Hey folks, Harry here. Right now.. this week FANTASIA 2000 is in quite a few extra theaters... finally becoming accessible beyond it's original IMAX run... While, this isn't nearly as majestic as it was on IMAX, if you haven't seen it yet, YOU MUST SEE FANTASIA 2000! It's important. This is the EXACT sort of work and ART that true animation lovers should be supporting. Take your friends... if you must... get them intoxicated, but take them and show them FANTASIA 2000. Because... As the Steadfast Tin Soldier says below... right now... there are plans for a 2006 edition of FANTASIA. Your support will help make this a reality. Below we here some of the earliest thoughts for that release...
Dear Harry,
Sorry it has taken about a week to write this, but the Disney website is completely screwed up. I wanted to check the full posting of the transcripts from the chat I took part in with Roy Disney on "Fantasia 2000." Anyways, here is what I can remember from watching the online postings during the chat and listening to the live audio feed.
First off, someone asked Roy about the whereabouts of another "Fantasia" seeing as during the IMAX run, in 4 months on 54 screens they netted $50 million. Roy then confirmed that there are plans right now for another "Fantasia." One fan asked if we could see one in 10 years, but Roy responded that current plans are that there will be a "Fantasia" 2005 or 2006 (He was leaning more in the direction of "Fantasia 2006")
One of my questions that he answered (under codename TinSoldier), was would he reinstate James Levine to conduct new pieces of music. Roy replied that Levine would return to conduct new segment music. And now... Information on an already recorded segment!!!
There were some articles that said that for Fantasia 2000, Disney considered pieces such as The Beatles to different cultural music. Well, Roy claims that in April, Levine finished conducting a piece of music based on African rhythm. According to the early story work, it involves a group of children in a small township in Africa, who watch a feather float through the air. Seeing this, the children get an idea and make kites to fly in the air (for this piece, I encourage you all to use your imagination). This is very interesting, as we are seeing Fantasia continue as an experiment and explore different cultural music. Hopefully, may'be they could find some music from China, and make a story of "The Emperor's Nightingale" (much like what they did with Piano Concerto No. 2 and "The Steadfast Tin Soldier").
On a final note, the release date of Fantasia in 2006 will be interesting to see if they can oull it off, as Fantasia's sequel was scheduled for 1996, then 99 and finally 2000.
The fact that Fantasia is going to keep going is like the light in the attic at the Disney house. After hearing about such travesties as the "Pecos Bill cigarette clean-up" (I don't get that, I watched that when I was 5, but didn't think to right away beg my parents for a pack of Marlboros), "Fantasia" is possibly one of the last hopes for great animation. I hope it does continue to 2006 and beyond. If my dreams come true over the next 10 years and I can work for the mouse house, I wan to be onboard for Fantasia 2012.
Sincerely,
TheSteadfastTinSoldier
