As Dreamers Do Part Deux

[OldNavy1988]

National Treasure
Released by Walt Disney Pictures on November 24, 2004

Production Companies
Legendary Pictures
Jerry Bruckheimer Films

Cast and Crew
Same as OTL

Notes
- ITTL, National Treasure became Disney's third billion dollar box office hit in the last two years. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego in 2002 and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003 were the previous two.
- ITTL, there's more gunplay, but Ben (Nicolas Cage, above) is still mostly unarmed.
- ITTL, Gus St. Pierre was supposed to play Riley Poole, but had to drop out after his son Archie was born. At the same time, Turner had put Legally Blonde 2 on hold because Gus's wife Reese Witherspoon announced she was pregnant with Archie before shooting could begin.
- On the strength of National Treasure's box office success, not only has Disney greenlit a sequel, but also, a crossover with the Carmen Sandiego franchise.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Released by Touchstone Pictures on December 17, 2004

Based on the book series by
Daniel Handler

Production Companies
Touchstone Pictures
Nickelodeon Movies

Cast and Crew
Same as OTL

Notes
- ITTL, Brad Silberling makes a quick comeback after the mixed reaction to his Sailor Moon trilogy (released in 1996 and '99 by Golden Harvest, and in 2002 by New Line).
- As for the future of the franchise, Brian Henson and Bob Iger are debating whether to make a sequel or a TV series.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

ITTL, Touchstone Pictures was formed as a joint venture between Muppets, Inc. and Hanna-Barbera Productions, the latter of which was still owned by the Cincinnati-based Taft conglomerate. With former ABC and Paramount executive Michael Eisner chosen to run Touchstone, Taft owned a 50% stake as part of its HB ownership.

In 1979, Touchstone made its debut with The Muppet Movie and Hanna-Barbera's long forgotten live action film CHOMPS.

By the mid to late Eighties, Touchstone, Henson Associates and Hanna-Barbera were reorganized under the Jim Henson banner. Jim, Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera served as creative advisors while letting Michael Eisner run the business side. The Touchstone "worm" or "snake" logo debuted in the summer of 1985 with the release of Follow That Bird.

The current Touchstone logo debuted in 2002 with the release of Hey Arnold!: The Movie.

 

[OldNavy1988]

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Released by Hyperion Pictures on December 17, 2004

Production company
American Empirical Pictures

Cast and Crew
Same as OTL​

 

[OldNavy1988]

@kirbopher15 Sadly yes it did flop. IOTL, my sister saw that while I went to see National Treasure while visiting relatives in the Bay Area.

Saw
Released by Lionsgate on December 17, 2004

Cast and Crew
Same as OTL

Notes
Saw's release was delayed by two months because Lionsgate had to re-edit the film after initially receiving an X from the MPAA.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

@kirbopher15 Yes. In fact, my birthday is the same month as Devon Abbott (January '88).

Fat Albert
Released on Christmas Day 2004 by United Artists

Cast and Crew
Same as OTL

Animated opening credits produced by
Ruby-Spears

Notes
- Ennis Cosby serves as executive producer after acquiring the rights to the characters from his father.
- At the premiere in Philadelphia, Ennis Cosby had this to say: "My hope is that the Fat Albert property can still teach kids important lessons without grownups being reminded of any crimes my dad may have committed behind the scenes."
- ITTL, Kenan Thompson wore a fatsuit because he lost twelve pounds during his transition from Nickelodeon to SNL.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Beavis and Butt-Head: The Return of Cornholio
Released on Christmas Day 2004 by United Artists

Production Companies
MTV Films
Williams Street
Judgmental Films

Directed by
Mike Judge

Screenplay by
Mike Judge
Kristofor Brown

Executive Producers
Mike Judge
Mike Lazzo

Notes
- B&B:TROC uses most of the plot points from the OTL streaming film B&B Do the Universe, except we don't see Beavis in his Cornholio form until the third act, hence the title.
- Williams Street debuts a new logo, which is the M in the MTV logo turned upside down to make a "W," with "St" spraypainted on the right side.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Entertainment News for January 2005

Ghibli agrees to an extension with Touchstone Pictures.
- The Hollywood Reporter

Peacock acquires the multimedia rights previously held by Disney for the Dick Tracy franchise. Peacock's RKO division previously adapted the Chester Gould comic strip to film during the 1940's, including the movie serials with Ralph Byrd playing the titular role. Disney released their version in 1990 under the Fox label with Warren Beatty directing and starring as the title character. However, Disney's version was overshadowed by the Turtle and Simpson pandemonium of the time. The Dick Tracy Crimestoppers attraction at Disney-Fox Studios Theme Park will close in 2007 and be replaced with a new attraction by 2010.
- Variety

In politics
President Weinstein is inaugurated for his second term.
- The Washington Post

 

[OldNavy1988]

The WLAF awards the four European expansion slots to Berlin, Paris, Rome and Stockholm.
- ESPN

 

[OldNavy1988]

Robot Chicken
Airs nightly on Adult Swim
Launched on February 20, 2005

Created by
Seth Green
Matt Senreich

Produced by
Stoopid Monkey Productions
Shadow Machine Films
Williams Street ("WST")

Distributed by
United Artists Television

Voices
Same as OTL​

 

[OldNavy1988]

New Cartoon Network shows for Spring 2005

Danny Phantom
Created by Butch Hartman

Avatar: The Last Airbender
Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko

Look for season box sets of Spongebob Squarepants, The Loud House and Invader Zim on DVD from Turner Home Entertainment.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

ITTL, Turner Home Entertainment began in the late 1970's as UA/TBS Home Video. The UA/TBS jingle used from 1983 to 1993 is basically the same one [LINK] that was used by MGM/UA Home Video around that same time period IOTL.

This has been Turner Home Entertainment's logo since 1994.

The Turner Mansion logo has also been used in tandem with other Turner brands depending on what title you buy.

United Artists of course. This UA logo has been in use since 1999, beginning with Varsity Blues and Doug's First Movie.

MTV Home Video, seen mostly on home media releases of Beavis and Butt-Head, Aeon Flux, Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters, Celebrity Deathmatch and Jackass.

MGM DVD logo, seen on recent releases of The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, 2001: A Space Odyssey, 2010: The Year We Make Contact, A Fish Called Wanda, Legally Blonde and Tom and Jerry compilations.

Starting this year, Cartoon Network will finally have its own home media logo, beginning with season one of Spongebob Squarepants.

 

[OldNavy1988]

DISCLAIMER: This is pretty much a soft re-con.

Early Walt Disney Home Video releases were through MCA Discovision, an early Laserdisc brand, thanks to the friendship of Walt, Sr. and Lew Wasserman.

The first logo was the infamous Neon Mickey, originally created to celebrate Mickey's 50th birthday. However, this logo was immediately hated by Walt Disney, Sr., who saw the logo as a desecration of the character. "What the fuck is this shit?," Walt, Sr. supposedly asked when he saw this logo for the first time. Because Walt, Sr. hated it so bad, it was quickly retired and replaced with a placeholder.

When Disney entered the VHS and Beta market in 1980, the Neon Mickey was replaced with what is basically a prototype of the original Disney Channel logo; a silhouette of Mickey Mouse's head against a TV-screen shaped background. On screen, this logo was shown on a black background with the Walt Disney Home Video name underneath.

The jingle for this logo is the same one used IOTL by MGM/CBS Home Video from 1978 thru '81. [LINK]

From 1982 thru '85, Walt Disney Home Video cobbled together a logo lifted from the intro of the anthology series which was still running on SBC during that time period. IOTL, this was only used outside of North America.

In 1985, Disney introduced the "Sorcerer Mickey" logo, a year earlier than IOTL. In 1999, Disney took over the home media distribution of the Carmen Sandiego franchise following the collapse of Broderbund. That same year, Disney became the home video partner for Sesame Workshop, the WGBH Educational Foundation, NFL Films and Britt Allcroft. A year later, the "Home Video" text was changed to "Home Entertainment."

This spring, the 2-disc DVD releases of Yasuke and National Treasure begin with a prototype for what could be a new logo. Basically, it is the same as the Walt Disney Pictures logo you see below, except with "Home Entertainment" in the same Lubalin Graph Book font.

 

[OldNavy1988]

Starting on June 1, 2005, NBC/RKO Video, Universal Studios Home Video and DreamWorks Home Entertainment will be consolidated into one label:

Special thanks to @ExowareMasses for this logo.

Down below will be the jingle for the logo above.

From that point forward, Sony/MCA Home Entertainment will handle the home media distribution for the following studios:
- Universal Pictures
- RKO Radio Pictures
- DreamWorks SKG
- Gramercy Pictures

In the meantime, the separate labels will be phased out and consolidated into the new umbrella venture.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Inuyasha
Launched on February 21, 2005. Airs on FX as part of the Anime Dojo.

English dub produced by
20th Century-Fox Television

Main English Voices
Will Friedle as Inuyasha
Christina Ricci as Kagome Higurashi
Gus St. Pierre as Miroku
Grey DeLisle as Sango
Cheryl Chase as Shippo
Keith David as Naraku
Tara Strong as Kilala

Recurring roles voiced by their OTL English actors.
[LINK]​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Starlight Express
Released on Christmas Day 2004 by DreamWorks SKG through Universal Pictures

Produced by
DreamWorks Animation

In association with
Universal Cartoon Studios

DreamWorks' previous adaptations of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals have introduced a whole new generation to countless, memorable musical numbers. Normally, Starlight Express is produced on stage with actors in roller skates. Instead, the fanciful railroad race of Weber's imagination comes to life in 2D animation. The trains are drawn in a manner similar to the trains of the Rev. W Awdry's Thomas the Tank Engine books. At the box office, Starlight Express would go on to be the biggest hit of the spring.

Songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe

CHARACTER DESIGNS:
Drawn IOTL by DeviantArt user TB7Studios
LINK

VOICES
(Special thanks to @QTXAdsy)
Elijah Wood - Rusty
Amanda Bynes - Pearl
Danny John-Jules - Electra
James Marsden - Greaseball
Reese Witherspoon - Dinah
Carl Weathers - Poppa
Vic Mignogna - CB/Red Caboose & Flat Top
Jennifer Hale - Ashley
Holly Fields - Buffy & Volta
Greg Ellis - Dustin
Ray Shell - Rocky 1
Jamie Golding - Rocky 2
Laura Baily - Rocky 3 & Joule
Phil Morris - Krupp
Norm Spencer - Wrench
Martin Short - Espresso, the Italian locomotive
Tabitha St. Germain - Coco, the French locomotive
Chris Potter - Purse & Turnov, the Russian locomotive
Hank Azaria - Prince of Wales, the British locomotive
Christopher Sieber - Hashamoto, the Japanese locomotive
Robert Hands - Ruhrgold, the German locomotive
Tara Strong - Control

SONGS INCLUDED IN THE FILM
(Special thanks to @Duke Andrew of Dank)
Rolling Stock
Call Me Rusty
A Lotta Locomotion
Freight
AC/DC
Engine of Love
There's Me
Starlight Express introduction
U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D.
CB
I am the Starlight
No Comeback
Light at the end of the Tunnel​

 

[OldNavy1988]

The Sword in the Stone
Released by Walt Disney Pictures on March 4, 2005

A remake of Walt Disney, Sr.'s 1963 film

Produced in association with
Legendary Pictures

Based on the book by
TH White

Directed by
Kenneth Branagh

Executive Producers
Rachel Stone-Abbott
Tim Burton
Margaret Loesch

Screenplay by
John August

Music by
Michael Giacchino

Songs from the 1963 version written by
Robert B. Sherman
Richard M. Sherman

Main Cast
William Moseley as Arthur/Wart
Sir Ian McKellen as Merlin
Helena Bonham Carter as Mad Madam Mim
Richard Griffiths as Sir Ector
Sacha Baron Cohen as Kay
Hugo Weaving as Sir Pelinore
Eddie Izzard as the voice of Archimedes​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Entertainment News for March 2005

20th Century-Fox confirms that principal photography on X-Men: Dark Phoenix will begin in August.
- Variety

Warner Bros. Animation confirms a new Berenstain Bears series will debut on Freeform this fall.
- The Hollywood Reporter

Universal Pictures will interview Kevin Smith, Bryan Singer, Brett Ratner and Jon Favreau for a chance to direct a possible Blue Beetle movie.
- Wizard

The Sports Page
Berlin's WLAF expansion team is officially christened as the Ogres.
- ESPN

 

[OldNavy1988]

American Dad
Launched on March 10, 2005 on Fox

Created by
Seth MacFarlane
Mike Barker
Matt Weitzman

Produced by
Grantray-Lawrence
Fuzzy Door Productions

Distributed by
20th Television
Buena Vista Domestic Television

Executive Producers
Seth MacFarlane
Mike Barker

Main Voices
Seth MacFarlane as Stan Smith and Roger
Wendy Schaal as Francine Smith
Rachael MacFarlane as Hayley Smith
Scott Grimes as Steve Smith
Dee Bradley Baker as Klaus
Jeff Fischer as Jeff Fischer
Patrick Stewart as Deputy Director Avery Bullock​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Microsoft agrees in principle to acquire Bagdasarian Productions and its iconic Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise.
- The New York Times; March 11, 2005