Fun with Mr. Future

{{Infobox film

|name = Fun with Mr. Future

|image = Fun with Mr. Future.jpg

|caption =

|director = Darrell Van Citters

|writer = {{ubl|Michael Giaimo|Ed Gombert|Joe Ranft|Darrell Van Citters}}

|starring = {{ubl|Phil Proctor}}

|studio = Walt Disney Productions

|distributor = Buena Vista Distribution

|released = {{Film date|1982|10|27|Los Angeles, California|ref1={{cite web|url=http://thisdayindisneyhistory.homestead.com/oct27.html|title=It Happened Today: October 27|accessdate=January 5, 2013|work=This Day in Disney History|publisher=Tony J. Tallarico}}}}

|runtime = 8 minutes{{cite web|url=http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/10438|title=Film Screenings and Events: "Fun with Mr. Future" / "Luxo Jr." / "Tin Toy" / "Toy Story'|date=October 2, 2010|accessdate=January 5, 2013|publisher=Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)}}

|country = United States

|language = English

}}

Fun with Mr. Future is a 1982 live-action/animated short film from Walt Disney Productions directed by Darrell Van Citters.[https://letterboxd.com/film/fun-with-mr-future/ Letterboxd]

Plot

An audio-animatronic talking-head replica of Abraham Lincoln (voiced by Phil Proctor) hosts a tour of what the future will look like via retro-style animation.{{cite web|url=http://www.awn.com/articles/profiles/tad-stones-interview-part-2|last=Strike|first=Joe|title=The Tad Stones Interview — Part 2|date=July 12, 2004|accessdate=January 5, 2013|publisher=Animation World Network (AWN)}}{{cite web|url=http://afilmla.blogspot.com/2009/04/report-of-disney-rarities-event.html|last=Perk|first=Hans|title=Report of the Disney Rarities Event|date=April 30, 2009|accessdate=January 5, 2013|publisher=A. Film L.A., Inc.}}

Production

Fun with Mr. Future originally began development as an Epcot television special, whose crew included Darrell Van Citters, Mike Giamo, Joe Ranft, Mike Gabriel,[https://www.bcdb.com/cartoon/36630-Fun-with-Mr-Future BCDB.com]{{dead link|date=January 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Tad Stones, and Brian McEntee.{{cite web|url=http://www.awn.com/articles/profiles/tad-stones-interview-part-1/page/7%2C1|last=Strike|first=Joe|title=The Tad Stones Interview — Part 1|date=June 9, 2004|accessdate=January 5, 2013|publisher=Animation World Network (AWN)}}{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoinanimate0000lenb|last=Lenburg|first=Jeff|title=Who's Who in Animated Cartoons|chapter=Gabriel, Michael (Mike)|page=Books|isbn=1-55783-671-X|year=2006|accessdate=January 5, 2013|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation}} At the time, this team was also involved in the development stages of what would become Sport Goofy in Soccermania (1987) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). After Disney shelved the Epcot special, Tom Wilhite allowed them to use footage from the project and edit it into a new animated short. The resulting work marked the directorial debut of animator Darrell Van Citters, who began his career at the Disney studios.{{cite web|url=http://www.ctnanimationexpo.com/renegade-animation/|title=Renegade Animation|year=2010|accessdate=January 5, 2013|publisher=Creative Talent Network (CTN)}}

Release

Disney released the film in Los Angeles on October 27, 1982. No other public screenings took place until October 2010, when New York's Museum of Modern Art featured it in a program commemorating the publication of John Canemaker's book, Two Guys Named Joe.{{cite news|url=http://press.moma.org/wp-content/press-archives/PRESS_RELEASE_ARCHIVE/TwoGuysNamedJoe_Final.pdf|author=MoMA Department of Communications|title=MoMa Presents John Canemaker's Two Guys Named Joe: Master Animation Storytellers Joe Grant and Joe Ranft|format=Press release|date=October 1–2, 2010|accessdate=January 5, 2013|publisher=Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)}} According to Tad Stones: "[Working on it] was a lot of fun but I couldn't even tell you where you find it now. It's one of those gems even Disney doesn't know it has. I went to a comic convention and was surprised to see its cels for sale".