When it comes to animation, Disney has reigned supreme for the better part of a century. From its groundbreaking innovations in the medium to its decades-long roster of award-winning, culturally influential, and wildly popular films, Disney (and its subsidiary, Pixar) is synonymous with feature animation, with a long list of unforgettable films to back the claim.
From Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Toy Story, Lilo and Stitch, Finding Nemo, Frozen, and Moana, you’d be hard-pressed to find a human being on the planet who doesn’t know who Ariel is or the lyrics to “Let It Go.”
Okay, I’m exaggerating. But the point remains: Disney’s theatrical animated filmography is just that globally omnipresent. However, that doesn’t mean the House of Mouse doesn’t have a handful of lesser-known or even forgotten hidden gems.
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I’m not talking about the animated Disney films that are best left lost to the ages (I’m looking at you, Chicken Little, Planes, and The Jungle Book 2!), but rather the theatrically released animated movies that, whether due to poor timing or behind-the-scenes meddling, failed to land solidly with movie-going audiences at the time of their release.
Some of these “forgotten” films were simply ahead of their time, or released during weird transitional periods in Disney’s filmography. Some of them were considered too “dark” or experimental at the time, or were unable to make a cultural impact due to reasons outside of their control, such as shifting film trends or even global catastrophes.
Perhaps audiences flocked to theaters at the time of their release but lost interest later on, or maybe they were box-office bombs that slowly grew cult followings over time. Either way, these widely forgotten, theatrically released animated Disney movies deserved better.
Forgotten Animated Disney Movies That Deserve Another Look
From groundbreaking CGI animated movies to lesser-known traditionally hand-drawn gems, here are 11 Disney movies that deserve to be rediscovered.
Gallery Credit: Erica Russell
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