The Ultimate Guide to Animated Mockbusters

Disney’s recent trademark lawsuit against Phase 4 Films and their movie Frozen Land has reignited discussion about ‘mockbusters,’ the portmanteau used to describe a genre of home video that is dedicated to tricking customers into mistakenly purchasing a low-budget imitation of a popular movie. As certain as the dawn, animation companies release these knock-offs to capitalize on the popularity of major studio releases. Mockbusters typically favor public domain content (like fairy tales), but also include questionable copies of another studio’s original characters, or deceptively repackaging an existing animated film with a trendy new cover and title.

Need some examples? No problem, because we’ve compiled the most comprehensive list of animation mockbusters the Internet has to offer. There might be others.

1. Beauty and The Beast

Company: Golden Films
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1992
Inspiration: Beauty and The Beast (Disney, 1991)

2. The Little Mermaid

Company: Golden Films
Distributor: Trimark/GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1992
Inspiration: The Little Mermaid (Disney, 1989)

3. Pinocchio

Company: Golden Films
Distributor: Trimark/GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1992
Inspiration: Pinocchio (Disney, 1940)

4. Aladdin

Company: Golden Films
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1993
Inspiration: Aladdin (Disney, 1992)

5. Cinderella

Company: JetLag Productions
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1994
Inspiration: Cinderella (Disney, 1950)

6. Leo the Lion: King of the Jungle

Company: JetLag Productions
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1994
Inspiration: The Lion King (Disney, 1994)

7. Pocahontas

Company: JetLag Productions
Distibutor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1994
Inspiration: Pocahontas (Disney, 1995)

8. Young Pocahontas

Company: Allumination Filmworks
Distributor: UAV Corporation
Year: 1994
Inspiration: Pocahontas (Disney, 1995)

9. Alice in Wonderland

Company: JetLag Productions
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1995
Inspiration: Alice in Wonderland (Disney, 1951)

10. The Jungle Book

Company: JetLag Productions
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1995
Inspiration: The Jungle Book (Disney, 1967)

11. Sleeping Beauty

Company: JetLag Productions
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1995
Inspiration: Sleeping Beauty (Disney, 1959)

12. Snow White

Company: JetLag Productions
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1995
Inspiration: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney, 1937)

13. The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Company: JetLag Productions
Distributor: GoodTimes Entertainment
Year: 1996
Inspiration: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney, 1996)

14. The Secret of the Hunchback

Company: UAV Corporation
Distributor: Allumination Filmworks
Year: 1996
Inspiration: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney, 1996)

15. The Secret of Anastasia

Company: UAV Corporation
Distributor: Allumination Filmworks
Year: 1997
Inspiration: Anastasia (20th Century Fox/Don Bluth, 1997)

16. Moses: Egypt’s Great Prince

Company: UAV Corporation
Distributor: Allumination Filmworks
Year: 1998
Inspiration: The Prince of Egypt (Dreamworks, 1998)

17. The Secret of Mulan

Company: UAV Corporation
Distributor: Allumination Filmworks
Year: 1998
Inspiration: Mulan (Disney, 1998)

18. An Ant’s Life

Company: UAV Corporation
Distributor: Allumination Filmworks
Year: 2006
Inspiration: A Bug’s Life (Pixar, 1998) and Antz (Dreamworks, 1998)

19. A Cars Life 1-3

Company: UAV Corporation
Distributor: Allumination Filmworks
Year: 2006-2012
Inspiration: Cars 1-2 (Pixar, 2006 and 2011)

20. The Little Cars 1-8

Company: Vídeo Brinquedo
Distributor: Branscome International
Year: 2006-2011
Inspiration: Cars 1-2 (Pixar, 2006 and 2011)

21. Ratatoing

Company: Vídeo Brinquedo
Distributor: Branscome International
Year: 2007
Inspiration: Flushed Away (Aardman/DreamWorks, 2006) and Ratatouille (Pixar, 2007)

22. The Little Panda Fighter

Company: Video Brinquedo
Distributor: Morningstar Entertainment
Year: 2008
Inspiration: Kung Fu Panda (Dreamworks, 2008)

23. The Princess School

Company: Video Brinquedo
Distributor: Morningstar Entertainment
Year: 2008
Inspiration: The Disney Princess franchise

24. Tiny Robots

Company: Video Brinquedo
Distributor: Morningstar Entertainment
Year: 2008
Inspiration: Robots (Blue Sky, 2005) and WALL-E (Pixar, 2008)

25. Frog Prince

Company: Video Brinquedo
Distributor: Morningstar Entertainment
Year: 2009
Inspiration: Princess and The Frog (Disney, 2009)

26. Little & Big Monsters

Company: Video Brinquedo
Distributor: Morningstar Entertainment
Year: 2009
Inspiration: Monsters Vs. Aliens (Dreamworks, 2009)

27. Little Bee

Company: Video Brinquedo
Distributor: Gaiam
Year: 2009
Inspiration: Bee Movie (Dreamworks, 2007)

28. What’s Up – Balloon to the Rescue!

Company: Video Brinquedo
Year: 2009
Inspiration: Up (Pixar, 2009)

29. Tangled Up

Company: Brightspark Productions
Inspiration: Tangled (Disney, 2010)

30. Chop Kick Panda

Company: Gaiam/Renegade Animation
Year: 2011
Inspiration: Kung Fu Panda (Dreamworks, 2008)

31. The Frog Princess

Company: Brightspark Productions
Inspiration: The Princess and The Frog (Disney, 2009)

32. Kiara the Brave

Orignally Titled: Super K
Company: Shemaroo Entertainment
Distributor: Phase 4 Films
Year: 2011
Inspiration: Brave (Pixar, 2012)

33. Puss in Boots: A Furry Tail

Company: Gaiam
Year: 2011
Inspiration: Puss in Boots (Dreamworks, 2011)

34. Tappy Toes

Company: Gaiam
Year: 2011
Inspiration: Happy Feet (Warner Bros., 2006)

35. Life’s a Jungle – Africa’s Most Wanted

Company: Phase 4 Films
Year: 2012
Inspiration: Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (Dreamworks, 2012)

36. Braver

Company: Brightspark Productions
Inspiration: Brave (Pixar, 2012)

37. Wings

Company: Simka Entertainment
Distributor: Grindstone Entertainment/Lionsgate
Year: 2012
Inspiration: Planes (Disney, 2013)

38. Frozen Land

Originally Titled: The Legend of Sarila
Company: Phase 4 Films
Year: 2013
Inspiration: Frozen (Disney, 2013)