Disney's live-action remakes are driven by financial security, leveraging nostalgia to attract older fans while introducing modernized versions to younger audiences, ensuring consistent box office success.

These remakes adapt timeless stories to contemporary contexts, incorporating themes like diversity and gender equity, though this approach has sparked debates about balancing storytelling with ideological messaging.

Films like Cinderella (2015) and The Jungle Book (2016) introduced deeper character development and darker tones, while Beauty and the Beast (2017) added new songs and expanded Belle’s role as an inventor.

The Little Mermaid (2023) updated Prince Eric’s character and extended Ariel’s interactions to reflect modern expectations for relationship dynamics, earning praise for inclusivity despite mixed critical reception.

Public reactions to remakes vary, with some appreciating updates to characters and themes, while others criticize the lack of emotional depth compared to the animated originals.

Casting choices, such as Halle Bailey as Ariel, have sparked debates about representation and authenticity, showcasing Disney’s efforts to balance inclusivity with nostalgic expectations.

Technological innovations like CGI have enhanced storytelling in remakes such as The Jungle Book and The Lion King, though critics argue hyper-realism can detract from emotional expressiveness.

Disney’s remakes often face criticism for prioritizing political correctness over narrative depth, with industry voices advocating for stronger character development to resonate with audiences.

Despite mixed reviews, remakes like The Little Mermaid (2023) have achieved financial success, grossing over $550 million globally and resonating with diverse audiences.

Disney's live-action remakes are driven by financial security, leveraging nostalgia to attract older fans while introducing modernized versions to younger audiences, ensuring consistent box office success.

Title:

Content: A new part of The Lion King.
The story of Mufasa as you never knew it.
About five years after the release of The Lion King in 2019, Disney is offering a live-action version of the film, Mufasa: The Lion King, a new story that takes audiences back to the familiar tale of the film, as Simba explores the history of his father, Mufasa, and his father ’ s relationship with his younger brother. Reer Scar.
The film also comes on the 30th anniversary of the original Lion King, released in 1994, as part of Disney ’ s experiments in turning animated films into reality, such as Cinderella, The Mermaid, and Aladdin.
It is a safe strategy to ensure a financially successful product, without risking capital in new experiences that may not generate revenue.
The film is expected to be released on May 5, 2024.
Simba explores the history of Mufasa
The first real-life version of The Lion King in 2019 grossed nearly $1.6 billion worldwide.
The new version of The Lion King is expected to surpass the previous film because it explores an old story never presented before, while retaining all the reasons for the success of the original film, the story of the evil brother "Scar" and his relationship with his brother "Mufasa", a focal point in the main film, and the audience always wondered about the causes of the great evil inherent in the character "Scar".
Disney is looking to make an artistic epic, or a series of films as a result of the film ’ s manifold story, which carries more than one story, especially if its makers can find clues to the stories, because despite the worlds of Disney and its large production of films, it has never produced a major series like Star Wars, for example, and the story of the Lion King can be the beginning of movie series, especially as it moves narrative between the past and present....
Heroes of the New Story
The film was officially announced by Barry Jenkins, and Jeff Nathanson, the screenwriter of The Lion King (2019), completes his role as the writer of the new work "Mufasa".
Genghis said that there are many familiar characters will appear in the next film, and that the version will include new stories about the characters that the audience knew and associated with, and the story will go back in time with the heroes, to know the audience history and how they became what they are in the end, as the film tells how "Mufasa" came out of a modest life to reach the top of power, after he was a young cub roaming alone in life.
The film includes some changes to the voices of the heroes from the previous film, where the voice of young "Mufasa" will be performed by Aaron Pierre, while the voice of Mufasa was provided in the previous film, and in the older film of 1994 James Earl Jones.
Familiar voices that won ’ t change include John Kanye, who will cast Mandrel Reviki, Billy Eichner, who will cast Timon, Seth Rogan, who will cast Pumbaa, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., who will cast Scar, and Beyoncé, who will cast Nala.
Why is Disney bringing back the old stories?
Although audiences on social media complain about reproducing Disney ’ s classics, the box office always favors reproducing the classics, and there are many reasons for audiences to watch animated films in their real-life versions, including the attraction of old fans and the desire of the new generation to explore the modern context of the tale.
From here, such films have a double audience, especially in that story that touches on fatherhood, family, friendship, love and life. Mufasa remains one of the most famous Disney characters, and did not explore his story as befitting his fame and the story of his sad death in the original film, which separated the audiences against their will.
Source: Al Jazeera + Websites

According to John Musker, why does Disney rely on live-action remakes rather than producing new stories?

As a risk-reduction strategy
As a safer option

How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

By turning classic animations into live-action films with major stars

How successful was the 2019 live-action version of The Lion King?

Worldwide revenues exceeded one billion dollars

What motivates Disney to keep producing live-action remakes despite mixed reviews?

These remakes adapt timeless stories to contemporary contexts, incorporating themes like diversity and gender equity, though this approach has sparked debates about balancing storytelling with ideological messaging.

Title:

Content: Alert
Operation Blue Bird continues … 30,000 people surround the Legislative Yuan in the evening to protest against the delay of the Beijie Red Line and the Blue Line for 15 minutes.
“If you can ’ t afford it, don ’ t give birth to me ” … A middle school student laments that his parents will not be able to pay their tuition fees after remarriage.
Mobile signal analysis crowd provoking... Wang Yichuan shouted "Christmas City also did" blue committee exposed the New Taipei City government 's statement
Can't you watch it from your own family?
"Little Mermaid" director points to Disney's problems
Disney has been the first brand of American animation, bringing many beautiful memories to children around the world, including the early years of "Snow White", "101 loyal dogs", as well as described as the "Renaissance" period of "Beauty and the Beast", "Aladdin" and so on.
However, the recent Disney animation or live-action film, there is a big problem: each time in the casting and plot direction of the controversy, many people complain that too much "political correctness", or to put some ideas into the story arrangement, character layout and other basic details are put aside, turned into an alternative "educational film".
With such a big change, audiences can ’ t fail to feel that last year ’ s five most expensive movies, Disney Group accounted for four, even celebrating the centenary of their own animation as “Star Wish ”, both at the box office and in word of mouth have lost.
Recently, the director of "Little Mermaid", "Aladdin", "Hercules", "Treasure Island", "Ocean Strange" and other famous Disney animation director John Musk admitted at the seminar on animation and special effects, video games: "I think they should carry out a part of the course correction, put the concept of the secondary, the entertainment of the film, the story and whether the characters attract people should be more important." "
In John Musk ’ s eyes, the traditional Disney classic is not a concept that you want to put in, but rather an audience into the story and the characters and the world in the film, which he believes should still be the core of the current Disney film, “You don ’ t have to completely put aside the idea of putting in, but before that you have to create characters that the audience can empathize with and feel eye-catching. ”
"He said.
John ’ s past Disney animations also included “The Princess and the Frog, ” the first black princess to be the main character. Even so, he said the film was not built to promote an“ awakening culture, ” although he could understand the criticism.
As for the past few years, Disney has become more and more frequent remakes of old animations into live-action versions, he believes that the film companies are always looking at how to reduce the risk, and when they see that the audience likes something, they are thinking, is there a way to change the appearance and sell it to them again, or even do it better than the last time?
Just a few Disney classic animation remakes, audience word-of-mouth or film ratings are not as good as the original animation, based on their own history, John Musk did not take last year caused a lot of controversy of the live-action version of "Little Mermaid" to open: "They do not ink on the story of the father and daughter, that is the core of the whole movie, and that crab, you can see the real animal in the zoo, They all have a much richer expression than the ones in the movies, and so does the Lion King."
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What controversy arose from Disney's casting and updates in The Adventures of Pinocchio?

Films like Cinderella (2015) and The Jungle Book (2016) introduced deeper character development and darker tones, while Beauty and the Beast (2017) added new songs and expanded Belle’s role as an inventor.

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Content: In the world
News of Moscow
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Science and technology
Show business
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Articles
“Cinderella ” and others: the main remakes of recent years
Warner Bros. plans to make a remake of the movie “The Bodyguard ”.
The 1992 film with and in the lead roles was a success at the box office, and the music for it became the best-selling soundtrack in the history of the film, and this record has not been broken so far.
Details about the new film are still few, it is known that his script is written by the famous playwright Matthew Lopez.
About the most popular movie remakes of recent years, read in the selection of "Rambler".
Photo by RIA NovostiRIA Novosti
Cinderella (2015, directed by Kenneth Branagh)
Video of the day
A remake of a classic Disney cartoon from 1950.
The action takes place in a traditional fairy-tale entourage, but the characters have become more like real people, rather than characters in a children's book.
With the magic and magic of love, the emphasis is shifted to people and the reasons for their decisions.
The film was nominated for an Oscar for the best costumes.
The Jungle Book (2016, directed by John Favreau)
A remake of the 1967 Disney cartoon of the same name.
It is stated as a game with elements of animation, but in fact there are at least living heroes there, mainly realistically drawn, but still fake animals on the screen.
If Disney has all the male characters, then women appeared in the film among them, for example, Kaa voiced a python.
The film has many visual quotes from the cartoon, but some scenes, for example, the battle with Sherkhan, are shown much tougher, critics noted that they can scare not only children, but also adults.
The tone of history has also changed.
Mowgli does not seek people, but wants to help the inhabitants of the jungle, and in the end does not leave, but remains.
The film won an Oscar and the British Academy Award for Visual Effects.
In 2022, the premiere of the second part of the picture is scheduled.
It (2017, directed by Andy Muschetti)
The second book of the same name.
The first, television, was shot in 1990 by Tommy Lee Wallace and won several Emmy Awards.
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Two years later, the second part of the picture came out, but it went almost unnoticed.
Beauty and the Beast (2017, director)
A remake of the classic Disney cartoon, filmed in 1991.
There are some notable differences in the story.
In particular, the writers explained why the villagers do not know about the monster castle, which is only an hour walk, and the main character Belle made more independent.
The soundtrack, which became one of the factors of the cartoon ’ s success, also underwent changes: it included not only new versions of old songs, but also several new compositions.
The film caused a scandal due to the appearance of LGBT characters in the frame.
Director Bill Condon said that the episode in which two men are dancing waltz, very short, and people who resent him, "inflated out of a fly elephant", but in Russia the picture was assigned an age rating of 16 +.
A Star is Born (2018, directed by Bradley Cooper)
A remake of the 1976 film, the actor's directorial debut.
The main roles were played by Cooper himself and they also performed songs.
The film tells about the relationship of aspiring singer Ellie and drunk famous musician Jackson Maine.
Initially, the picture was going to shoot, and it was planned to invite Bionse to the main female role.
Lady Gaga said in an interview that she has a lot in common with the heroine.
For example, at the dawn of her career, she, like Ellie, was advised by everyone to fix her big nose.
The picture was nominated for seven Oscars, as a result, received one for best song.
The same award was given to the original film with and.

The Little Mermaid (2023) updated Prince Eric’s character and extended Ariel’s interactions to reflect modern expectations for relationship dynamics, earning praise for inclusivity despite mixed critical reception.

Title:

Content: Filed under:

The Little Mermaid live-action remake actually fixed the right character

The biggest story changes aren’t for Halle Bailey as Ariel

Whenever a new Disney live-action remake of an animated classic comes out, there’s always a hullabaloo about what, if anything, changed from the source material. Specifically, fans question whether the latest remake updates anything to take modern standards into account, or a creator boasts that it does — whether it’s giving LeFou an “exclusively gay moment” in 2017’s Beauty and the Beast or canning the Siamese cat song in 2019’s Lady and the Tramp.

For whatever reason, though, most of the filmmakers behind these projects seem determined to also “fix” the stories’ main heroines — usually losing what made them so appealing in the first place. The most nefarious case in point is Beauty and the Beast’s Belle, a character beloved by young bookworms everywhere. Making her a book-lover wasn’t enough for the 2017 remake, which also turned her into an inventor for some reason — and then did absolutely nothing with that plot point.

But in the case of the new Little Mermaid, director Rob Marshall and screenwriter David Magee actually picked the right character to update.

That isn’t Ariel, who for the most part keeps pretty much the same personality she had in the original, though she certainly gets more moments to flesh it out. Ariel is a beloved heroine, and Marshall and Magee understand what made her so appealing in the original animated Disney film. She’s curious, passionate, and idealistic, and the 1989 movie takes great care to highlight those things, while also embracing her faults, like her absent-mindedness and stubbornness. Halle Bailey’s stellar performance as Ariel in the live-action version bolsters all of those points. Even with some added moments, her Ariel is pretty much recognizable. She isn’t the one who needed to undergo a modern makeover, after all.

The character who really needed a change was Eric.

The original animated Eric is a hero of his era. He meets the minimum requirements to be a Disney Prince, in that he’s handsome and brave, and not much else. In the 1989 film, Ariel sees him on a ship, playing with his dog, and immediately falls in love with him. That’s pretty true to the original Hans Christian Andersen story — not to mention the Disney fairy-tale movies that came before — but in 2023, we need more evidence that this is a man worthy of Ariel’s time, and worthy of her giving up everything to try and be with him.

The 2023 live-action version of Eric, played by Jonah Hauer-King, isn’t just a hunk. He feels restless in his palace, and he wants to explore the world beyond his island nation, but he feels trapped by his mother’s rules. That’s a direct parallel to Ariel’s story, so it makes sense that she would relate to him. Her bargain with Ursula (Melissa McCarthy) is more about her desire to escape her father’s controlling rules about her being in love. (Ariel’s “Daddy, I love him!” line doesn’t make the cut in this version.) There’s a sense of comfort in knowing that there is at least one person on land who would understand her choice to leave the ocean. In Eric, she sees more of a kindred spirit than a soulmate.

The new Little Mermaid also gives Ariel and Eric more time to get to know each other. Instead of the dinner scene where Ariel bungles basic social interaction, now Ariel and Eric bond over Eric’s vast collection of trinkets he found on his adventures. As it turns out, they’re both total nerds when it comes to their interests, and they’re both just squirming to talk about what they love with someone. Ariel still can’t talk because of Ursula, but she’s still an active participant in the interaction, showing Eric a thing or two about his treasures from the sea, and eagerly poring over his maps. All their interactions are fueled by an awkward yet adorable attraction that just makes their romance all the more believable, and worth rooting for.

There are some superfluous changes to the live-action movie that don’t really add anything meaningful. For instance, Ariel’s sisters are rulers of their own seas, not Triton’s decorative choral singers, but they still don’t contribute much to the plot. Ursula has added motives, but that doesn’t come up beyond her introduction. Scuttle the seagull (voiced by Awkwafina) raps for a bit, because sure, why not? If you think too hard about some of the more consequential world-building changes in 2023’s The Little Mermaid, the movie begins to unravel.

But what makes The Little Mermaid isn’t whether the fish look good, or what exactly fuels Triton and Ursula’s feud. It all comes back to Ariel and her journey, which is fueled by the central romance between her and Eric. Just because Ariel falls in love doesn’t mean she’s not a strong and beloved protagonist, and just because Eric is a handsome and dashing prince doesn’t mean he lacks the substance behind that charming smile. By updating their romance, the 2023 Little Mermaid makes the love story more satisfying — and resonant for a new generation.

The Little Mermaid swims into theaters on May 26.

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Public reactions to remakes vary, with some appreciating updates to characters and themes, while others criticize the lack of emotional depth compared to the animated originals.

Title:

Content: Ming Pao APP
Real Time Financial News
Bethel 's family Peltz hit Disney: stop filming sequel to seek new IP to make film
Billionaire investor and former star Nelson Peltz released a 133-page document criticizing Disney CEO Bob Iger for "restoring the magic" that Disney needed to abandon sequels and regain its lead in animated films.
The filing states that Disney is not looking for a new IP to make the film, but is focusing too much on sequels and spin-offs, which “indicates that the creative engine is running out. ”
“The sequel is less risky to produce, but not as profitable in the long run as the new IP. ”
Peltz also criticized Iger for not having the incentive to improve the company's stock performance because he only owns about $20 million worth of Disney shares, while Peltz controls $3 billion in Disney shares.

How did audiences react to the 2020 Mulan live-action remake?

Some positive reactions praising both changes and additions

Casting choices, such as Halle Bailey as Ariel, have sparked debates about representation and authenticity, showcasing Disney’s efforts to balance inclusivity with nostalgic expectations.

Title:

Content: It’s possible that being an only child was one reason I was not exposed to the phenomenon of Disney princess worship during my youth. On the other hand, the lack of a coordinated merchandising effort during the 1970s probably had much more to do with the fact that the company’s princess lineup wasn’t yet emerging as a cultural trend.

In that decade, Disney focused most of its marketing on the so-called “Sensational Six” core characters, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Goofy, Donald Duck, and Daisy Duck; along with product tie-ins to the 1977’s “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.”

Of course, Disney had only made three princess movies up to that time. Those included 1937’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” 1950’s “Cinderella,” and 1959’s “Sleeping Beauty.” Following the introduction of Aurora in 1959, Disney would make moviegoers wait 30 years for the next princess to arrive in a film that would herald the start of the Disney Renaissance.

And that film was 1989’s “The Little Mermaid.”

Written and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, the 28th Disney animated feature film was very loosely based on the 1837 Danish fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. It boasted a string of memorable songs that brought imbued the production with Broadway panache. Alan Menken wrote the score, and collaborated with Howard Ashman on the songs. The film scored three Academy Award nominations, winning two for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for “Under the Sea.”

The animated film featured the voices of Jodi Benson, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll, Samuel E. Wright, Jason Marin, Kenneth Mars, and Buddy Hackett.

Buoyed by the success of “The Little Mermaid,” the Disney Renaissance ran from the late 1980s to the late 1990s and unleashed a series of critically and commercially successful animated films. Of the 10 films considered part of this period, five were Disney princess films. By 2000, the list of Disney princess included Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, and Mulan. Andy Mooney, a former Nike executive who had been named president of Walt Disney Company's Disney Consumer Products division, saw an opportunity. He pitched the Disney Princess franchise line — and a generation of children became entranced consumers.

More than 20 years have gone by since the end of the Disney Renaissance and the official launch of Disney’s Princess Line. These days, Walt Disney Pictures is focused on making live-action adaptations of its animated films. The latest of these is “The Little Mermaid,” directed by Rob Marshall from a screenplay written by David Magee. The film was released theatrically on May 26.

When evaluating a remake, adaptation, or reinterpretation of a classic film, one must consider not only the quality of the new film, but also how it compares to the original. It’s not enough to ask if the film entertaining and well executed. One must also determine what makes the remake valuable in its own right.

“The Little Mermaid” is set in the 1830s in the Caribbean. Ariel (Halle Bailey), youngest child of King Triton (Javier Bardem), lives in an underwater kingdom. Disney wisely mentions in its synopsis of the film that Ariel is 18 years old — not 16, as she was in the animated version.

Unlike her older sisters, Ariel is defiant and rebellious. She is captivated by a world beyond her reach, defying her father’s orders to study humans and collect their possessions from shipwrecks. She is often joined in this endeavor by her aquatic companions Flounder and Sebastian (voiced by Jacob Tremblay and Daveed Diggs, respectively); as well as by the birdbrained Scuttle (voiced by Awkwafina), a seabird whose understanding of human culture is amusingly erroneous.

When a sailing ship she has been watching is destroyed in a storm, she rescues Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). When Triton learns Ariel interacted with the surface world, he goes on an overprotective father rampage, destroying her collection of bric-a-bracs, baubles, and curios while reiterating his mandate that she should not indulge her inclination to learn, explore, or meet new people. Ironically, Prince Eric’s adoptive mother, Queen Salina (Noma Dumezweni) places similar constraints upon him because she is fearful of the outside world and of losing her son.

Desperate to be reunited with Prince Eric — who she is in love with despite the fact that the two haven’t even actually met at this point — Ariel turns to Triton’s evil sister Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), a scheming sea witch who sees this as an opportunity to oust Triton and take power over all the world’s oceans. Ursula strikes a deal with Ariel, giving her legs in exchange for her voice. There’s a catch: If Ariel fails to receive true love’s kiss from Eric before the end of three days, she will become Ursula’s property. To make sure Ariel fails, Ursula also causes her to forget about needing to score that kiss.

That’s just the setup. If it seems a bit drawn out, imagine how it feels watching it on the screen. With a runtime of 2 hours and 15 minutes — 53 minutes longer than the 1989 animated version — it sometimes feels like we’re treading water. One wonders if, in a post-pandemic world filled with ADHD brains, kids can manage to maintain focus on this narrative that meanders its way from scene to scene without a sense of urgency. Sebastian and Flounder know that there is a looming deadline, but in this version of the story, Ariel has been robbed of that knowledge. In the animated version, she at least had a specific objective. She actively worked toward that goal. In this version, she is a starry-eyed young woman crushing on someone she barely knows, drifting dreamily between infatuation and limerence.

Because it is both a retelling of a classic fairy tale and a redesign of a beloved Disney property, the film suffers from a pronounced scarcity of creativity and originality. There are updates to the story, changes in individual characters, and a few additional songs. Some of these facelifts work, such as the addition of Queen Salina. Some of these addendum fall flat, such as Eric’s song “Wild Uncharted Waters,” written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda’s song “The Scuttlebutt,” performed by Awkwafina and Diggs, is a more palatable add-on, despite that fact that it is jarringly different tonally from other music in the film.

All the film’s flaws and miscalculations can be forgiven by its most impressive saving grace: Bailey’s performance is as remarkable as it is enchanting. Bailey stands out again and again in the murky, sketchy CGI undersea sequences, glowing with charisma and agency. She brings the magic that is noticeably lacking in elsewhere in the film, balancing the nostalgia of childhood memories with a contemporary attitude. She carries this film on her shoulders, filling it with a sense of wonder and awe that will inspire children to seek out unexplored horizons and work toward achieving their dreams.

Mind you: I’d prefer Ariel did not have to literally transform — for a man — to be deemed successful. This version somewhat mitigates that theme. Personal transformation is fine when prompted by a desire to become a better person, while self-change enacted strictly to please an individual or a group is unwise and unhealthy.

The film also features recurring examples — both subtle and palpable — that show gender equity, diversity, and inclusivity are beneficial to society. These are the very same principled concepts extremist legislators and ultraconservative judicial officials currently vilify as “woke,” as if being socially aware, compassionate, and empathetic has somehow become objectionable. If you ascribe to that mindset, you should probably skip this movie.

The bottom line is “The Little Mermaid” may not be as artistically inspired as the animated version, but a standout performance by Bailey keeps the film afloat. It frequently captures the kinetic energy of a Broadway stage production, delighting audiences both with signature songs and newly added sequences that enhance the story and the characters. It is consistently entertaining, with sporadic moments of dazzling brilliance.

If you don’t trust an old curmudgeon to properly evaluate a Disney Princess film, I’ll share a few points my 16-year-old daughter made.

According to B.C. Zumpe, the film’s CGI could have been better. She particularly enjoyed a scene in which Ariel and Eric are dancing in a village near his castle, while a Caribbean band plays.

“Some people want all the characters to look exactly like the originals,” she said. “It wouldn’t be fair if Disney excluded Halle just because of her skin color. They chose her for her voice and her spirit. Even if you’re only upset because she looks different from the Ariel you grew up with, you can’t expect them to keep everything the way you want it.”

My daughter also felt that Awkwafina did a good job in voicing Scuttle. She appreciated how the film promoted the idea that it is good to interact with other cultures and be open to new ideas.

She’s a good kid.

Photo courtesy of DISNEY

Halle Bailey stars as Ariel and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric in “The Little Mermaid.”

Photo courtesy of DISNEY

Melissa McCarthy stars as Ursula in “The Little Mermaid.”

What aspect of Disney's strategy has been questioned due to the mixed reception of The Little Mermaid?

What controversy did Disney's The Little Mermaid spark globally?

Debate over both Ariel's casting and racial representation.

Technological innovations like CGI have enhanced storytelling in remakes such as The Jungle Book and The Lion King, though critics argue hyper-realism can detract from emotional expressiveness.

Title:

Content: The golden age of Disney animation is over

Disney animations keep bombing at the box office, but Universal’s Super Mario and Sony’s Spider-Verse are flying. Can the Mouse fight back?

In November 2012, just before the studio’s 90th anniversary, Disney released a six-and-a-half-minute animation which hinted that revolution was in the air. Directed by John Kahrs, a veteran of Pixar’s explosively creative early years, it was titled Paperman, and had its head in the past in many respects: it was black and white, had no spoken dialogue, and was set in Frank Capra-era 1940s New York.

What made it radical was its look. Using a new piece of software called Meander, Kahrs and his artists had managed to fuse rich three-dimensional computer graphics with the tactility and vigour of old-fashioned hand-drawn art.
“There was this notion of, we’re the only studio in the world that has this breadth of talent,” Paperman’s producer Kristina Reed told the technology magazine Wired at the time. “Is there something we can do by actually matching them together? Is there some new place we can go visually that no studio has gone before?”

The industry held its breath. Here was arguably the biggest technological and stylistic leap forward in the medium since 1995, when Toy Story brought digital animation to cinemas in the first place. Once this extraordinary new style found its way into a major feature-length film, animation would be changed for good.

Sure enough, six years later, it was – but Disney wasn’t the studio to do it. In 2018, Sony Pictures Animation released Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, an all-ages superhero adventure in a similar hybrid style that combined the best qualities of traditional and digital techniques. The result was a film that looked like a comic book come to life: scribbled swooshes and squiggles flew seamlessly through detailed CG environments, while characters’ emotions were, as in times of old, literally written across their faces in thoughtful, human-etched lines.

Simple touches like animating characters “on twos” again – that is, doubling up their frames so that every second of footage is made of 12 separate drawings rather than 24 – restored a pleasing vintage crunchiness to their movement that had been lost in the new fluidity of the CG age. The difference now is that the backgrounds can be fluid and the characters crunchy, or vice versa, changing as the mood and action requires. It’s the sort of stuff that works on an audience subliminally – but makes them feel as if they’re watching something both technologically extraordinary and lovingly hand-made.

What was now inescapably the “Spider-Verse style” was instantly copied by other studios: Paramount is using it in this summer’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, while Dreamworks deployed it in both The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Sony would redeploy the technique twice more itself, first in The Mitchells vs the Machines and then in this month’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, pushed to dizzying new extremes.

If the first Spider-Verse film was a living comic, the second more closely resembles a riot in an art gallery: expressionistic splatters of ink and paint, torn paper collages and Renaissance-style draughtsmanship all jostling to get in front of the audience’s eyes. It’s avant-garde in the straightforwardly translated sense, yet plainly profitable too, having taken £16 million in the UK, and $405 million worldwide, in just two weeks.

How have Disney and Pixar responded? Until recently, by carrying on doing exactly what they had been doing pre-Paperman. Rumour was that 2016’s Moana might embrace this new style – then when it didn’t, all eyes turned to a Jack and the Beanstalk adaptation called Gigantic… which was then promptly cancelled. Instead, they stuck to the new house style established in 2010’s Tangled, which was beautifully suited to some projects (notably Encanto and Raya and the Last Dragon) but less so others, such as last year’s Strange World, a science-fiction toxic masculinity parable which already feels barely remembered.

On the purely commercial front, meanwhile, Disney found itself hopelessly outgunned by the upstarts at Illumination, whose latest Minions sequel outgrossed Strange World almost 13 times over, and whose feature-length Super Mario Bros advertisem– sorry, adaptation, recently overtook Frozen in the all-time box office stakes. At the same time, sister studio Pixar seemed to be undergoing an existential crisis. Lightyear, their uninspired 2022 Toy Story spin-off, seemed to openly loathe its widely beloved main character – but that was the film that made it to cinemas, while mould-breaking masterpieces like Soul and Turning Red were funnelled onto Disney+ as glorified subscriber perks.

Their latest original creation, a romantic adventure between a flame and a water drop called Elemental, is opening in cinemas in three weeks, though its reception at Cannes last month was relatively muted. Barely a week after Elemental’s premiere, the studio awoke to news of swingeing cuts, with Lightyear’s director Angus MacLane among the 75 employees to be shuffled out.

Amid these crises, how fared the Disney legacy? Well, the studio still retained the services of old-school masters like Eric Goldberg, who had served as lead animator on Robin Williams’s Genie in Aladdin. But this vault of genius was only heaved open now and then, and for relatively niche work: Goldberg’s own most high-profile recent gig was on Moana, animating Maui’s tattoos. From a position of seemingly unassailable advantage – they had the talent, the heritage, the vision – Disney had lost the initiative.

As their 100th anniversary approaches, however, they’re in the process of clawing it back. This week in London, Disney Animation’s chief creative officer Jennifer Lee showed critics and journalists 20 minutes from Wish, an original fairy tale musical whose release this November will coincide with the studio’s centenary celebrations. It’s about a village girl called Asha, voiced by West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose, who befriends a wish-granting star that tumbles to Earth: soon enough, woodland creatures are performing comic patter numbers, and a wicked monarch’s plans are exposed. After Strange World, it feels like a back-to-the-drawing-board moment, and happily the drawing board is where much of Wish has been created.
Here, at long last, is Paperman’s spiritual successor: a film which recaptures the spirit of Disney’s classic midcentury work in a way that apparently meshes seamlessly with the form’s most cutting-edge processes.

In place of the poppy exuberance of the Spider-Verse films, Wish returns to the hand-painted folkloric spirit of Disney’s own first 50 years: it’s just that now, the towers, forests and courtyards described by those brushstrokes exist as virtual three-dimensional spaces, populated by characters rendered with computer technology, but who move and emote with the swish and snap of traditional cartoons. Lee named the studio’s 1959 masterpiece Sleeping Beauty as one of their main inspirations on Wish, and compared background and character sketches with those from the 1930s production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. After the Disney+ related disruptions, she was also keen to stress that the film would open exclusively in cinemas, with no quick appearance on digital channels. “It’ll be a long run with a full commitment to theatres,” she stressed. “Yay theatres.”

Why did it take so long for Disney to get here? Lee described a recent culture of caution at the studio – which, it would be fair to assume, probably wasn’t so much of a factor at Sony Animation, which hasn’t even been making films for 20 years yet, and had no real legacy of its own to fret about, beyond the popular Hotel Transylvania and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs series. (And, ahem, The Emoji Movie.)

“I say this with so much respect, but what it took to make Spider-Verse is a completely different technology than it took us to do this,” Lee explained. “There was always a desire at Disney to only do this look when it could really represent the art style that we care about. We had the technology, to an extent, five or six years ago. But then we realised we had a scene on the water, and simply finding a way to apply this look to water alone took many more months of research and development.”

While the early footage is ravishing – and the songs madly infectious – only time will tell if Disney’s efforts have paid off. But if they have, the animated Oscar fight next year could prove an Ali vs Frazier-level match. In the red corner, Spider-Man; in the blue corner, Princess Asha: place your bets while the ink’s still wet.

Elemental is in cinemas from July 7; Wish is in cinemas November 23

Disney’s remakes often face criticism for prioritizing political correctness over narrative depth, with industry voices advocating for stronger character development to resonate with audiences.

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Content: The original "Little Mermaid" director can 't stand it! The real version of the irony: the zoo crab expression is even richer
Reporters Lau Wan-yan / Comprehensive Report
Disney has created countless moving animated films, accompanied by many people to grow up, such as "Snow White", "Sleeping Beauty", "Beauty and the Beast" and other classic films, in recent years, these classic animations have been remade as live-action versions, but Disney has been criticized for pursuing excessive "political correctness", while trying to convey specific ideas, ignoring the story itself. And the depth of the role, deeply criticized by the outside world.
The real version of "Little Mermaid" was criticized.
(Courtesy of Disney)
According to foreign media reports, the director of the "Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin" animation, John Musk, publicly pointed out that Disney should revise the line, focusing on the "entertainment" and "story attraction" of the work, "the concept" should be placed on the secondary, bluntly, "they should revise the line", and added that "it is not necessary to completely put the concept into, but until then, the most important thing is to create the audience. It's a role that captures the eyes of the audience."
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The director of the animated version of "Little Mermaid" believes that the live-action version should be more about the relationship between father and daughter.
(Courtesy of Disney)
John Musk emphasized that Disney ’ s classics were never born out of preconceived ideas, but rather immersed the audience in the world built by the story and the characters.
He believes that while it is not necessary to completely abandon the concept, before that, you should first create characters that the audience can feel and feel attracted to.
As for Disney ’ s frequent remakes of old animations into live-action versions, he believes that this is to make the audience like things, and then sell them again, and he obviously does not agree with this practice.
Disney ’ s remake of the classic animation, apart from Aladdin, has a mostly bad reputation. John Musk pointed to the 2023 live-action version of “The Little Mermaid ” and bluntly said:“ They don ’ t put much ink on the story of their father and daughter, that ’ s the core of the whole movie. ” The lions in the Lion King are much richer.
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According to John Musker, what should Disney prioritize in its remakes?

What approach makes Disney's classics successful according to John Musker?

Immersing audiences in story-driven worlds rather than pushing preconceived ideas.

What controversy arose from Disney's casting and updates in The Adventures of Pinocchio?

What has been the general critical response to most Disney's live-action remakes?

Despite mixed reviews, remakes like The Little Mermaid (2023) have achieved financial success, grossing over $550 million globally and resonating with diverse audiences.

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How Disney's The Little Mermaid Live-Action Remake Is Changing the Narrative

Disney's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid has made a significant impact by surpassing the original's box office earnings, offering representation to young girls of color, and standing firm against racist backlash.

BNN Correspondents
New Update

In a world where representation matters more than ever, Disney's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid has set a new benchmark. The film, which grossed over $550 million in global ticket sales, has surpassed the original's box office earnings, making a significant financial and cultural impact. Beyond merely being entertaining, the film has become a beacon of hope for young girls of color, seeing themselves represented in a fantasy world for the first time.

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Reimagining Inclusion in Fantasy

The casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel sparked controversy even before filming began. Detractors used AI to alter her features to resemble a white woman, reflecting a narrow view of what a mermaid, or a princess, should look like. Despite the racist backlash, Disney stood firm, challenging the status quo and reimagining inclusion in fantasy. The film's success underscores the necessity of diversity in storytelling, proving that audiences are hungry for fresh perspectives and narratives that resonate with their own experiences.

Standing Firm Against Racism

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The release of the first teaser at D23 Expo was met with enthusiasm and anticipation. The beautiful shots of Halle Bailey's Ariel in the ocean, accompanied by the iconic Part of Your World, were a powerful assertion of Disney's commitment to diversity. The film, directed by Rob Marshall and released in May 2023, also features Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, and Noma Dumezweni in an undisclosed role. Each casting choice was a testament to the company's determination to stand against racist attacks and uphold the importance of representation.

Attending to Details for Authentic Representation

With its Reimagine Tomorrow initiative, Disney is leading the way in promoting diversity and inclusion across its productions. By paying meticulous attention to details, the company ensures authentic and inclusive representation both on-screen and off-screen. The success of The Little Mermaid underlines the significance of these efforts, and the film serves as a potent reminder that stories have the power to inspire change.

In conclusion, the journey of The Little Mermaid offers valuable lessons for leadership and the power of storytelling. It highlights the importance of standing firm against critics, especially in the face of racism. It also emphasizes the necessity to reimagine inclusion in fantasy and the significance of paying attention to details for authentic representation. These lessons are not just applicable to film-making, but are relevant in all fields where leaders have the opportunity to challenge hate and inspire change through their work.

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How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

By turning classic animations into live-action films with major stars

What has been the general critical response to most Disney's live-action remakes?

What motivates Disney to keep producing live-action remakes despite mixed reviews?