Fantasia III (2006)

FANTASIA III

Directed by: Pixote Hunt, Glen Keane
Music by: Youssou N'Dour

Released on: 2006 (Tentative)

INTERESTING FACTS

In June 2000, Roy Disney confirmed that there were plans for another Fantasia, at the time set for a 2006 release. James Levine was reinstated for the occasion to conduct new pieces of music (the adaptation of--reportedly--Youssou N'Dour music), and had already finished conducting a modern piece of music based on an African rhythm: 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. Adapting this modern piece of music continues the tradition of Fantasia as an experiment and vehicle to explore different cultural music. The segment is reportedly called One by One and directed by Pixote Hunt (who already helmed the Symphony No. 5 segment in Fantasia 2000) .

A self-proclaimed Disne insider states that One by One will be "the first segment in the next Fantasia. Most of the little kids are based on people at Disney or who worked on the segment. For example there is a character named Lebo with big round glasses this is taken from Lebo M, the man who wrote the music. Also Pixote Hunt and Bruse Smith are in there two if you can find them. If you want to know what they look like watch The Proud Family on Disney Channel, because Bruse Smith designed the characters on that show and they will give you an idea of what the style he does. And one last thing if you want to hear the song One by One it is on The Lion King on Broadway soundtack. It isn't exactly the same because they changed it a bit for Fantasia 3."

Mark Mancina further explained in a June 2003 interview that "One By One is a piece that [South African songwriter/arranger Lebo M] wrote before the [Lion King] musical. But Julie [Taymor, who directed the stage musical] just had this wonderful idea of orchestrating that with kite birds, and having the kite birds right in the audience, making the audience a part of the performance."

As of March 2001, one sequence was already completed and another one, directed by Glen Keane, was in the early stages of production. Additionally, the Disney Studio in France are currently developing a segment based on "The Little Match Girl" by Hans Christian Andersen.

Word is that the film will either be "fast-tracked" to meet a 2005 deadline, or paced down to be released in 2010 since Eisner wants the film to hit a "title friendly" numbered date! The project has however been referred to for years as Fantasia 2006.

Roy Disney confirmed in July 2002 that a third installment of Fantasia was indeed under development, but that no release date was set yet. One segment inspired by the Andersen tale The Little Match Girl was already completed at the time, and the movie "will illustrate how wonderful music is all around the world," regrouping the musics from many countries from Africa to Argentina passing by Australia.

An Animated Movies spy revealed in August 202 that the project was now being referred to as The Music Project. One of the segment will feature The Little Mermaid's Sebastian the crab "which is making music with other crabs and seasnails. The style of The Little Match Girl is typical Disney... Mike Gabriel (The Rescuers Down Under, Pocahontas) will direct the segment about the U.S.A."

Mouse Planet reported in August 2003 that Disney was working on a short film now called Lorenzo the Cat which could possibly be part of Fantasia 2006. It will be hand-drawn and then computer rendered--even though some who have seen the work-in-progress say the rendering "takes the life out of it." The computerization is being done not to improve the film, but solely to give it a computer look.