Treasure Planet 2—Disney’s Unmade Sequel

The mid-1990s and early 2000s were a special time in Disney’s history. It was the time when they underwent their creative experimental phase. And we should thank them for it, since we got hidden gems like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Atlantis: The Lost Empire and above all else, Treasure Planet. And most people can agree that Treasure Planet was truly something special. From the setting, to the characters and the messages, there’s a reason why the film’s so beloved by Disney fans. So imagine my elation and disappointment when I learned there was a cancelled planned sequel.

Unlike most sequels, Treasure Planet 2 was actually planned while the first movie was being made. Both the directors of the first film, John Musker and Ron Clements were unaware how the first film would perform at the box office. Coming in at only $110 million on a budget of $140 million, Treasure Planet was infamous for being one of Disney’s biggest and most expensive flops. This meant that the planned sequel was already dead in production. To add further insult to injury, the sequel’s director, Jun Falkenstein and his crew were expecting Willem Dafoe to show up to voice his lines as the film’s villain, Captain Ironbeard. Instead, they got a call from Disney relaying the bad news. So, my question to you all is: was this the right call? Should Disney have cancelled Treasure Planet 2? And more importantly, how good would it have been had it come out?

From sources online, the film was going to take place a few years after the events of the first film (if you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and go watch it. Then read my review here). Jim Hawkins, now a student at the Royal Interstellar Academy is the Academy’s most talented student. But he’s also a hot-shot. His brash personality puts him at odds with the more calm and by-the-book classmate (and eventual his love interest) Kate. Captain Amelia, now the dean of the academy is also in possession of a new vessel designed by Dr. Delbert called “The Centurion” known to be the fastest ship in the galaxy. Due to its reputation, an evil cyborg pirate known as Captain Ironbeard steals it, with Jim and Kate hot on his heels. The two later team up with John Silver, who reveals his complicated past with Ironbeard. After a brief skirmish with Ironbeard, the cyborg pirate escapes and leaves John Silver injured as Jim and Kate try to navigate their difficulties.

If I’m completely honest, I really love the concept of Ironbeard. According to Falkenstein, Ironbeard was Silver’s captain when he was a child and was responsible for cutting off his arm. A cruel sociopath, Ironbeard was more machine than man and was infamous for robbing high profile people. Despite his successes, he’d literally lose a part of himself with every gig, almost like a pirate version of General Grievous. I really do like this darker direction they took with the sequel. While a sympathetic villain made sense for the first film as it was about Jim and Silver’s character growth, the second film featuring a villain that was pure evil challenges that growth. Even though Silver is his surrogate father, Jim also has Kate in his corner who’s lawfully good. Meanwhile, Silver’s ties with Ironbeard forces him to choose between Jim and his past. Which is also represented by his body: only half of Silver’s body is cybernetic as opposed to Ironbeard’s.

This brings me to Jim as a character. Jun Falkenstein said on a Reddit Q&A that he wanted Jim to continue his character arc from the first film, rather than give him a new one. He wished to explore a more mature side to Jim that would drive a small wedge between him and Silver. According to Falkenstein, he wanted a reversal of their last scene together. In the first film, Silver was the one who left Jim, with Jim understanding Silver’s reasons. When the two reunite in the second film, it would be heartwarming. However, as the two spend more time together, Jim will show he has matured past Silver in some ways. And by the end, it’ll be Jim who’d make the choice to leave Silver. To me, this highlights Falkenstein’s understanding of both characters. He doesn’t treat them as 2D drawings. Rather, he treats them as real people. People who grow and evolve, who have a reason for becoming who they are today. This is the kind of filmmaker you want attached to a project.

My only gripe with the film is Kate. She’s initially the Iceman to Jim’s Maverick, but later falls in love with him. And therein lies my problem: this kind of story has been done to death! Remember the bad boy meets good girl trope? I certainly do. It’s a tired and recycled trope that really should’ve made its way out a long time ago. Despite a romance developing between them, it wasn’t going to be the primary focus of the film. So I believe what we would’ve seen is something more akin to Amelia and Dr. Delbert’s romance from the first film. Regardless, I would’ve preferred if the two started out as rivals, but slowly respect each other throughout the film, ending with them recognizing the other as an equal. I’m open for their relationship to expand beyond just being friends, but with everything the film tried to tackle, it wouldn’t have worked out in this sequel. 

So this brings me to the ultimate question: was this movie trash? Or was it trashed? If you ask me, I would love to see Treasure Planet 2 released. Not only does it expand on what worked in the first film, but it adds elements to push the story and characters in a new direction. Had the movie been released, it would’ve kick started a Treasure Planet TV series which could be used to explore that aforementioned romance. Despite its high production cost, Treasure Planet has been fondly looked back upon. Hell, the reason why it did so poorly at the box office was the stiff competition (it was up against Harry Potter: The Sorcerer’s Stone among others). And I think Treasure Planet 2 would’ve made what was so great about the first film even better and could’ve really started a whole new franchise for Disney had they not been too greedy at the time.