Revisiting ‘Teacher’s Pet’ At 16 Why Is There No Broadway Adaptation Of This neglected Disney Film?

There have been loads of slept-on Disney gems over time, however solely considered one of them turns 16 this week. That’d be Instructor’s Pet, the 2004 animated function, which closed out the TV sequence of the identical title after it ran for 2 seasons on ABC.

Telling the story of a canine named Spot (completely voiced by Nathan Lane, additionally the expertise behind Timon in The Lion King) desperately desirous to be a human boy—à la Pinocchio—the film turned out to be a field workplace bomb with simply $6.5 million in ticket gross sales towards a $10 million manufacturing finances. I rewatched the film on Disney+ for the primary time in over a decade the opposite evening and may’t perceive why this undertaking, which was well-received by critics, failed each financially and culturally.

Within the final 16 years, it has fallen into relative obscurity and that’s an actual crying disgrace.

“Marketing and distribution did a poor job presenting the film properly, given the animation series had multiple BAFTA and Emmy awards,” mentioned Gary Baseman, who co-created the present and artwork directed the movie. He’s additionally identified for designing the enduring look of Hasbro’s Skull recreation. “Regardless that we obtained rave opinions in The New York Occasions, Los Angeles Occasions, Washington Publish, Hollywood Reporter and Selection, those that would learn such opinions didn’t have entry to our movie. Regardless that we had been in 3,000 theaters, the three,000 theaters weren’t essentially the most accessible. We didn’t have any billboards or merchandise to introduce the characters to a brand new viewers (those that didn’t already watch the animation sequence). Additionally, the film was launched on one of many worst attainable dates to launch a movie.

Instructor’s Pet was one of the crucial critically-acclaimed, lowest field office-grossed, mass market film of all time.” Splendidly animated with Baseman’s distinct and eye-popping visible model, Instructor’s Pet feels so refreshingly totally different from something the Mouse Home has completed earlier than or since. With its irreverent utilization of “When You Wish Upon a Star” and Pinocchio’s wish-granting Blue Fairy, the flick (written by the present’s co-creators Invoice Steinkellner and Cheri Steinkellner, was directed by Timothy Björklund) is a enjoyable and self-aware parody of Disney’s family-friendly picture.

“I still love the film as much as I did when we created it,” proceed Baseman. “I believe it’s a special, smart, well-written, and beautifully-executed film. It was a true family film with surprising plot points, and it was extra special, seeing on the big screen, all the backgrounds that were hand painted with acrylic on canvas to emulate the look and feel of my real paintings. I’m excited about Disney+ making our film and entire series available for a new audience.”

To inform the reality, I by no means watched the sequence and solely grew up with the movie on VHS, however you don’t actually need to know the total adventures of Spot and his proprietor, Leonard Helperman (Shaun Fleming), to benefit from the feature-length sequence finale.

How will you not when the voice skills of Debra Jo Rupp, Jerry Stiller, David Ogden Stiers, Wallace Shawn, Paul Reubens, Megan Mullally, Estelle Harris, Rob Paulsen, and Kelsey Grammer are on show? Particularly, Grammer’s function because the mad scientist who ultimately turns Spot right into a human, Dr. Ivan Krank, appears like a nod to his flip as Dr. Frankenollie in 1995’s Disney-produced quick, Runaway Mind, which handled related subjects of science gone awry.

For Baseman, nonetheless, the true standout of the solid was Lane. “Working with Nathan Lane was enjoyable as a result of we needed to document him in New York whereas he was in rehearsals for the Broadway hit The Producers,” added Baseman. “To see the play whereas we engaged on our movie was thrilling and I’m honored that he was so dedicated to Instructor’s Pet.” Apart from its aesthetic, the true draw of Instructor’s Pet is, for those who can consider it, the music.

The catchy authentic songs written by Randy Petersen, Kevin Quinn, Cheri Steinkellner, Brian Woodbury, and Peter Lurye basically flip the entire affair into an surprising Tommy-esque rock opera that will really feel proper at residence on a Broadway stage. In actual fact, the opening variety of “I Wanna Be a Boy” (a riff on the TV sequence’ opening theme) was nearly actually primarily based on “Overture,” “Amazing Journey,” and “Go To The Mirror!” from that exact Who masterpiece.

As such, I sincerely suppose that Instructor’s Pet has top-of-the-line cinematic soundtracks since 1999’s South Park: Larger, Longer & Uncut. If Tangled and Frozen can turn out to be iconic for their very own authentic compositions, why not this missed Disney film? It’s time we introduced Instructor’s Pet again into the limelight with one thing like a stage manufacturing, even when it’s only for a restricted run. The songs—which contain some fairly intensive choruses, rousing reprises, masterful duets, and shining moments for every foremost character—would, I consider, work extraordinarily effectively in a reside format.

Baseman agreed with me, merely replying “Yes,” when requested if he thought the story would work effectively in a stage adaptation. Hell, a live-action film remake would possibly even be the way in which to go since Disney is at the moment within the midst of doing simply that for all of its beloved properties. I’m certain I’m not the one one who’s of the opinion that the corporate ought to be remaking its extra idiosyncratic initiatives like The Black Cauldron, The Emperor’s New Groove, and Atlantis: The Misplaced Empire.

Whether or not that really occurs, stays to be seen. Within the meantime, Baseman is joyful to see your fan tributes on the web. “Now with social media, it’s at all times enjoyable to see Instructor’s Pet fan artwork popping up,” he mentioned.