole new generation to the captivating world of these beloved characters. The series guest cast includes Jenifer Lewis (black-ish) and Grammy® Award nominee Mickey Guyton.
In advance of the series premiere in August, Mickey Mouse Funhouse will debut with a primetime special Mickey the Brave! on Friday, July 16, on Disney Junior at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT.
Mark those calendars!
A return to Monstropolis is just over the horizon! Earlier this week, Disney+ revealed its original animated series Monsters At Work will now begin streaming July 7, with new episodes dropping every Wednesday. The official, and suitably rollicking, trailer was also released—check it out, above.
Monsters At Work takes place the day after the Monsters, Incorporated, power plant started harvesting the laughter of children to fuel the city of Monstropolis, thanks to Mike and Sulley’s discovery that laughter generates 10 times more energy than screams. The series follows the story of Tylor Tuskmon, an eager young monster who graduated top of his class at Monsters University and always dreamed of becoming a Scarer… that is, until he lands a job at Monsters, Incorporated, and discovers that scaring is out and laughter is in! After Tylor is temporarily reassigned to the Monsters, Inc. Facilities Team (MIFT), he must work alongside a misfit bunch of mechanics while setting his sights on becoming a Jokester.
Produced by Disney Television Animation and inspired by the world of Disney and Pixar’s Academy Award®-winning feature Monsters, Inc., the series introduces new monster characters alongside returning favorites. Ben Feldman voices Tylor Tuskmon, alongside other new cast members including Mindy Kaling as Val Little, Henry Winkler as Fritz, Lucas Neff as Duncan, and Alanna Ubach as Cutter. Disney Legends Billy Crystal and John Goodman reprise their respective roles as Mike Wazowski and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan.
It’s news we’ve all been clamoring to hear, and it officially came to pass this week: Nighttime fireworks spectaculars are returning to Disney Parks this summer! Skies will once again glimmer and gleam beginning in July, just in time for the nation’s Independence Day celebrations; for more info on what you can expect, at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts, read our rundown here at D23.com.
By Jocelyn Buhlman
Lost deep in the ocean, Atlantis was once a mighty kingdom but now hidden away, seemingly forever… at least until a brave expedition crew set out on an epic quest that has captured our imaginations for 20 years. Atlantis: The Lost Empire is an animated film like no other, introducing fans to a strange and intricate world where crystals power everything, stone can fly, and adventure is around every corner. To celebrate Atlantis: The Lost Empire’s debut 20 years ago this month, we talked with legendary producer Don Hahn (who produced the film, along with Disney classics like Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and last year’s Adventure Thru the Walt Disney Archives documentary) about the film’s lasting legacy, behind-the-scenes details, and just how this epic quest for Atlantis began.
It Started with the Dream of Making Something Different
After producing a slate of now-classic fantasy films, including The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, Hahn and the Atlantis: The Lost Empire team had their eyes set on a different genre: “It’s not a princess movie,” he explains, “We always said we were going to go to the end of Main Street and turn left to go have an adventure! And that’s exactly what it is.” The idea—walking into a cinematic Adventureland, instead of Fantasyland, led the team to a fateful lunch where the concept was born: “We sat down at a Mexican restaurant, famously, and talked about what would be next. We kept coming back to adventure ideas, like Journey to the Center of the Earth, and all those movies from our childhood.”
Just developing the film was a journey into uncharted territory—they wanted to create an ensemble adventure, different from their past, successful films. But not just that—”We also didn’t want to make a musical,” Hahn recalls, “and we love musicals. We’ve made Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King and all those movies that we’re very, very proud of. So, it’s not that we wanted to leave that behind—but you do want to try something different again and have another chapter, you know? And so that’s how it hatched.”
Atlantis: The Lost Empire Took Inspiration from Walt’s Live Action Films
While Atlantis: The Lost Empire was a departure from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ roster of films at the time, the idea of a thrilling adventure to a mythical land isn’t new to Disney movies. Movies such as Treasure Island, which Hahn calls “Walt’s first adventure movie,” were full of swashbuckling characters and mysterious lands full of unknown treasure.
“Island at the Top of the World reminds me a lot of Atlantis: The Lost Empire, with characters setting off in a giant dirigible,” Hahn explains, “And 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was maybe the single most influential movie because it’s a similar story: You set off in a submarine to find of this lost island of Captain Nemo’s and this huge adventure ensues.” The adventure genre had been explored in live-action, but now it was up to their team to bring the genre to an animated film.
They Went on Real-Life Adventures Before Making the Movie
Sure, the team couldn’t exactly board a submarine and visit Atlantis themselves, but that didn’t stop them from going on their own adventures to get inspiration for the film. As the movie is set in the early 1900s, the team needed to make sure that they accurately captured what the real world was like back then. Hahn recalls, “We went to the Smithsonian and studied the vehicles of that era. We went to the army museum where [we studied] all the tanks restored from that era. It was fascinating studying everything from weaponry to costumes and languages. We wanted to know what kinds of equipment the team might have. What would Mrs. Packard be talking into? What kind of armaments might they have?”
The Atlantis: The Lost Empire team visits Carlsbad Caverns (Image courtesy of Don Hahn)
Of course, while Atlantis isn’t readily available for vacationing, there are some amazing natural wonders around the world that the team used for inspiration, such as Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. Putting themselves in the shoes of explorers helped the team realize the scope of the environments they’d be creating. “You go down there and you find out the caves are huge! There are huge places underground,” Hahn recalls, “And so that made it plausible that we could set our movie there.”
The caverns weren’t the only inspiration for the otherworldly feel for Atlantis. The team studied the myths of Atlantis, but also developed their own mythos. “You can go to a chaplain village, you can go to a Victorian street scene. You can go to a medieval Paris. And we did, we, I mean, we crawled up in Notre Dame,” Hahn explains, of research for previous film such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, “Half the movie [Atlantis: The Lost Empire] was really easy to research, on the 1900s side. The Atlantean side really was looking at cultures that grew out of nature. Imagine a society being based on crystal and metaphysical phenomenon and then being buried in the center of the earth for thousands of years. We tried to figure out what that might look like. What a great, fun challenge to say Atlantis can be anything. You take all the research you can find, and then you mush it together into something that makes it plausible. Walt Disney used to call it the ‘plausible impossible.’”
The Artistic Style Took Inspiration from Comic Books
The striking visual style of Atlantis: The Lost Empire comes from many sources—Hahn cites German poster artists, for example, as an influence on the film’s unique look—but much of the visual development was inspired by the bold and angular style of comic books. The team wanted the film’s visual style to reflect its action-packed plot, and to achieve that, they called on the skills of Mike Mignola, the creator of the Hellboy comics. “Boy is he gifted—and his ideas are so rich,” Hahn explains. “He was a real leg up for us, bringing in some special points of view.” Mignola’s work as Production Designer on Atlantis: The Lost Empire is evident by much of the otherworldly elements of Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Hahn recalls, “Mansions, the fish Atlanteans rode on, the lightning bolts they shot out of their eyes, the staffs they carried—a lot of that came from Mike.”
They Had to Create an Entirely New Language for the Film
One of the key plot points of the film that sets Milo Thatch out on his adventure with an ensemble of explorers is his understanding of the Atlantean language. Much like the overall look and culture of the lost city of Atlantis, the language in which Milo is oh-so-proficient had to be created from scratch. “We wanted to do a language that looks not just made-up, but something that really felt rooted in real language,” Hahn explains. “What made some sense for Atlantis was that the language is based somewhat on Icelandic, which is kind of an ancient Viking language. If you want to know what old Nordic sounds like, it’s very much like Icelandic. We figured that a lot of the Shepherd’s Journal and a lot of the genesis of this story happened in that old Nordic world when Vikings were reaching out and exploring around the world.”
The language was developed by linguist Marc Okrand, best known for his out-of-this-world languages created for the Star Trek universe, but the look of the Atlantean alphabet was designed by visual development artist John Emerson. Hahn recalls the process of picking the letters of the language was very simple. “We’d say, ‘So let’s make that A, and let’s make this a bit of a treasure map and that’ll be a U that’ll be a T’—and came up with the alphabet.”
There Was Almost an Extra Member on the Atlantis: The Lost Empire Crew
The film was always envisioned to feature an ensemble cast, but originally, there was an additional, magical member on the expedition crew. Hahn recalls, “We loved the ‘team of experts’ idea, so that kind of started to hatch a lot of ideas, but not all the crew members made it. We had, for example, a magician—I think his name was Zolton—and he was so cool and we had all this artwork, but there wasn’t quite anything for him to do along the way.”
While we’ll never know the true coolness of Zolton, removing the character helped the rest of the expedition team develop. Hahn explains, “If you have magic, you could do anything. So, you can say, ‘Let’s move this huge rock out of the way,’ or whatever. So, it’s more practical not to have a character like that. But out of that came Vinny, the explosives expert, and Mrs. Packard, the communications expert.”
The Lost Empire Lives On
Since Disney fans around the world discovered Atlantis: The Lost Empire, the movie has developed a following that’s persisted 20 years later—no treasure maps needed to find them! “It’s surprising in the most delightful way,” Hahn says, “because we were all really proud of it at the box office, and then, you know, you move on to the next movie.” But while Hahn and the Atlantis: The Lost Empire crew continued to make movie magic, fans found each other through another uncharted territory—the Internet! “About two or three years ago,” Hahn recalls, “the writers started saying, ‘Hey, there’s a group online. It has like 20,000 members that are super Atlantis fans.’ And we love them. They’re so articulate—they understand the movie so much and they loved the movie so much. We’re grateful, I think is the word for it. Humbled and grateful.”
Explore the mysteries of Atlantis for yourself by streaming Atlantis: The Lost Empire on Disney+.