This is a list of unmade and unreleased animated shorts and features by The Walt Disney Company. Some of these films were, or still are, in development limbo.
Note: Disney studios produced an animated sequence for Samuel Goldwyn's film Up in Arms, which was unused in the final version of the film.
Note: Fun and Fancy Free, released in 1947, was originally planned to be two separate feature films.
Note: The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, released in 1949, was originally planned to be two separate feature films.
Scruffy - An adaptation of Paul Gallico's novel which centered on the barbary macaques of Gibraltar with its honorary leader named Scruffy, and the apes would be threatened by the Nazi Party's attempt to capture them from the British Empire during World War II. When the time had come to green-light the project, the studio leaders decided to approve The Rescuers for production.
The Hero from Otherwhere - Based on the book by Jay Williams, it was conceived as a live action/animated film about two schoolboys with different attributes who are transported to a strange planet whose black leader persuades them to help destroy a wolf that has been ravaging the land.
Spacecraft One - The story was to tell about a mile-long spaceship in its search for life on other planets.
Musicana - An early version of what eventually became Fantasia 2000. Some segments of the planned film were to be titled "Finlandia", involving a fight between the Ice God and Sun Goddess; an African segment about a curious monkey and a Rain God, including many hippos, lions and elephants; "The Emperor's Nightingale", based on the Andersen story, which would have starred Mickey Mouse as the keeper of the nightingale; a southern jazz story titled "By the Bayou", which included many frogs, including caricatures of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong; a segment set in the Andes with a beautiful girl/bird; and a version of "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves", featuring tropical birds. It was cut due to financial issues in favor of The Fox and the Hound and The Black Cauldron.
Catfish Bend - Based on the book series by Ben Lucien Burman, it follows the journey of several animal residents in Catfish Bend. Following several treatments, it was never greenlit for production, and Disney dropped its option on the books.
The Three Musketeers - Storyboard artists Steve Hulett and Pete Young developed the project with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and José Carioca as the Musketeers, but it fell into development hell.
Where the Wild Things Are - Animators Glen Keane and John Lasseter (who later moved on to Pixar) completed a test film blending traditionally animated characters with computer-generated settings, but the project proceeded no further.
Mistress Masham's Repose
Army Ants - Disney considered producing an animated feature film that centered on a pacifist ant living in a militaristic colony. However, the idea never fully materialized. This idea, however, was reincarnated ten years later into DreamWorks' Antz and Pixar's A Bug's Life.
Untitled Winnie the Pooh film - When one of her novels came to the attention of a Disney executive, Linda Woolverton was hired to work on several animated projects including one involving Winnie the Pooh, though it was later shelved once The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh aired.
Swabbies - The story found Mickey, Donald, and Goofy out of work, out of luck, and in need of a job. They enlist in the Navy and go to boot camp with Pete as their exasperated drill instructor. They meet their feminine counterparts—Minnie, Daisy and Clarabelle—who are all WAVES. After they put to sea, they encounter a submarine full of the Beagle Boys, who all speak a Russian-sounding gibberish. The entire film was storyboarded and recorded, and an animatic was created. Complete model sheets of all of the characters were printed, and layouts and some animation had begun before the project came to an abrupt halt.
Who Discovered Roger Rabbit - The shelved proposed prequel to the 1988 Disney/Amblin film, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The film, which previously went by the working title, Roger Rabbit Two: The Toon Platoon, was set in 1941 during the Second World War, and would have had Roger Rabbit and Baby Herman going on a journey through the perils of the war in search of Roger's birth parents in the Americas. It would have been a musical, direct-to-video release.
Goofy of the Apes
Puss in Boots
Homer's Odyssey - A feature film set around the odyssey of Odysseus.
Mickey Columbus - Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are cast as the captains of the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, and Minnie stands in for Queen Isabella. The film's writers could not decide what to do about the Native Americans that Columbus would encounter in the New World.
Mickey's Arabian Nights - A featurette starring Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy, set around the entire One Thousand and One Nights anthology.
Sinbad the Sailor - This proposed feature film, itself based on the Arabian Nights tale of the same name, was scrapped after Aladdin was released.
Song of the Sea - It was described as "a story about whales".
Swan Lake - The project was dropped when an agreement couldn't be reached with former Disney animator and animation director Richard Rich, who was developing The Swan Princess.
Silly Hillbillies on Mars - Based on the idea of feuding hillbillies from outer space, it was inspired by a Disney storyman who saw the title of a Disney short, "The Martins and The Coys", mistaking it for "The Martians and The Cows".
Terbialos
Hare in My Soup - A fourth Roger Rabbit cartoon short based on Who Framed Roger Rabbit was planned for release in 1995, to coincide with the release of Toy Story, preceding that proposed feature film in the process. It was canceled after pre-production ended and before production could begin, and was replaced in the gap with a rerun of Rollercoaster Rabbit. This cartoon was supposed to be followed by three more Roger Rabbit shorts, also starring Baby Herman; Clean and Oppressed, Beach Blanket Bay and Bronco Bustin' Bunny.
Toots and the Upside Down House - A tale of a young girl who creates a fantasy world of goblins, fairies, sprites, and an evil Jack Frost.
Where is Roger Rabbit? - A sequel to the original Roger Rabbit film, planned as either direct-to-video or a theatrical feature-length film sequel. It would be the third movie of the Roger Rabbit series.
Totally Twisted Fairy Tales - Conceived as a direct-to-video project of four featurettes developed by Walt Disney Television Animation, it included Jack and the Beanstalk, Redux Riding Hood, Three Little Pigs, and a fourth cartoon that was never finalized. Jack and the Beanstalk was written by Peter Tolan and George Carlin was cast in an unspecified role, but it never went pass post-production. "Three Little Pigs" was written and directed by Frank Conniff and Darrell Rooney respectively, starred Harvey Fierstein as the wolf, and was completed but never released. Redux Riding Hood itself was nominated for Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 70th Academy Awards.
Bitsy - The story focused on the eponymous elephant who leaves India to try to make it in Hollywood, and ends up working in a used-car lot and falling in love. Veteran story artists Joe Grant and Burny Mattinson developed the first act through storyboards, but following a twenty-minute pitch meeting, the executives were reluctant to approve the pitch.
Wild Life - Loosely based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, the movie was to tell the story of an elephant who becomes a sensation on the New York club circuit. In the fall of 2000, Roy E. Disney watched a work-in-progress screening and was appalled by the film's adult humor that he immediately ordered production to be shut down.
Atlantis II: Shards of Chaos - The original proposed direct-to-video sequel to Atlantis: The Lost Empire, it ultimately became Atlantis: Milo's Return, just two years after the film was scrapped, along with plans for a television series spin-off of Atlantis.
Don Quixote - Another attempt to adapt the novel that was under development by Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi who aimed for a more adult take, but the project was never approved.
Dumbo II - Disney planned a proposed direct-to-video sequel to Dumbo. It was cancelled before it began production. The trailer is included on the Dumbo: 60th Anniversary Edition DVD. Also, third Dumbo film was planned but cancelled after the cancellation of these.
Hercules II - The Trojan War - Disney planned a proposed direct-to-video sequel to Hercules. Hercules is now living in Athens with Megara and their daughter, Hebe. However, when an old friend named Helen is captured by the evil Paris of Troy, Hercules joins the united Greek army as they head out to war. However, this war will create revelations, and Hercules finds an old friend who eventually goes missing.
Stoneflight - Based on the children's book by Georgess McHargue, the story follows a lonely girl seeking refuge from her parents who befriends a lonely gargoyle at the roof of her Manhattan brownstone. The gargoyle then transports her to Central Park where other gargoyles have convened with other children from troubled families.
The Frog Prince - A satirical adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, The Frog Prince. It was developed by Eric Goldberg and his wife, Sue, and it was pitched to then-Feature Animation president Thomas Schumacher who rejected it feeling a satirical animated feature would not be popular with audiences.
The Nightmare Before Christmas 2 - Disney planned to make a sequel of The Nightmare Before Christmas, but instead of using stop motion, Disney wanted to use computer animation. However, Tim Burton convinced Disney to drop the idea.
Antonius - The project follows the story of a leopard in ancient Egypt who becomes a freedom fighter.
The Emperor and the Nightingale - Emperor Wu has a nightingale whose beautiful songs bring him much joy. One day, the emperor receives a mechanical bird that can sing and dance, and he devotes his attention to the toy bird. Neglected and ignored, the nightingale flies away. Some time passes and the mechanical bird breaks down. The emperor, never realizing the treasure he had in his nightingale, pines for the melodious songs of the nightingale. One day, the nightingale returns to the palace and the emperor promises to never neglect it again.
The Fool's Errand - The story is said to center on a court jester who goes on a mythical journey to return peace to his kingdom.
The Search for Mickey Mouse - In honor of Mickey Mouse's 75th anniversary, the project was about Mickey who gets "mousenapped" by unknown forces, forcing Minnie Mouse to enlist Basil of Baker Street to investigate his disappearance, and later encounters one character from Disney's animated film canon such as Alice, Peter Pan, Robin Hood, and Aladdin. However, the project suffered script problems with the multiple cameos being thought to be too gimmicky. The project was later replaced by Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers.
Treasure Planet II - The cancelled direct-to-video sequel to the original film. In the sequel, Jim Hawkins and Kate, his love interest and classmate at the Royal Interstellar Academy, must team with Long John Silver to stop the villainous Ironbeard from freeing the inmates of Botany Bay Prison Asteroid. Willem Dafoe was set to voice Ironbeard. The sequel was canceled when Treasure Planet disappointed at the box office.
My Peoples - Produced at Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, this proposed feature film was to be about two young lovers named Elgin Harper and Rose McGee. They are both from two rival families in Appalachia during the late 1940s. A group of mountain spirits inhabiting folk art dolls do what they can to bring the two of them together. Mixing traditional and computer-generated animation, it had already gone through a number of title changes, including A Few Good Ghosts, Angel and Her No Good Sister, Elgin's People, and Once in a Blue Moon, and was being directed by Barry Cook, the co-director of Mulan. Set to a bluegrass score, its voice cast included Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, Hal Holbrook, and Charles Durning. Due to creative reasons, production was ultimately shut down in late 2003, along with the Florida studio.
Tam Lin - An adaptation of the Scottish fairy tale that Roger Allers had developed, but it was rejected after it was pitched to Michael Eisner, who was in a corporate struggle with Roy E. Disney, once he recognized the project as Disney's "baby". In May 2003, Sony Pictures Animation announced the project was being directed by Allers and Brenda Chapman, but one year later, he was later moved to co-direct Sony Pictures Animation's first film Open Season.
The Jungle Book 3 - Multiple story ideas were suggested such as Baloo and Shere Khan being captured and sold off to a Russian circus, and Mowgli, Shanti, Ranjan and Bagheera deciding to save them both. Over the course of the film, Shere Khan regrets his hatred against humanity because of his capture, and eventually reforms, but the project never materialized.
The Prince and the Pig - The project was described as a fairy tale centering on the grand adventure of a boy and his pig as they set off against all odds to try to steal the moon.
The Three Pigs - An adaptation based on David Wiesner's book The Three Pigs. In May 2002, it was reported that the book was optioned to Walt Disney Feature Animation, and its development was announced in December 2003 as a 2D/3D animated hybrid film.
Uncle Stiltskin - The story begins where the famous Brothers Grimm fairy tale Rumplestiltskin leaves off. In Uncle Stiltskin, the fabled aspiring babynapper Rumplestiltskin again tries to fulfill his dream of being a father but, this time, he discovers the true meaning of family.
Which Witch? - Based on the children's novel of the same name by Eva Ibbotson, the project tells of a fantasy adventure in which a magical wizard realizes that before he retires, he must find a wife. He holds a contest in which all the world's witches compete by performing their most outrageous spells. In October 2014, it was announced that the project is in development again at the Jim Henson Company with Billy Crystal serving as a writer, producer and star.
One for Sorrow, Two for Joy - Based on the Clive Woodall novel of the same name, it is set in an imaginary kingdom of Birddom and follows the plight of a plucky robin tasked with saving the world from evil magpies. In 2004, Disney entered negotiations with Woodall to acquire the film rights in hopes of producing an animated adaptation.
Recess: The First Day of School - This would have been a direct-to-video film to be released in August 2004, the fourth direct-to-video film, and the fifth film in the Recess franchise. The plot revolved on T.J. and his gang (except Gus, who wouldn't have moved to town yet) adjusting to fourth grade, making it a prequel to the events of the series. It was scrapped shortly after Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade and Recess: All Growed Down were released at the end of 2003.
The Abandoned - Based on the children's book by Paul Gallico, the story focused on a young boy who transforms into a cat.
Disney Learning Adventures (series) - Originally, Disney was to release more Learning Adventures installments by starting with Winnie the Pooh: Good Day Good Night and Winnie the Pooh: Time to Rhyme. However, the two DVDs were later cancelled for reasons unknown, and the original trailer for them can be shown on YouTube.
Fraidy Cat - This proposed feature film was to have chronicled the life of a frightened cat who had already lost three of his nine lives trapped in a Hitchcock-esque plot, and came under development by Ron Clements and John Musker. However, David Stainton, then-president of Walt Disney Feature Animation, refused to green-light the project.
Mr. Popper's Penguins - Based on the novel of the same name, the project was developed under Joe Grant where Eisner and Stainton wanted the project to be set in contemporary New York, in which Grant contested. The project was later moved to 20th Century Fox and was released on June 17, 2011. It starred Jim Carrey and Carla Gugino in the lead roles and received mixed reviews from critics but was a box office success.
Untitled Winnie the Pooh film - Screenwriter Robert Reece wrote a treatment for a Winnie the Pooh feature film. It was to center on a dilemma for one of Pooh's friends, but it was never pitched.
Aladdin 4 - In 2005, screenwriter Robert Reece pitched a fourth Aladdin feature to DisneyToon execs, although it never came to fruition.
Toy Story 3 - This original version of the 2010 movie of the same name by Disney Circle 7 Animation was originally going to focused on the other toys shipping a malfunctioning Buzz to Taiwan, where he was built, believing that he will be fixed there. While searching on the Internet, they find out that many more Buzz Lightyear toys are malfunctioning around the world and the company has issued a massive recall. Fearing Buzz's destruction, a group of Andy's toys (Woody, Rex, Slinky, Mr. Potato Head, Hamm, Jessie, and Bullseye) venture out to rescue Buzz. At the same time, Buzz meets other toys from around the world that were once loved, but have now been recalled.
Monsters, Inc. 2: Lost in Scaradise - In 2005, Circle 7 Animation screenwriters Bob Hilgenberg and Rob Muir wrote a film treatment for a sequel of Monsters, Inc.. The film would have focused on Mike and Sulley visiting the human world to give Boo a birthday present, only to find that she had moved. After getting trapped in the human world, Mike and Sulley split up after disagreeing on what to do. However, the film was cancelled after the defunction of Circle 7, but eight years later, a prequel was released by Pixar.
Finding Nemo 2 - In 2005, Disney was going to make a sequel to Finding Nemo without Pixar's involvement by the now-defunct Circle 7 Animation. But after Disney bought Pixar in 2006, Circle 7 was shut down and its version of Finding Nemo 2 was scrapped. However, this was eventually released as Finding Dory by Pixar in 2016.
Fantasia 2006 - Also known as Fantasia III, this would have been the third film installment in the Fantasia series, Minnie, Pluto and Goofy were going to join in one of these unknown segments, until the plans were eventually dropped altogether, and proposed segments from that abandoned film were instead produced and released as individual stand-alone Disney animated shorts.
Mulan III - In 2002, a third Mulan film was announced to be in production. Like the first sequel, this proposed second sequel to Mulan would have ultimately gone direct-to-DVD, but the production was eventually canceled.
Following the acquisition of Pixar in March 2006, DisneyToon Studios president Sharon Morrill stepped down, and the animation studio units under the Walt Disney Company underwent corporate restructuring as the Pixar leadership assumed more control. Thus, most sequels, plus a prequel series, out of DisneyToon Studios were canceled.
The Aristocats II - The canceled direct-to-video sequel to the original 1970 film. The story was to have concerned Marie, Duchess's daughter, who becomes smitten by another kitten aboard a luxury cruise ship. However, she and her family must soon take on a jewel thief on the open seas.
Chicken Little: The Ugly Duckling Story - The proposed direct-to-DVD sequel to Chicken Little.
Meet the Robinsons: First Date - The canceled direct-to-DVD sequel to Meet the Robinsons.
The Seven Dwarfs - At one point, Disney was developing a Lord of the Rings-like franchise series of direct-to-DVD films which would chronicle the adventures of the Seven Dwarfs before they met Snow White. The proposed project didn't go through, and the planned series was ultimately canceled. However, the concept was revived into a television series titled The 7D airing on Disney XD.
Pinocchio II - The proposed direct-to-video sequel to the original 1940 film.
Disney Princess Enchanted Tales (film series) - Initially, after the release of the film Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams, there was to be an entire series of Enchanted Tales film installments.
Newt - This proposed project from Pixar would have concerned the exploits of two blue-footed newts, one male and one female, trying to find each other and bonding. They eventually found each other and prevented the extinction of their newt race. It was planned to be released in 2011, but it was delayed to 2012. When Disney heard of Rio, another animated film with a similar concept being released soon, they canceled the film.
Mort - This proposed traditionally animated film would have been based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld novel of the same name. It would have been directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, the directors of the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog. Disney could not afford the rights to the film, so it was scrapped.
Phineas and Ferb (feature film) - The film would have been released 26 July 2013, but it was delayed to 2014. By August 2013, it was removed from the release schedule, but series co-creator Swampy Marsh confirmed via Twitter that the movie was put on hold.
Untitled Mickey Mouse film - Disney story veteran Burny Mattinson revealed in one interview that he was developing a "Mickey, Donald, Goofy feature film idea," but he has yet to pitch the idea.
Yellow Submarine - This motion capture remake of the 1968 Beatles film was developed by Robert Zemeckis. Disney canceled the project due to the box-office failure of the Zemeckis-produced motion capture film Mars Needs Moms and aesthetic concerns about the technology.
King of the Elves - Based on the short story by Philip K. Dick, it was originally directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker, and scheduled for a Christmas 2012 release. However, the project was shelved in December 2009, though it returned development in 2011.
Toy Story Toons: Mythic Rock - In 2013, after the success of the special Toy Story of Terror!, it was revealed a fourth short of Toy Story Toons was in the works, entitled Mythic Rock; along a fifth untitled short. However, plans for the shorts were ultimately scrapped.
Tinker Bell 7 - In addition to the six feature-length Tinker Bell films, Disney also had plans for a seventh film. The Hollywood Reporter stated that the seventh film was cancelled due to story problems.
