Former Disney President Jeffrey Katzenberg Was so Wrong When He Said “Movies about girls don’t work” Before One of the Company’s Biggest Hits

As a seasoned gamer with decades of experiencing immersing myself in various worlds and narratives, I can’t help but draw parallels between my love for storytelling and the remarkable journey of John Musker, a true maestro in the realm of animation. His anecdote about The Little Mermaid, a timeless classic that has enchanted millions, including myself, is a poignant reminder of how close we sometimes come to missing out on extraordinary tales due to skepticism or shortsightedness.


Over a span of several decades, renowned director and animator John Musker is gradually readying himself for retirement. At 70 years old, this esteemed director played a pivotal role in rejuvenating Disney during the late 80s and 90s, making him one of the most influential animators of all time. Recently, Musker was present at the Animayo International Summit held in Gran Canaria, where he showcased his latest short film, titled I’m Hip!.

In addition to speaking with El País, he shared insights about his early days at Disney and expressed opinions on the current situation at Disney (also known as the House of the Mouse), a topic we have previously covered. Moreover, he divulged an intriguing tale related to one of Disney’s most iconic classics.

Specifically, during that period, creating such films was more of an unusual occurrence than a common practice. Yet, the strict president then, Jeffrey Katzenberg, initially held reservations about producing such movies. However, this decision later proved to be one of his significant mistakes, as the film has since earned the title of a true classic.

Speaking of films, let me tell you about “The Little Mermaid,” the enchanting animated adaptation, which faced initial skepticism but eventually transformed into one of Disney’s top-grossing animated productions. With a production budget of just $40 million, it raked in an astounding $235 million at the box office – quite a feat for a film released in 1989! Despite the debates surrounding the live-action remake, the original animated version remains cherished by many.

However, according to Musker’s interview, Jeffry Katzenberg wasn’t immediately enthusiastic about the concept at first. He was hesitant to approve the movie, as Musker explained.

“Movies about girls don’t work. (…) The Little Mermaid will never best Oliver & Company. (…) The big eye-opener was when we had a preview. It played so well to a public audience, all ages, including adults. They decided they were doing two different ad campaigns. One was a silhouette of a mermaid, looking wistfully out. I think they saw there was a way to treat it a little more adult, classier. It has a lot of fun as a comedy. But there’s an emotional story, not just silliness. I mean, the Hans Christian Andersen’s story was that. (…) Die Hard had been a box-office hit. So he came into the office saying, ‘We need The Little Mermaid to be more Die Hard. That’s how we got the second action sequence, with an Ursula who is as big as the building in Nakatomi Plaza.”

Source: El País

In terms of significant errors made by executives, this one was certainly a doozy, and thankfully Katzenberg saw fit to approve the project, as it has become one of Disney’s most beloved and enduring productions.

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2024-09-12 17:43