Fantasia (franchise)
A Disney franchise of music-driven animated films and adaptations.
Fantasia is a Disney-owned media franchise that began in 1940 with the release of its first film. The franchise encompasses animated features, live-action movies, theme park attractions, video games, and concert presentations, all rooted in the idea of pairing animated sequences with classical music.
The original *Fantasia*, released in 1940, was Disney's third animated feature. Joe Grant and Dick Huemer handled story direction, Ben Sharpsteen supervised production, and Leopold Stokowski conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra for all eight segments. Composer and critic Deems Taylor appeared in live-action interstitials as the host. The sequel, *Fantasia 2000*, arrived in 1999 from Walt Disney Animation Studios. It followed the same format, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under James Levine. Celebrities like Steve Martin, Itzhak Perlman, Bette Midler, Penn & Teller, James Earl Jones, Quincy Jones, and Angela Lansbury introduced the segments in live-action scenes. Only "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" appears in both films.
Several projects were cancelled. In 1980, animators Wolfgang Reitherman and Mel Shaw began work on *Musicana*, a concept blending jazz, classical music, myths, and modern art in the *Fantasia* style, but it was shelved for *Mickey's Christmas Carol*. Development on a third film, tentatively titled *Fantasia 2006*, started in 2002. Plans included the segments *One by One* and *The Little Matchgirl*, but the project was shelved in 2004. Those segments were later released as individual short films. *Destino*, a short released in 2003, began as a 1945 collaboration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dalí, with music by Armando Dominguez performed by Dora Luz. Roy E. Disney rediscovered it while working on *Fantasia 2000* and revived it. *Lorenzo*, a 2004 short about a cat whose tail develops its own personality, was directed by Mike Gabriel and produced by Baker Bloodworth. It premiered at the Florida Film Festival and later played before *Raising Helen*, but did not appear on that film's DVD. Work on *Lorenzo* began in 1943 but was shelved, and it was later found alongside *Destino*. *One by One*, a traditionally animated short by Pixote Hunt, was released as an extra on the DVD of *The Lion King II: Simba's Pride Special Edition* in 2004. *The Little Matchgirl*, directed by Roger Allers and produced by Don Hahn, is a 2006 sho
- first_release
- 1940
- owned_by
- The Walt Disney Company
- notable_films
- Fantasia (1940), Fantasia 2000 (1999)
- cancelled_projects
- Musicana, Fantasia 2006
- theme_park_attractions
- Fantasmic!, Fantasia Gardens, Mickey's PhilharMagic, Sorcerer's Hat
- video_games
- Sorcerer's Apprentice (Atari), Fantasia (Sega), Epic Mickey, Kingdom Hearts, Disney Infinity, Fantasia: Music Evolved, Disney Magic Kingdoms
Lore & Background
The franchise began with Fantasia, a 1940 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions. It is the third Disney animated feature film, consisting of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, with Deems Taylor as master of ceremonies. A sequel, Fantasia 2000, was released in 1999, featuring new segments and the return of 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' as the only segment in both films.
Several projects were cancelled, including Musicana (begun in 1980) and Fantasia 2006 (development started in 2002, shelved in 2004). The short films Destino (released 2003) and Lorenzo (2004) were originally begun in the 1940s and later completed. Live-action films inspired by the franchise include The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010) and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018), with a Night on Bald Mountain adaptation announced in 2015 but not updated as of October 2019.
Theme park attractions include Fantasmic! shows at multiple Disney parks, Fantasia Gardens miniature golf (opened 1996), Mickey's PhilharMagic (opened 2003), and the Sorcerer's Hat icon at Disney's Hollywood Studios (2001–2015). Video games range from 1983's Sorcerer's Apprentice for Atari to 2014's Fantasia: Music Evolved, with references in Epic Mickey, Kingdom Hearts, Disney Infinity, and Disney Magic Kingdoms.
Reader's Guide
The Fantasia franchise is significant for pioneering the concept of pairing classical music with animated visuals in a feature-length format, a tradition continued by its sequel and various adaptations. Its influence extends beyond film into theme park attractions that immerse audiences in the music and imagery, and into video games that allow interactive engagement with the franchise's iconic segments. The franchise's legacy includes the preservation of unfinished projects like Destino and Lorenzo, which were completed decades after their initial conception, demonstrating the enduring appeal of the original film's artistic vision. The franchise also inspired live-action reinterpretations and remains a touchstone for Disney's integration of music and animation.
Did You Know?
- Fantasia is the third Disney animated feature film.
- The only segment featured in both Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 is 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'.
- Destino was originally a collaboration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dalí begun in 1945, but was not completed until 2003.
- The Sorcerer's Hat structure at Disney's Hollywood Studios was removed in early 2015.
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