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Walt Disney says it will stop making direct-to-DVD sequels of its classic animated films, such as The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella, and focus on original works instead.
The move marks the influence of the company's new executives, John Lasseter and Ed Catmull, who took control of Disney's animation operation — DisneyToon Studios — last year after the company bought Pixar Animation Studios for $7.4 billion US.
Pixar made a name for itself with original works such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc. and The Incredibles. Its newest feature is Ratatouille.
"John and I are truly excited to be working with the talented team at DisneyToon Studios in developing and producing original stories for the home entertainment audience," Catmull said in a statement.
Both Lasseter and Catmull had expressed their disdain for the lucrative direct-to-DVD sequels because of the poor quality of the stories and production.
Disney also announced Friday that Sharon Morrill, the longtime president of DisneyToon Studios, will no longer head the animation arm but would continue in another capacity with the company.
DisneyToon will now produce original DVD films. The upcoming Little Mermaid III will be the last DVD sequel.
The first original DVD release will be part of a planned movie series featuring Tinker Bell and a host of fairy characters.
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