Yes, Lilo and Stitch is the big summer Disney animated release. But its release date is still somewhat tentative pending the resolution of some post-Sept. 11 jitters about the storyline (Michael Eisner thinks Stitch is too mean and too scary, and theres been some reworking of the ending). From what Ive heard the people involved with this one (the Florida Animation group) are justifiable proud of the results.
If Lilo is moved, there will be a direct-to-video movie released into theaters in its place. Depending on the success of Peter Pan 2: Return to Neverland, you can pretty much expect these become a seasonal event. Every, and I mean EVERY, Disney animated or family move has at least one direct-to-video sequel in development. Many of these will be shown in theaters for the extra bit of revenue, the extra marketing, and the extra screens it will hold for Disney. Theres even been rumors about splicing together episodes of old spin-off TV series (Aladdin, Mermaid, Tarzan) and releasing those as a theatrical feature. The few feature animators who are left do their best not to think about that gem of an idea.
Hollywood is still trying to come to terms with last summers quick burn-out of the all the big movies. Id expect to see a lot of last minute changes to release schedules up until the last minute.
