How to save this movie:
Since Disney now owns Miramax and they own the rights to The Thief and The Cobbler, I originally wrote to Roy Disney. He has been known to be a Richard Williams fan, and I figured he could use his influence to fix what has been done. In his reply (link below), he asked Harvey Weinstein (Co-Chairman & Co-President of Miramax Films Corporation) to give him information on the status of the work print. You can write to either one, or both at the addresses provided below.
What we want: We want Richard Williams Work Print to be preserved and/or restored. This is the last evidence of what would have been his masterpiece and we don't want it to suffer the same fate as Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons. Second we would like a DVD or VHS release of the work print to be released. Or even better, the Work print with all the completed animation done that conforms to Williams' storyboards.
Harvey Weinstein
c/o Miramax Films Corporation
375 Greenwich Street,
New York, NY 10013-2338
Roy E. Disney
c/o Walt Disney Feature Animation
500 S. Buena Vista St.
Burbank CA 91521-4873
(News as of 9/16/2002
Kory Kinnick got a reply from Disney about the status of a reconstruction.
Click this to read the letter.
(News as of 5/11/98)
A visitor to this site was kind enough to contact The Criterion Collection to
suggest they release the work print. I didn't really know about
them, but this looks like it's right up there alley and they
responded very positively to the suggestion. Thanks Nick!
If anyone knows how to contact the film restoration team of Robert Harris and James Katz let me know. They have done restoration (including restoring missing footage) on Lawrence of Arabi and Vertigo.
(News as of 4/20/200)
Maybe we have finally succeeded! Talk of the work print be coming to DVD in the
last MasterClass
Check out this
at Aint It Cool News!
(News as of 8/17/200)
Even better news! Mouse Planet has discovered
that Roy Disney is seriously trying to restore The Thief and has a great article
about what's going on at:
http://www.mouseplanet.com/jim/aug1600.htm
Disney needs our help to restore this film. Some portions are still missing and may be in the hands of animation buffs. If you have any of this material please let me or MousePlanet know, or contact Disney directly.