Everyone loves a Disney film. Some may not even know that they have actually sat down and watched something either produced or distributed by a Disney company. With this in mind, what are some of the most surprising films or television shows that are actually Disney. These may be part of a company Disney have purchased or are part of a distributions or smaller company that Disney own.
This isn’t a count down… just a list of 10!
10 – Futurama, so with the take over of Fox, Disney acquired a lot of programs and films. Everyone focused on The Simpsons or Alien, but lets not forget The Simpsons’ not so well loved Brother. Actually prefer this to The Simpsons as I think the humour is better.
9 – Pretty Woman – Who could forget that moment when Julia Roberts walks out with her beautiful new outfit? The film is fondly remembered as a 1990s classic.
8 – Sister Act! Yes, not only did Whoopi star in The Lion King but she was also a Disney star of her own film. The original is the best regarded of them all but my personal favourite is the second. The film also stars a certain witch from Disney’s Hocus Pocus.
7 – James and the Giant Peach – Yes, That well loved film of the 90s that starred Joanna Lumley is actually part of the Disney Family. The film is based on Roald Dahl’s loved classic of the same name.
6 – Desperate Housewives – Distributed by Beunna Vista and made by ABC, the ladies of wisteria Lane were indeed part of the Disney Family. The program was a huge hit in it’s day and the start of a new Comedy Drama that led the way for the multitude of these types of programs to follow. It’s mainly female cast also strengthened the path that S and the City and broke the way for. The mixture of Comedy and high drama are repeated in Orange is the New Black. Orange also uses a primarily female cast, although is not made by Disney
5 – Lost – Lost confused many fans and the ending is often quoted as being really bad. The whole concept of the program is that it is confusing, the fact that audiences are still confused even after the show ended just showed how artistic this program was. The reason it is part of Disney is the same as Desperate Housewives.
4 – Rocky Horror Picture Show. This film was acquired by Disney as part of the Fox Take over. The film stars Tim Curry as a cross dressing alien who makes himself a play toy. The film is responsible for the song ‘The Time-warp’ and boasts a weird spin off sequel, Shock Treatment. Tim Curry is amazing in this role, he would later join the Disney family officially in a series of roles which included Long John Silver in The Muppet’s Treasure Island.
3 – Ice Age. Blue Sky Studios which was set up by Fox to Rival Disney Animation now falls under the Disney Banner. So Manny, Sid and Diago are now Disney stars. Whether or not these adventurers will be defrosted and see another lease of life in new films has yet to be seen.
2 – Coyote Ugly. Not your typical Disney Film, Coyote Ugly is as much Disney is as Who Framed Roger Rabbit? The film was produced by Touchstone films the same as Roger Rabbit, Pretty Woman, Sister Act and Pearl Harbor.
1 – Pulp Fiction. Disney Acquired Miramax in 1993, shortly afterwards, Quentin Tarantino ‘s Pulp Fiction was released from the Studios. So that Dance scene was technically a Disney Dance Scene. It also meant that Samuel L Jackson used his main line in a Disney Owned film. Disney eventually sold the company and rights to hundreds of the films in 2010.
There are plenty of films that are part of Disney through acquisitions or owned companies. There are also links to shows such as The Walking Dead, a show that is Broadcast on Disney Owned FX in the UK. Everything will have a Disney link somewhere and it is amazing that this whole foundation is built on one man’s idea to make a carton. From Alice Shorts or Oswald and eventually Mickey Mouse, the corporation has evolved into the essential entertainment company of the world.
Were you surprised by anything on my list? Did you ever find out something like this before and think it was a great fact? Maybe you think I should have included Chicago or Anastasia on my list? Well let me know and join me on Twitter for more Magical Disney Facts.