Last June, a brand-new documentary feature, “Adventure Thru the Walt Disney Archives,” quietly premiered via Disney’s official fan club D23. If you weren’t a gold member of D23, then you couldn’t watch the film, which travels through the fabled Walt Disney Archives with legendary Disney producer (and director of last year’s excellent “Howard”) Don Hahn.
For those of us who are obsessed with Disney and its storied history (cough cough), not being able to see the documentary was a crushing blow. Thankfully, that all changes in just a few short weeks.
It was just announced that “Adventure Thru the Walt Disney Archives” will premiere on Disney+ on Nov. 19. Just think of the fun you’ll have watching it with your nerdiest uncle on Thanksgiving. (The title of the doc, for those who might be unaware, is a play on Adventure Thru Innerspace, which opened at Disneyland in 1967 as part of the New Tomorrowland initiative at the park.)
Besides Hahn, the John Gleim-directed documentary features appearances from Disney executive chairman Bob Iger, Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige, Pixar’s Pete Docter, film historian Leonard Maltin, Luke Skywalker himself Mark Hamill, legendary animator Floyd Norman “and many more,” and takes you behind the scenes of the Walt Disney Archives – the real-life Disney Vault that houses countless historical artifacts from animated features, live-action film productions, and the company’s vast array of theme parks.
This will be a welcome addition to Disney+’s surprisingly robust collection of original nonfiction films, including “Howard,” “Fauci,” “Wolfgang,” and “Dolphin Reef.” (In addition to nonfiction series like the outstanding “The Imagineering Story” and “Into the Unknown: Making Frozen II.”)
Watch the trailer above.