At the end of the 70s, science fiction cinema experienced a revolution driven by hits like 2001: A Space Odyssey and the first installment of the Saga Star Wars. Walt Disney Productions, known for its family films, decided to join this trend and compete with the galaxy far, far away. George Lucas and take their own slice of the pie of galactic blockbusters to the plate. This is how it was born The Black Abyssa blockbuster that sought to combine Disney magic with the space epic. However, this foray into the depths of the universe of 20 million dollars It resulted in a cosmic failure at the box office and today few remember its existence.
In 1979, Disney ventured with this film that, in economic terms, intended to rival the cinematographic successes of the moment dedicated to the space genre. The investment exceeded by several million dollars the 13 million destined for the first installment of Star Wars, but it has barely achieved a collection of 35 million. Quite a disaster at the time for a film that spared no expense in special effects or a stellar cast.
The plot of The Black Abyss is set in the year 2130, when the Palomino spaceship (yes, that's it) returns to Earth after a mission in search of life in the remote universe. Thus the crew discovers the Cygnus, a ship lost twenty years earlierorbiting around a black hole. From this point, the story delves into a dark and unknown territory for the studio in those years, with references to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and elements of cosmic horror, in an attempt to emulate 2001.
The cast includes notable actors such as Maximilian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Forster e Yvette Mimieux. Despite its performances, the film failed to connect with the audience, and its combination of Disney elements, science fiction and cosmic horror proved to be a difficult cocktail for audiences to digest. And Abismo Negro did not understand where the charm of Star Wars lies and it stayed in the anecdotes and friendly robots and masked villains fans of capes and other curtained clothing.
A technical effort that did not impress the public
Disney opted for technology and special effects, even developing its own computer directed camerawhich, although primitive, represented a significant leap in quality compared to previous Disney live-action productions, in addition to a significant investment. And although the technical achievements were notable, with two nominations at the Academy Awards of that year in that section, the film failed to convince the public or critics. The fusion of genres, from family cinema to cosmic horror, generated an uneven and confusing narrative.
The reception upon its release was lukewarm, and The Black Abyss quickly faded into cinematic memory. Domestic cinema came to its rescue, since abismo Negro achieved a certain notoriety among children when it arrived in video stores, although it did not achieve the same popularity as other proposals of the time. What kid would want to pilot the Palomino when he could pilot the Millennium Falcon?
To this day, The Black Abyss lives in the limbo of cinematic oblivion. The film, available on Disney+, enjoys some fame among nostalgists looking to relive an era of Disney cinematic experimentation. However, its initial failure was a setback from which it was unable to overcome, although many consider it a lost gem of science fiction cinema.
Still in 2009, Disney announced plans for a remake of The Black Abyss, although the latest news points to a possible production for the Disney+ catalog. However, This project seems to have fallen into oblivionpossibly overshadowed by its acquisition of the Star Wars franchise in 2012. Disney's entry into George Lucas' universe may have once again diverted attention from the space odyssey that was The Black Abyss.
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