Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland |
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Original Japanese theatrical release poster
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| Directed by |
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| Produced by | Yutaka Fujioka |
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| Music by |
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| Cinematography | Hajime Hasegawa |
| Editing by | Takeshi Seyama |
| Studio | Tokyo Movie Shinsha |
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| Release date(s) | July 15, 1989 (Japan) August 21, 1992 (United States) |
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| Money made | ¥0.9 billion ($11.4 million) |
Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland is an animated musical fantasy film from 1989. It was directed by Masami Hata and William Hurtz. The movie is based on the famous comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland by Winsor McCay.
This film had a very long journey to get made. Many writers worked on it over the years. The final story was written by Chris Columbus and Richard Outten. The music was created by the Academy Award-winning Sherman Brothers. Even though it came from an American comic, a Japanese company called Tokyo Movie Shinsha animated it. This makes it a special mix of Japanese and American animation styles.
The movie was first shown in Japan in 1989. It came out in the United States in 1992. It got mixed reviews from critics and didn't make a lot of money at first. However, it became very popular when released on home video. Now, many people consider it a cult film.
Contents
What is the Story of Little Nemo?
The movie begins with a young boy named Nemo having a scary dream. He is chased by a fast train. The next day, Nemo wants to go to a circus parade with his pet flying squirrel, Icarus. But his parents are too busy to take him.
That night, Nemo tries to sneak some pie. He had promised his mom he wouldn't. After he falls asleep, strange characters from the circus appear. A man named Professor Genius tells Nemo they are from a place called Slumberland. He says King Morpheus, the king of Slumberland, wants Nemo to be a playmate for Princess Camille. Nemo and Icarus agree to go after being offered cookies.
Nemo's Adventure in Slumberland
Nemo travels to Slumberland in a dirigible, which is like a big airship. He gets to drive it, causing a little mess. He meets King Morpheus, who tells Nemo he wants him to be the next king. Morpheus gives Nemo a special golden key. This key can open any door in Slumberland. But the King warns Nemo not to open a specific door with a dragon on it.
Nemo then meets Princess Camille, and they explore Slumberland together. Later, Nemo meets a playful clown named Flip. Flip convinces Nemo to skip his lessons. They hide in a cave, where Nemo finds the forbidden dragon door. Flip tricks Nemo into opening it, which accidentally lets out "the nightmare."
Nemo rushes back to the castle for his coronation. He is given the royal scepter. This scepter is the only thing that can defeat the Nightmare King. Suddenly, "The Nightmare" attacks the castle and takes King Morpheus away. Everyone blames Nemo because he opened the door.
The Quest to Save the King
Nemo wakes up in his own room, which seems to fill with water. Professor Genius finds him and tells him not to blame himself. But Nemo takes responsibility and promises to find the King. Back in Slumberland, they rescue Flip. Flip has a secret map of Nightmare Land, where Morpheus is held.
Nemo, Icarus, Camille, Flip, and Genius set off in a tugboat. They are pulled into a whirlpool and end up in Nightmare Land. This land is full of goblins. They meet some friendly, shapeshifting goblins called Boomps. The Boomps want to help them.
The Nightmare King sends giant bats to capture the group. Nemo tries to use the scepter, but he can't remember the magic words. He then wakes up in his own bed again.
The Final Battle
The Boomps appear in Nemo's room. They give him a letter from King Morpheus. The letter has the full magic words for the scepter. Nemo and the Boomps fly through a portal to Nightmare Castle.
They get trapped inside. The Nightmare King demands the scepter. He threatens Nemo's friends and King Morpheus. After a big fight, Nemo uses the scepter. He defeats the Nightmare King and cleanses Nightmare Land. It looks like Nemo is gone too.
Everyone is sad, but King Morpheus uses the scepter to bring Nemo back. Morpheus forgives Nemo. He says Nemo's bravery made up for his mistake. He calls Nemo a true prince. Slumberland celebrates. Princess Camille takes Nemo home in the dirigible. They share a kiss. Nemo wakes up in his room and apologizes to his mom about the pie. His parents then agree to take him to the circus. Nemo looks forward to his new day.
Who Are the Characters?
- Nemo: A young boy from New York City. He is chosen to be the playmate of Princess Camille and later the heir to King Morpheus. He is given a special key but accidentally opens a forbidden door. This leads him on a quest to save Slumberland.
- Flip: A mischievous clown who is wanted in Slumberland for "having fun." He tricks Nemo into opening the forbidden door. Flip has a secret map of Nightmare Land and helps guide the group. In the real world, he is a clown at the circus.
- Professor Genius: King Morpheus's smart advisor. He brings Nemo to Slumberland. He is very organized and loves to dance. In the real world, he plays the organ at the circus.
- Icarus: Nemo's loyal pet flying squirrel and best friend. He is always worried about Nemo. Icarus can speak a little English and squirrel language. He loves cookies.
- King Morpheus: The kind ruler of Slumberland. He protects his kingdom with a powerful royal scepter. He chooses Nemo to be his heir. He is captured by the Nightmare King, and Nemo must rescue him. In the real world, he is the ringmaster of the circus.
- The Nightmare King: A scary, horned creature who rules over bad dreams. He captures King Morpheus. He is very mean and destroys his own minions when they fail. Only the royal scepter can defeat him.
- Princess Camille: King Morpheus's daughter. At first, she seems a bit spoiled. But she grows to like Nemo and Icarus. She joins Nemo's quest to save her father. In the real world, she rides an elephant in the circus.
How Was the Movie Made?
The idea for Little Nemo came from a producer named Yutaka Fujioka. He was the head of Tokyo Movie Shinsha (TMS). He wanted to make animated films that could be popular in the United States.
Fujioka got the rights to the Little Nemo comic strip in 1978. He dreamed of making a "full animation" film. This meant animation as detailed as Disney movies. He hired new animators and trained them.
The project faced many challenges, like not enough money and inexperienced animators. Fujioka even tried to get famous directors like George Lucas (who made Star Wars) and Chuck Jones (who made Looney Tunes) to help, but they declined.
Later, Gary Kurtz, who worked on Star Wars, joined as a producer. He brought in writer Ray Bradbury. Many famous animators from Disney, like Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, also advised the team.
Some well-known Japanese animators, including Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata (who later founded Studio Ghibli), were involved early on. However, they left the project because they disagreed with the story ideas.
The film's production stopped for a while in 1984 because they ran out of money. Many people came and went from the project. Finally, Chris Columbus wrote a new story, and Richard Outten wrote the script.
Production started again in 1987. William T. Hurtz and Masami Hata became the directors. Many talented animators from Disney Studio worked on the film.
The famous Sherman Brothers (Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman) wrote the songs for Nemo. They had written songs for many Disney movies, including Mary Poppins.
The movie was finished in 1988. When it didn't do well at the box office, Fujioka left TMS.
Music in the Film
The Sherman Brothers wrote all the songs for Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland.
Here are some of the songs featured in the movie:
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Length |
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| 1. | "Little Nemo" | Melissa Manchester | |
| 2. | "Slumberland" | Melissa Manchester | |
| 3. | "Etiquette" | Gabriel Damon, René Auberjonois, Kathleen Freeman, Michael Sheehan, June Foray, Gregg Berger & Chorus | |
| 4. | "The Boomps Song" | Neil Ross, Alan Oppenheimer, Sidney Miller & Michael Bell | |
| 5. | "Slumberland Princess" | Laura Mooney |
When Was Little Nemo Released?
The movie was first released in Japan on July 15, 1989. It faced strong competition from other films, like Studio Ghibli's Kiki's Delivery Service. Little Nemo did not make much money in Japan.
The English version of the movie came out in the United States on August 21, 1992. About 11 minutes were cut from the film to get a family-friendly rating.
Box Office Performance
In the United States, Nemo made about $1.3 million in total. It won an "Audience Award" at a film festival in Amsterdam in 1992. It was also nominated for "Best Animated Feature" at the 1993 Annie Awards.
In 2005, Little Nemo had a small re-release in some US cities. It was shown on weekends as part of a family movie event.
What Happened After the Film?
After the movie didn't do well, Yutaka Fujioka left the animation business. TMS, the animation studio, had to make up for the money they lost. They started working more on Japanese anime shows and also helped animate many Western shows. These included Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, and Batman.
Home Video Release
The film was released on VHS in 1993. It became one of the best-selling children's videos that year.
In 2004, Little Nemo was released on DVD. This DVD version brought back the 11 minutes that were cut from the US theatrical release. This made the movie its full 95-minute length.
Later, the film was released again on DVD and even on Blu-ray. The Blu-ray version included both the Japanese and English audio. It also had special bonus features, like early test films from 1984 and 1987.
In 2016, the official Tokyo Movie Shinsha YouTube channel uploaded the full 95-minute English version of the film.
Video Games
After the movie came out in Japan, two video games were made by Capcom.
- Little Nemo: The Dream Master: An NES game released in 1990.
- Nemo: An arcade game also released in 1990.
Images for kids
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Original Japanese theatrical release poster
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US DVD cover
See also
In Spanish: Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland para niños
