WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY promises to shed light on unsung Disney heroes.

If you asked a group of people in their twenties what films come to mind when you hear the word “Disney”, you’d most likely get responses along the line of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.
These films have managed to stand the test of time with all of them having reached, or nearing, their 20th anniversaries (how old does that make you feel?).  But what is it that makes these films so special?
Like many great works of art, they were created under extreme pressure.  The animation team at Disney was facing one of the worst periods in feature animation since it’s beginning.  Their last few theatrical efforts left a lot to be desired, and audiences were making it known with their wallets (or lack thereof).
Executives being the fiscially focused group that they are, were eyeing the animation department very closely.  Another flop, and they were at serious risk of being downsized or closed indefinitely.
Luckily for us, the team responded to this crisis by firing on all cylinders and delivering some of the most memorable films of all time.
Waking Sleeping Beauty is the real life story of how all of this went down. It looks to be a tale not only of artistic achievement, but of a group of artists banding together and doing what they love FOR the love of it.

It’s great to see the guys behind these films getting the recognition they deserve.  Any praise that’s showered on animated films is generally only given to the studio as a whole (“That was a great Pixar flick” etc).  Because of the sheer number of artists working on any given  film, it’s very rare that they’re put in the spotlight.  It’s a shame really, because many of these guys are tremendous artists whose names will never be known…hopefully Waking Sleeping Beauty helps to curb this effort a little.
People are quite happy to inform everyone that The Lion King is their favourite family film, but have no idea who made it!

It’s commendable too that Disney are releasing this film, as it apparently has a ‘real-world’ take on what was happening within the studio at the time.  Very little sugar coating, in other words.
So while the film ultimately looks to be about a bunch of ‘great Disney artists who pulled together through a tough time’, it’s also not holding back on the darker, mistake ridden past of the studio.

Filled with footage from the 80s taken by the employees themselves (it’s pretty awesome to see a young John Lasseter, Tim Burton and Joe Ranft), plus interviews with some past and present Disney giants, Waking Sleeping Beauty looks to be an entertaining insight into the studio that managed to capture our hearts and minds all those years ago…and occasionally still does.

Waking Sleeping Beauty hits US theatres on the 26th of March, no word yet on an Australian release date.