Disney's decision to produce live-action remakes of its animated classics is largely driven by the financial security these projects offer, as they capitalize on the nostalgia of older audiences while attracting new generations to explore modernized versions of beloved tales.

These remakes allow Disney to reduce financial risks by leveraging proven intellectual properties, focusing on reimagining familiar narratives rather than venturing into untested creative territories.

Nostalgia plays a significant role in Disney's financial strategies for live-action remakes, as it taps into audiences' emotional connections to beloved classics, creating a built-in fanbase that ensures strong market demand.

Disney leverages nostalgia by reimagining its animated classics with modern updates, such as diversifying characters and incorporating contemporary themes, aiming to resonate with current audiences while maintaining the essence of the original stories.

The financial success of live-action remakes, like The Little Mermaid (2023), demonstrates Disney's strategy of capitalizing on nostalgia while adapting these stories to modern sensibilities.

Disney’s live-action remakes have adapted their narratives to reflect contemporary cultural, social, and political contexts by reimagining characters and storylines to align with modern values, such as empowering female protagonists and promoting diversity.

Critics have noted that Disney’s remakes often prioritize conveying specific ideas, such as inclusivity and political correctness, over the depth of storytelling and character development, leading to mixed reactions from audiences.

In Cinderella (2015), the characters were given more depth and realism, with the story emphasizing human motivations and decisions rather than relying solely on magical elements.

The Jungle Book (2016) introduced significant tonal changes, such as making Mowgli's decision to stay in the jungle rather than seeking humans, and added female characters like Kaa the python.

Beauty and the Beast (2017) expanded Belle's character by making her an inventor, added explanations for the villagers' ignorance of the Beast's castle, and included new songs alongside updated versions of the original soundtrack.

In The Little Mermaid (2023), Disney updated Prince Eric’s character to make him more relatable and layered, paralleling Ariel’s journey of self-discovery, while extending their interactions to build a more believable romance.

Disney faces criticism for prioritizing political correctness and modern ideological themes in its live-action remakes, often at the expense of storytelling depth and character development.

The live-action remakes often struggle to balance authenticity with relevance, as adaptations like Pinocchio (2022) have been criticized for sticking too closely to the original story without offering meaningful reinvention.

Disney executives often evaluate the commercial viability of live-action remakes by leveraging audience nostalgia, as remakes allow them to repackage beloved classics with updated visuals and storytelling.

While live-action remakes often perform well financially, public reception can be mixed, with some audiences appreciating updates to characters and themes for modern sensibilities, while others criticize the remakes for lacking the depth and charm of the original animated versions.

Audience feedback significantly influences Disney's approach to live-action remakes, as seen in the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, which sparked both controversy and praise for its representation of young girls of color.

Public reactions, including polarized opinions and backlash over perceived 'woke' agendas, have shaped Disney's strategies, with some remakes performing better on streaming platforms than in cinemas.

Critics have expressed mixed reactions to Disney's live-action remakes, with films like Dumbo (2019) and Pinocchio (2022) receiving criticism for failing to capture the charm of their animated originals.

Audience responses have varied, with Aladdin (2019) achieving significant commercial success, grossing over $1 billion globally, while The Lion King (2019) faced criticism for lacking emotional depth compared to the original animated film.

Disney has strategically leveraged nostalgia in marketing its live-action remakes by emphasizing the emotional connection audiences have with the original animated classics.

The company has adapted its marketing to highlight inclusivity and contemporary relevance, such as casting Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, showcasing Disney's commitment to diversity while maintaining nostalgic appeal.

Disney’s marketing strategies for live-action remakes often include creating immersive experiences that extend beyond the films, such as theme park attractions and merchandise.

Casting decisions in live-action Disney remakes significantly influence audience reception, as seen in the controversy surrounding Halle Bailey's casting as Ariel in The Little Mermaid.

Public reactions to casting in live-action adaptations can be polarizing, with some audiences criticizing perceived 'political correctness' in Disney's recent remakes.

Disney’s live-action remakes have significantly contributed to the company’s revenue, with films like The Little Mermaid (2023) grossing over $550 million globally.

These remakes leverage nostalgia and iconic characters to drive profitability across multiple revenue streams, including theatrical releases, merchandise, and streaming platforms.

Despite some high-profile flops, Disney continues to invest in live-action remakes as they fuel broader business segments such as theme parks and consumer products.

Disney's live-action remakes have heavily utilized CGI and visual effects to recreate fantastical elements from their animated classics, such as the realistic jungle environments in The Jungle Book (2016).

These technological innovations allow Disney to blend realism with fantasy, enhancing storytelling by creating immersive worlds that resonate with modern audiences.

However, some critics argue that the reliance on hyper-realistic visual effects in remakes like The Lion King detracts from the emotional expressiveness of the original animated characters.

Disney has faced criticism for its live-action remakes, with some arguing that the studio prioritizes political correctness and specific ideas over storytelling and character depth.

Critics have also pointed out that Disney's avoidance of creative risks in remakes results in films that lack joy, mystery, and boldness.

Public reactions to Disney's live-action remakes often include backlash over perceived deviations from the original films, reflecting broader concerns about the studio's approach to adapting timeless classics.

Disney’s live-action remakes target diverse demographic groups, including young girls of color who find representation in characters like Halle Bailey’s Ariel.

Nostalgia plays a significant role in appealing to cross-generational audiences, as seen in the success of films like The Little Mermaid and Peter Pan and Wendy.

While nostalgia is a universal draw, Disney adapts its remakes to contemporary values by incorporating diverse casting and empowering female characters.

Disney's live-action remakes often face criticism for lacking originality and focusing excessively on political correctness, which some argue detracts from the storytelling and character depth of the originals.

While Disney's remakes aim to modernize classic tales, they often incorporate changes to characters and narratives, such as diversifying casting choices and adding new songs.

Disney's decision-making process for live-action remakes is heavily influenced by the financial safety of nostalgia-driven projects.

The adaptation process often involves balancing loyalty to the original material with the need for contemporary relevance.

While Disney's live-action remakes aim to preserve the essence of the original stories, they frequently face criticism for perceived overemphasis on political correctness or lack of focus on core narrative elements.

Disney's approach to diversity and inclusion in its live-action remakes has evolved significantly, as seen in films like Mulan (2020) and The Little Mermaid (2023).

Public reactions to these adaptations have been polarized, with The Little Mermaid celebrated for its representation and financial success, while Mulan faced scrutiny for political controversies.

Disney's frequent remakes of animated classics are driven by the desire to reduce financial risk by leveraging established intellectual properties.

Disney's decision to produce live-action remakes of its animated classics is largely driven by the financial security these projects offer, as they capitalize on the nostalgia of older audiences while attracting new generations to explore modernized versions of beloved tales.

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

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

These remakes allow Disney to reduce financial risks by leveraging proven intellectual properties, focusing on reimagining familiar narratives rather than venturing into untested creative territories.

Title:

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

As a risk-reduction strategy
As a safer option

Compared to new franchises, what is the risk and return of remakes and sequels?

Lower risk but smaller long-term returns.

How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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

What does Disney's reliance on sequels and spin-offs instead of new IP suggest about its creativity?

A stalling of the company's creative engine.

Nostalgia plays a significant role in Disney's financial strategies for live-action remakes, as it taps into audiences' emotional connections to beloved classics, creating a built-in fanbase that ensures strong market demand.

Title:

Content: The entertainment industry bases success on crowds. Movie studios pay attention to box office triumphs. Performing arts venues note the shows that sell tickets. Playwrights seek out the elements that capture audiences’ attention. Take away the crowds, and you have an industry in crisis. That is what happened in March 2020, when more than 83 million people changed their plans after hundreds of events worldwide were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The entertainment industry may have born the brunt of the impact of stay-at-home orders and their aftermath, when many people still were afraid to go into public areas or be part of large audiences in closed-in venues. The restaurant industry survived by offering takeout options. But how does a venue offer takeout entertainment?

The pandemic forced the entertainment industry to take a hard look at how to provide audiences with what they wanted and provide employees with jobs during a time when the only place people were going was outside. And they succeeded, in many cases, by offering alternatives in the digital realm and in outdoor settings.

One thing the pandemic didn’t change was the desire for human connection that entertainment satisfies, according to Nathan Line, associate professor at Florida State University’s Dedman College of Hospitality.

“It is the business of bringing people together,” Line said. “That desire for social interaction at a large scale is the thing that (differentiates) us as a species.”

Access for Everyone

The pandemic threw a curveball at the industry, changing people’s tastes and changing avenues for consumption.

Digital entertainment reigned supreme during COVID-19 because of an aversion to crowds, Line said, which led to consumers making bigger investments in home technology and having an incentive to learn that technology. Eighty-one percent of Americans said they communicated via video call at some point during the pandemic, according to a Pew Research Center survey in April. Digital tools took on a new relevance for 40%, who reported they used the internet or technology in new or different ways.

If consumers had been thinking about upgrading their home entertainment infrastructure like phones, TVs and computers, the time to do so was at the beginning of the pandemic, when they knew they were going to get more use out of it, Line said. And with more time at home, they could learn the associated software.

While in-person interactions came with a certain risk, programs like Zoom helped connect friends, family and colleagues. And features like Facebook Live helped people connect with entertainment events.

“The pandemic gave us not only the need, but also for many people the time to invest in learning that new technology in order to facilitate the kind of electronic or digital interaction that took the temporary place of social interactions,” Line said.

While live performances were paused, The Studio Theatre Tierra Del Sol published recordings of staged play readings including “Round Table: A Sort of LARP,” “Candida” and more for patrons to watch online. The Studio also created a series of virtual, 10-minute plays. And it offered a digital option for some Season 5 shows even after they went live.

Whitney Morse, artistic director for The Studio and The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center, said last year she saw many theaters creating art and presenting it virtually. And most continue to offer that option to a lesser extent now that many venues are open again.

“I know I love being able to see theater from my home when I am not feeling well or just not up to putting on fancy clothes,” Morse said. “But also, there are many people who would love to come to the theater but can’t. Perhaps they have limited resources and or access to travel, or are homebound in some way. Or, they just don’t live close enough to see that production. Virtual productions solve all of those problems.”

The Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival offered professional recordings in June of the festival’s live performances in May.

And they provide exposure to people around the world who might not be able to travel to the festival in Orlando, said Brian Sikorski, marketing director for Orlando Fringe, as well as another revenue stream for artists. “It’s now part of our world — we opened the gate to do digital and now I see no reason to close it,” Sikorski said.

Creating an Experience

The environments in which people consume entertainment, called servicescapes by industry insiders, impact one’s overall experience. Think about the lighting, the smells and the music in a restaurant, for instance. Social servicescapes — the people in those environments — can play a part in the experience, too.

In certain spaces, crowds are a detractor. But at an event like a Broadway show, they might be a benefit, Line said. For that reason, Line doesn’t expect the digital realm to replace live entertainment.

“No one wants to sit at home and watch ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ live in their living room,” Line said. “When I go to Broadway, I want to be in a big room with people enjoying that piece, and the same with orchestra — it’s not the same if you’re not there.”

Patrons who go out to the theater may experience a different form of entertainment than they expected.

The Players Theatre of Southern Oaks created a series of “in the round” plays when COVID-19 hit, with a smaller audience for a safer environment.

Fellow resident theater group the Vespians presents most of its plays, like November’s “Box and Cox” and “Morton’s Folly,” in a similar format.

It also offered a meet-and-greet and Q&A with the actors, giving audiences a glimpse into the show, and tea and scones, fitting to the British farces.

“As to the C formation for the audience, it gives them, we believe, the ability to envelop the actors in the action and to truly experience the plays in a more intimate way by almost becoming part of the scenery,” said Marilyn Mosel, Vespians president.

At a show like “Broadbend, Arkansas,” patrons find themselves surrounded on three sides by video projections of a serene cemetery with tree branches blowing in the breeze. Though not strictly “immersive theater,” The Studio includes elements in each production that help draw patrons into the action. And being an intimate space like a blackbox theater helps.

“At The Studio we do try to immerse the audience in an experience,” said Nathaniel Niemi, director of education and resident director at The Studio. “We describe it as intimate, up-close-and-personal storytelling.”

Brian Sikorski sees examples of “immersive” theater — theater in which audiences move through spaces, interacting with shows — popping up in the national theater scene, including Central Florida.

Orlando Fringe in 2020 performed its take on “A Christmas Carol,” in which patrons literally followed Ebenezer Scrooge around outdoors as he met the three ghosts of Christmas.

The play was born out of the pandemic, as the festival could perform it for small groups in the safety of the outdoors.

“But looking at it from an experiential (standpoint), because I’ve seen many different (forms of) immersive theater and taken part in it, it really brings you into the experience,” Sikorski said. “You really feel like you’ve broken the fourth wall and are part of the narrative and that can be really interesting.”

In a show like the self-explanatory “A Young Man Dressed As A Gorilla Dressed As An Old Man Sits Rocking In A Rocking Chair For Fifty-Six Minutes And Then Leaves,” the audience just may become the show.

“The question becomes: Is this the show? Or is the audience reaction to what they’re seeing the show?” Sikorski said. “Fifty-six minutes is a long space of time (with) no one saying anything, so what’s happening is, each time you see it people react differently: people get up, people get on the stage and perform in front of it and perform a monologue, dress up the gorilla, all kinds of things.”

Martin Dockery plays Jimmy Walker, the former mayor of New York City, in “Tammany Hall,” an immersive play in which audiences witness the events of the mayoral election night of Nov. 5, 1929.

Politicians, showgirls, gangsters and molls lead audiences through 15 rooms, four floors and 7,500 square feet at the Soho Playhouse in New York, a building which those characters would have frequented at the time. “First of all it’s fun, and as far as a unique theatrical experience you are not just watching a show through the invisible fourth wall, you are fully stepped into the play, so it becomes not just three-dimensional but four-dimensional, in their world,” Dockery said.

And audiences don’t just play bystander: they can speak out for or against ideas like corruption as the election plays out.

Immersive shows like that one, “Sleep No More,” “Speakeasy Times Square,” “Bottom of the Ocean,” “Odd Man Out” and more are playing again in the city.

Curating the Offerings

Venues tended to book mainstream acts rather than unknown performers during COVID-19, said Michael Blachly, director of Opening Nights, an annual performance series spanning from fall to spring at Florida State University. “I’m contracting artists I think are easily understood by audiences and are easily marketed,” Blachly said of the recent season. “I’m not going to go on a limb with more esoteric or new works. It’s hard to get people convinced to get in the space.”

Tribute shows are a reliably popular genre here in The Villages.

The entertainment company Victory Productions brings in about 30 to 40 tribute acts like Absolute Queen, Almost ABBA and “The Rocketman Show” to Savannah Center each year.

Many of those acts pay tribute to artists who are dead or no longer touring, providing the unique experience of being able to hear the music live again, Victory Productions executive director Fernando Varela said.

“Nostalgia is everything,” Varela said. “For all of us. It’s very powerful to be transported back to a different time and that’s what nostalgia does.”

And it is as much about the experience as it is about the music. That may be why Varela sees those acts gaining in popularity even outside of The Villages.

“They’re creating something in the moment — whether it’s sports or music, it is exciting and adds an X-factor to the experience and makes the nostalgia that much more powerful,” he said. “It’s more powerful to be there hearing them in person than hearing it in your car. It’s just different.”

Nostalgia is proving powerful in other parts of the industry, too. Ask an individual, and they may not be thrilled about another “Ghostbusters” sequel. But the numbers don’t lie, said Brendon Rogers, executive director of the Central Florida Film Festival.

Films centered on pre-existing elements — remakes, adaptations, sequels and reboots — in the past 10 years have had more box office success than original stories, according to American Express Essentials.

Those movies have a built-in fanbase already familiar with the premise, Rogers said, making them less risky to movie studios. Considering the cost of movie production and the myriad entertainment options consumers have on hand, studios will choose the less-risky option.

“If it’s familiar, especially if it’s (something) they like … I think that plays into people going to see it,” Rogers said. “In a way, it’s sort of like comfort food, on some emotional level.”

The same can be said for Villages residents, according to Craig Wolf, film booker for The Villages.

“They like any film that reminds them of the life they lived — historical pieces, war films, anything based on a true story, anything based on a popular book they have read,” Wolf said.

When considering a movie to book at Old Mill Playhouse, the easiest way to locate a picture is to look at who is starring in it, he added.

“Yesteryear stars like Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep … these are certainly movies to book regardless of what studio distributes them, be it mainstream or independent,” he said.

Residents here gravitate toward films about the places they are from, the sports teams they support and the politics they associate with, among other categories, he said, noting returning customers who were drawn to screenings here last winter and spring.

“They are returning because we are currently offering several of the topics I have mentioned, things they look for when deciding to see a movie,” Wolf said.

On a national scale, “comic book movies” and “spectacle” movies — ones that suspend disbelief — tend to do well, Rogers said, which he doesn’t expect to change any time soon.

But neither genre, celebrity or any other single factor can determine box office success.

“Hollywood has a business model that contains an art form, so there is no way to gauge the way you could if you had a restaurant chain or made golf clubs or had a widget-type business where you know exactly what it’s going to be every time,” he said. “You don’t really know.”

Senior Writer Liz Coughlin can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5304, or liz.coughlin@thevillagesmedia.com.

How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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

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

Disney leverages nostalgia by reimagining its animated classics with modern updates, such as diversifying characters and incorporating contemporary themes, aiming to resonate with current audiences while maintaining the essence of the original stories.

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.”

The financial success of live-action remakes, like The Little Mermaid (2023), demonstrates Disney's strategy of capitalizing on nostalgia while adapting these stories to modern sensibilities.

Title:

Content: The upcoming live-action remake of Disney’s Moana will have a few new parts, including a director as the film has tapped Thomas Kail — a Tony Award-winning director for his work on Hamilton — to direct the film.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the story that Kail will helm the live-action Moana film. The project was announced earlier this spring and we know that Dwayne Johnson — who voiced Maui in the animated film — will return as the demigod in the film. He will also be producing via Seven Bucks Productions along with Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, and Beau Flynn (via Flynn Picture Co.). Jared Bush — the animated film’s screenwriter — wrote the remake’s script with Dana Ledoux Miller.

While Johnson is returning, Kail won’t be the only newcomer. It was also recently announced that Auli’i Cravalho would not be returning as Moana via a post from the actor’s Instagram (though she remains a producer).

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Thomas Kail is an accomplished theatre director in his own right and should have no issue translating Moana from animated to live-action form. He won a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical in 2016 for Hamilton. However, his roots with Lin-Manuel Miranda go back even further, as Kail’s first director credit in theater is for In the Heights. He has also directed Hamilton for its filmed recording for Disney+ and has a couple of feature films in the works including Silver Wings and another Fiddler on the Roof adaptation.

Moana was a huge hit for Disney in 2016. It currently stands as the fourth highest-grossing film from Walt Disney Animation Studios ($248,757,044) and the film grossed a whopping $643,331,111 worldwide during its theatrical run. While the live-action remakes have varied in quality, Disney’s likely just hoping for the financial success that even The Little Mermaid brought.

How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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

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

Disney’s live-action remakes have adapted their narratives to reflect contemporary cultural, social, and political contexts by reimagining characters and storylines to align with modern values, such as empowering female protagonists and promoting diversity.

Title:

Content: Home Movies

Thought the brand of hatred Brie Larson suffered for ‘Captain Marvel’ is over? Well, version 2.0 is here

'The Brie Larson Treatment' comes for another performer with the gall to have opinions.

Image via Marvel Studios

Social media, am I right? What started out as a means for the world to communicate instantly, bringing people together from across the planet, has since metamorphosed into that slime from Ghostbusters 2 that feeds on anger.

And now we’re stuck, knee-deep in a bog of the loudest opinions, all being digitally shouted by everyone that never figured out their internet inside voices. We’ve been here for a while. We all know what it looks like. Arguably, it all boiled over around the time that Captain Marvel came out.

That’s when Brie Larson became angry-boy-Twitter’s favorite place to drag their knuckles, thanks to the way she voiced outlandish opinions like “I don’t have to smile when strangers tell me to” and “I should get treated the same as my male co-stars” and, if we’re being honest, mostly because she was a pretty lady on the internet who wasn’t going out of her way to make strange dudes feel like she’d love to meet them for coffee sometime and really get to know them. The rage was ubiquitous. You couldn’t swing a dead flerken on Twitter without hitting six burner accounts telling Larson how to be an actress.

But that was what, four years ago? We’ve probably moved on as a species, right? If nothing else, I’m sure Twitter has become a more thoughtful public square since Elon Musk took over – I can’t do it, sorry. I’m kidding. Everything is still the exact same kind of bad, only this time the boys are mad about princesses, actress Rachel Zegler playing Snow White in the upcoming live-action to be precise.

The ghost of Brie Larson’s past is making the rounds on Twitter again

The latest target for social media’s putridity is Rachel Zegler, star of Disney’s upcoming live-action adaptation of Snow White. In a recent interview with Variety, Zegler discussed some of the changes that the new film would make to its story – specifically, the lead character is driven by a desire to lead now, she is “not going to be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love.”

The merits of Disney remakes aside, they’re changes that make sense. As Zegler puts it, storytelling has changed since 1937. People don’t pay to see feature-length movies about women eating fruit, taking naps, and being awoken by non-consensual kisses anymore. But not everyone agrees.

What happened next will shock you, especially if you just now got your America Online disk and you’re logging onto the internet for the first time: People got mad. Tikitok and Twitter sprayed their musk all over the story, calling Zegler’s takes “pseudo-feminism” and accusing her of “single-handedly destroying this movie.” The rhetoric was hyperbolic. It was acidic. It was, you know, Tuesday. Eagle-eyed viewers noticed a pattern.

There’s a lot that stings about the story. It’s rough, knowing that film Twitter might never stop being a free box of megaphones for everyone with a one-way brain filter and a “No Girls Allowed” sign on their bedroom door. It’s also a little bit gutting to know that conversations about live-action Disney adaptations are always going to swing back around to accusations of surreptitious political agendas and the formation of parasocial disgust targeted at opinionated female performers.
Like, these remakes (mostly lacking originality) are often pretty bad on their own merits, guys. Maybe focus on arguments that actually hold water.

About the author

Tom Meisfjord

Tom is an entertainment writer with five years of experience in the industry, and thirty more years of experience outside of it. His fields of expertise include superheroes, classic horror, and most franchises with the word "Star" in the title. An occasionally award-winning comedian, he resides in the Pacific Northwest with his dog, a small mutt with impulse control issues.

Critics have noted that Disney’s remakes often prioritize conveying specific ideas, such as inclusivity and political correctness, over the depth of storytelling and character development, leading to mixed reactions from audiences.

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?

In Cinderella (2015), the characters were given more depth and realism, with the story emphasizing human motivations and decisions rather than relying solely on magical elements.

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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.
The new film set a box office record among horror films with an age rating of R. Its only award was the award for the best trailer, but critics took the film very well, it did not receive any sharply negative reviews.
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.

According to John Musker, what should Disney prioritize in its remakes?

The Jungle Book (2016) introduced significant tonal changes, such as making Mowgli's decision to stay in the jungle rather than seeking humans, and added female characters like Kaa the python.

Beauty and the Beast (2017) expanded Belle's character by making her an inventor, added explanations for the villagers' ignorance of the Beast's castle, and included new songs alongside updated versions of the original soundtrack.

In The Little Mermaid (2023), Disney updated Prince Eric’s character to make him more relatable and layered, paralleling Ariel’s journey of self-discovery, while extending their interactions to build a more believable romance.

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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Disney faces criticism for prioritizing political correctness and modern ideological themes in its live-action remakes, often at the expense of storytelling depth and character development.

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?

The live-action remakes often struggle to balance authenticity with relevance, as adaptations like Pinocchio (2022) have been criticized for sticking too closely to the original story without offering meaningful reinvention.

Title:

Content: 'Pinocchio' movie review: A wooden adaptation

If you thought the recent Marvel content hasn’t quite hit storytelling finesse in the way that the studio did for many years, wait till you see its parent company, Disney’s latest film, Pinocchio.

Published: 18th September 2022 05:00 AM  |   Last Updated: 17th September 2022 01:26 PM   |  A+A-

Express News Service

If you thought the recent Marvel content hasn’t quite hit storytelling finesse in the way that the studio did for many years, wait till you see its parent company, Disney’s latest film, Pinocchio. The studio giant has taken one of its iconic properties and somehow sucked out all charm from it, despite roping in one of the best actors of this century.

The story of Robert Zemeckis’s latest iteration of this classic sticks to the old, familiar story with few changes—and that’s perhaps the biggest disappointment of all. Adaptations offer avenues for reinvention and reimagination, and yet, Zemeckis passes on the opportunity. Sadly, the makers are content with playing things safe in a bid to replicate the charms of the 1940 original animated musical fantasy of the same name.

Problems range from lackadaisical pacing to a lack of novelty. There are plenty of Disney references in this film, but unlike clever nods from former films, Pinocchio opts for the easy way by attributing each wooden cuckoo clock adorning the house of Geppetto (Tom Hanks), to a Disney film theme. So, you see references to Toy Story, Donald Duck, Dumbo, Lion King… you name it.

The film follows in the long list of Disney’s recent tryst with live-action adaptations of previous hit animated films, including Aladdin (2019), The Lion King (2019), Lady and the Tramp (2019) and Mulan (2020). None of them succeeded in working the old Disney magic, and yet, Pinocchio hits new lows by being as soulless and wooden as the toy at the heart of it all.

The only positive, perhaps, is the voice-acting by Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the wisecracking anthropomorphic Jiminy Cricket. As the film’s narrator, Jiminy delivers some funny lines that keep you invested, including calling ‘hell’, “H, E, and double hockey sticks!” Also, the film, despite having a mix of real-life and animated characters, feels impressively realistic, thanks to some admirable VFX work, which comes as no surprise, given that the film is made by the director of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Speaking of Zemeckis, rather curiously, his collaborations with Hanks have either been cult classics like Forrest Gump and Cast Away or middling films like Finch and The Polar Express. Pinocchio, unfortunately, is another addition to the latter.

Fans of this classic may have some hope though, given that Guillermo del Toro’s stop-motion animated Pinocchio is set for release later this year. But as for Disney’s Pinocchio, we must declare it as deadwood or risk our noses growing.

Pinocchio
Director:
Robert Zemeckis
Genre: Animation
Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Language: English

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

Disney executives often evaluate the commercial viability of live-action remakes by leveraging audience nostalgia, as remakes allow them to repackage beloved classics with updated visuals and storytelling.

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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How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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

While live-action remakes often perform well financially, public reception can be mixed, with some audiences appreciating updates to characters and themes for modern sensibilities, while others criticize the remakes for lacking the depth and charm of the original animated versions.

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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

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

Audience feedback significantly influences Disney's approach to live-action remakes, as seen in the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, which sparked both controversy and praise for its representation of young girls of color.

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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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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.

Public reactions, including polarized opinions and backlash over perceived 'woke' agendas, have shaped Disney's strategies, with some remakes performing better on streaming platforms than in cinemas.

Title:

Content: “Wokeness” Is Driving Disney Movies Away From Cinemas

in Disney, Movies

Credit: D23

With disastrous performances and early releases on streaming platforms, is it time for Disney to consider withdrawing its movies from cinemas?

Disney has been under fire for allegedly promoting a “woke agenda,” with many, including national media representatives, accusing the company of “pushing woke garbage in our faces.” The Walt Disney Company’s stance in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion has caused several problems for the company, the most notorious being the legal and political crusade Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is carrying out against the House of Mouse.

But recent results show that Disney is being severely affected by this “woke crusade,” possibly driving the company away from cinemas for good.

Movies and series being released by the studios that belong to The Walt Disney Company, including Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and Walt Disney Studios, have faced severe backlash for promoting “woke” ideologies by including LGBTQIA+ characters in stories and seeking to provide representation for minorities like the Black and Hispanic communities.

And while most audiences have applauded Disney’s efforts, the company continues to struggle with the box office performance of its most recent releases.

Related: Op-Ed: Disney Needs Johnny Depp to Create Another Hit Franchise

From Pixar’s Lightyear (2022) to Disney’s Strange World (2022), Disney has faced severe backlash and criticism, with audiences promoting boycotts of the company’s latest films, which has inevitably harmed the box office performance of several Disney movies.

And the upcoming premiere of Disney’s live-action adaptation, Snow White, is causing strongly polarized opinions, sparking rumors of the movie’s cancellation.

The latest examples of this have been the live-action adaptation of the beloved Disney movie The Little Mermaid (2023), Pixar’s Elemental (2023), and this year’s Haunted Mansion, inspired by the iconic Disneyland ride.

Related: Disney Star Served $1M Lawsuit Following Box Office Bomb

However, the performance of these films has proven to be wildly different after their premiere on Disney+, Disney’s streaming service, with The Little Mermaid shattering records that had previously changed Disney+.

The recent premiere of Pixar’s Elemental on Disney+ has, once again, proven that Disney movies are having a better performance on the streaming service than in cinemas, as Elemental now holds the title of “most viewed premiere on Disney+ of 2023.

According to Disney, the movie has earned 26.4 million views in its first five days of streaming, becoming the most viewed animated movie premiere since Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red was released in March 2022, as well as the most viewed Disney+ movie premiere of all time in Latin America, ahead of Turning Red.

Related: DeSantis “Woke” Wars Blamed for ‘Elemental’s Box Office Performance

And while it is exciting to hear the news, these results could be driving Disney movies away from cinemas, as the company could analyze new ways to distribute its content, achieving higher revenue.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney adopted Disney+ Premier Access, a pay-per-view-type system, to release movies like Mulan (2020), Cruella (2021) starring Emma Stone, Marvel’s Black Widow (2021) with Scarlett Johansson — resulting in a multi-million-dollar lawsuitRaya and the Last Dragon (2021), and Dwayne Johnson’s Jungle Cruise (2021) on Disney+. However, the system was ditched after The Rock’s Jungle Cruise.

Related: Dwayne Johnson Takes Over the Role of ‘Aladdin’s’ Genie

Following rumors of Disney drafting plans to sell parts of the company, it is possible that Disney could analyze new strategies to release upcoming movies or shows directly on its streaming service at an additional charge. However, as of this article’s publishing, this remains purely speculative.

Disney’s summer blockbuster, Haunted Mansion, struggled at the box officepartly due to its proximity to the premiere of the Barbie movie — and is slated to premiere on Disney+ on October 4, 2023. It is yet to be seen if Haunted Mansion will perform better on the streaming platform, further cementing speculation on the company’s need to seek new strategies for its upcoming movies.

Should Disney consider withdrawing its movies from cinemas? How could the company solve its problems in box office performance? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments below!

in Disney, Movies

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

Critics have expressed mixed reactions to Disney's live-action remakes, with films like Dumbo (2019) and Pinocchio (2022) receiving criticism for failing to capture the charm of their animated originals.

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?

Audience responses have varied, with Aladdin (2019) achieving significant commercial success, grossing over $1 billion globally, while The Lion King (2019) faced criticism for lacking emotional depth compared to the original animated film.

Title:

Content: Is Disney's Aladdin 2 Still Happening? Star Mena Massoud Remains Hopeful

Disney loves a live-action remake. The House of Mouse has discovered that instead of coming up with new ideas they can simply remake their classic animated flicks into live action. The results have been pretty darn profitable, and the studio shows no signs of stopping — there are currently live-action remakes of "Moana" and "Lilo and Stitch" on the way. One of their successful live-action remakes was the 2019 take on "Aladdin," helmed by — believe it or not — Guy Ritchie. The film was a smash, hauling in over $1 billion worldwide and going on to become the ninth highest-grossing film of 2019.

When you make numbers like that, a sequel can't be far behind. Sure enough, in 2019 the film's producer, Dan Lin, revealed that Disney was in the early stages of developing a sequel. But that's the last we've really heard of the potential follow-up. The live-action "Aladdin" starred Will Smith as the Genie first made popular by the late Robin Williams, while the titular role of Aladdin was played by Mena Massoud. Massoud has seemed to cast doubt about the sequel ever happening at this point. He most recently gave an update on the potential project late last year.

No idea where it's at

Back in March of 2023, Mena Massoud Tweeted that "Aladdin 2" was "Very unlikely at this point." (The Tweet has since been deleted, but the folks at Collider caught it at the time). Then, in December of 2023, Massoud was promoting his horror movie "The Sacrifice Game" when ScreenRant asked him about "Aladdin 2." He replied: "I don't have any updates ... the strike kind of just put everything on hold. I know they were trying to get it off the ground for a long time but I have no idea where it's at." He added:

"Listen, we shot in 2017. It's been six years now since we shot and wrapped the project. So to me, at a certain point, life just goes on. So not really, I'm sure they have their reasons. I know they were trying for a long time. So I don't know what the obstacles exactly were. But maybe now after the strike is over, they'll continue to try to get it off the ground ... But I hope, I hope definitely that it happens in some way."

In other words, it really doesn't sound like this sequel is happening — but you never know.

Other films

A sequel wasn't the only potential "Aladdin" project Disney was said to be working on. In 2019, it was revealed the studio was planning a spin-off film based around Prince Anders, a character played by Billy Magnussen. Disney quickly faced backlash for planning a movie around one of the only white guys in a film filled with people of color, but the studio continued to push forward. In 2022, Magnussen said the project was still in development — but we haven't heard anything about it since.

In 2015, before the live-action "Aladdin" was even made, the studio also announced they were making a prequel movie called "Genies," with the plan being that the film would lead into the live-action "Aladdin." That never happened, and "Genies" was scrapped. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if the "Aladdin" sequel or the Prince Anders spin-off were both scrapped as well. Despite the smashing success of the 2019 "Aladdin," it feels like too much time has gone by to strike while the iron is hot.

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

Disney has strategically leveraged nostalgia in marketing its live-action remakes by emphasizing the emotional connection audiences have with the original animated classics.

Title:

Content: Skip to Content

A Definitive List of All the Disney Live-Action Films

From Halle Bailey’s Little Mermaid to the live-action Moana to sequels galore.

By Delia Paunescu and Amy Mackelden

Most of us grew up watching Disney movies, and for better or worse, we wondered what it might be like to be a Disney princess. In recent years, Disney has cleverly played into that nostalgia by transforming its classic animations into live-action movies filled with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Following the success of big-budget adaptations like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, Disney has committed to turning the majority of its animated catalog into cinematic treats. From Angelina Jolie’s star turn in Maleficent to the upcoming live-action version of Moana, fans will be spoiled for choice. Here, we round up all of Disney’s live-action movie adaptations to date, as well as some of the rumors about what’s to come.

1

Maleficent (2014)

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Loosely based on Sleeping Beauty, Angelina Jolie’s wicked witch arrived when lots of evil queens were getting their own feature films (Remember Charlize Theron in Snow White and the Huntsman?). Elle Fanning’s turn as Princess Aurora put her on the map as an A-lister to watch. The film even launched a Maleficent makeup collaboration with M.A.C., which we adored.

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2

Cinderella (2015)

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Disney’s dreamy live action remake of Cinderella cast Cate Blanchett as the evil stepmother, with Bodyguard star Richard Madden playing the Prince. When she landed the title role, Lily James’ most significant part had been as a rebellious cousin on Downton Abbey. Naturally, the fairytale brought James worldwide recognition (and she went on to play young Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia 2).

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3

The Jungle Book (2016)

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The original Jungle Book features some of the best music in Disney’s catalog, so director Jon Favreau’s 2016 live-action remake had a lot to live up to. Newcomer Neel Sethi masterfully took on the part of the boy trying to stay alive with a vengeful Shere Khan hunting him down.

A sequel has reportedly been in the works since Jungle Book was released, with Favreau rumored to be returning as director, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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4

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

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Few Disney remakes were more anticipated than Beauty and the Beast. It was lavish in its production, starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as an all-too-human Beast. Supporting cast members like Stanley Tucci, Emma Thompson, Audra McDonald, and Ewan McGregor were exceptional as the castle staff.

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5

Christopher Robin (2018)

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Honestly, it feels like this movie came and went without anyone, besides die-hard Winnie the Pooh fans, paying much attention. It’s a shame, really, because Ewan McGregor is endearing in the grown-up title role and the Hundred Acre Woods’ animal pals are as warmly fuzzy as you’d hope.

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6

Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

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Emily Blunt steps into Julie Andrews’ cape and brings the magical nanny to life once more. The Devil Wears Prada darling did a terrific job, and was nominated for a Golden Globe as a result. Anyone who grew up loving the cheerily psychedelic musical numbers is bound to appreciate Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda as lamplighter Jack. As if Mary Poppins Returns couldn't get any better, Meryl Streep, Dick Van Dyke, Julie Walters, and Angela Lansbury are also all in the film.

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7

Dumbo (2019)

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Dumbo remains one of the most upsetting stories in Disney’s roster, and 2019’s live-action remake will give you all of the feels. Directed by Tim Burton and starring Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, and Danny DeVito, Dumbo re-tells the emotional story of a young elephant with the gift of flight, who finds himself embroiled in some circus drama.

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8

Aladdin (2019)

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Fans were desperate to find out who had been cast in the live-action Aladdin, no doubt because the original movie is so beloved. While Mena Massoud took on the title role, Power Rangers star Naomi Scott transformed into Princess Jasmine. And of course, Will freaking Smith did his very best to fill Robin Williams’ iconic lamp as the Genie.

In 2020, it was revealed that a sequel is in the works, via Deadline. Plus, a spin-off featuring Prince Anders is also in development.

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9

The Lion King (2019)

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The all-star remake of The Lion King might be the most important thing the house of the mouse has done since they released the original Lion King in 1994. This live-action version cast none other than Beyoncé herself as Nala. She stars alongside Donald Glover as Simba, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa, with James Earl Jones reprising his original role as Mufasa. A sequel (or prequel) is on the way.

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10

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)

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Angela Jolie and Elle Fanning returned for the follow-up to 2014’s Maleficent. Jolie’s character continues to wrestle with people’s perception of her as a villain, while Princess Aurora receives a marriage proposal, much to Maleficent’s chagrin. Meanwhile, an endangered species known as the Dark Fae start to rise up.

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11

Lady and the Tramp (2019)

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1955’s canine couple du jour were given a live-action/animation hybrid update, which debuted on Disney+ in 2019. Justin Theroux voiced the scampy Tramp and Tessa Thompson played the elegant Lady in this animal romance. Thompson’s BFF Janelle Monáe, and Kiersey Clemons round out the cast of this cute remake.

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12

Mulan (2020)

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Disney casting directors had their job cut out for them with Mulan, reportedly spending a year auditioning nearly 1,000 actresses for the lead. The part ultimately went to Chinese superstar Liu Yifei. Fans finally saw the 31-year-old in full character thanks to this arresting first image. Director Niki Caro told the Hollywood Reporter: “It’s a big, girly martial arts epic. It will be extremely muscular and thrilling and entertaining and moving.” What more do you need to know?

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13

Cruella (2021)

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Anyone else think Cruella was woefully misunderstood? Enter 2021’s Cruella, which tells the story of 101 Dalmatians’ villainous diva before she became, well, fully evil. The inimitable Emma Stone won the lead role, infusing the tale with ’80s punk chic. From the eye-catching costumes to the super cute puppies, Disney’s origin story has everything. A sequel is reportedly in the works.

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14

Pinocchio (2022)

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Pinocchio Trailer #2 (2022)
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Tom Hanks as Geppetto? Say no more. It may be 80 years later, but this live-action remake is just as relevant today as the original was upon its release. Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives a heartfelt performance as Jiminy Cricket, and Pinnochio’s journey to becoming a real boy is brought to life in stunning visuals.

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15

Peter Pan & Wendy (2023)

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There have been numerous adaptations of J. M. Barrie’s iconic story, but Disney promises to delight fans of its 1953 animated classic with the live-action Peter Pan & Wendy. After meeting Peter Pan, Wendy (Ever Anderson) embarks on an adventure to Neverland, where she faces up to Captain Hook. A story that truly never gets old.

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16

The Little Mermaid (2023)

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Ariel’s story of thirst-trapping Prince Eric, after selling her voice to that glorious diva Ursula in exchange for human legs, is ripe for a remake, especially given the 1998 original’s fishy gender dynamics. Halle Bailey wows in the lead role, with Melissa McCarthy embodying sea witch Ursula. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote new songs for the flick, alongside Disney musical genius Alan Menken.

The Little Mermaid hits theaters on May 26, 2023.

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17

Snow White (2024)

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Disney is bringing its live-action magic to 1937 animation Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. While Rachel Zegler will take the lead as Snow White, Gal Gadot has been cast as the Evil Queen. With Greta Gerwig tapped to write the screenplay, we can expect Snow White to be all kinds of wonderful.

Snow White is set to hit theaters on March 22, 2024, per Deadline.

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18

Moana (TBD)

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In April 2023, it was announced that Moana (which was just released in 2016) would be getting the live-action treatment, with Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as demigod Maui. The original voice of Moana, Auli‘i Cravalho, has signed on as an executive producer. Johnson said in a statement, “This story is my culture, and this story is emblematic of our people’s grace and warrior strength.” The release date is currently unknown.

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19

Lilo & Stitch (TBD)

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A live-action/CG hybrid remake of the supremely adorable 2002 film about a Hawaiian girl and the alien who befriends her was first announced in October 2018. It is being produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, who were also tasked with the Aladdin remake. A release date is up in the air but it’s possible this will debut on Disney’s upcoming streaming service. The cast includes Zach Galifianakis, Courtney B. Vance, and newcomer Maia Kealoha as Lilo, per The Hollywood Reporter.

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20

Hercules (TBD)

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In June 2022, Deadline reported that Aladdin director Guy Ritchie had signed on to direct the live-action remake of Hercules. The 1997 animate feature retold the legend of demigod Hercules, who was voiced by Tate Donovan. While details on the remake remain scarce, Hercules is certainly one to watch for Disney fans.

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Delia Paunescu

Delia Paunescu is a writer, producer, and social media consultant based in New York City. She's written for Vulture, Racked, Brooklyn Magazine, New York Post, and amNewYork, among others. Delia also spent two years leading NowThis Entertainment. She'd very much like to shout at you about why Jane the Virgin is the greatest show of all time over on Twitter.

Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist. Her bylines include Harper's BAZAAR, Nicki Swift, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, ELLE, The Independent, Bustle, Healthline, and HelloGiggles. She co-edited The Emma Press Anthology of Illness, and previously spent all of her money on Kylie Cosmetics.

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How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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

The company has adapted its marketing to highlight inclusivity and contemporary relevance, such as casting Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, showcasing Disney's commitment to diversity while maintaining nostalgic appeal.

Disney’s marketing strategies for live-action remakes often include creating immersive experiences that extend beyond the films, such as theme park attractions and merchandise.

Title:

Content: Entertainment

From Screen to Park: Storytelling Possibilities from Franchise-Based Theme Parks

Ed Farley

Why do studios create theme parks? You may think there is an obvious answer. A film is successful, capturing the hearts of many and creating a fanbase. It’s only natural to want to keep the profit flowing. From t-shirts to posters and mugs, a film can create money for years to come. Given enough time to sell these products, it might even become a brand, much like Disney’s Frozen, Universals’ Minions or Warner Brother’s Harry Potter adaptations. The next step that franchises may choose to follow is to turn their stories into a theme park. Ed Farley breaks down how franchises are turned into theme parks and how we as visitors enjoy them.

There’s an underlining reason behind why we want to engage with films after we watch them in the first place: the continued need for storytelling. For centuries, we have had the innate need to share our experiences and record them, creating histories and myths. Whether that be in cave paintings, manuscripts, or memoirs; film viewing and fan culture is the same.

Expressing what makes us human by interacting with the magic of dynamic storytelling

Our love for stories creates subcultures and trends, transforming into fan accounts, university societies, internet forums – even articles like this one. It’s fun to watch a film, and it’s fun to invite it into our homes by wearing something that represents our love.  It’s not just about spending money, but about expressing what makes us human by interacting with the magic of dynamic storytelling. Studios balance these two things, and it’s addressed in the theme park experience.

In 1955 after a string of wonder-inducing material, Walt Disney devised an experience that would further optimise studios connections to their audience. Creating rides based off identifiable properties made audiences integrate themselves in the material, making the life of a film span longer than any advert or theatre experience could. As of today, Disney now has 12 parks, spanning from Disney, Pixar, and Marvel.

Watching and living the films make you part of these stories, and now they’re part of yours

Following suit, other studios have done the same. Universal studios have 5 parks and resorts, and Warner Bros has 9. If you’re a movie watcher, there’s something everyone in a multitude of locations.

These parks manage to turn consumers into characters, agents of the fictional world. When you have a day out, you create happy memories that stick with you. In this age, not only will we be talking about what a good day we’ve had, we will also integrate the branding and properties into those memories, photographs, and videos, they themselves- turning into forms of merchandise. You’ll forever recall that one summer being at Disney world. You got to ride in a Toy Story rocket. You’ll recall the autumn at the Star Wars Park where you built a lightsaber. Watching and living the films make you part of these stories, and now they’re part of yours.

The future of how we experience these products will be changing too

It’s storytelling that can’t be created by words or a film screen because it’s done by your making. You can’t replicate the feeling of excitement when you experience the rides, nor can you replicate the feeling when you walk into the gates for the first time. Though many millions have felt it by going to these parks, the feeling is singularly yours. It’s real, and it’s physical, custom to your needs as a customer. You have free reign over what you ride and what you interact with, within the perimeter of the larger draw provided by the studio.

The process is reciprocal, with Disney working on a Haunted Mansion remake, based on the famous ride of the same name. Just a year ago they released the Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt lead Jungle Cruise, joining the ranks of the famous Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and its first ride-inspired 1997 film, The Tower of Terror.

As there’s more ways to engage with material, the future of how we experience these products will be changing too. Whatever will happen in the future, it’s a given that we will continue to love consuming movies, and the pursuits that will orbit around it.

Ed Farley

Featured image courtesy of Jason Chen via Unsplash.com. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.

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Categories
EntertainmentFilm & TV

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

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

Casting decisions in live-action Disney remakes significantly influence audience reception, as seen in the controversy surrounding Halle Bailey's casting as Ariel 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.

Public reactions to casting in live-action adaptations can be polarizing, with some audiences criticizing perceived 'political correctness' in Disney's recent remakes.

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

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

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

Debate over both Ariel's casting and racial representation.

Disney’s live-action remakes have significantly contributed to the company’s revenue, with films like The Little Mermaid (2023) grossing over $550 million globally.

How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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

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

These remakes leverage nostalgia and iconic characters to drive profitability across multiple revenue streams, including theatrical releases, merchandise, and streaming platforms.

Title:

Content: Markets
DIS

Disney Is Doubling Down on This Critical Spending Category

There's little question that streaming video has been the driving force behind Walt Disney's (NYSE: DIS) stock price changes over the past couple of years. At its investor day event in early 2019, the company revealed plans to introduce its Disney+ service, which began an epic run that saw its stock price gain as much as 68% in the two years that followed.

However, slowing subscriber growth over the past couple of quarters has given Disney investors pause, and its once lofty stock price has shed nearly a third of its value since peaking earlier this year.

Disney isn't planning to stand idly by; it recently revealed plans to reinvigorate growth of the company's diamond-in-the-rough.

Image source: Getty Images.

Spending big

In its recently released annual report, Disney revealed plans to spend roughly $33 billion on produced and licensed content in 2022, up 32% year over year. The company was crystal clear about what was driving the growing investment. "The increase is driven by higher spend to support our DTC [direct-to-consumer] expansion," the report said.

Disney Studios plans to create as many as 50 feature films, destined for both theaters and Disney+. Additionally, the company's general entertainment division plans to produce or license 60 unscripted series, 30 comedy shows, 25 drama series, 15 documentaries, 10 animated shows, and five made-for-TV movies.

One of the more intriguing revelations was that Disney's DTC segment generated significantly higher revenue from TV and subscription video-on-demand (SVOD). Furthermore, the bulk of that increase came from Disney+ Premier Access, which gives subscribers the option to pay a one-time fee of $30 to watch a recent theatrical release before it's available to all members of Disney+.

Disney generated $933 million in this segment, up 70% year over year. The company also noted that "higher Disney+ Premier Access revenues were due to four releases in the current year, Black Widow, Raya, Jungle Cruise, and Cruella, compared to one release in the prior year, Mulan." Given the success of this strategy, it seems highly likely that Disney will go back to the well.

Slowed to a crawl

When Disney+ debuted two years ago, the excitement surrounding the launch led to extraordinary demand and a record-breaking start for the House of Mouse, attracting 10 million subscribers on its first day of availability. Its viewer rolls have since grown to more than 118 million, but in its fiscal fourth quarter (ended Oct. 2, 2021), Disney+ added just 2.1 million new subscribers, the lowest number of quarterly additions since its debut.

It's important to note that at least part of that slowdown can be attributed to the lifting of COVID-19-related restrictions and the summer vacation season, as many families got away for the first time in more than a year. Disney+ also had a dearth of new releases during the most recent quarter, giving potential subscribers little incentive to sign on the digital dotted line.

Image source: Getty Images.

Additionally, because of pandemic-related production slowdowns, Disney was forced to push out the release dates of all of the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, subsequently delaying their release on Disney+. This includes such tentpole fare as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, each of which will be delayed by several months.

Disney is considering other tactics designed to boost the subscriber growth of Disney+, including expanding its library of content to include more adult-oriented programming to appeal to a more mature demographic, but that strategy brings its own set of concerns.

Feeding the flywheel

There is little doubt that Disney is making the right decision to increase spending to boost its content creation. The beloved characters from the company's various studios, including Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Disney animation, are the cornerstone of Disney's empire, fueling sales of everything from plush toys to theme park visits, and from vacation cruises to streaming video subscriptions.

It's important for investors to remember the inevitable ebbs and flows that are a part of the entertainment industry, and Disney+ is no different. Just as parents wouldn't base their children's future prospects on a single report card, shareholders should take a step back and view the performance of Disney+ over the preceding two years.

When viewed through that lens, it's clear that Disney+ and the House of Mouse will be just fine.

Find out why Walt Disney is one of the 10 best stocks to buy now

Our award-winning analyst team has spent more than a decade beating the market. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

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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?

Despite some high-profile flops, Disney continues to invest in live-action remakes as they fuel broader business segments such as theme parks and consumer products.

How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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

Disney's live-action remakes have heavily utilized CGI and visual effects to recreate fantastical elements from their animated classics, such as the realistic jungle environments in The Jungle Book (2016).

Title:

Content: Visual effects.
The magic tool that made our favorite movies
Visual effects offer filmmakers the ability to create breathtaking fantasy universes that are impossible to capture in the real world.
In Hollywood, visual effects are an important part of filmmaking, and sometimes it may not matter how well a text is written, if its visual effects are not convincing enough, the audience will not believe it.
If you ’ re a fan of cinema, you ’ ve probably seen a lot of films that have particularly dazzled you visually, such as Star Wars or Avatar, which rely mainly on visual effects and make the fantasy real on screen.
Visual effects offer filmmakers the ability to create breathtaking fantasy universes that are impossible to capture in the real world, but these visual effects are not limited to high-budget fantasy or epic films, as directors use visual effects in their most realistic films in order to tell their stories more effectively.
What are visual effects?
Visual effects can be defined as the creation or processing of any on-screen images that are not physically present in real life.
Visual effects allow filmmakers to create environments, objects, creatures, and even people that may be impractical or impossible to capture in a live shot.
Visual effects in film often involve combining live shooting footage with computer-generated images (CGI).
However, a distinction must be made between two different terms that are easily confused: visual effects and special effects.
Unlike visual effects, special effects are made in real time during shooting; examples include fireworks and fake rain, while all visual effects are added after shooting in post-production.
History of Visual Effects
In 1857, some 40 years before the invention of cinema, Oscar Rieglander created the world's first visual effects by merging different sections of 32 negative copies of a photograph into one, creating the first composite print.
In film, the first visual effects were made in 1895 by Alfred Clarke in Mary, Queen of Scots, during the filming of the beheading scene, Clarke ordered the actress to sit at the level of the slaughter table in Mary's costume and when the executioner raised the axe over her head, Clarke stopped the camera, and all the actors froze. Her place, filming resumed, and the executioner cut off the doll's head.
This was not only the first use of visual effects in cinema, but also the first type of photography tricks possible only in motion pictures, this cinematic trick is referred to as "stop motion".
One of the pioneers of the film industry, Georges Meles, accidentally discovered the same trick: stopping the camera, then changing a detail in the cadre, completing filming to create illusion, and continuing the process of developing or inventing techniques such as multiple exposure to film copies, time-lapse photography, and his most famous film, Le Voyage dans la lune, adapted from a novel by Jules Verne with the same name. From live photography and animation.
Types of Visual Effects
There are many aspects to the process of designing and implementing visual effects, but they can be divided into three main types: CGI, computer-generated imagery, composition, and motion capture.
Each of these genres is done either after the main shoot or later in a dedicated studio, where visual effects artists use tools that help blending this line between "real" and "unreal."
Photographs by computer
CGI, or computer-generated images, is the term used to describe digitally generated visual effects in movies and series.
These computer graphics can be two-dimensional or three-dimensional, but CGI is generally referred to when talking about three-dimensional visual effects.
The most common process in which CGI is used is three-dimensional modeling, i.e. creating a three-dimensional representation of any object, surface, or organism.
CGI ’ s potential is most apparent when artists use it to create something that doesn ’ t exist, such as a dragon or a monster.
Visual effects specialists can also use it to fill a football field with a crowd of fans or make the actor look younger, such as Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman.
Installation
Also called the Chroma Key, visual effects artists combine separate visual elements to make them appear as if they were in the same place.
This technique requires shooting on a green or blue screen that technicians later replace with another element using post-production installation software.
This type of visual effect is older than the use of CGI, having its origins in classic films when footage was combined with wallpapers that looked like landscapes, the most famous example being The Wizard of Oz.
Motion capture
Often abbreviated as "Mocap", motion capture is the process of digital recording of an actor's movements, then transferring those movements to a computer-generated 3D model, which involves recording the actor's facial expressions, also called "performance capture".
One common motion capture method involves placing an actor in a suit covered with special markings that the camera can track, and the data captured by the cameras is then placed on a 3D skeleton model using motion capture software.
One of the most famous films that used this triple technique is "Lord of the Ring" in presenting the character of Gollum, the man who turned into a monster after being obsessed with the magic ring and its superpower.
Visual effects are that magic key that makes movies like dreams, so we move from the future to the past, for it stops until the time that shapes the features of the actors, and the wonders appear from monsters unknown to man to his most brutal nightmares, only the filmmakers have to release their imagination, and adapt their tools to create their ideal cinematic world.
Source: The Island

How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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

These technological innovations allow Disney to blend realism with fantasy, enhancing storytelling by creating immersive worlds that resonate with modern audiences.

Title:

Content: Categories
News

What is the difference in CGI and VFX?

The Distinction Between CGI and VFX: Unveiling the Secrets Behind the Screens

When it comes to the world of film and visual effects, two terms often emerge: CGI and VFX. While they may seem interchangeable, there are subtle differences that set them apart. In this article, we will delve into the realms of CGI and VFX, unraveling their definitions, exploring their dissimilarities, and answering some frequently asked questions.

What is CGI?

CGI, or Computer-Generated Imagery, refers to the process of creating visual content using computer software. It involves the generation of lifelike images, animations, or special effects that would be impractical or impossible to achieve through traditional filmmaking techniques. CGI encompasses a wide range of applications, from creating fantastical creatures and environments to enhancing real-world elements.

What is VFX?

VFX, or Visual Effects, encompasses a broader spectrum of techniques used to manipulate or enhance live-action footage. It involves the integration of CGI elements with real-world footage to create seamless and captivating visuals. VFX can include anything from adding explosions and fire to altering backgrounds or even erasing unwanted objects from a scene. It is the art of blending reality with imagination.

What sets CGI and VFX apart?

The key distinction lies in their scope and purpose. CGI is a subset of VFX, focusing solely on computer-generated imagery. It involves the creation of digital assets from scratch, often requiring extensive modeling, texturing, and rendering. On the other hand, VFX encompasses a broader range of techniques, including CGI, but also incorporates practical effects, such as pyrotechnics or animatronics.

While CGI is primarily used to create elements that do not exist in reality, VFX aims to seamlessly integrate these elements into live-action footage, making them appear as if they were part of the original scene. CGI is the tool, while VFX is the art of using that tool to enhance the visual storytelling.

FAQ

Q: Are CGI and VFX only used in movies?

A: No, CGI and VFX are widely used in various forms of media, including television shows, commercials, video games, and even architectural visualizations.

Q: Can you give examples of movies with extensive CGI or VFX?

A: Movies like “Avatar,” “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and “Jurassic Park” are renowned for their groundbreaking use of CGI and VFX.

Q: Are practical effects becoming obsolete with the rise of CGI and VFX?

A: Not at all. Practical effects still play a crucial role in filmmaking, and many filmmakers strive to find a balance between practical and digital effects to achieve the desired visual impact.

In conclusion, while CGI and VFX are closely related, they serve distinct purposes within the realm of visual effects. CGI focuses on the creation of computer-generated imagery, while VFX encompasses a broader range of techniques, including CGI, to seamlessly integrate these elements into live-action footage. Together, they bring imagination to life and transport audiences to extraordinary worlds.

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

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

However, some critics argue that the reliance on hyper-realistic visual effects in remakes like The Lion King detracts from the emotional expressiveness of the original animated characters.

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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 has faced criticism for its live-action remakes, with some arguing that the studio prioritizes political correctness and specific ideas over storytelling and character depth.

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?

Critics have also pointed out that Disney's avoidance of creative risks in remakes results in films that lack joy, mystery, and boldness.

Title:

Content: © Disney
Halle Bailey plays the lead character, Ariel, in 'The Little Mermaid.'
The New York Times has stirred online outrage by faulting Disney's new live-action remake of 'The Little Mermaid', a children's movie, for not including any "kink" in the storyline.

Times film critic Wesley Morris began his review by saying the movie had "noble intentions," dutifully checking various diversity boxes to gain approval. However, he added that Disney erred by trying too hard to avoid offending audiences: "Joy, fun, mystery risk, flavor, kink - they're missing."

Controversy over the review bubbled up earlier this week, when the newspaper posted a Twitter message promoting the piece. It came amid a wave of conservative boycotts against major corporations over alleged sexualization of children and promotion of transgender ideology.

US retailer Target, for instance, has lost more than $13 billion in market value over the past two weeks amid public pushback over a "Pride Month" campaign that featured merchandise for babies and other children.

"The New York Times complaining about the lack of 'kink' in 'The Little Mermaid' pretty much sums up where we're at," said Darryl Cooper, host of the MartyrMade podcast. He added, "Their contempt for traditional values transformed into a seething hatred for ordinary people."

Fox News contributor Tomi Lahren argued on Tuesday that by promoting the sexualization of children, leftists had galvanized conservatives who normally lack the "intestinal fortitude" to fight for their causes. "They have found the hill that conservatives and decent folks are willing to die on, and that is protecting children. And we will do it every single time. Ask Target, ask Bud Light, ask Kohl's."

Comment: Disney should have gotten the boycott treatment a long time ago

"We will protect children. We will keep them from being exploited. We will do it every time. Do not mess with us. We are done playing with this."

Morris, the film critic, said that although black singer Halle Bailey was cast to play the lead role of Ariel, 'The Little Mermaid' took few chances that might anger "the haters." He added, "That allergy to creative risk produces hazards anyway."

The reviewer also critiqued the movie's allegedly racial undertones, such as a scene in which the character Vanessa, played by a white actress, steals Ariel's voice and woos her love interest, Eric, with a song. "There's a whole American history of theft and music to overthink, too," Morris said.

Morris has won two Pulitzer Prizes for his work, including a 2021 group of essays that explored "the intersection of race and pop culture," according to his New York Times bio.

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

What does Disney's reliance on sequels and spin-offs instead of new IP suggest about its creativity?

A stalling of the company's creative engine.

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

Public reactions to Disney's live-action remakes often include backlash over perceived deviations from the original films, reflecting broader concerns about the studio's approach to adapting timeless classics.

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Content: Snow White director’s son calls Disney remake a “disgrace”

Disney

The original Snow White director’s son has slammed the upcoming Disney remake as “insulting” and a “disgrace.”

Disney has recently recreated several of its classic films into live-action adaptations. Past examples include The Little Mermaid, Dumbo, and Pinocchio. However, these recreations have generated backlash for various reasons.

For example, Halle Bailey’s role as Ariel wasn’t universally agreed upon. This is due to haters complaining that the princess should have been white like in the 1989 animated movie.

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Now, the upcoming remake of Disney’s Snow White starring Rachel Zegler has been under fire for its controversial portrayal of the seven dwarves among other reasons. Here’s what the son of the original Snow White director had to say about the film.

Son of Snow White director criticizes upcoming Disney remake

In an interview with The Telegraph, David Hand, who worked as a Disney designer in the 1990s, admitted his negative feelings toward the Snow White remake. Hand’s father, also named David, served as one of the directors of the 1937 film.

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“It’s a whole different concept and I just totally disagree with it, and I know my dad and Walt would also very much disagree with it,” 91-year-old Hand said. He continued by calling the movie a “disgrace” and discussed Disney’s “radical thoughts.”

“They’re making up new woke things and I’m just not into any of that. I find it quite frankly a bit insulting [what] they may have done with some of these classic films,” Hand remarked. “There’s no respect for what Disney did and what my dad did. … I think Walt and he would be turning in their graves.”

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The Snow White remake has finished filming and is scheduled to premiere on March 22, 2024. Other Disney live-action projects in the works include Lilo & Stitch, Moana, and Mufasa: The Lion King.

You can find out more about Zegler’s Snow White controversy here.

Related Topics

Disney’s live-action remakes target diverse demographic groups, including young girls of color who find representation in characters like Halle Bailey’s Ariel.

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

Debate over both Ariel's casting and racial representation.

Nostalgia plays a significant role in appealing to cross-generational audiences, as seen in the success of films like The Little Mermaid and Peter Pan and Wendy.

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“Peter Pan and Wendy ”: a master class on Disney remakes from the author of“ The Legend of the Green Knight ”
Review of Peter Pan and Wendy with Jude Law
On Disney + came the film "Peter Pan and Wendy" - a game remake of the "Disney" cartoon in 1953, filmed by the director of "Legends of the Green Knight" David Lowry.
Film critic "Gazeta.Ru" Pavel Voronkov looked at the tape and tells what a new reading of the fairy tale of James Barry about children who do not want to grow up, Lowry offers.
Wendy Moira Angela Darling (Ever Anderson, daughter of Milla Jovovich and Paul Anderson) starts a new life tomorrow.
But not what her parents had planned for her.
Instead of a boarding school for girls, she and her younger brothers go to Neverland, a magical country where the flying tomboy Peter Pan (debutant of the big screen Alexander Moloney), who refuses to grow up, lives with other Lost Boys (including not only boys) and fights evil pirates under the leadership of Captain Hook (Jude Law).
Game remakes of Disney cartoons - like global warming: bad, but it seems that there is nothing to do.
Unlike global warming, however, Disney remakes have positive aspects, or rather, individual glimpses of something intelligible in the flow of nonsense of varying degrees of monstrosity.
Peter Pan and Wendy, directed by The Legend of the Green Knight director David Lowry, is just one such glimpse.
A few years ago, Lowry already re-shot (quite successfully) for Disney another not the most obvious classic – the fantasy “Pete and his dragon ”.
“Peter Pan ” is a thing, of course, more famous, but still as if not included in the collection of priority hits of the studio: it is not“ The Lion King ”, not “The Little Mermaid ”, not“ Beauty and the Beast ”, not “Aladdin ” and not even“ Mulan ” with “Dumbo ”.
Hence, presumably, some not quite typical for such projects freedom, which Lowry seems to have given when working on the adaptation of the 1953 cartoon (in fact, this is not a remake, but simply a new adaptation of the story by James Barry, starting from the visual images of the “Disney ” tape).
Justifying a return to the original title of the story (as the book was published in 1911 under the title “Peter and Wendy ”), Lowry expands the role of Wendy, endows her with greater subjectivity, and at some point with some power (literal empowerment).
The same order of metamorphosis happens with Princess Tiger Lily (Alice Vapanatank), who ceases to be a racist stereotype and a misogynistic path, and with the Ting-Ding fairy (Yara Shahidi from “The grown-up ”), turned into a witty illustration of deaf male self-admiration, and with the Lost Boys (now it is not only boys, as already mentioned above, they are not only white, plus among them there is a child with Down syndrome, in general, the opportunity to see yourself on the screen appeared in the widest possible range of small viewers).
The main changes here, however, relate to the key male characters (that is, Pan and Hook), so that as a fem-manifesto, "Peter Pan and Wendy" are quite untenable, but in the sense of fairy tales about childhood - with quite unexpected theses - are quite amazing and touching.
Pan is not so great, Hook is not so nightmarish (or at least nightmarish not in the right place), childhood grievances are a terrible thing, and in fact all these questions should be brought to the psychotherapist, but in Neverland with specialists, obviously, it is not enough, you have to squeeze each other out of the light.
What is worth a separate praise - in the end it is a children's fairy tale, that is, no longer faceless and safe in all respects "Disney" hack, but not yet "The Legend of the Green Knight" on the "Disney" cheeks.
Familiar psychedelia Lowry still sometimes includes (quite miraculous movement from London to Neverland, well, and in principle regularly pulls to take a screenshot and press the print button), but "Peter Pan and Wendy" is not replete with meanings and subtexts, digging and deciphering here is especially nothing (at least, not in those quantities), but to be touched and moistened eyes - it easily.
More, perhaps, is not required.
Downloading

While nostalgia is a universal draw, Disney adapts its remakes to contemporary values by incorporating diverse casting and empowering female characters.

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Content: There’s a lot going down in the world of Disney princesses right now, I’ll have you know.

The sheer excitement over it all makes it clear we’re no longer entertaining that simpering, old-fashioned stereotype anymore: The one that says Disney princesses are just for kids.

From Amy Adams’ delightful return as Giselle in Disenchanted to Anne Hathaway’s potential third outing as Mia Thermopolis, aka Princess of Genovia, in a now-confirmed Princess Diaries 3, fans have been aquiver over the developments in recent days.

This supports the argument that dismissing these characters as ‘only for little girls’ is something that needs to be firmly left in the rear-view mirror.

When the first Disney princess came along in 1937, a massive 85 years ago, yes, Snow White did sing/wish/wait for her prince, while making it a point of pride to cook and clean the house for the seven bachelors’ whose pad she had just crashed.

The world-leading animation studio then leant heavily into princesses more in the intervening years, offering Cinderella and Aurora from Sleeping Beauty in the 1950s, before delivering a whole new glut of leading ladies from 1989 at the beginning of the so-called Disney Renaissance, when they produced a big string of hits.

These movies brought us Ariel in The Little Mermaid, Belle in Beauty and the Beast and Jasmine in Aladdin, who were then hastily added to make the original Disney princess line-up of six. Their profiles subsequently went stratospheric thanks to the magic of the mouse’s merchandising machine. Dolls, dresses, pencil cases, backpacks, stickers, lunchboxes – you name it, they were on it.

An entire generation of people were raised on this stuff (hi), and over time, many aged out of it and moved on. It’s always been easy to dismiss Disney princesses as reductive, especially when Disney themselves went so hard-core on the accompanying pink and sparkles; it was Disney themselves that ruthlessly zeroed in on young girls in particular with their marketing.

However, now we live in a society less constricted by rigid gender rules and far more supportive of independence, representation and leadership as ideals, the Disney princess has slowly been evolving to keep up with the times via Disney’s first Black princess Tiana, as well as Pocahontas, Mulan, Rapunzel, Merida and Moana all being added to the ‘official’ princess line-up.

Not all Disney films with female leads revolve around relationship with men now, either (see: Elsa in Frozen, Brave, Encanto, Turning Red and new family-focused, LGBTQ-led release Strange World).

This leads us to Adams and Hathaway’s involvement in the latest excitement around Disney princesses, encouraging a celebration of their past work.

When Adams debuted as Giselle in Enchanted back in 2007, her pitch-perfect performance as a glorious pastiche of a Disney princess was met with rave reviews and Oscars-buzz (that sadly failed to materialise). It was the first time Disney had knowingly acknowledged the more ridiculous aspects of the princess trope they had created – likely helped along by Princess Fiona turning the whole thing on its head first in Shrek, back in 2001. They then subsequently began to freshen things up.

Now Adams is back in Disenchanted, 15 years later, and has lost none of her magic in the meantime. What has happened in the interim though is the 48-year-old is now a six-time Academy Award nominee. Only one of those nominations had been bestowed prior to Enchanted’s release, but today she’s one of Hollywood’s most celebrated and admired stars.

Her dramatic chops prove that Disney princesses aren’t just for children.

Enchanted is accepted as quality filmmaking by everyone who has bothered to see it – why else would the long-gestating sequel finally see its release now, and with the full roster of its original stars – and, despite mixed reviews for Disenchanted, I don’t see why we can’t pick up that Academy Awards conversation again we were having back then for Adams. How poetic if she finally picked up that iconic statuette for playing a Disney princess?

Hathaway must also be brought in here. Although she is not yet confirmed for a return as Mia, Disney has finally confirmed they have a threequel to The Princess Diaries in the works, which is reported to be a continuation of the story they covered in the first two films rather than any kind of reboot. Also – most promisingly for the fans – the actress has on multiple occasions over the years signalled her desire to return to the role.

She may now be an Academy Award-winner herself after Les Misérables, but to a whole subsection of her fans (and probably the largest) she will always be known as gawky American high-schooler-turned-princess Mia Thermopolis, an extremely relatable character to the film’s tween and teenage audience compared to the old-school Disney princess type – and Hathaway is just fine with that.

With these powerhouse actresses back in the Disney princess conversation, let’s step away from the cliched dismissal of them as only for kids and out of touch with the times. As Disney knows all too well, there will be a generation of fully-grown adults delighted for these films (hi again).

On that note, we’ve also got the reinvention of two of the company’s original six princesses coming up (the last two remaining) with The Little Mermaid and Snow White. Disney did some gently increasing refreshing in recent years with Cinderella, Aurora (although really it was more about Maleficent), Belle and Jasmine in their live-action remakes, but there’s a lot more to be said about these two forthcoming titles.

The casting of Black singer and actress Halle Bailey and Latinx West Side Story star Rachel Zegler speaks volumes over what the studio has planned for the new takes on these classic princesses, with representation front and centre, as well as reports of updates to storylines to keep in step with modern times.

It’s no longer all about the pink and sparkly cookie-cutter princess – Disney doesn’t make them like it did decades years ago. As the company moves with the times, so should we, and re-embrace the Disney princess for everything they are today.

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Disney's live-action remakes often face criticism for lacking originality and focusing excessively on political correctness, which some argue detracts from the storytelling and character depth of the originals.

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?

While Disney's remakes aim to modernize classic tales, they often incorporate changes to characters and narratives, such as diversifying casting choices and adding new songs.

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

Debate over both Ariel's casting and racial representation.

Disney's decision-making process for live-action remakes is heavily influenced by the financial safety of nostalgia-driven projects.

Title:

Content: As of late, it seems all Hollywood is really interested in churning out are “remakes.” Who doesn’t love the return of a beloved superhero, a reboot of a classic sitcom or a revival of a decades-long film franchise? From a business standpoint, a surefire market of viewers makes reboots an objectively safe(r) place to pour money into and return “bigger and better,” oftentimes with a greater budget than the original was ever afforded. Yet, with revivals comes a whole slew of expectations from audiences, making any remake of substance a rather tricky artistic endeavor.

Beyond the capitalistic outcome of a project, there’s also the question of a remake’s true merit. To put it bluntly, if we consider a piece of art to be perfect, why bother messing with it? An update for the “times” always seems to be a weak excuse to me because if that work is so inextricable from the time period itself, would a modern-day remake even do it justice? Is what gets lost in the process just superfluous detail, or the heart and soul of the original?

To be fair, I have no concrete answer to any of this. Drawing the line between what distinctively makes one remake objectively good and necessary and another not is like trying to tell which “Full House” scenes included Mary-Kate Olsen and which ones included Ashley Olsen. But these are the questions that drive Olivier Assayas’s (“Personal Shopper”) TV series “Irma Vep,” just as they drove his ’96 cult-classic film of the same name. Fittingly enough, his return to the project mirrors the position of his fictional director in the original, who is similarly attempting to remake a classic film. Could the contextual circumstances be any more meta?

It’s quite easy to get lost in the metaverse of “Irma Vep,” so let me walk you through it.

In 1915 and 1916, Louis Feuillade directed a silent serial film called “Les Vampires” about a criminal gang and their evil muse, Irma Vep. In 1996, Assayas made a film called “Irma Vep” about a fictional director’s attempt to remake “Les Vampires,” with Maggie Cheung (“In the Mood for Love”) starring in the titular role. In the film, amidst the comedic chaos of a collapsing production, Assayas asked the quintessential question: Why remake what has already been done? What (in regards to both the fictitious remake of “Les Vampires” within “Irma Vep” and “Irma Vep” itself) is the film’s greater cinematic purpose? Clearly, Assayas still has some input on the matter, or at the very least, further questions to consider, as he returned to create this latest rendition of “Irma Vep” for the small screen in an eight-episode series with HBO Max.

“Irma Vep” follows Mira (Alicia Vikander, “Tomb Raider”), an actress who comes to France to star in a remake of the French classic film “Les Vampires.” Disillusioned by a recent breakup and a long contractual stint of action movies clouding her career, the line between reality and fantasy begins to blur as Mira immerses herself into the villainess role of Irma Vep.

Rather than start anew, “Irma Vep” leans into the meta, showcasing self-awareness of the layered history embedded in its existence. Although watching without any prior knowledge is certainly feasible, the easter eggs buried beneath the surface truly enrich the viewing experience. For instance, the name “Mira” is an anagram for “Irma,” just as “Irma Vep” is one for “vampire” in “Les Vampires.” These parallels manifest organically, as if each iteration of Irma Vep returns stronger than the last. When Mira tries on the iconic costume for the first time, she is suddenly possessed by an urge to sneak off, Irma Vep-style, gracefully creeping along a staircase in a shot-by-shot parallel to a scene from the ’96 “Irma Vep.” It’s as if Mira’s predecessors, and their respective portrayals, have seeped into the very essence of Vikander’s performance.

Just as Mira toes the line between the reality of her life and the alluring realm of being Irma Vep, the series as a whole sustains a similarly tenuous balance between reality and fiction. The fictitious remake’s financial troubles and sharp commentary on the present state of cinema ground the narrative and stabilize the fantastical nature of Mira’s escapades. The scenic shifts occur suddenly and without warning as Mira jumps from being in modern-day Paris in one instant to gliding through a dreamscape in the next. It deliberately turns the show on its head, allowing the audience to peer within not only Mira’s psyche, but Irma Vep’s as well.

Akin to a ghost story with pieces of the past living on in a new body, each rendition of “Irma Vep” peels back another layer of the character and Feuillade’s original masterpiece. The series expands upon the original’s potential, like a short story transformed into a full-length novel. Well executed and balanced, the show plunges to new depths as it smartly wields the comedic calamity of a film production with the broader questioning of its own purpose and relevance to cinema as a whole.

Daily Arts Writer Serena Irani can be reached at seirani@umich.edu.

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

Compared to new franchises, what is the risk and return of remakes and sequels?

Lower risk but smaller long-term returns.

How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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

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

The adaptation process often involves balancing loyalty to the original material with the need for contemporary relevance.

While Disney's live-action remakes aim to preserve the essence of the original stories, they frequently face criticism for perceived overemphasis on political correctness or lack of focus on core narrative elements.

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?

Disney's approach to diversity and inclusion in its live-action remakes has evolved significantly, as seen in films like Mulan (2020) and The Little Mermaid (2023).

Public reactions to these adaptations have been polarized, with The Little Mermaid celebrated for its representation and financial success, while Mulan faced scrutiny for political controversies.

Title:

Content: Disney has recently experienced frequent personnel changes and has laid off 7,000 employees, as well as changes at senior levels, following the departure of its CFO Christine McCarthy, who has worked for more than 20 years, and Latondra Newton, the diversity chief and vice president responsible for advancing the DEI strategy, which is confirmed in a memo to the company ’ s employees.
Sonia Coleman, head of human resources, recently told employees that Newton will leave Disney, affirming that she has joined the company since 2017 to create diverse, fair and inclusive content, so that people ’ s stories around the world can become part of Disney ’ s story.
Disney has not yet confirmed a successor, so Vice President Julie Merges will temporarily take over her role.
To this end, the foreign media "Global Village Space" analysis of Disney in 2020 senior had signed internal documents, vowed to promote true diversity, over the years, has donated $5 million (about NT $150 million) to the National Association of Colored People, and set up an organization to promote DEI, such as in 2020, donated up to $140 million (about NT $430 million) in the name of the organization, so should not give up to promote diversity.
Despite this, Disney ’ s financial situation in recent years has been poor, its streaming platform subscription has been declining for two consecutive quarters, and the stock price has even dropped 40% from four years ago. In addition, in the live-action version of the animation “Little Mermaid ”, despite creating a $470 million (about NT $14.58 billion) box office, due to the fact that the singer Hallie Bailey, who plays the mermaid“ Ariel ” is not white, is not in line with the original image. The emphasis on "political correctness" has led to negative reviews.
# Disney # Diversified # Newton # Operation Status # Little Mermaid

Disney's frequent remakes of animated classics are driven by the desire to reduce financial risk by leveraging established intellectual properties.

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

Compared to new franchises, what is the risk and return of remakes and sequels?

Lower risk but smaller long-term returns.

How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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