A forgotten 1993 animated film attempted to tackle environmentalism through a woodland adventure.
In short: Once Upon a Forest followed a group of young animals on a desperate quest to save their poisoned friend. Despite high ambitions, a star-studded voice cast, and a score by James Horner, the film struggled at the box office, ultimately becoming a curious footnote in the history of Hanna-Barbera.
Conceived in 1989 by Rae Lambert, the project began as an environmental tale titled A Furling's Story. By the time it reached production under Hanna-Barbera, it had evolved into a feature film directed by Charles Grosvenor. The story centers on a trio of 'Furlings'—a mouse, a mole, and a hedgehog—who must venture beyond their meadow, Dapplewood, to find medicinal herbs after a chemical spill leaves their badger friend, Michelle, in a coma.
The production was a global effort, utilizing animators from Spain, Argentina, Taiwan, Canada, and Denmark because major studios like Disney had locked up domestic talent. The film featured notable voice performances, including Michael Crawford as the mentor Cornelius and Ben Vereen as a preacher bird. Despite William Hanna calling it the studio's finest feature production, the film faced significant hurdles, including budget constraints that forced the removal of over ten minutes of footage and an entire character voiced by Glenn Close.
Upon its 1993 release, the film struggled to find an audience, grossing only about $6.6 million against a budget of $13–16 million. Critics were divided, with some finding the animation and story lacking, while others noted the film's well-intentioned but generically executed environmental message. It faced stiff competition from blockbusters like Jurassic Park, and its critical reception remains mixed, holding a 22% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Despite its theatrical failure, the film left a legacy through its soundtrack, a tie-in book, and an MS-DOS adventure game. It also marked a turning point for Hanna-Barbera, as the unit created for this film and the 1990 Jetsons movie was spun off into Turner Feature Animation. The film remains a unique, if flawed, relic of early 90s environmental storytelling in animation.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Once Upon a Forest
- Also: Once Upon a Forest
- Also: Wikidata — Once Upon a Forest · CC0
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