3. Treasure Planet
Budget: $140,000,000 Worldwide Box Office: $109,578,115
Treasure Planet was a 2002 animation film that was loosely based on the Robert Louis Stevenson book Treasure Island and produced by Disney. Treasure Planets cast included a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bryan Murray (brother of Bill) and Emma Thompson. So while the voice casting wasnt headline news, animated films have proved that this is not a deterrent to success, for example Up and The Incredibles, meaning other reasons were to blame for the lack of appeal. This reason may lie in its art deco and how this translated to what the audiences interpretation of the film would be. The colours of the film arent bright, bold or in your face, with Treasure Planets pallet feeling more subtle. Appearances dictate that parents were potentially drawn away as it may not have been as family friendly as say Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, which was released two weeks before Treasure Planet. Combined with the admission of Disney that marketing efforts were focused poorly, Treasure Planet was fighting a losing battle to tempt an audience in. Another reason that has been speculated since its release is that Disney purposely mishandled the marketing campaign of the film and hoped it would bomb. The reason being that the films failure would generate a suitable excuse to move away from traditionally hand-drawn animation, and into computer-generated animation as seen in such films as Monsters Inc and Toy Story. However, another Disney released hand-drawn animation in Lilo & Stitch was released earlier the same year, which potentially proves the accusation as false. Personally, I found great appeal in the film through its aesthetics, which even today still hold up extremely well as it created something different, an aesthetic that wasnt necessary available at the time. Reading Treasure Island as a child as well as the steam-punk environment that the film incorporated, my 11 year old self was hooked. Sadly I was one of the few who wanted to see Treasure Planet over Harry Potter. From a budget of a colossal $140 million, the film failed to equal it at the box office and given marketing costs, Treasure Planet was a monumental flop. However, it has since developed a cult following, most notably through the steam-punk vibe the film employs.