Time changes everything, and Walt Disney Studios is no exception. Last year's The Black Hole, despite a number of “cute" robots and flat characterizations, proved that the Disney people are aware of a need for a new kind of entertainment in the 80s; after all, any studio that would cook up such a ghastly demise for Tony Perkins is anxious for something more than a reputation as a wholesome family fun factory.
The Watcher in the Woods is yet another bid to change direction for the studio. Initially conceived as a modestly budgeted thriller along the lines of Escape from Witch Mountain, various elements came into play during development and production that “snowballed” the project into a major Disney release. What initially set the ball rolling was the excellent screen adaptation of Florence Engel Randall's book by British writer director Brian Clemens, best known for his work with Hammer and TV‘s The Avengers.
Co-producer Tom Leetch affirms: “I consider Watcher a little more sophisticated, a little more solid than our usual fare, which is ... pretty frivolous."
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