In correlation with the rising popularity of the action-adventure genre set in an Australian setting, and with Americans becoming more environmentally conscious, the filmmakers decided to abandon the musical format where they found the placement of the songs slowed down the pacing of the film. Instead, they decided to market the film as the studio's first action-adventure film, in which Butoy and Gabriel found visual inspiration from live-action films by Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, and David Lean. It would also mark the studio's first film since "Bambi" to have an animal rights and environmental message. In December 1988, original cast members Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor were confirmed to be reprising their roles. However, Jim Jordan, who had voiced Orville in the original film, died earlier that same year in April following a fall at his home. In acknowledgement of Jordan's death, Roy E. Disney suggested the character of Wilbur, written as Orville's brother, to serve as his replacement. Intentionally, the names were in reference to the Wright brothers.