Disney is best known for its animated movies, of which many have gotten sequels – some more successful than others –, but Walt Disney never made sequels to the animated movies he was involved in. Disney continues to be a powerhouse in the world of animation and movies with a family-friendly tone, and it all began in 1937 with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The movie became the first animated feature film produced in the United States and the first cel-animated feature film, earning a place in history and being widely regarded as one of the greatest animated movies of all time.

Since then, Disney has produced several live-action and animated movies, though the latter have become the studio’s trademark. Disney’s animated movies are a combination of adaptations of legends and fairy tales as well as some original stories, every one of them telling complete stories with appropriate endings. However, the Mouse House has also produced some not-so-popular sequels for some of its animated movies, though most of the movies overseen by Walt Disney himself never got sequels, and there are strong reasons for that.

Walt Disney Didn’t Believe In Sequels To His Animated Works

Walt Disney Had Clear Ideas About Sequels

Walt Disney Pictures was founded in 1923 as Walt Disney Productions, and Walt Disney himself was involved in the production of both animated and live-action movies. Despite the many movies produced during Disney’s lifetime and with himself serving as producer, Walt Disney had some firm beliefs that would go on to shape the studio and its legacy. In 1966, Walt Disney described himself as a “born experimenter” and revealed he didn’t believe in sequels as he had to move on to new things because “there are many new worlds to conquer” (via D23). Walt Disney, then, favored originality and creativity over expanding already explored stories.

Walt Disney was even very specific about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs never getting a sequel as it was “the one that started it all”, though he was involved in the making of a sequel short titled Snow White Returns. Ultimately, Walt Disney decided not to move forward with it, but sketches of it can be found on the Diamond Edition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and online. Unfortunately, Walt Disney’s ideas about sequels weren’t honored and many of the animated movies he produced eventually got continuations many years later, but they didn’t succeed.

Disney’s First Theatrically Released Animated Sequel Was The Rescuers Down Under

The Disney Renaissance Marked A Big First In Disney History

In 1989, Disney entered a new era known as the Disney Renaissance. This came after a long streak of commercial and critical failures in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and the Disney Renaissance brought back the studio’s popularity and high quality. The Disney Renaissance kicked off with The Little Mermaid in 1989, directed by John Musker and Ron Clements. The Little Mermaid was a critical and commercial success, and the Disney Renaissance continued up until 1999 with the release of Tarzan. The Disney Renaissance also marked a big first in Disney history in 1990 with The Rescuers Down Under.

Directed by Hendel Butoy and Mike Gabriel, The Rescuers Down Under is the sequel to the 1977 animated movie The Rescuers, which was a critical and commercial success. Although The Rescuers Down Under was well-received by critics, it was a box-office bomb, but it was a first in Disney history as the first animated film sequel theatrically released by Walt Disney Pictures. After that, Disneytoon Studios produced a variety of direct-to-video sequels to many of Disney’s animated movies, both from the Disney Renaissance and before it, such as The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, Return to Never Land, and Cinderella II: Dreams Come True.

Why Many Disney Animated Sequels Failed

Sadly, Not All Disney Animated Sequels Have Succeeded

While some sequels to Disney’s animated movies have gained an audience as years went by, many became known for their low quality, both visual and narrative. The biggest problems with these sequels are that they are completely unnecessary, as the first movie gave closure to the characters, and they are made to capitalize on the success of the first movie rather than properly expanding on their worlds. Another problem is that the quality of the Disneytoon-produced sequels was nothing like that of the original movies, with the overall animation looking cheaper and messy.

Although Disney now has sequels like Frozen II that were both a critical and commercial success, the studio hasn’t been able to fully shake off the bad legacy of its past animated sequels. Walt Disney was right in not being a fan of sequels and favoring creativity and originality instead, which is definitely what the studio now needs as it continues to make sequels and now live-action versions of its animated movies.

Source: D23.