Fantasia 2000 (1999)

A musical anthology that pairs diverse animated segments with classical music pieces.

The story

Fantasia 2000 is a sequel to the 1940 classic, featuring a series of animated segments set to various pieces of classical music. The film is structured with live-action interstitial scenes featuring prominent artists and musicians who introduce each segment. These segments range from abstract visual explorations to narrative-driven stories, combining traditional animation with computer-generated imagery. The production aims to provide a diverse musical experience, including a reprise of 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' from the original film, while introducing new works by composers like Beethoven, Respighi, Gershwin, Shostakovich, Saint-Saëns, Elgar, and Stravinsky.

First release year

1999

Runtime (minutes)

75

Production countries

United States

Original languages

English

Directors

Don Hahn; Pixote Hunt; Hendel Butoy; Eric Goldberg; James Algar; Francis Glebas; Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi

Writers

David Reynolds · screenwriter; Irene Mecchi · screenwriter

Cast and characters

James Levine · conductor; Steve Martin · interstitial host; Itzhak Perlman · interstitial host; Quincy Jones · interstitial host; Bette Midler · interstitial host; James Earl Jones · interstitial host; Penn & Teller · interstitial host; Angela Lansbury · interstitial host

Genres

animated; musical; anthology; fantasy

Themes

Good vs. Evil; Nature's destruction and renewal; The struggle between chaos and order

Tone and mood

Abstract; Whimsical; Powerful; Breezy

Premise and plot tags

Anthology; Musical; Classical Music; Fantasy; Sequel

Source material / true-story basis

Classical music pieces and Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales.

Franchise connections

Fantasia

Reception

The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised several of its sequences, while also deeming its overall quality uneven in comparison to its predecessor. It was considered a box-office bomb, grossing only $90.9 million against a budget of $80–$85 million.

Reported review scores

Metacritic · score: 59 · scale: 100 · review count: 27

Awards and nominations

Annie Award · winning films · win

Production trivia

It was the first major Hollywood motion picture to be released in IMAX.; The film was originally intended to be a 'semi-new movie' with only three or four new numbers.; The production of the 'Pines of Rome' segment used the same technique for whale movement as The Lion King (1994).

Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.

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