The film took a decade to complete, boasting the longest production cycle of any film from Disney's Experimental Era after enduring a spell of production hell, although principal production mainly began following the release of Геркулес (1997).
When Jim's mum sits on his bed to read to him, a Stitch doll dressed in an astronaut suit can be seen on his bookshelf.
At the end of Treasure Planet (2002), Dr Doppler and Captain Amelia — both aliens — became a couple and had children. A few lines cut from the film implied that Dr Doppler, the male alien, actually gave birth to their children. Disney had those lines removed, judging that the notion of a male giving birth, even an alien male, was too risqué for a children's film.
A sequel was planned with Willem Dafoe lined up to voice the villainous Ironbeard, but the project was shelved after the film underperformed at the box office.
The human characters are hand-drawn. John Silver's cyborg leg, arm and eye, together with the robot B.E.N., were produced as flat-rendered CGI. The ship was realised using Disney's "Deep Canvas" process. In certain scenes, all three types of animation can be seen simultaneously.
The name of the ship, 'R.L.S. Legacy', is a nod to the author of the novel 'Treasure Island', Robert Louis Stevenson.
As at 2011, this stood as Disney's largest financial shortfall. Overall cost amounted to $180 million (including $40 million for advertising). Global box office receipts totalled $101 million, resulting in a loss of $79 million.
A scene cut from the film reveals that Jim Hawkins is aged 15.
The sequence where Jim and Silver vied for Morph — each coaxing the creature to come to them in an attempt to get hold of the map — was completely improvised.
This film was proposed to Disney on several occasions by John Musker and Ron Clements: (1) In 1985, during production of The Black Cauldron (1985), but they were instead assigned to direct Basil, the Great Mouse Detective (1986). (2) After directing The Little Mermaid (1989), they were ultimately assigned to helm Aladdin (1992). (3) Following Aladdin (1992), the studio wanted them to direct Hercules (1997). Musker and Clements agreed to take on that project only on the condition that they be allowed to make this film immediately afterwards.
B.E.N. hums a few bars from "Pirates of the Caribbean", a pirate-themed attraction at Disney's Magic Kingdom. That attraction provided the inspiration for a successful series of films that began in 2003.
A proposed sequel was shelved after the film underperformed at the box office, and when John Lasseter was appointed CEO of Walt Disney Animation Studios, one of his first acts was to cancel all sequels and television series. In the draft treatment, Jim Hawkins and Kate — his classmate and romantic interest at the Royal Interstellar Academy — were to join forces with Long John Silver to prevent the villain Ironbeard from freeing the inmates of the Botany Bay prison asteroid. Willem Dafoe had been lined up to voice Ironbeard.
The film's visual aesthetic was inspired by oil paintings of the nineteenth century.
While on the planet, inside B.E.N.'s cave, Dr Doppler utters the line: "Dangit Jim, I'm not a doctor. I mean I am, but it's a doctorate, it's not the same thing." This is a nod to Star Trek (1966), where Dr Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy would routinely tell Captain James T. Kirk, "Damn it, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a ____!"
The portrayal of Jim Hawkins was partly modelled on James Dean.
When Jim and Dr Doppler reach the spaceport, they are given directions by two characters who are using a ladder. They are caricatures of directors John Musker (at the top of the ladder) and Ron Clements (supporting the bottom).
This film marked the voice-acting debut of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and to date it remains his only animated feature released in cinemas.
Animator Glen Keane drew on a personal incident when animating Silver's "You've got the makings of greatness in you" speech to Jim. In his own words: "I was seventeen and fighting for the starting halfback spot on the football team. There was another player competing for the same role who was much bigger and who was the head coach's favourite. I worked very hard and won the start for one game and felt extremely proud. The game began; I ran three plays and touched the ball once. Then the head coach took me out and put the other fellow in for the remainder of the game. I never played again and I was devastated. At seventeen, that's your life — you want your chance to shine. I had it, but the coach took it away.
"Afterwards, in the car park, the assistant coach, Mickey Ryan, a great man who spoke from the heart and always had a twinkle in his eye, put his hand on my shoulder and said, 'Glen, you're going to do great things. You'll get that starting spot. That wasn't right.' I could see he genuinely cared. There were tears in his eyes and I began to cry as well. I lived that scene with Jim and Silver on the boat when Silver encourages Jim after a significant setback. It's one of those instances where you try to animate something you've actually been through and hope you can at least come close to it."
It was the first feature film to be released simultaneously in conventional and IMAX cinemas.
The animators went to a Benihana restaurant to make notes for the scene in which John Silver chops prawns.
Jim was given the full name James Pleiades Hawkins. The Pleiades are a cluster of stars found in the constellation of Taurus.
This marked the final acting appearance of Patrick McGoohan before he died on 13 January 2009, aged eighty.
Alan Silvestri departed the film to take on work for Lilo & Stitch (2002), a project that Chris Sanders also notably contributed to. The studio then sought James Newton Howard, who had conducted and recorded all of his scores in under five months, to compose the score for the film.
This was the first Disney film in which the maquettes (small character reference sculptures) were not wholly handcrafted from clay. Silver's cyborg components were produced from plastic using laser technology.
Disney's third screen adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island, following Treasure Island (1950) and Muppet Treasure Island (1996) — the latter produced by Jim Henson and released by Disney.
To reinforce Jim's "bad-boy" image, the producers outfitted him with a black jacket that he wears in most scenes during the first half of the film. In the latter half, however, the jacket is no longer seen on him.
The look of John Silver was modelled on Wallace Beery's portrayal of the same character in Treasure Island (1934).
Dame Emma Thompson was expecting during several voice recording sessions, and that influenced Captain Amelia's appearance by the end of the film.
Initially, Captain Amelia's hair was intended to be jet-black. However, a last-minute change resulted in her being given light red hair instead, similar to that of her voice actress Emma Thompson.
Clips from Peter Pan (1953) were used to trial CGI composites on three-dimensional backgrounds.
Alongside Moana (2016), this is the only film directed by Ron Clements and John Musker that does not feature Frank Welker.
The song "Always Know Where You Are" was penned by Johnny Rzeznik, who also performed it over the closing credits. However, the version on the soundtrack album is performed by the British boy band BBMak.
At the start of the film, as Flint's vessel approaches the merchant ship, the clouds take on the likeness of Mr Scroop.
In the 2002 film Treasure Planet, Dr Doppler — a dog-like alien — refers to his meal as 'Alponian chowder'. Alpo is a well-known brand of dog food in the United States.
John Silver is the second antagonist in a Walt Disney Animation Studios film to appear decent at first, later reveal his true colours, and ultimately find redemption, after Amos Slade in The Fox and the Hound (1981).
The antagonist Mr Scroop carries the same name as the similarly villainous Lord Scroop, a character in William Shakespeare's 'Henry V'.
In the initial concept, Amelia was intended to have tentacle-like hair that could move and grasp objects.
Emma Thompson made her debut as a voice performer in a feature film released in cinemas. She subsequently voiced Queen Elinor in Brave (2012), Mrs. Potts (the teapot) in Beauty and the Beast (2017), the Yeti Elder in Missing Link (2019), and Polynesia the parrot in Dolittle (2020).
When the pirates attack the Benbow Inn, they're visible only as shadowed silhouettes; watch the leader closely — it's clearly Silver.
John Musker and Ron Clements's directorial outing for Treasure Planet (2002) was the first since Basil, the Great Mouse Detective (1986) not to spawn any direct-to-video sequels, be developed into a television series, or feature in the Kingdom Hearts games.
This was the first film by John Musker and Ron Clements to receive a PG rating from the Motion Picture Association (MPA). It remained their only film to receive that rating until Moana (2016).
In the sequence where Jim overhears the crew's plans to mutiny, Silver confronts Scroop about killing Mr. Arrow, warning him that if he ever pulls a stunt like that behind his back again he'll "be joining him". Scroop ultimately suffers a fate similar to Mr. Arrow's after Jim and B.E.N. switch off the ship's artificial gravity.
Following several disappointing test screenings, Disney sought to counter this by boosting its promotional budget, with particular emphasis on television adverts.
Initially, Disney planned to co-produce the film with the Italian animation studio Rainbow S.p.A., given that Italy had produced the miniseries Treasure Island in Outer Space (1987) in 1987. However, Rainbow pulled out of the arrangement because the studio was tied up with other projects at the time.
Tom Cruise, Michael J. Fox, Anthony Michael Hall and Jared Leto were all among those considered for the part of Jim Hawkins before Joseph Gordon-Levitt was cast. Fox had already voiced Milo Thatch in Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) the year before. - Disneywiki.fandom
When Ben regains his memory, the familiar Windows error tone can be heard for a moment.
The troubled production of Treasure Planet (2002) was among the factors that led to Peter Schneider being removed from his role as head of Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Etherium, the substance that fills the regions between the planets — the medium through which ships travel — is based on the 19th-century physics idea of the Ether, regarded as a "real" element by some (and even by a few today). It was thought to be the medium that carries light, rather than what we now generally consider "empty space". Once taken for granted, the concept is now largely known only to those who study 19th-century physics.
This is the fifth occasion since 1940 (namely Pinocchio (1940) and Fantasia (1940)), 1977 (namely The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977) and The Rescuers (1977)), 1999 (namely Tarzan (1999) and Fantasia 2000 (1999)), and 2000 (namely Dinosaur (2000) and The Emperor's New Groove (2000)), in which two films from Disney's animated classics line-up were released in cinemas in the same year. That is, Lilo & Stitch (2002), which arrived five months earlier than this film. It would also remain the last such occurrence until 2016 (namely Zootopia (2016) and Moana (2016)).
Mr Scroop is quite clearly partly modelled on "Israel Hands", an equally unhinged pirate from the original novel — that story does feature another crew member called "Hands" (though his name is never spoken in the film). Scroop also borrows elements from George Merry, displaying mutinous, hostile behaviour, particularly in acting against Silver's orders (in the novel Merry launches the mutiny too soon; the murder of Mr Arrow there is carried out by Silver, whereas in the film Scroop commits it).
It was the second Disney film to include both David Hyde Pierce and Michael McShane appearing together, following their collaboration in A Bug's Life (1998), which also featured Jack Angel and Corey Burton.
The second animated film to have Martin Short provide the voice for a character associated with extraterrestrial themes, following Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001), where he serves as an ally rather than one of the villains.
Walt Disney Animation Studios's final traditionally hand-drawn animated film was awarded a PG classification by the Australian Classification Board (A.C.B.).
With a budget of US$140 million, it remains the most expensive traditionally‑animated feature ever produced.
Walt Disney Animation Studios' twelfth film that isn't a musical in which characters break into song three or more times at arbitrary points since Bambi (1942) (which only featured songs in the background), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) (which was essentially a music-driven musical), The Rescuers (1977), The Black Cauldron (1985), Basil, the Great Mouse Detective (1986) (also essentially a music-musical), The Rescuers Down Under (1990), Tarzan (1999) (which only had songs in the background), Dinosaur (2000), The Emperor's New Groove (2000) (which contained only a musical-like sequence), Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and Lilo & Stitch (2002) (which likewise only featured songs in the background).
It was the final Walt Disney Animation Studios picture to be filmed in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio until the release of Chicken Little (2005).
Prior to Brian Murray being cast as John Silver, actors including Christopher Plummer, Jim Broadbent, Miguel Ferrer, Sean Connery and Jack Palance auditioned for the part.
After the writer Chris Sanders left Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2007 to join DreamWorks Animation, this film and Hercules (1997) are the only notable Disney films he worked on that were directed by John Musker and Ron Clements.
It remained Disney's last film regarded as a box-office failure until The Wild (2006). It was likewise the final hand-drawn full-length feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios to be deemed a box-office failure.
Bob Hoskins was at one stage considered to provide the voice for Long John Silver.
It is the first feature film directed by John Musker and Ron Clements not to have appeared in the Kingdom Hearts series since Basil, the Great Mouse Detective (1986).
Mr Arrow warns Scroop and the other pirates that if they persist in their misbehaviour, they'll spend the remainder of the voyage in the brig. That's where the surviving members of Silver's crew are confined.
Roscoe Lee Browne's second and final film for Walt Disney Animation Studios, following Oliver & Company (1988).
One scene is reminiscent of "The Hostage" by N. C. Wyeth: in both, Long John Silver is shown dragging Jim Hawkins towards the treasure.
Goran Visnjic and Michael Richards both auditioned for the part of Scroop before Michael Wincott was cast. Visnjic provided the voice of Soto in Ice Age, which was released in the same year as this film — 2002.
Steven Tyler, Mark Hamill and Brad Dourif were considered to provide the voice for Mr Scroop.
Walt Disney Animation Studios's first film to open in November since Aladdin (1992) — the studio also released Balto (1995) and A Bug's Life (1998) — and it was their last picture to be released during Thanksgiving week until Bolt (2008). November would eventually become the regular month for the release of each subsequent Disney animated feature, with the exceptions of Home on the Range (2004), Meet the Robinsons (2007), The Princess and the Frog (2009), Winnie the Pooh (2011), Zootopia (2016) and Raya and the Last Dragon (2021).
Gilbert Gottfried was considered to provide the voice for Morph.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who provided the voice of Jim Hawkins in the 2002 film Treasure Planet, later went on to voice Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio (2022).
John Musker and Ron Clements's final film as directors to be issued on VHS.
Jack Angel and his late co-star John Cygan appeared in Toy Story 3 (2010) and in films released either side of it, such as Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), Horton Hears a Who! (2008), The Lorax (2012) and Despicable Me 2 (2013), which also featured several of their occasional collaborators — Joseph Bologna, Bob Bergen, Jan Rabson, Corey Burton, Rodger Bumpass and Dee Bradley Baker, along with many other animated projects up to 2017.
Michael McShane has his third animated feature to receive a cinema release, following Balto (1995) and A Bug's Life (1998) — the former was a 2D animated film and the latter was produced by Disney. It is also McShane's first film to carry a PG certificate, his first not to include any performers who appeared in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), and the first not to feature veteran voice artist Danny Mann in any vocal or animal-sound capacity; such animal vocalisations have been provided by Frank Welker since 1967.
John Ratzenberger was under consideration to provide the voice for BEN.
Walt Disney Animation Studios's sixth film to be classified PG by the ACB (Australian Classification Board), following The Black Cauldron (1985), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Tarzan (1999), Dinosaur (2000) and Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001).
Tony Jay appeared in three films for Walt Disney Animation Studios; this was his third and final one, following Beauty and the Beast (1991) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), and it was the only instalment of the three not directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale.
Casting director Ruth Lambert ran a number of casting auditions for the film in New York, Los Angeles and London, although the production team already had several actors in mind for two of the principal characters.
Animator and character designer Ken Duncan had envisaged Captain Amelia with black hair in the mould of Louise Brooks, and was taken aback when the team opted to give her red hair.
Jospeh Gordon-Levitt and David Hyde Pierce appeared in two hit sitcoms on NBC during the 1990s — Fraiser and 3rd Rock from the Sun.
During the initial planning stage Mr Scroop was intended to be called Israel Hands, the same name as his book counterpart. Silver would alternate between addressing him as "Israel" and "Izzy", while Mr Arrow would refer to him as "Mr. Hands". The name was later changed amid concerns that it could be perceived as anti‑Semitic. Robert Louis Stevenson borrowed the name from a real‑life pirate who served under the notorious Edward "Blackbeard" Teach.
The sixth film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios during the Experimental Era.
Jim's home planet is known as Montresor — a name of Italian origin that means "My Treasure".
