Times animated classic Bambi will be joining the luxe lineup of the Walt Disney Signature Collection, with a fresh release on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on May 23, followed by Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand on June 6. The Signature treatment, just in time for the film’s 75th anniversary, was announced at the Tribeca Film Festival this weekend.
The Signature Collection includes a medley of new bonus material, including recordings of Walt Disney discussing the production, deleted scenes and characters, reflections on Bambi’s impact, and more. The Digital HD release also includes an exclusive feature on the late, legendary artist Tyrus Wong, who inspired the film’s iconic watercolor backgrounds and naturalist palette.
Ranked as No. 3 on the American Film Institute’s Top 10 list of the greatest animated films of all time, Bambi was released in 1942 during World War II. The Disney team took five years to craft the exquisitely detailed, hand-drawn feature. Based on the popular 1920s novel by Felix Salten, Bambi follows a young deer as he encounters the wonders and dangers of life in the woods with his playful rabbit friend, Thumper, the lovable skunk Flower, and wise Friend Owl, ultimately fulfilling his destiny as Prince of the Forest.
Brand-new Blu-ray & Digital HD bonus features include:
– The Bambi Effect – Bambi was full of innovations for its time. Let’s take a look at how those past innovations affected future Disney animated titles all the way up to today.
– Studio Stories: Bambi – Recordings of Walt Disney. Listen in on intimate moments where he discusses the challenges, pitfalls and triumphs during the production of Bambi.
– Deleted Scene: Bambi’s Ice and Snow – Bambi coaxes Thumper and his brothers and sisters to come play on the ice during the first snow.
– Deleted Scene: The Grasshopper – A grasshopper confronts Bambi and Thumper and finds himself in quite a predicament.
– Bambi Fawn Facts – Think you know everything there is to know about Bambi and his forest companions? Well, it’s time to discover some fun real-life facts about the creatures that live in the forest he calls home.
– Oswald the Lucky Rabbit: “Africa Before Dark” short film.
– Celebrating Tyrus Wong (Digital Exclusive) – A heartfelt look at the man who played a key role in the success of Bambi. Much like Mary Blair and Eyvind Earle, Tyrus Wong had a unique signature style all to his own. The soft water-colored backgrounds and beautiful palettes in Bambi were inspired by Tyrus’ concept art paintings.
The updated release also includes classic extras, including deleted scenes (“Two Leaves,” “Bambi Stuck on a Reed,” “Winter Grass,” “Twitterpated”), The Making of Bambi: A Prince Is Born series (Story, Characters, Actors, Art Design, Music, History), Trick of the Trade excerpt, Inside the Disney Archives, The Golden Age, original theatrical trailer, and The Old Mill animated short.
