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Why hasn''t disney used Mickey, Donald, or Goofy in a modern film?

P

paragonpro

Banned
Everyone knows these three characters, they are absolutley timeless and those animations from oh so long ago still hold up today. Hell they are plastered all over disney world. So why is it that they seem to be reserved for kingdom hearts and the mickey mouse club house? I know disney's priorities now are steeped heavily in marvel, starwars, and pixar. But there in house animation team has done fantastic work, see frozen, big hero 6, or moana for instance. I think its a missed opprotunity to not let this incredible team of creative talent go crazy with disneys most classic and well known mascots, and they could probably pull it off really well and make a solid movie out of if. Wasn't favereau working on a magic kingdom movie that was gonna feature them? And that one guy wanted to make a rodger rabbit/mickey traditional hand drawn road trip type movie. I hope disney does something with them soon in the realm of big budget cinema
 
P

PSqueak

Banned
Are they known? Yes, everybody know them.

That doesn't translate into Relevancy tho, and it pains me to say this, it really does, but we have to face the fact that we live in a world where such movie would bomb.
 
J

johnsmith

remember me
They already sell tons of merch from those characters. Whereas new characters are brand new sources of revenue.
 
E

elrechazado

Banned
They are no longer characters. They are marketing brand archetypes. I read a really cool article on the psychology of why Mickey was no longer a character to be used that explains it much better. Will have to see if I can find it.
 
Z

Zackat

Member
Mickey is kinda boring. It's only the other characters that make him interesting. He has some more personality in the latest shorts they are putting out, though Goofy and Donald are still my favorites from even that.

I have good memories of A Goofy Movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HcqCFva-Gc

There is just a lot more opportunity in new franchises. Mickey, Donald and Goofy are just mascots for Disney now.

andthebeatgoeson said:
Aren't the parks their biggest single source of revenue?
Click to expand...

ESPN pretty sure.
 
S

Skiptastic

Member
johnsmith said:
They already sell tons of merch from those characters. Whereas new characters are brand new sources of revenue.
Click to expand...
This and the fact that they use the characters in many ways already on TV. No reason to bring them to the big screen when they have them doing work on the little screen.

Oh and Mickey and Minnie were in a short before one of the recent movies...Frozen maybe? Eh I forget.
 
E

Exterminieren

Banned
The Mickey Mouse brand is too big to need a movie to push it.

There's also the problem of getting people into a movie theatre to see a character that they're used to seeing for free; remember that brilliant, faithful Winnie-The-Pooh movie bombed like the heavens a few years back. These characters are beloved, and they push a hell of a lot of merchandise, but that's absolutely no sign that they'll make for a successful movie.
 
J

.JayZii

Banned
Because they're more icons than actual beloved characters. Maybe Goofy and Donald could be in something, but Mickey's MO is to be bland as fuck.

EDIT: I forgot about those new shorts where he actually has personality.
Kthulhu said:
Maybe it's because Mickey Mouse enters the public domain in a few years.
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El oh el.
 
N

Nepenthe

Member
I think the biggest hurdle is thus:

What kind of story could you tell with characters who live in relatively normal worlds where they're nothing but everymen that would warrant a theatrical animated feature?
 
S

Speevy

Banned
paragonpro said:
I think, with some great marketing and tugging at nostalgic hearts, they can make such a movie a success
Click to expand...

A critical success, yes, but these characters aren't relatable to modern audiences.

Specifically, they aren't known for the sort of one-liner laden sensory overload movie that teaches a lesson while having jokes that only adults would understand.

Don't believe me? Show a child the best Mickey Mouse of Goofy cartoon. See what their reaction is.
 
P

paragonpro

Banned
Kthulhu said:
Maybe it's because Mickey Mouse enters the public domain in a few years.
Click to expand...

Oh man, right when kh3 comes out too. Talk about missed opprotunity! But seriously there is no way disney doesnt renew those rights

Exterminieren said:
The Mickey Mouse brand is too big to need a movie to push it.

There's also the problem of getting people into a movie theatre to see a character that they're used to seeing for free; remember that brilliant, faithful Winnie-The-Pooh movie bombed like the heavens a few years back. These characters are beloved, and they push a hell of a lot of merchandise, but that's absolutely no sign that they'll make for a successful movie.
Click to expand...

God that winnie the pooh movie was fucking great and that trailer made me shed a single manly tear. Its a shame what happened to that film
 
H

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
70177048.jpg


Be careful what you wish for
 
P

Pizza

Member
Looking at their more recent cartoons starting the three of them (duck tails and that new YouTube Mickey Mouse) like... what would the movie BE?

When I was a kid it was sequels to successful cartoons and "toss Mickey, donald, and goofy into fucking anything" so you got A Goofy Movie and Alladin 3

But now, with the new established animation style, what would it be? Would it be like rocky/bullwinkle, smurfs, that tv show, and the new sonic movie where the cartoons are just bumbling around irl?

Would it be an extra long episode of the cartoon?

I'd rather we see how Duck Tails is at this point. Idk how the current (really good) style would benefit from a long-form episode. It COULD be good, and I'd love to see modern disney try, but idk

At this point I'd like Duck Tails to be v successful and maybe in a year or two they could do a movie where Mickey, goofy, and the duckburg gang all go do a thing together. I feel like there's more than enough in that concept to carry a full movie.

I'm glad we're not seeing "Yet Another Goofy Movie" but at the same time I'd love to see the current cartoon style adapted to a film.

If y'all haven't seen em yet, the cartoons on Mickey Mouse's YouTube channel are some of the best content Disney has produced in years
 
T

Tetsujin_MK

Member
Kthulhu said:
Maybe it's because Mickey Mouse enters the public domain in a few years.
Click to expand...

As far as I know, Disney has their characters not just under copyright but also trademarked, which lasts as long as they use it.
Specific movies might eventually go into public domain but the characters themselves will probably remain Disney's.
 
T

The Albatross

Member
Disney is very protective of their core brand because it affords them more creativity with all of their other characters.

Speevy said:
A critical success, yes, but these characters aren't relatable to modern audiences.

Specifically, they aren't known for the sort of one-liner laden sensory overload movie that teaches a lesson while having jokes that only adults would understand.

Don't believe me? Show a child the best Mickey Mouse of Goofy cartoon. See what their reaction is.
Click to expand...

My niece and nephew freaking love Mickie Minnie and Donald. Disney makes a ton of tv shows with these characters and they're all very widely known by any kid under 7.

Mickies playhouse or something like that is basically on loop at my sister's house. They're really low tier cartoons but kids really recognize Mickie and the simple relationships on the show. Although I agree I don't think they need to make a movie with them.
 
V

Vice

Member
Mickey and crew are really pushed on young children and toddlers. Tons of tv shows and straight to video features. Then they transition to the animated films. Then onto live action. Disney has a very strong pipeline, and Mickey cartoons, as well as duck cartoons, are the first stop.
 
K

Kthulhu

Member
Speevy said:
A critical success, yes, but these characters aren't relatable to modern audiences.

Specifically, they aren't known for the sort of one-liner laden sensory overload movie that teaches a lesson while having jokes that only adults would understand.

Don't believe me? Show a child the best Mickey Mouse of Goofy cartoon. See what their reaction is.
Click to expand...

Kids love old cartoons. Your Grandpa Simpson is really showing.


ascii42 said:
Which would not be new territory for them.
Click to expand...

I know that.
 
L

Loxley

Member
I feel like I read some article from a few years ago that said the reason Mickey Mouse has never had his own feature-length theatrical film is because Disney is scared of getting it wrong. That character basically is Disney's entire legacy, so I guess I can see the apprehension of risking screwing it up.
 
K

Kthulhu

Member
Loxley said:
I feel like i read some article from a few years ago that said the reason Mickey Mouse has never had his own feature-length theatrical film is because Disney is scared of getting it wrong. That character basically is Disney's entire legacy, so I guess I can see the apprehension of risking screwing it up.
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It's never stopped Nintendo.
 
D

Dishwalla

Banned
Mickey Mouse the character will never enter public domain, for that to happen Disney would have to stop using him in any capacity for many years and let the trademark on the character lapse. And that isn't going to happen, especially since he's the mascot of the whole company.
 
K

Korey

Member
Dishwalla said:
Mickey Mouse the character will never enter public domain, for that to happen Disney would have to stop using him in any capacity for many years and let the trademark on the character lapse. And that isn't going to happen, especially since he's the mascot of the whole company.
Click to expand...
That's not how it works, as people have pointed out already.

For Disney to keep Mickey out of the public domain, they'd have to get the law changed. Which they've done multiple times in the past for this exact reason.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Term_Extension_Act#Support
 
C

cDNA

Member
Dishwalla said:
Mickey Mouse the character will never enter public domain, for that to happen Disney would have to stop using him in any capacity for many years and let the trademark on the character lapse. And that isn't going to happen, especially since he's the mascot of the whole company.
Click to expand...

There are limits of what they can do under copyright laws vs trademarks law. Probably it won't matter anyway because they will lobby to change the copyright laws again.
 
T

TheBryanJZX90

Member
Mickey is doing probably the most important job there is at Disney, he's indoctrinating the next generation of Disney fans through his clubhouse and roadster races and occasional visit to Minnie's boutique.
 
D

Dishwalla

Banned
Korey said:
That's not how it works, as people have pointed out already.

For Disney to keep Mickey out of the public domain, they'd have to get the law changed. Which they've done multiple times in the past for this exact reason.
Click to expand...

He's a trademark of the company, not just a copyright. The only things that can enter the public domain are his films, such as Steamboat Willie, which is the film that Disney has lobbied several times to remain out of the public domain.

As long as Mickey is trademarked by Disney, the character will not enter public domain.
 
C

clemenx

Banned
They excel at being kids and baby characters. There's not a parent in the world that doesn't have every episode of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse imprinted in their brains.
 
N

Napalm_Frank

Member
You could put Mickey into the worst movie ever made and it wouldn't really matter that much despite what Disney says.

I think the main reason is just that there isn't any reason to. Mickey isn't an exciting (or even that beloved really) character, he is more of an icon. He's the Ronald McDonald of cartoon characters. If you go too crazy with it you'd have to ask yourself ''why is this movie about Mickey exactly?''

I guess it isn't completely impossible that Donald would be starring in another flick if the new Ducktales series is a success since he is part of the main cast now.

Goofy as a character is just too ''dead'' to kickstart a movie, even when ironically he has the only full lenght flick focusing on him and it's pretty good too.
 
P

paragonpro

Banned
I think they can use zootopia as a proof of concept, obviously dont make it focused on the fact that they are animals like that film but the idea of these humanoid animals living normal lives until something abnormal happens. There is a great lineage of disney villains to use in that scenario like pete or that crazy doctor, or it doesnt even have to have a villain and it could just be a fun road trip movie. This is the same company that managed to make the 2011 muppets film fantastic so im confident they can work something out. Id rather not have the live action cg cringe fest combo that so many of these movies strive for, that sonic movie...its
Gonna be bad.

Im watching those mickey shorts now and they are fucking fantastic
 
P

PeakPointMatrix

Member
Because a feature film specifies the characters in a way that might water down the brand's international/all-purpose appeal (especially Mickey). While the new Mickey shorts are amazing and are allowed to get away with a lot, it's mostly thanks to being in a small scale television format without the weight and reverance a feature film from WDAS would carry. A Goofy Movie seemed like a fluke, and I doubt anything like that gets greenlit today.
 
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