5 Reasons Why Disney Should Make a New ‘Ducktales’ Movie

Posted 7 years ago by Movies, Television

Scrooge's Money Bin

I’ve been thinking about Ducktales a lot lately. Besides the fact I just found out I won an awesome Ducktales Remastered promo kit from Capcom (more on that later), I’ve been thinking about how it is the perfect time for Disney to make a CG Ducktales movie. I know technically there has been a Ducktales movie, but The Treasure of the Lost Lamp was hardly the Ducktales movie we deserve.

Why do I think this should happen?

1. Ducktales is Timeless

Because Ducktales was based on the classic Carl Barks duck universe and wasn’t based completely in our world, it has a timeless quality that a lot of 80s/90s cartoons just don’t have. You can pop in a DVD of Ducktales and watch it without a whole lot of cringe-worthy moments. I can’t even say that about the original TMNT cartoon, and I’m a huge Turtle nut.

Kids (and adults) still relate to the adventure and globe-trotting aspects of the series, and the villains and secondary characters are still a lot of fun. Ducktales wouldn’t need a lot of updating to work as a feature film. Give it an awesome script and it could be great.

2. It could be cheap to make

Dreamworks has been getting burned lately on their animated features. They’re big, expensive, have a ton of stars, and haven’t been doing well at the box office. Meanwhile, Illumination Entertainment made Despicable Me 2 for under $80 million and made over $800 million. Recent animated films like Turbo and Epic have barely been able to turn a profit.

Ducktales wouldn’t need a lavish budget or a ton of famous names. Give me the original cast and sprinkle in a few celebrity voices in appropriate roles (I’d love to hear John Oliver, Christoph Waltz, or Benedict Cumberbatch as a new villain) and I’d be happy. You don’t have to have the who’s who of current trendy stars to make a good animated movie.

Disney could even outsource the animation to a smaller studio like Illumination to save on costs and it could still be great. The design of the Ducktales world would translate well to CG and could have a very cool style.

Scrooge McDuck

3. Alan Young is 93

To many, a Ducktales movie would not be watchable without Alan Young providing Scrooge’s voice. I was surprised that Disney and Capcom got all the original show’s voices in Ducktales Remastered, even if Young’s Scrooge sounded a little different. Alan Young is 93 years old though, and if Disney is going to have one last Ducktales hurrah, now’s the time. Also, Terry McGovern (the voice of Launchpad) is 71.

June Foray, the legendary voice actor who provides the voice of Magica De Spell, is 96 and still going strong. It’s safe to say, though, if a Ducktales movie is ever to happen, now’s the time.

4. Ducktales is Still Marketable

Capcom released Ducktales Remastered and I’ve seen a ton of people talking about playing it. Disney released some awesome Ducktales art prints through Mondo that I sadly missed out on. I just got an email from Disney today about a new Ducktales iPhone game. People are ready and willing to shell out money for Ducktales stuff, there just hasn’t been a lot lately to throw our money at. Not only would a new Ducktales movie generate money on its own, it would be an opportunity for Disney to make lots of new merchandise to appeal to us older kids and young kids who are getting into Ducktales for the first time.

The fact that Disney released the iOS game almost makes me wonder if they’re gauging the public’s reaction to bringing Ducktales back in some way.

5. Ducktales Could Attract Some Very Creative Talent

I think it’s a safe bet that there are some very talented writers and directors in the animation world right now that would love to work on a Ducktales movie. People that are creating awesome shows like Gravity Falls, Regular Show, and Adventure Time probably grew up on the Disney Afternoon show, and would love to inject some new life into the brand.

A hilarious script could make a Ducktales movie perfect. Look at what Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were able to do with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Who would have expected that movie to be so funny? It landed them the 21 Jump Street and LEGO Movie gigs. Get some people as funny and passionate as those guys to helm a Ducktales movie and Disney would be swimming in money bins full of cash.

I know I’m biased because I’m a huge Ducktales fan, but I genuinely think there could be a great new movie based on this brand that could really bring it back in full swing, similar to what Nickelodeon has done with the new TMNT cartoon.

If anyone happens to be BFFs with a Disney executive, make this happen!
  • Cliff_Knueppel

    You make some great points and I completely agree with you. I grew up on The Disney Afternoon so a CGI DuckTales movie, with all the original voices, would be a dream come true. Being a die-hard TMNT fan, I think I’d actually be more excited of DuckTales than the Turtles and that’s saying a lot. It looks like DuckTales has had a resurgence in popularity over the last year or two, so maybe the time is now. Really, it may be now or never.

  • djpaec

    • Did you read the first paragraph? 😛

  • Ron

    Yes please.

  • DJDUCKFUCK

    I don’t mean to rain on your parade — I loved ducktales growing up — but, given the age of two of the prominent voice actors — both in their 90s — I would say that this ship may already have passed. At least insofar as we would want to have the original voice actors involved. 🙁

    • They got Alan Young to do the new game recently and June Foray still works, so they could do it if they moved fast, but I doubt they will.

      • djpaec

        wrong comment.

  • Oh sweet baby rhesus yes!!! This feels so possible I can TASTE the Duckburg!!! If the could work in a post-credits Darkwing cameo too… that would make me pee my pants.

  • I would accept a movie without all the original cast. So long as they are able to cast suitable impersonators to perform the missing actors parts, I think it’s something I would watch.