In 1994, the Disney Studio surprise animation buffs by releasing a sequel to their theatrical hit Aladdin. But The Return of Jafar intentionally skipped cinemas and went straight to video, where it did well enough to prompt a deluge of Disney sequels, all of which were released exclusively on VHS and DVD. Other such titles over the years have included Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, Pocahontas II, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, The Little Mermaid II, Lady and the Tramp II, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II and this month's Cinderella II: Dreams Come True. And even more wait in the wings.
Then there's Return to Never Land, the follow-up to Disney's 1953 version of Peter Pan, which was based on James M. Barrie's famous play and novel. This time, though, like Toy Story 2 (also initially targeted just for video), the film will play in theaters, bowing February 15. To tie the old and new movies together, a Special edition DVD of Peter Pan debuts alongside Return to Neverland.
When asked why Disney is continuing the Peter Pan Story in the first place, producer Christopher Chase candidly admits that it's propably "some big corporate decission" that involves money. "I think the real reason why this particular decission was made, though," he admits, "is that an executive and writer came up with a sequel idea that everyone felt was exciting, interesting and worthy of actually opening up this particular classic and exploiting it further.
"This one had an interesting path," he notes, "because it started with the Disney Canadian studio a number of years ago. When that studio closed down and they moved the project to Australia, my understanding is that people just got excited about the story. Also, there's such a love for Peter Pan. Even those who haven't seen it in quite a while remember it fondly, and the kids who have a VHS at home watch it quite often."
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