Treasure Planet (2002): Screening and Discussion with screenwriter Rob Edwards

A cartoon image of a boy flying in the sky above the clouds with a large ship in the distance. He's holding a glowing orb and looking at the moon.

The Cornell Cinema Student Advisory Board presents a special screening and discussion of the animated feature Treasure Planet (2002) with screenwriter Rob Edwards in person.

In this futuristic twist on Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel Treasure Island, a secret map inspires a thrilling treasure hunt across the universe. Young Jim Hawkins and a hilarious cosmic crew, headed by the daring Captain Amelia, set off in search of their destiny.

Aboard a glittering space galleon, Jim meets the ship's cyborg cook, John Silver, who teaches him the value of friendship and the power of dreams. Jim soon teams up with his crazy new robot pal, B.E.N., and the shape-shifting Morph to discover a treasure greater than he ever imagined.

Treasure Planet was nominated for best animated feature at the 75th Academy Awards and has since achieved a cult following.

Screenwriter Rob Edwards will join for a post-screening discussion with Franklin Berry '26, vice president of the Cornell Cinema Student Advisory Board.

Free admission! Sponsored by the Cornell University Programming Board (CUPB), the Black Student Empowerment Office in the Centers for Student Equity, Empowerment, and Belonging, the Africana Studies Program, the Willard Straight Hall Student Union Board, and the Cornell Cinema Student Advisory Board.

About the speaker
Rob Edwards is an Academy Award-nominated film and television writer and producer, who is perhaps best known as a screenwriter for the Oscar-nominated Disney animated features Treasure Planet (2002) and The Princess and the Frog (2009) as well as the Marvel blockbuster Captain America: Brave New World (2025). His television credits include The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Full House, and Living in Color and he consulted on the animated features Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, and Frozen.

Edwards also wrote and directed the award-winning animated short film The Park Bench and recently completed the historical graphic novel Defiant: The Story of Robert Smalls. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Edwards is a graduate of the Newhouse School at Syracuse University and has served as an adjunct professor of screenwriting both at Newhouse and at the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California.

Part of our "Campus Collaboration" series. Courtesy: Walt Disney Pictures.

Please visit our Content Advisory page to access resources for identifying sensitive content and evaluating the age-appropriateness of each film title.