The Dolly Parton Disney Movie That Almost Was (Ep. 114)

Jim Hill and Lauren Hersey remember Dolly Parton by exploring her long and surprisingly deep connection to Disney. Jim recounts the ambitious Feature Animation Florida project that nearly gave Dolly a starring role in a hand-drawn/CG hybrid set in Appalachia, variously known as My Peoples, Angel and Her No Good Sister, and A Few Good Ghosts. They also look back at Dolly's appearances with Disney, her relationship with Miley Cyrus, the growth of Dollywood and the Imagination Library, and Jim's own conversation with the country music legend.

HIGHLIGHTS

• How Dolly Parton became Miley Cyrus's Aunt Dolly on Hannah Montana.

• Dolly's Disney connection stretching back to Walt Disney World's 15th anniversary celebration.

• The story behind Barry Cook's abandoned Feature Animation Florida project My Peoples.

• Why Disney paired traditional human animation with CG Appalachian folk-art characters.

• The all-star voice cast that included Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, Ashley Judd, Travis Tritt, Hal Holbrook, and more.

• How the project evolved through titles including Elgin's Peoples, Once in a Blue Moon, Angel and Her No Good Sister, and A Few Good Ghosts.

• Michael Eisner's enthusiastic reaction shortly before Disney ultimately shut the project down.

• How changing attitudes toward hand-drawn animation and Disney's strained relationship with Pixar helped bring the film - and Feature Animation Florida - to an end.

• Jim remembers interviewing Dolly about the Imagination Library and asking her about the Disney movie that never made it to theaters.

HOSTS