Disney Bets on Another Marketplace

Movies that go directly to video without first playing in theaters or on television have a terrible image: low-budget, violent, soft-core porn flicks that wouldn’t do any business elsewhere.

That’s about to change.

Disney is entering the market, which is bound to boost the prestige of direct-to-video efforts. The company’s first project is a whopper: the sequel to its smash-hit animated cartoon feature “Aladdin.”

“The Return of Jafar,” which will run 66 minutes, is due May 20. Though she wouldn’t specify the price, Ann Daley, president of Buena Vista Home Video--which releases Disney tapes--said it would be cheaper than “Aladdin,” which probably translates to $20-$22.

The sequel will continue the adventures of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, with all the characters from the original and five new songs. The voices of the main characters will be the same too, with one notable--and predictable--exception: Robin Williams won’t be the voice of the genie. Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer Simpson, will do the genie’s lines.

The reason for Disney taking the direct-to-video route with the “Aladdin” sequel is that it’s the quickest way to capitalize on interest in the original. Disney has shipped more than 22 million cassettes of “Aladdin” to date but plans to stop on April 30.

“Making a (theatrical) sequel would obviously take years,” Daley said. “With direct-to-video, we can give the fans a sequel right away, while interest in ‘Aladdin’ is very high.”

Of course, that means the sequel won’t have the lavish budget of the original. “A direct-to-video movie is made with a different process, since it’s not meant to be projected onto a big theater screen,” Daley explained. “That process doesn’t cost as much.” She wouldn’t reveal specific figures.

The “Aladdin” sequel isn’t a one-shot deal, Daley said. “None have been scheduled yet, but I’d like to see us release another direct-to-video animated film next year,” she said. She noted that possible projects range from originals to other tie-ins with Disney animated classics.

Videobits:

To capitalize on its seven Oscar nominations, Warner moved up the release date on “The Fugitive,” from March 22 to March 10--priced at $25. Though it will sell well, at big discounts, rental outlets will benefit too. It’ll be the only best picture nominee on the rental market before the March 21 ceremonies, so it should zoom to the top of the rental chart.

Columbia TriStar is releasing best-picture nominee “The Remains of the Day” on May 4. The movie features best actor and actress contenders Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson.

Industry insiders are saying that another best picture nominee, LIVE’s “The Piano,” starring best actress nominee Holly Hunter, is due in May.

Insiders are also saying that FoxVideo’s “Mrs. Doubtfire,” the comedy starring Robin Williams, is coming out in late April, probably at a $20 price.

Stooges Alert: On Wednesday, Columbia TriStar put out eight new-to-video “Three Stooges” tapes, some featuring Curly Howard, one of the greatest slapstick comics ever.

What’s New on Video:

“The Man Without a Face” (Warner). An offbeat Mel Gibson movie, which he also directed. Basically a sentimental, uplifting buddy movie, with Gibson playing an ex-teacher turned embittered recluse after being scarred in an auto accident. He tutors a needy 12-year-old (Nick Stahl) who’s trying to get into military school. There’s never any doubt how it will turn out but it does hold your interest, thanks to Gibson’s directorial skills.

“Indochine” (Columbia TriStar). The only reason to see this drama--and it’s a good reason--is to marvel at the performance of Catherine Deneuve, who was up for a best actress Oscar last year, playing a rubber plantation owner in Vietnam. Woven into all the colonialistic politics in this epic, which spans 30 years, is a soap opera about a mother (Deneuve) and daughter vying for the same man.

“The Secret Garden” (Warner, $25). We really didn’t need another film of Frances Hodgson Burnette’s classic children’s story. But director Agnieszka Holland has created a visual stunner that may be a bit too dark and arty for some tastes. Still, Kate Maberly is terrific as the cynical young orphan, stuck on an English estate, who blossoms when she discovers a magic garden. Kids growing up lonely or isolated relate strongly to this tale.

“The Program” (Touchstone). This is the movie famed for the lying-in-the-middle-of-the-road stunt that was copycatted, with grim results, by some impressionable fans. That sequence has been cut, leaving an occasionally gritty drama about the college football team at an Eastern University, with James Caan as the beleaguered coach. To its credit, it doesn’t sidestep vital issues like steroid use--but it doesn’t sidestep cliches either. Still, it’s a welcome tonic to those suffering through football withdrawal.

“That Night” (Warner). Set in early 1960s Long Island, this is about a secret affair between a prim Catholic teen-ager (Juliette Lewis) and her wrong-side-of-the-tracks beau (C. Thomas Howell). The story is told from the point of view of the lovers’ young go-between (Eliza Dushku). Sensitive, insightful, well-acted but so slow-moving that it’s a chore to sit through.

“Romper Stomper” (Academy). Geoffrey Wright’s chilling examination of the neo-Nazi skinheads in Australia who are battling the Vietnamese. There’s just one problem with this riveting movie--it unintentionally glamorizes the hatemongers, possibly making them appealing to impressionable viewers.

Upcoming

“For Love or Money,” “Son of the Pink Panther,” “Dazed and Confused,” “Son-in-Law,” “Needful Things,” “Strictly Ballroom” and “Boxing Helena” (Wednesday); “Demolition Man,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” “The Good Son” and “Striking Distance” (March 2); “The Fox and the Hound” (March 4); “Manhattan Murder Mystery,” “Judgment Night,” “King of the Hill” and “So I Married an Axe Murderer” (March 9); “The Fugitive” (March 10); “Undercover Blues,” “Gettysburg” and “Bopha!” (March 16); “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and “Fatal Instinct” (March 23); “The Joy Luck Club” and “Father Hood” (March 30); “The Age of Innocence,” “Fearless” and “A Bronx Tale” (April 6); “Malice” (April 13); “Another Stakeout” (April 20).