National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Treasure Planet arrived in November 2002 from Walt Disney Feature Animation, a bold reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel transposed to a science-fiction setting. Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, the film represented one of the studio's final traditionally animated wide releases of that era, blending hand-drawn characters with extensive CGI environments. Though modestly received at the box office, it has since earned a devoted following for its visual ambition and the richly voiced performance of Brian Murray as its central antagonist.

This cell, titled Long John Silver, captures a charged moment between Silver and Billy Bones, with Silver caught mid-laugh, weapon raised, his face illuminated by warm firelight from below. Across three frames the expression shifts — from open menace toward something colder and more deliberate — preserving a rare glimpse of the film's theatrical 35mm photography at its most dramatically composed.