Bambi Sequel to Release 64 Years After Disney Classic’s Debut

LOS ANGELES (Press Trust of India) – US entertainment giant Walt Disney Co is set to release a sequel to its animated classic Bambi more than six decades after the original movie hit screens in 1942, the firm has said. Bambi II will be released straight to DVD on February 7, picking up on the next chapter in the adventures of the young deer whose mother was killed by hunters in the wrenching original children's tale that opened 64 years ago. "Meticulously crafted over four years, Bambi II captures the beauty, emotion, warmth and humor of the original 1942 film," Disney said in a statement yesterday. The video brings back some of Disney's most beloved characters, including the rabbit Thumper, and also introduces Bambi's father, The Great Prince, for the first time. The long-awaited sequel picks up Bambi's tale following his mother's death when the young fawn reunites with his father, who will be voiced by actor Patrick Stewart. The adventures of the father-and-son deer team help them overcome their initially awkward relationship. The movie is animated in the same style as the original, which was made under the supervision of Walt Disney himself, and features songs by country star Martina McBride and multiple Grammy award-winner Alison Krauss.