Oliver & Company

Lore & Background

The film was the first animated project developed under Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg after they joined Disney in 1984. In late 1984 or 1985, a pitch meeting called the 'Gong Show' was held, where story artist Pete Young suggested 'Oliver Twist with dogs.' The pitch was quickly approved, and the film went into production under the working title Oliver and the Dodger. Pre-production involved the crew reading Oliver Twist and watching the musical Oliver!, developing the film for six to nine months. Production began in 1986, with 300 artists and technicians working over two and a half years. The film was released theatrically on November 18, 1988.

Reader's Guide

Oliver & Company received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its music and vocal performances, while the animation, designs, use of computer-generated imagery, and plot received divided reviews. Despite this, the film performed very well at the box office, grossing $121 million worldwide against a $31 million budget. It was re-released in theaters in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on March 29, 1996, and later released on home video, DVD, and Blu-ray. The film is notable for being Disney's first animated feature to begin production under the Eisner-Katzenberg era and for its contemporary New York City setting, which marked a departure from the original novel's 19th-century London.

Did You Know?

• The film was inspired by Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist.
• The working title was Oliver and the Dodger before being changed to Oliver & Company for unknown reasons.
• Billy Joel provided the voice for Dodger, the Jack Russell Terrier mix leader of the dog gang.
• The film was re-released in theaters on March 29, 1996, in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.