Introduction

The world of Disney movies is huge. Beyond animation, Disney movies encompass natural history documentaries, sports comedies, superhero franchises, the Star Wars saga and so much more. Disney movies provide inspiration, characters and cross-overs with television series, theatrical shorts, comic book stories, sequels and prequels, as well as spin-offs such as soundtrack albums, making-of books and DVDs packed with extra features. There’s so much content and merchandise in the Disney universe that navigating it as a fan and collector can be a tricky business. And that’s where Disney Connections & Collections: Movies comes in.

In the following pages you will discover how every Disney movie released to theatres and direct to home video connects to the wider Disney media universe. You’ll also find out which movies and their merchandise are available to collect on a range of different media formats. Although the entertainment business, Disney included, is moving ever more rapidly to supporting streaming and non-physical formats, there is something particularly satisfying about being able to hold your favourite Disney movies in your hand. They are something precious that can be passed down through the generations, shared with friends and family, or sold on for a profit.

As a fan and collector of Disney movies and merchandise, it is sometimes frustrating that Disney movies are often perceived by audiences as beginning and ending with animated features. The listings in this book illustrate quite clearly that Disney’s animated back catalogue is the richest source of theme park rides, spin-off shorts, computer games, and comic book adaptations when compared with most Disney live-action features. But while Disney’s animated roots and successes are undeniably a core part of the company’s business, it seems a shame that many of the studio’s live-action movies often go over-looked and underappreciated.

Disney Connections & Collections: Movies grew out of a personal interest that turned academic as part of a three year PhD research project that focused on Disney movies and their audiences. The research involved a comprehensive review of Disney movies in order to define the Disney movie genre. At the same time, over 3,500 audience members were questioned about their understanding of Disney movies, and they tended to understandably equate Disney movies almost exclusively with animation.

This book therefore acts not just as a guide to Disney movie spin-offs and merchandise, but also provides a historical overview of the ways in which Disney movies have changed since 1937. It does so by treating all Disney movies equally, without favouring animation over live-action, or censoring flops or problematic movies.

You will see how Disney grew from a small studio that produced an animated feature every year or two, to releasing True-Life Adventures alongside live-action adventure and comedy movies. Then, following the death of Walt Disney, the studio underwent a period of experimentation and a search for an identity, before producing a massive growth in output under Michael Eisner, including the emergence of the direct-to-video market. Continuing into the 21st century, Disney movies changed in new ways as Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm became important parts of the Disney movie family.

Where the Disney movie story will evolve in the future is a mystery, but as Disney Connections & Collections: Movies shows, Disney’s movie history is ripe for exploration.