How was The Fox and the Hound made by Disney?

Walt Disney Productions obtained the film rights to Daniel P. Mannix's novel in 1967, but development did not start until the spring of 1977. The production marked a major transition period as the final project involving Disney's remaining Nine Old Men before it was handed over to a new generation of animators, including future directors like Tim Burton, Brad Bird, and John Lasseter. During production, the release was delayed by over six months due to the departure of Don Bluth and his team, and filmmakers debated whether a character named Chief should die or only suffer a broken leg.

What we know

• Walt Disney Productions first purchased the film rights to Daniel P. Mannix's novel in 1967, but actual development did not begin until spring 1977. [2, 3]
• The film marked the final involvement of Disney's remaining Nine Old Men, after which production was handed over to a new generation of animators like Tim Burton, Brad Bird, and John Lasseter. [2]
• The release was delayed by over six months following the abrupt departure of Don Bluth and his team of animators. [2]
• Filmmakers debated the handling of the scene where Chief is hit by a train, ultimately changing his planned death into a non-fatal broken leg. [2]
• At its release, it was the most expensive animated film produced to date, costing $12 million. [2]

Where to go next

• whoWho were Disney's Nine Old Men?
• what caused itWhy did Don Bluth leave Disney?
• compared withHow does the original novel differ from the movie?
• what followedWhat was the box office impact of The Fox and the Hound?
• the bigger pictureHow do foxes appear in world folklore?
• an unexpected connectionHow are Sherlock Holmes and Disney animation linked through a hound?While Arthur Conan Doyle's famous hound novel investigates a diabolical creature on Dartmoor, the production history of Disney's animated hound film involved dramatic internal studio shifts and a famous debate over whether a hound's injury should prove fatal.

Sources

• [1]The Fox and the Hound (Wikidata Q40302) · CC0 1.0
• [2]The Fox and the Hound · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]The Fox and the Hound (novel) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]The Hound of the Baskervilles · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Foxes in popular culture · CC BY-SA 4.0

Your path

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