Disney's Cancelled Dumbo Sequel Would Have Introduced A Mysterious Character

From 1989 to 1999, the Disney Renaissance was in full swing. Beginning with "The Little Mermaid" and concluding with "Tarzan," the 10 films Walt Disney Animation Studios produced during that time marked a critically and commercially successful resurgence for the studio. The studio had previously struggled in the 18 years following Walt Disney's death in 1966, with films such as "The Black Cauldron" undergoing massive production issues and bombing at the box office. The success of the Disney Renaissance coincided with the expanding home video market, and direct-to-video sequels to some of the studios' biggest hits were produced, with "Aladdin," "Beauty and the Beast," and "The Lion King" among them. By the 2000s, direct-to-video sequels for "Pinocchio," "Dumbo" and "The Aristocats" were also in development, but were ultimately scrapped when John Lasseter took over as Chief Creative Officer of all of Disney Animation in 2006.

In 2001, a trailer for "Dumbo II" was included in the "Dumbo" 60th Anniversary DVD and VHS release. The scrapped film was set to follow the titular flying elephant, his pal Timothy Q. Mouse, and numerous other circus animals getting disconnected from their traveling circus and embarking on a perilous journey through a metropolis to make it back home safe and sound. Along with the introduction of new circus animals, an elusive character from Dumbo's history would have made his debut in the sequel, and the prospect of this particular character's involvement would have brought tears to many viewers' eyes.

In an interview with Animated Views, screenwriter Robert Reece reflected on the material he helped develop for "Dumbo II." New characters included a slew of circus animals who each represented a different stage of childhood. However, the most notable new character that would have been introduced was Mr. Jumbo, Dumbo's elusive father. Although specific details regarding how Mr. Jumbo would have been involved in the story were not revealed, audiences would have finally learned details about him. According to Reece, his creative control with Disney's direct-to-video sequels varied:

"I was given a great deal of freedom on some projects, while others had elements I had to keep based on previous drafts that came before me — certain set pieces, characters, themes, etc. that the studio was married to or already had assets for. If it was something that you were developing early on, you might have a lot more freedom. If it was a project that had been developing for a while or was already in production, then obviously there wasn't as much wiggle room."

Disneytoon Studios allegedly lost enthusiasm on "Dumbo II" in 2002, after "Dumbo" story supervisor Joe Grant was unimpressed with the computer animated test footage for the sequel. Eventually, the studio execs changed their minds and were back on board with the project in 2005, with Reece set to write the script. He also wrote scripts for "Pinocchio II" and "The Aristocats II," and was also commissioned by Disney to write a script for "The Snow Queen," which would eventually be retooled into "Frozen."

Unfortunately for Robert Reece, Disney Animation CCO John Lasseter would cancel most of Disneytoon Studios' films that were in production, including "Dumbo II," "Pinocchio II," and "The Aristocats II," due to Lasseter's belief that direct-to-video sequels harmed the studio's reputation. (Ironically, Lasseter's own theatrically released sequel "Cars 2" would go on to harm the reputation of Pixar Animation Studios.)

Nowadays, Disney's animation studios (and, for better or worse, the entire Walt Disney Company) are not afraid to pursue sequels to their films. This time, sequels that would have otherwise been relegated to the previous direct-to-video market are given the big screen treatment. While we can debate the quality of films like "Ralph Breaks the Internet" or "Frozen II," it's clear that Disney is aware that audiences will come in droves for theatrical sequels to some of their biggest animated hits. After all, "Moana 2" was initially developed as a Disney+ streaming series, only to be repurposed for a theatrical release. While some may claim it was the wrong creative decision for "Moana 2," the box office results indicate that Disney made the right decision, perhaps arguing for the death of streaming-exclusive blockbusters altogether.