Destiny Sparks

***Destiny Sparks*** is a 1993 American animated fantasy musical film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 33th Disney animated feature film and the fifth animated film produced during a period known as the Disney Renaissance. It was directed by Cynthia and Valeria Rivera (in their feature directorial debuts) and written by the Rivera sisters, John Musker and Linda Woolverton. It stars the voices of Melissa Fahn, John Candy, Robyn Lively, Jason Marsden, Dan Castellaneta, Helen Hunt, and Christine Baranski. The score of the film's original songs was composed by composer Alan Menken with its lyrics co-written by Menken and lyricist Tim Rice, who both had previously done the music for *Aladdin*, another film released by Disney. The film centers around a 14-year-old girl named Destiny, who was born with magic abilities, must train to become the best magician with the help of a grumpy yet magical and loyal rabbit named Robert.

The film was released into theatres on November 24, 1993, and it received positive reviews from critics who praised the film for its characters, animation, music, story, and cast. On its $52 million budget, it grossed $368.5 million, making it the highest-grossed Disney film for 1993. Along with *Edwin & Terry*, it marked the first time since 1977 that Walt Disney Feature Animation released two feature films in the same year. It spawned a TV series of the same name that aired on CBS from 1994 to 1995, a straight-to-video sequel, *Destiny II: Magical Rescue*, in 2001, and a prequel, *Destiny Sparks: The Tales As Before*, in 2008.

## Cast

* Melissa Fahn as Destiny Sparks, a 14-year-old girl who is born with magic abilities, as she tried to become the best magician. Glen Keane served as the supervising animator for Destiny.
* John Candy as Robert, a grumpy yet magical and loyal rabbit who helps Destiny to become the best magician. Russ Edmonds served as the supervising animator for Robert.
* Robyn Lively as Ashley Waston, a young girl who’s very passionate about art, as well as being Destiny's best friend. Nik Ranieri served as the supervising animator for Ashley.
* Jason Marsden as Matthew Smith, a young boy who is Destiny's love interest. Mark Henn served as the supervising animator for Matthew.
* Dan Castellaneta as Mr. Musker, a caring man who’s Ashely's guardian. James Baxter served as the supervising animator for Mr. Musker.
* Helen Hunt as Mrs. Sparks, Destiny's mother. Anthony de Rosa served as the supervising animator for Mrs. Sparks.
* Christine Baranski as Lady Focus, a dark overlord who is born with dark magical power. Andreas Deja served as the supervising animator for Lady Focus.

*More coming soon!*

### Additional Voices

* Rob Paulsen
* Cam Clarke
* Jim Cummings
* Frank Welker
* E.G. Daily
* B.J. Ward
* Nancy Cartwright

## Production

### Animation

Animation for the film was mainly done by Walt Disney Feature Animation.

*More coming soon!*

## Music

*Main article: Destiny Sparks/Soundtrack*
## Release

*Destiny Sparks* was theatrically released by Walt Disney Pictures in the United States and Canada on November 24, 1993, the same day Universal Pictures/Amblimation's *We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story* hit theaters.

### Marketing

The film made partnerships with Burger King, General Mills, Mattel, and The Disney Channel for promoting the film.

### Trailers

* The teaser trailer for the film was released on November 25, 1992, and was included with films such as *Aladdin*, *The Muppet Christmas* *Carol*, and *Kuffs.*
* The first theatrical trailer was released on July 16, 1993, and was included in films such as *Hocus Pocus, Coneheads*, and A*nother Stakeout.*
* The second theatrical trailer was released on September 24, 1993, and was included with films such as *Cool Runnings* and *The Nightmare Before Christmas.*
* TV spots for the film were shown from September to November of 1993.

### Home media

The film was released on VHS and Laserdisc on April 5, 1994, and it was the final film to be released the "Walt Disney Classics" video series. The VHS of the film included the theatrical trailer of Walt Disney Pictures' then-upcoming animated film, *The Lion King*. More than 20 million copies of the film were sold and grossed over $370 million in sales revenue. On April 23, 2003, the film was released as a "Platinum Edition" on VHS and a two-disc THX Certified DVD set and it coincided with the film's 10th anniversary. The second disc of the Special Edition DVD set included bonus features such as deleted scenes and "Robert's Facts", a segment that originally appeared during commercial breaks for the *Destiny Sparks* TV series back when it aired on CBS. The Platinum Edition VHS and two-disc DVD set grossed over $240 million in revenue.

On April 9, 2013, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released a Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD combo pack that coincided with the film's 20th anniversary. It included the same special features from the 2003 Platinum Edition DVD set along with interviews from the film's cast, discussing how they got the roles for the film and how far the film has gone to be loved by millions of people. The Diamond Edition grossed $40 million in revenue. On November 20, 2018, the film was re-released on Blu-ray and DVD as part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection to coincide with the film's 25th anniversary.

## Legacy

### Video game

A video game based on the film was released in 1993 by Virgin Interactive for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, and Game Gear. It received mixed reviews from critics.

### Television series

A television series based on the film was produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It aired on CBS from September 16, 1994, to May 12, 1995.

### Sequels

A direct-to-video sequel to the film, entitled *Destiny II: Magical Rescue*, was released by Walt Disney Home Video on May 15, 2001. A direct-to-video prequel, titled *Destiny Sparks: The Tales As Before*, was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on February 26, 2008.

### Other appearances

The characters from the film made cameo appearances in some episodes of *Disney's House of Mouse*, and Lady Focus, the main villain in *Destiny Sparks* had a cameo appearance in the direct-to-video film, *Mickey's House of Villains*.

The characters from *Destiny Sparks* also appeared in the 2002 PlayStation 2 video game, *Kingdom Hearts,* and its 2005 sequel, *Kingdom Hearts II.* The characters also appeared as playable characters in the *Disney Infinity* video game series.

## Transcripts

### Main

To see the main transcript of the film, click here.

### Trailer

To see the transcript for the trailers of the film, click here.