The Ultimate Guide to Animated Mockbusters
Disney’s recent trademark lawsuit against Phase 4 Films and their movie Frozen Land has reignited discussion about ‘mockbusters,’ the portmanteau used to describe a genre of home video that is dedicated to tricking customers into mistakenly purchasing a low-budget imitation of a popular movie. As certain as the dawn, animation companies release these knock-offs to capitalize on the popularity of major studio releases. Mockbusters typically favor public domain content (like fairy tales), but also include questionable copies of another studio’s original characters, or deceptively repackaging an existing animated film with a trendy new cover and title.
Need some examples? No problem, because we’ve compiled the most comprehensive list of animation mockbusters the Internet has to offer. There might be others.
1. Beauty and The Beast
Company: Golden Films
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1992
Inspiration: Beauty and The Beast
2. The Little Mermaid
Company: Golden Films
Distributor: Trimark/GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1992
Inspiration: The Little Mermaid
3. Pinocchio
Company: Golden Films
Distributor: Trimark/GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1992
Inspiration: Pinocchio
4. Aladdin
Company: Golden Films
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1993
Inspiration: Aladdin
5. Cinderella
Company: JetLag Productions
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1994
Inspiration: Cinderella
6. Leo the Lion: King of the Jungle
Company: JetLag Productions
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1994
Inspiration: The Lion King (Disney, 1994)
7. Pocahontas
Company: JetLag Productions
Distibutor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1994
Inspiration: Pocahontas
8. Young Pocahontas
Company: Allumination Filmworks
Distributor: UAV Corporation
Year: 1994
Inspiration: Pocahontas
9. Alice in Wonderland
Company: JetLag Productions
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1995
Inspiration: Alice in Wonderland
10. The Jungle Book
Company: JetLag Productions
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1995
Inspiration: The Jungle Book
11. Sleeping Beauty
Company: JetLag Productions
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1995
Inspiration: Sleeping Beauty
12. Snow White
Company: JetLag Productions
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1995
Inspiration: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
13. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Company: JetLag Productions
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1996
Inspiration: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
14. The Secret of the Hunchback
Company: UAV Corporation
Distributor: Allumination Filmworks
Year: 1996
Inspiration: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
15. The Secret of Anastasia
Company: UAV Corporation
Distributor: Allumination Filmworks
Year: 1997
Inspiration: Anastasia (20th Century Fox/Don Bluth, 1997)
16. Moses: Egypt’s Great Prince
Company: UAV Corporation
Distributor: Allumination Filmworks
Year: 1998
Inspiration: The Prince of Egypt (Dreamworks, 1998)
17. The Secret of Mulan
Company: UAV Corporation
Distributor: Allumination Filmworks
Year: 1998
Inspiration: Mulan (Disney, 1998)
18. An Ant’s Life
Company: UAV Corporation
Distributor: Allumination Filmworks
Year: 2006
Inspiration: A Bug’s Life (Pixar, 1998) and Antz (Dreamworks, 1998)
19. A Cars Life 1-3
Company: UAV Corporation
Distributor: Allumination Filmworks
Year: 2006-2012
Inspiration: Cars 1-2 (Pixar, 2006 and 2011)
20. The Little Cars 1-8
Company: Vídeo Brinquedo
Distributor: Branscome International
Year: 2006-2011
Inspiration: Cars 1-2 (Pixar, 2006 and 2011)
21. Ratatoing
Company: Vídeo Brinquedo
Distributor: Branscome International
Year: 2007
Inspiration: Flushed Away (Aardman/DreamWorks, 2006) and Ratatouille (Pixar, 2007)
22. The Little Panda Fighter
Company: Video Brinquedo
Distributor: Morningstar Entertainment
Year: 2008
Inspiration: Kung Fu Panda (Dreamworks, 2008)
23. The Princess School
Company: Video Brinquedo
Distributor: Morningstar Entertainment
Year: 2008
Inspiration: The Disney Princess franchise
24. Tiny Robots
Company: Video Brinquedo
Distributor: Morningstar Entertainment
Year: 2008
Inspiration: Robots (Blue Sky, 2005) and WALL-E (Pixar, 2008)
25. Frog Prince
Company: Video Brinquedo
Distributor: Morningstar Entertainment
Year: 2009
Inspiration: Princess and The Frog (Disney, 2009)
26. Little & Big Monsters
Company: Video Brinquedo
Distributor: Morningstar Entertainment
Year: 2009
Inspiration: Monsters Vs. Aliens (Dreamworks, 2009)
27. Little Bee
Company: Video Brinquedo
Distributor: Gaiam
Year: 2009
Inspiration: Bee Movie (Dreamworks, 2007)
28. What’s Up – Balloon to the Rescue!
Company: Video Brinquedo
Year: 2009
Inspiration: Up (Pixar, 2009)
29. Tangled Up
Company: Brightspark Productions
Inspiration: Tangled (Disney, 2010)
30. Chop Kick Panda
Company: Gaiam/Renegade Animation
Year: 2011
Inspiration: Kung Fu Panda (Dreamworks, 2008)
31. The Frog Princess
Company: Brightspark Productions
Inspiration: The Princess and The Frog (Disney, 2009)
32. Kiara the Brave
Orignally Titled: Super K
Company: Shemaroo Entertainment
Distributor: Phase 4 Films
Year: 2011
Inspiration: Brave (Pixar, 2012)
33. Puss in Boots: A Furry Tail
Company: Gaiam
Year: 2011
Inspiration: Puss in Boots (Dreamworks, 2011)
34. Tappy Toes
Company: Gaiam
Year: 2011
Inspiration: Happy Feet (Warner Bros., 2006)
35. Life’s a Jungle – Africa’s Most Wanted
Company: Phase 4 Films
Year: 2012
Inspiration: Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (Dreamworks, 2012)
36. Braver
Company: Brightspark Productions
Inspiration: Brave (Pixar, 2012)
37. Wings
Company: Simka Entertainment
Distributor: Grindstone Entertainment/Lionsgate
Year: 2012
Inspiration: Planes (Disney, 2013)
38. Frozen Land
Originally Titled: The Legend of Sarila
Company: Phase 4 Films
Year: 2013
Inspiration: Frozen
