Disney has been producing live-action remakes of their classic animated films over the past decade, including Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo, Aladdin, The Lion King, Mulan, Pinocchio, and The Little Mermaid.

The company's decision to produce so many live-action remakes is driven by a desire to tap into the nostalgia of older audiences while introducing the stories to a new generation.

Nostalgia plays a significant role in the production motivations of live-action remakes, as it allows the company to revisit beloved stories and characters.

The live-action remakes often feature diverse casting, such as Halle Bailey in The Little Mermaid, which helps to promote diversity and inclusion.

The remakes also update the storylines to keep pace with modern times, making them more relatable to contemporary audiences.

However, the live-action remakes have not been without controversy, with some facing backlash for racist insults, such as the Snow White remake.

The live-action remakes have also been criticized for prioritizing concepts over storytelling, with John Musk emphasizing the importance of character development in live-action remakes.

Despite the controversy, Disney's live-action remakes have been highly profitable, with Aladdin grossing over $1 billion worldwide in 2019.

The company's focus on live-action remakes is also driven by its desire to represent diverse groups, including Black and Latinx communities.

The live-action remakes have undergone changes to the original stories and characters, such as the updated character of Eric in The Little Mermaid remake.

The remake gives Ariel and Eric more time to bond, and Eric is portrayed as feeling trapped by his mother's rules.

The live-action remakes have been adapted to the contemporary realia, with a focus on promoting gender equity, diversity, and inclusivity.

The public reaction to the adaptations has been mixed, with some praising the remakes for their updated storylines and diverse casting, while others have criticized them for prioritizing nostalgia over original storytelling.

Overall, Disney's live-action remakes are a testament to the power of nostalgia in driving the company's decisions, while also highlighting the importance of adapting to contemporary audiences and promoting diversity and inclusion.

The success of Disney's live-action remakes can be measured by their box office performance, with films like The Lion King and Aladdin grossing hundreds of millions of dollars.

The company's use of data analytics has helped inform creative decisions for live-action remakes, such as The Little Mermaid, which grossed over $550 million globally.

Disney's marketing strategy involves targeting specific consumer groups, and the company uses different levels of esports communication to reach its audience.

The company's commitment to diversity and inclusion has been recognized, with initiatives like the Reimagine Tomorrow program promoting authentic representation and creative opportunities for underrepresented groups.

The live-action remakes of Disney's classic animated films have been a mixed bag, with some successes and some failures, and it remains to be seen how audiences will respond to future remakes.

The role of nostalgia in driving Disney's decisions to produce live-action remakes is significant, as the company seeks to tap into the fond memories of audiences who grew up with the original animated films.

The adaptation of timeless stories for modern audiences requires a delicate balance between authenticity and relevance, with creators striving to stay true to the original material while also making it fresh and appealing to contemporary audiences.

The use of innovative techniques, such as changing expression but keeping the theme, is a common strategy used in adaptations to make classic works relevant to modern audiences.

The key to successful adaptation is finding a balance between authenticity and relevance, which can be achieved through techniques such as changing expression but keeping the theme, or by introducing new elements that enhance the original story without altering its essence.

Disney's approach to remaking classics involves merging technology and artistry, building foundations by pairing fresh talent with veterans, and celebrating villains in films like "Wish".

The company's goal is to create transportive and imaginative worlds, and its legacy is built on films that give hope and joy.

The live-action remakes of Disney's animated classics have been adapted to contemporary realia, with changes made to the original stories and characters to appeal to modern audiences.

The public reaction to the adaptations has been mixed, with some fans praising the updates and others criticizing the changes to the original stories and characters.

Overall, Disney's use of data analytics and marketing strategies has helped the company to evaluate the success of its live-action remakes and inform its business strategy, contributing to the company's growing revenue and profits.

Disney has been producing live-action remakes of their classic animated films over the past decade, including Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo, Aladdin, The Lion King, Mulan, Pinocchio, and The Little Mermaid.

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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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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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Live-Action Moana Announcement
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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's decision to produce so many live-action remakes is driven by a desire to tap into the nostalgia of older audiences while introducing the stories to a new generation.

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Back to the old: 9 Disney game remakes that are in development right now
As practice shows, nostalgia sells well.
At the moment, Disney is developing a lot of animated remakes, including with live actors.
This is not surprising given the success of the recent rework of their classic animated films.
It seems that Disney will continue to explore the genre and offer unique interpretations of favorite projects.
Peter Pan and Wendy
Release date: 2022
The remake of the new “Peter Pan ” was directed by David Lowry, who previously worked on the film adaptation of“ Pete and his dragon ” in 2016.
It is reported that the shooting of the project has already been completed, but the exact date has not yet been announced.
It is known that the basis of the film “Peter Pan and Wendy ” is the original story about a boy who did not want to become an adult, and the magical country of Neverland.
The exact date of the premiere of the project has not yet been announced, but is expected in the second half of 2022.
Pinocchio
Release date: September 8, 2022
The animated film “Pinocchio ” with live action was shot by Robert Zemeckis according to his own script in collaboration with Chris Weitz.
The Wooden Boy was originally voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth.
Its creator, Gepetto, was played by Tom Hanks.
Also in the remake took part Cynthia Erivo, Luke Evans and others.
The premiere of the fantasy musical is scheduled for September 8, 2022.
Not only Disney: 8 amazing cartoons that are worthy of a game remake
Little Mermaid
Release date: May 26, 2023
About the rethinking of the “Little Mermaid ” rumors have been around for a long time, and after the announcement of the actress for the main role, dark-skinned Holly Bailey, fierce disputes began.
Nevertheless, the film adaptation decided to finish and announced the premiere date - May 26, 2023.
The plot will tell the original story of a mermaid who fell in love with an earthly prince and asked the witch for legs to please him.
The beloved underwater princess in the film adaptation was played by actor John Hauer-King.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Release date: 2023
The exact date of the premiere of the remake of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" has not yet been announced.
The story is taken from the fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm, and adapted by screenwriter Greta Gerwig.
The project is directed by Mark Webb.
The role of the beauty of Snow White will be played by Rachel Zegler, and the evil witch will be embodied on the screen by the vander woman Gal Gadot.
The premiere is expected presumably in 2023.
Hercules
Release date: not announced
The director of the film adaptation of “Hercules ” will be the author of“ Gentlemen ” Guy Ritchie.
He will direct a full-length film with live actors based on the 1997 cartoon.
The script was adapted by the author of “Shan-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ” Dave Callham.
The cast of the film about the adventures of Hercules on Olympus has not yet been officially announced.
It is reported that the musical accompaniment of the picture will work Alan Mencken, the author of the compositions “The Little Mermaid ”,“ Aladdin ” and other cartoons.
Bambi
Release date: not announced
The film "Bambi" about a deer who is forced to learn to live independently in the forest after the death of his mother, will be created using computer technology.
The story is taken from the eponymous film adaptation of 1942.
Previously, similar technologies were used in the remake of The Lion King by John Favreau.
Genève Robertson-Dworet and Lindsay Beer will be scripted, and the director will be announced later.
The date of the premiere is not yet known.
Hunchback
Release date: not announced
Work began on a reimagining of the cartoon "Hunchback of Notre Dame" in 1996.
The story, taken as the basis of the original and remake, was written by Victor Hugo in the novel “Notre Dame de Paris ”.
The remake will be playable, but the cast has not yet been announced.
Also, the director ’ s chair is not yet occupied, and David Henry Hwang is already working on the script.
The date of the premiere has not yet been announced.
The Sword in the Stone
Release date: December 13, 2024
The 1963 film adaptation based on the legends of King Arthur will also receive a new adaptation.
Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.
The start of production of the new “Sword in the Stone ” started back in 2018, but due to financial problems it had to be suspended.
It is reported that due to the small budget of the picture, the project will be released exclusively for the Disney + streaming service.
There is no information yet about the actors who will take part in the film adaptation.
The project will be released on December 13, 2024.
Robin Hood
Release date: not announced
"Robin Hood" will get a hybrid version with live actors for the Disney + platform.
In development is a remake of the animated classic of 1976 with director Carlos Lopez Estrada at the head.
CGI technologies will be used in the project.
About the casting, the potential release date and other details are not yet known.
The script will be written by Kari Granlund, who previously worked on the remake of Lady and the Tramps.
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Related video

How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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

Nostalgia plays a significant role in the production motivations of live-action remakes, as it allows the company to revisit beloved stories and characters.

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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

How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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

The live-action remakes often feature diverse casting, such as Halle Bailey in The Little Mermaid, which helps to promote diversity and inclusion.

Title:

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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MORE : Legendary Disney animator Floyd Norman reminisces over working with Walt Disney during The Jungle Book and his incredible 66-year career

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The remakes also update the storylines to keep pace with modern times, making them more relatable to contemporary audiences.

However, the live-action remakes have not been without controversy, with some facing backlash for racist insults, such as the Snow White remake.

Title:

Content: Those live-action remakes continue as Disney is currently working on an updated version of Snow White. The classic 1961 animation is a favorite among Disney purists, but since it was announced, the company has been met with backlash. First, it was shared that Colombian-American actress Rachel Zegler would star as the famed porcelain-skinned Disney princess, causing some to bombard the West Side Story star with racist insults.

The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs live-action remake is being criticized once again, but this time, it comes from Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage who can't believe Disney even considered drudging up the storyline for a second go-round. The acclaimed actor has a common form of dwarfism called achondroplasia.

Alberto E. Rodriguez / Staff / Getty Images

"Literally no offense to anyone, but I was a little taken aback when they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White, but you're still telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Dinklage said while on Marc Moron's WTF podcast. "Take a step back and look at what you're doing there. It makes no sense to me."

"You're progressive in one way, but then you're still making that f*cking backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the f*ck are you doing, man? Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox?" he added. "I guess I'm not loud enough. I don't know which studio that is, but they were so proud of it. All love and respect to the actress and all the people who thought they were doing the right thing. But I'm just like, what are you doing?"

It isn't much known about the development of this film, but Dinklage isn't totally opposed to it moving forward. "If you tell the story of Snow White with the most f*cked up, cool, or progressive spin on it? Let's do it. All in." Meanwhile, next up on Disney's schedule seems to be their live-action take on The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey.

[via]

The live-action remakes have also been criticized for prioritizing concepts over storytelling, with John Musk emphasizing the importance of character development in live-action remakes.

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

Despite the controversy, Disney's live-action remakes have been highly profitable, with Aladdin grossing over $1 billion worldwide in 2019.

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.

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 company's focus on live-action remakes is also driven by its desire to represent diverse groups, including Black and Latinx communities.

The live-action remakes have undergone changes to the original stories and characters, such as the updated character of Eric in The Little Mermaid remake.

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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The remake gives Ariel and Eric more time to bond, and Eric is portrayed as feeling trapped by his mother's rules.

The live-action remakes have been adapted to the contemporary realia, with a focus on promoting gender equity, diversity, and inclusivity.

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 public reaction to the adaptations has been mixed, with some praising the remakes for their updated storylines and diverse casting, while others have criticized them for prioritizing nostalgia over original storytelling.

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

Some positive reactions praising both changes and additions

Overall, Disney's live-action remakes are a testament to the power of nostalgia in driving the company's decisions, while also highlighting the importance of adapting to contemporary audiences and promoting diversity and inclusion.

How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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

The success of Disney's live-action remakes can be measured by their box office performance, with films like The Lion King and Aladdin grossing hundreds of millions of dollars.

Title:

Content: Advertisment

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

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

BNN Correspondents
New Update

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

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Reimagining Inclusion in Fantasy

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

Standing Firm Against Racism

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

Attending to Details for Authentic Representation

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

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

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How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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

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?

The company's use of data analytics has helped inform creative decisions for live-action remakes, such as The Little Mermaid, which grossed 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?

Disney's marketing strategy involves targeting specific consumer groups, and the company uses different levels of esports communication to reach its audience.

Title:

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With the strength of the media that won five awards, Kning Nightly Milk Powder, GSK Ogilvy, and Disney Film's "Unfinished Player", the company ranked first in Taiwan with nine finalists and five awards.
Each of the shortlisted cases shows a solid and ingenious use of data, and at the same time, it also tells the core belief that the strength of the media attaches importance to accuracy and efficiency, and takes customer ROI as its own responsibility.
Kering Good Night Milk Powder is the best representative of powerful media to promote investment efficiency with data. It not only cooperated with Performics, the group ’ s search data expert, to deeply analyze consumers ’ search intentions, accurately grasp the insomnia signals of core consumer groups, but also further combined with telecommunications, shopping behavior and even TV shopping data to delineate their lifestyle, and then design empathy. Receive the message, timely and appropriate positive communication.
The brilliant strategy and execution not only achieved excellent results, successfully recruited new customers for the brand, and helped tens of thousands of Taiwanese women to say good night; also won the favor of the judges, and won the two gold awards of the best data application and the best marketing campaign.
Disney Pictures ’ “Unfinished Player ” leapfrogged the digital realm, combining data insights with creative design to create a unique movie marketing strategy.
Strong Media worked with Bofeng Digital ’ s creative team to use PM Create solution to design interactive game experience ads for gamers, and then used different levels of esports communication to successfully open up a new audience, helping “Undrafted Player ” break through the high market volume and high media investment of Big Cass movies to win box office success.
In the case of GSK ’ s nasal relief, the power media has even more subverted the normal of the big data era, and has effectively screened potential consumers with multi-level communication strategies when it is not possible to obtain sufficient behavioral data.
“Although we are good at using data, data is just one of the tools, and helping brands break through the real world is the real essence of ROI +. ”
"COVID-19 has made the platform strictly control the advertising of respiratory symptoms, and the relevant behavioral data has also led to serious deviations due to the impact of the epidemic, but the service team of Strength Media has not retreated as a result. Instead, it has used a high degree of media expertise to plan communication solutions that can" filter "noise and" target "the correct target group.
Star Media Advantages Integrate to Create Perfect Works
Star Media ’ s award-winning work in this year ’ s FOMA showcases the collaboration between SunLion Group ’ s different professional groups, Power of One, Samsung Galaxy S21 flagship virtual booth and McDonald ’ s City Impression Art Exhibition, both of which won three gold, silver and bronze awards.
The installation art exhibition "Urban Impression Big Mac", which won the double happiness of FOMA silver and copper, is the brainchild of Leo Bernard from Taiwan.
Yangshi Group ’ s creative, business and media teams accompany McDonald ’ s customers in Taiwan to join hands with local artists to create giant barley installation art with the most representative “iron window ”,“ flower brick ” and “embossed glass ” in Taiwan ’ s urban landscape, and successfully link American classics with Taiwanese classics.
Urban Impression Big Mac installation art exhibition has won a series of awards for Leo Berner and Star Media in Taiwan, and won another gold at the Event Marketing Awards this week.
The Gold Award-winning Samsung Galaxy S21 flagship virtual booth is the work of Star Media and Digitas Taiwan.
With a long history of innovation and innovation, we are good at creating new solutions for brand needs. This time, we introduced a new partner, iStaging, to build the Samsung Smart Pavilion into an online virtual booth to design a unique brand experience for people with different needs during the holiday season.
This year, Star Media and Zhida Innovation have joined hands to hold a seminar called STARVERSE on the theme of popular technologies NFT and Metaverse, from concept ideas to operational practices, to provide brand customers with a complete solution to enter the new era of Metaverse.
“While it ’ s certainly gratifying to have received many international awards, Star Media has risen to first place in the latest RECMA Agency Quality Evaluation report, which is one of the most inspiring pieces of good news this year, ” said Li Zi Yun, Managing Director of Star Media.
Behind the continuous improvement of the ranking in the past few years, it not only represents the cohesion of the star, and the continuous pursuit of better corporate culture, but also the result of the concerted cooperation of the Power of One Group!
"Li Zi Yun also promised," In the future, Star Media will continue to make use of the group's help and continue to break through itself. At the upcoming STARVERSE launch, we will lead our customer partners to enter the first Star Media building in Taiwan to open up a new era of marketing together! "」
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The company's commitment to diversity and inclusion has been recognized, with initiatives like the Reimagine Tomorrow program promoting authentic representation and creative opportunities for underrepresented groups.

The live-action remakes of Disney's classic animated films have been a mixed bag, with some successes and some failures, and it remains to be seen how audiences will respond to future remakes.

How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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

The role of nostalgia in driving Disney's decisions to produce live-action remakes is significant, as the company seeks to tap into the fond memories of audiences who grew up with the original animated films.

Title:

Content: Most people don’t want a ‘Lord of the Rings’ TV show and there’s a good reason why

Image via Prime Video

It is rather ironic that mere decades after his death, J.R.R. Tolkien’s worst fears about the unbridled evil of industrialization should come after his life’s work and set about the desolation of the impressive Arda legendarium, itself one of the greatest works of literary fiction in history and, dare we claim, the cornerstone of all modern speculative fiction.

While that statement might admittedly be a much too dramatic way of announcing a new Lord of the Rings adaptation is on the way, it perhaps underpins what most Tolkien fans fear these days after witnessing, over the past few years, the rapidly shifting landscape of entertainment, where the need for quantity to feed the furnace of the unruly content frenzy of the streaming age precedes quality and capitalizes on substance rather than value.

Perhaps that’s also the reason why most Lord of the Rings fans were too quick to cheer on the licensing deal between Amazon Studios and the Tolkien Estate back in 2017, oblivious to impending industry standards for most adaptations that would attempt to succeed Game of Thrones as the next big fantasy series. Now, more than five years after the deal was struck, Amazon is preparing to introduce the world to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which they refer to not only as their most ambitious undertaking but factually as the most expensive production in the history of television.

The only catch is that while at first, it seemed like a brilliant idea to resurrect Middle-earth nearly two decades after Peter Jackson’s highly acclaimed cinematic trilogy, fans are now showing an ill disposition towards The Rings of Power and anything it might have to say about their favorite work of genre fiction, even if they’ve seen far too little to leave them with an unbiased impression.

Right now, the overwhelming majority of comments under anything related to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are negative and disparaging towards the company’s perceived half-hearted attempt at playing in the grown-ups’ league of streaming giants such as Netflix and Disney Plus, and there’s a good reason why.

Amazon is in this for the numbers and fans recognize that

Jeff Bezos might claim that this is a passion project for him, but the timing is way too convenient for anyone to believe that. It all goes back to what Tolkien intended with his creation and how it influenced speculative fiction, or more specifically, the high fantasy genre.

Tolkien is now widely regarded as the father of modern fantasy, influencing most of the works that succeeded it in the past several decades. The Linguist professor had sensed a lack of mythos in the British literary canon, and the only story that barely resembled anything of the sort he had in mind involved the Arthurian legend, which was largely developed in France when the two countries were at each other’s throats in the Middle Ages.

But Tolkien’s work, especially through The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, blended mythology with the storytelling tropes of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, spearheading a literary movement that would help define the entertainment industry as we know it today.

From the early days when dozens of creative writers tried to imitate the success of The Lord of the Rings by untastefully rehashing everything he had done in his story, to prominent Hollywood moguls cautiously dipping their toes into the untraveled waters of speculative fiction in search of gold, the world of Middle-earth has inspired artists and their patrons — as usual driven mad by the greed of filling their coffers even more — to take a crack at the seemingly impossible case of J.R.R. Tolkien.

I mean, if he could do it, if he could write one of the best-selling novels of all time and become a cultural sensation across the pond from where he lived, so could they, right? What’s more, Tolkien proved to the world that fantastical stories have the potential to be just as profound as what literary snobs refer to as “serious literature,” so there’s no reason it could suddenly stop working or not yield as many fruitful results in other mediums.

And so began the nerd era. While J.R.R. Tolkien definitely wasn’t the only creator to influence and inspire the rise of geekdom, he kickstarted the high fantasy movement, in whose shadow — the bespoke “Mount Tolkien” — many authors have risen to prominence and success, namely Robert Jordan with his Wheel of Time series and George R.R. Martin with A Song of Ice and Fire.

Of course, today’s fantasy landscape bears the name of many acclaimed writers besides the most obvious and popular contenders, each contributing a novel note to this ever-expanding orchestra of imaginative brilliance. (Brandon Sanderson with Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive, Patrick Rothfuss with The Kingkiller Chronicle, Joe Abercrombie with The First Law, Robin Hobb with The Realm of Elderlings, etc.)

But no two names have managed to become so embedded into the public psyche as J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin have across the years, and that’s mostly thanks to the cinematic medium.

The release of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and its subsequent box office success and critical acclaim, not only reinforced interest in Tolkien’s work but also ruffled a few feathers in the speculative sphere of the entertainment industry. What predictably followed was a string of unsuccessful and half-hearted attempts at recapturing Jackson’s magic, but lightning would refuse to strike twice until the time came for an unassuming new high fantasy adaptation by HBO to take the world by storm.

Game of Thrones becoming the most popular television series in the world coincided with the golden age of television, a perfect prologue to the age of streaming, by the grace of which we’re constantly, and perhaps too incessantly, entertained. But as HBO’s hit fantasy series slowly crept up on an inevitable end — and in hindsight, an altogether controversial and middling one — industry moguls quickly got to work brainstorming about the next big fantasy series to take its place in the public psyche, and what better IP than the story that spawned this industry in the first place?

It might have taken them a long time to get here and make the series, but Amazon is in this for the numbers and people recognize it, or else they’d have tried their hand at adapting other novel fantasy stories floating on the edges of awareness, begging to be picked up by a producer.

Now, you might say that the entertainment industry isn’t here for the sake of making great art — at least not solely — and you’d be completely right. In any business, the idea is to always capitalize on returns, and Amazon is an absolute powerhouse in this regard. Things become problematic, however, when you factor in the company’s track record and the overall trend of adaptations over the past several years, which brings us to our next point.

A timeline of weak adaptations

The Lord of the Rings took many years of Peter Jackson’s life because it was an absolute behemoth of a story to spin into existence. But what you ever so subtly discern when watching those movies is the fact that a lot of effort and passion went into making sure that they would become timeless masterpieces. And even if you don’t find the creative footprint of that effort tangible, the extensive behind-the-scenes footage left of the work on that trilogy will put any such doubt to rest.

That dedication and passion is something that a lot of adaptations are missing out on today. Because nowadays, when it comes to producing movies and TV shows, you’re confronted with a checklist of ideas that come directly out of out-of-touch focus groups that care nothing more than to cater to the whims of their demographics or the so-called genre tropes that they’re certain will work.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not talking about political correctness and the warring cultural fronts that have divided audiences right down the middle. The problem occurs when these established narratives and character tropes — that must have no doubt yielded great results in the past — become the golden foundation on which almost every studio builds its stories, resulting in a long list of adaptations that not only fail to capture the essence of their source material but fail to even work in their own mediums as decent works of entertainment art, being neither entertaining nor artistic.

Netflix’s The Witcher, HBO’s His Dark Materials, Amazon’s own The Wheel of Time, Apple TV’s Foundation, and even inspired stories like Cursed are but a few contenders in this category. Some of these adaptations are decent enough, mind you, but when all is said and all is done, none have managed to highlight what makes their source material such a lasting work of art, not like The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones have.

And who is to blame them? For streaming giants, the most important thing is to pick up a culturally relevant and adequately popular story and churn it into content. More and more content, that’s what we need. It’s all about filling up that watchlist and keeping audiences engaged. You’re done with this fantasy series? Well, don’t you worry, you can just hop into another world with a few clicks of your TV remote. And if that doesn’t hook you, it’s no bother whatsoever, because there are dozens more to take its place. You’re eventually going to find what you’re looking for, contented, and spend even more time on the platform, if for nothing else than the sheer frustration of going through those endless lists.

Suffice it to say, audiences have slowly recognized a pattern here, so it’s no wonder that they’re on the fence when it comes to The Lord of the Rings, a story that deeply resonates with them and brings to mind memories of much simpler times.

Not all those who wander are lost?

Consequently, there are many reasons why folks simply don’t want to have anything to do with The Rings of Power, or even remotely acknowledge it at the edges of their conscious awareness, despite not having seen a single episode of the new series.

But what if there was a small chance, perhaps barely there, that could turn this reception narrative around on its head?

Because unlike all those other adaptations we talked about, and the general trend of the industry, Amazon’s adaptation has managed to get a few things right, things that actually go a long way in putting fan concerns to rest.

Perhaps chiefly among them, despite having every reason to not do so, Amazon decided to take their time with this adaption and do it justice. Instead of rushing a television production after acquiring the rights in November 2017, as any company would do — especially if theirs was to spearhead a replacement for Game of Thrones — Amazon took its time and realized that one does not simply make a Lord of the Rings television series.

It’s been almost five years since the Tolkien Estate struck that deal, which means that the crew of The Rings of Power has spent years in pre-production, as Peter Jackson had done, to make sure that every piece of the puzzle falls seamlessly into place. Did they have to spend so much time? We know that a company of HBO’s standing is perfectly capable of making a season of television in less than two years, so why take all of that time if all you care about is profit?

Another instance of this proposed hopeful outlook comes courtesy of several creatives whom Amazon has consulted or even contracted from The Lord of the Rings trilogy to help them realize this vision. The inclusion of Howard Shore as the composer for the main theme, and John Howe as the graphic artist for world building purposes, sends across a clear signal: “We know how much the trilogy means to you. So, we’re going to make sure that the language of our world is synonymous with the Middle-earth you’ve grown to love.”

And ultimately, we’d be remiss to not mention the elephant in the room. Amazon has already spent something close to $500 million on the first season of The Rings of Power, making it, effectively, the most expensive television production in the history of this medium. While we all know that dedicating these egregious sums isn’t necessarily going to put a dent in Amazon’s deepless purse, this pattern of behavior once again fails to correspond to the trend of the industry.

As stated earlier, the goal of this business is to capitalize on profits, which means that Amazon didn’t have to go this big. Whether we’d want to admit it or not, the company is taking a gamble here, one that they know won’t pay off if the series is anything other than spectacular and immediately popular.

It would also do to note all the reassuring things showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay have repeatedly said over the past few months, but if you’re already feeling skeptical of the series, nothing that they have to say is going to change your mind, which is why we decided to stick with an otherwise outside perspective for this piece.

Ultimately, The Lord of the Rings fans have every right to their misgivings about The Rings of Power. But at the same time, I don’t think the franchise as a whole would benefit from any of us auguring its doom before the time has come.

I might live to regret these words, but perhaps, and against my better judgment, I should like to give the series a chance to prove its merit.

How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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

The adaptation of timeless stories for modern audiences requires a delicate balance between authenticity and relevance, with creators striving to stay true to the original material while also making it fresh and appealing to contemporary audiences.

Title:

Content: This article appeared in the January 29, 2024 edition of the Monitor Daily.

Read 01/29 edition

When it’s time to adapt

Adaptation is the stuff of human history – and our current moment is no exception. It undergirds the Monitor’s recent series The Climate Generation. It’s present in our graphic today on falling global birthrates. It even extends into a new TV series based on the beloved young adult book series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” which Cameron Pugh writes about today.

People understandably resist calls to adapt. But done well, adaptation can ensure that important values live on. Cameron points to one well-known author’s work. “Part of the enduring power of Shakespeare is that we’ve managed to adapt his work into modern stories,” he says. “The way they’re expressing it has changed, but the theme hasn’t.”

This article appeared in the January 29, 2024 edition of the Monitor Daily.

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The use of innovative techniques, such as changing expression but keeping the theme, is a common strategy used in adaptations to make classic works relevant to modern audiences.

The key to successful adaptation is finding a balance between authenticity and relevance, which can be achieved through techniques such as changing expression but keeping the theme, or by introducing new elements that enhance the original story without altering its essence.

Disney's approach to remaking classics involves merging technology and artistry, building foundations by pairing fresh talent with veterans, and celebrating villains in films like "Wish".

Title:

Content: Walt Disney Animation Head Jennifer Lee On Setting Up The Next Generation Of Artists [Exclusive Interview]

We're technically in the middle of Disney's centennial celebration, but for the iconic animation studio, the party is just getting started. After news came out earlier this month that nearly 30 restored animated shorts from the Walt Disney Animation Studios vault will be released on Disney+, the studio had a triumphant presentation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival to reminisce on the past while also looking at the future.

First, the studio presented their latest animated short, "Once Upon a Studio," directed by Dan Abraham and Trent Correy, possibly the most magical thing they've done in years and a short that pays homage to the studio's 100-year-old history, the characters, and the animators that made the studio what it is. Then, audiences were treated to about 20 minutes of "Wish," the upcoming Disney animated musical feature which brings back the Disney villain, and does some cool things with its visuals. That film is directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn (in her feature directorial debut), and written by Allison Moore and Jennifer Lee, the latter of whom also wrote and co-directed "Frozen" and serves as chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios.

/Film caught up with Lee shortly after the footage presentation of "Wish," where she talked about the future of Walt Disney Animation Studios, bringing back an actual villain for "Wish," and why animation is so special.

Note: This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

'Technology and the artistry are merging'

The short film "Once Upon a Studio" includes a lot of different animation styles, while "Wish" looks different than many Disney films. What sort of experimentation is in store for the studio going into its second century?

Well, what I think particularly with the short and "Wish" is, and I think it's happening across animation, we're finally arriving at that place where technology and the artistry are merging in a way that I think is everyone's dream. I think of the incredible production designer, Lisa Keen, and the painting she did for "Frozen," but then they'd be translated into CG and they'd sort of be degrees away. But now, those paintings, that look, can make it onto the screen. And we've all been working on this for a long time. It's mattered. And with us, we were able to build it on a short scale, but to build it for a feature, we started, I think, when we met with the design team, the dream they said would be to be able to honor those watercolors from "Sleeping Beauty." "Sleeping Beauty" was such an inspiration for "Frozen" in terms of framing, but to get to do it, and we said, "Well, it's our hundredth, we have to have that goal, and they've been working on the technology for years."

I was saying just a couple months ago, we bumped into an issue where we didn't have it lined up to do water. So we had to brainstorm and work together and they figured it out because the scene was too important and they wanted to earn it, and there's nothing like a challenge for a technologist. That's what they want. "What's the next challenge?" So now we're hitting this place, we're going, "Okay, the look can go in many directions. That is so exciting," and it's really going to come down to the identity of the artists themselves coming through more. I think that is the best case scenario.

Building foundations

You talked during the studio presentation about the pairing of fresh talent with veterans, and you yourself were mentored by a veteran of the studio. Why is that important not just at an animator level, but on a key role like a director?

Well, I mean, all of these films are hard. Every one of them is hard to make. One of the things that our veteran filmmakers have is, they've been through it. They've been through a lot. They've had to redo things a lot. They felt the pain of failure, they felt the joy of success, and they have the layers of life. The new generation has talent. I mean, more and more talent out there. And they come in, and to go through your first film, I always say it's going to break your heart a little bit, over and over again, because it's not enough to dream. We all have dreams that we think, "Oh, if we could only make that." You look back at Walt and what it took for him to make "Snow White," and how it almost failed and it was a fight for every frame. There's never a shortcut in every movie.

So with our veteran filmmakers — and obviously you have someone like Eric [Goldberg, veteran Disney animator] who is everything, he is the talent and the years and the fight in him, and we've got an apprentice program that we've formed for the new generation of hand-drawn. And he's not just bringing skill this way, he's bringing those layers of life. To me, none of this is for the faint of heart. I think being creative, you are always vulnerable. So what we can do is build a good foundation and it's just important. For me, that's the big focus of where I want to go from here, is getting those voices that I'm finding so fresh and exciting, but how do you help them succeed? Because that takes more than just talent. [laughs] We all know, it's a fight. So I think that's what I'm most excited about.

'We've wanted to really celebrate a delicious villain for a while'

One thing that was really exciting about the footage was the villain. Why was that important to have in the film, and from your perspective, what makes a great Disney villain?

Yeah. We've wanted to really celebrate a delicious villain for a while. And we've had fun really straying where, I think in life, for a period of time we were exploring how the villain is not always so clear. Sometimes it's ourselves or thematic. But that idea of those villains, and the song, and we love that deliciousness of their evil. [laughs] So the daunting task of creating one, I think what really worked for us with this is we listened to our story artists, we listened to our audience, and people are saying, "I want him not just to be arch, though, I want to know" what we didn't always do, which was tell you why or how did they make those choices? You sort of meet them fully formed and they could be wonderful, but what makes Magnifico different? So we said, "Okay, from the first frame of the film, you're going to feel the journey of this person from the relatable part of ourselves." You get to see, as you saw in a scene when the villain and the protagonists are completely aligned and then you see as their philosophies diverge, you get to watch ... because we never want to say, "Anyone like this will make this choice." It's that this man makes this choice, this woman makes that choice, and it's so fun to watch. And Chris Pine was big on that and it's part of why we wanted to work with him. He's so smart, he holds the character accountable. So it was just so fun to build Magnifico with him, because you couldn't just take anything for granted. So for me, what's been great is getting ... you only saw the first couple of scenes, but getting to that place with him that we think is delicious, but watching him get there has been such a thrill ride for us.

'That did a lot for us in terms of trust'

From a production standpoint, we're three years into the pandemic. How has that impacted the way the studio looks at new projects? Has anything changed in your approach to either the stories you want to tell or the animation pipeline?

I think, in a good way, what we learned about ourselves during Covid was, we built "Raya" and "Encanto" completely [separately]. No one was together and the whole productions were done from home. So I felt like we showed that we understood each other enough and we could carry the same vision from multiple homes. And that did a lot for us in terms of trust. So what we have now is this place where, as people are coming back and this collaboration that it's kind of like we've been through a lot together, so there's no formality, and that makes, for me, I think that makes for a much more wonderful creative space. But I think the big thing is, it's not even about Covid, it's about, as I say, that new generation. I'm more aware than ever of their power and what they can do, but I'm also more aware of that responsibility.

So where I look at is what excites people about storytelling evolves and it's hard when you're getting old to look to yourself. I have certain things I can bring, but it's my job to make sure that I'm spotting that talent and giving them that platform and support and then letting them take it. And I think that's how Eric is helping new generations. That's what we've done that keeps us Disney, is continuing to let that new generation help us evolve, but setting them up for success. So I feel like that has less to do with Covid and just more to do with, here we are. I mean, I've been in this role five years. I've been in the studio 12 years. I came in under 40 and now I'm over 50. So it's time. I think of that. And you hear them banging on the door and they challenge the storytelling, and it's great.

'They're artists. They're not Disney artists. They do work for Disney, but they bring their soul and their tastes come with them'

Serving as both a writer and a producer on "Wish," what was the key element that made this right for the hundredth year celebration?

Well, what I love though is we all started talking as a group, all the directors would get together and we'd meet with story artists and just leave it open and talk about all these fantastical fun ideas. But what kept coming back were certain things — yes, the villain, but this idea of the wishing on stars. That little clip we showed [a montage of Disney characters throughout the years looking at the stars], that was put together before we had the film. Someone just put it together who was inspired to say, "This is something that's a part of us." And you felt it come. Then Chris, he didn't set out to direct it originally, but it spoke to him so clearly. And Fawn, she was such a powerhouse right away.

Then what happened with us is as we were developing the character, Star changed quite a bit. Star originally could talk and took different forms, sometimes human form. And it was really saying, "But that's not what Star is. Star is hope, possibility, wonder — those things don't have the power, they have the power to inspire you." And then I started watching panda bears and how ridiculously funny they were and felt that curious innocence and we said, "What if Star is just that?" And then they said, "You can see this. I think you need to write a draft." And luckily Allison Moore was there in the room every day, but I could come in. But it didn't happen where it was no moment of an order. It was more of, as people were drawn to it and they got it, they just formed the team. And I felt very lucky that, when they asked me to write it and I had no time, but how could I not? It was such an honor.

Disney has always been a studio strong in its traditions, and its recognizability. I'm curious, with something like "Wish," where do you look for pushing boundaries while also keeping those traditions?

All our artists are looking all the time. They're artists. They're not Disney artists. They do work for Disney, but they bring their soul and their tastes come with them, and what they see in the world inspires them. That's great about this industry. Every day there's always buzzes of what's going on. But I think if I look at "Tangled" as a good example of understanding the fairytale, our first sort of CG princess and this nod to the past, but this embracing of this technology, which was a little scary, I'm sure. I wasn't there, so I can only guess. But to say, the approach they took, it kind of showed us where we could go and be more playful. If there hadn't been "Tangled," there would not have been "Frozen." So I'm very grateful that we took some bold steps.

'It's the greatest form of flattery, I guess'

There's been a lot of live-action remakes of Disney movies, both classics and newer ones. From an animation standpoint, does that push you to make visuals more distinct or even just "easier" to adapt? Does it at all affect the mentality going into a new project?

No, I mean, very, very politely, we completely build these independently. We don't think ahead of the live-action. We're honored if it happens. It's the greatest form of flattery, I guess. But I do think, one of the things I love — to me, what defines animation is it is truly transportive in a way that it speaks to your imagination, not to your reality. And so I think in terms of, personally, the looks that I'm inspired by, of where I do feel I'm in a believable world and it feels alive, but it is wholly nothing of our world. It's a place that I can truly escape to. I think that means a lot to a lot of us. So to me, the easy part of it is, if the goal is reality, the technology can go that way. But animation is not about that. What I love about animation is, it starts with a dream and everything is built and the more we can be transported to something we've never seen, the more excited I get.

Lastly, when it comes to "Wish" or any future projects as you are working through development, especially just that first brainstorming phase, what is the balance or even just your personal feelings in terms of wanting to look back at the history of Disney versus looking at what is possible now with new technology and new ideas?

Yeah, yeah. For me, there's not an overall philosophy about it. I do think it's director and artist by artist. And so what we'll do on one film, we won't do on another, and we'll try a whole different ... "Zootopia" and "Wreck-It-Ralph" are nothing like "Frozen." And I think that we'll do that for everything where we take it one film at a time. I think what I always have to trust is what inspires those artists. But I do think when we think about the legacy, to me, there are certain things that I think are wholly Disney, which are films that give hope. Films where you can escape, where you feel like you belong, that you feel that it can become yours. And there's always an element, hopefully, of joy. But we're not afraid to go into deep, dark places. All fairytales do.

But I think that's what we do say is a part of who we are. And I think for so many of us there, it's this thing we share, which is for so much of our lives, starting from our first memories to now, Disney was a place for us to go no matter what was happening in the world, and we could feel this escape. And it was an escape that left you feeling things are possible. I do think that's part of who we are, foundationally, that we all think about. How we get there should be very different each time. And obviously the musicals, the musicals, the musicals, because we love them.

"Wish" arrives in theaters on November 22, 2023.

The company's goal is to create transportive and imaginative worlds, and its legacy is built on films that give hope and joy.

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

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

The live-action remakes of Disney's animated classics have been adapted to contemporary realia, with changes made to the original stories and characters to appeal to modern audiences.

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WALT DISNEY COMPANY (THE)

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'Black Panther' sequel debuts with $330 million at global theaters

11/13/2022 | 11:37am EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Marvel Studios adventure "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" sold $330 million in tickets worldwide over its opening weekend and set a box office record in the United States and Canada, according to estimates from distributor Walt Disney Co on Sunday.

The sequel to 2018 Oscar-nominated blockbuster "Black Panther" racked up roughly $180 million at domestic theaters Thursday night through Sunday, the highest total ever for a film opening in November.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

© Reuters 2022
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Financials (USD)
Sales 2022 84 429 M - -
Net income 2022 3 789 M - -
Net Debt 2022 38 196 M - -
P/E ratio 2022 45,2x
Yield 2022 -
Capitalization 173 B 173 B -
EV / Sales 2022 2,50x
EV / Sales 2023 2,28x
Nbr of Employees 166 250
Free-Float 98,0%
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How does Disney's live-action Pinocchio modernize the story according to Robert Zemeckis?

How has Disney leveraged nostalgia in recent years?

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

The public reaction to the adaptations has been mixed, with some fans praising the updates and others criticizing the changes to the original stories and characters.

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

Some positive reactions praising both changes and additions

Overall, Disney's use of data analytics and marketing strategies has helped the company to evaluate the success of its live-action remakes and inform its business strategy, contributing to the company's growing revenue and profits.

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Content: Are you looking for a way to analyze your mobile app metrics?
If so, you are in the right place.
After successfully launching their mobile app, savvy entrepreneurs make good use of the app ’ s data to gather business insights.
Mobile app metrics measured for your mobile app efficiency monitoring
With many businesses launching new mobile apps to keep up with user demand, how can businesses tell if the app is truly efficient?
Mobile app metrics can provide the data businesses need to evaluate the success of their mobile apps.
How do mobile app metrics work? How do you maximize app metrics to accurately measure mobile app success?
First, we need to have a basic understanding of the application indicators.
If you are looking for a guide on mobile app metrics to measure your mobile app efficiency, prepare the article below.
What are application metrics?
An application metric is a measure of an application's success, retention, growth, or user needs.
Mobile app metrics can be measured by engagement rate, conversion rate, and acquisition rate.
Application metrics provide businesses with valuable insight into the performance of their mobile applications.
Indicators also provide guidance for the decision making of businesses that may react to the indicators generated in the application report.
The use of mobile app metrics to measure the efficiency of mobile apps is a data-driven approach that relies heavily on analytics.
These analyses are produced by measurable statistics and form a small part of the overall data on business performance.
How to measure the success of a mobile app?
The success of a mobile app is measured by the company ’ s key performance indicators.
Key Performance Indicators - The KPI contains all the indicators of a company's success.
These include the efficiency of its mobile app and user satisfaction with its mobile app.
You can observe these parameters manually, but it is best to do so using an app to make your life easier.
The success of mobile apps is measured by observing the following steps.
Define Business Objectives / Key Performance Indicators - KPIs
Business objectives need to be clearly defined in a measurable way across the board.
These goals then need to narrow down key performance metrics regarding the company ’ s mobile apps.
Select relevant application indicators
Mobile app metrics can be used to collect a wide range of data.
Businesses will need to decide what is made up of relevant app metrics data to assess the success of their mobile apps.
Some businesses may prioritize user engagement as a key app metric, while another will prioritize the number of downloads of mobile apps.
The most relevant definitions of mobile app data vary from enterprise to enterprise.
Tracking Application Indicators
In order to accurately track mobile app metrics, there needs to be an accurate and effective way to collect and store data.
Tracking application metrics takes place within the app and makes it easy for users to generate reports when needed.
Classification filters are used to extract relevant or required information to generate mobile app reports.
Compare and contrast
The performance of the mobile application should be compared with the relevant application metrics and the key performance indicators (KPIs) of the mobile application.
The success of mobile apps is measured against the previously defined standards, goals and objectives of mobile business apps.
How do mobile apps measure metrics?
Mobile apps leverage data tracking and app analytics to measure metrics within their mobile app platform.
Analytics on these mobile apps capture relevant data that can be used to compare with pre-defined business objectives and key performance indicators – KPIs.
There are different categories of user metrics that can be generated from mobile app data.
Get indicators
These metrics explore the number of sales that app users generate through in-app purchases or downloads.
These metrics create valuable marketing insights to estimate how much revenue can be earned from that user ’ s future purchases.
Measurements include average revenue per user, cost per installation, and customer lifetime value.
Engagement indicators
The speed at which users use, hold, return, and interact with the app can estimate engagement rates.
It ’ s a valuable metric that businesses can assess users ’ satisfaction with their applications.
It can also be used to measure the success of a specific marketing, promotion, or pricing strategy within a mobile app.
Application performance indicators
This is measured by the application ’ s latency, which is the length of time it takes for the application to return search results or user queries.
An app crash is also a great way to evaluate your app ’ s performance, based on the number of times it has been accidentally shut down in use.
Additional indicator measurements
Application Conversion Indicator
These metrics assess the number of times a user needs to complete a preset task or goal in the app.
For example, an ecommerce app could create a daily check-in by a user motivated by a reward.
The application conversion indicator will measure the number of users signing in each day and is a good application conversion indicator.
This indicator also applies to sales or in-app purchases.
Users can be evaluated by their average order value each time they visit the app.
Businesses can use this metric to estimate their sales conversion among mobile app users and predict future revenue.
vanity indicator
These metrics allow businesses to have “bragging rights ” when promoting their business or app and look great on marketing materials.
However, these metrics are compelling marketing statistics that can be used to turn leads into actual sales.
Indicators of vanity can include daily downloads or the number of registered users of an app.
What are the common metrics used to measure the success of mobile campaigns?
Common metrics used to determine the success of launching new applications are as follows.
Total downloads of mobile apps
User uptake based on mobile app downloads is a valuable indicator for businesses.
These businesses use mobile app metrics on the number of individual users downloading their mobile apps to measure the success of their campaigns.
They can track the total number of mobile app downloads over a specific period or during various marketing campaigns.
These mobile app metrics will provide businesses with valuable insight into whether their app is most favored at a particular time.
These metrics can be further broken down into days, and even further insight into when users like to download the app.
Businesses can also use app metrics to measure the success of marketing campaigns for mobile app launches.
They can check the total number of downloads in response to the company ’ s call to action.
Total subscriptions / registrations for mobile apps
Some users not only download the app, but also complete the additional steps of the sign-up or subscription process.
These users provide valuable mobile app metrics for businesses looking to test the messaging results behind specific promotions or ongoing sales strategies.
If a large number of users took the extra step of downloading the app, it could mean that the mobile app was successful.
However, mobile app metrics may indicate that most users choose not to complete the registration process.
If so, then this could be due to promotions, pricing, or mobile app UI / UX issues.
How to evaluate the performance of an application?
Loss rate of mobile applications
This mobile app metric determines the rate of new users leaving the mobile app platform.
This abandonment of mobile applications can be caused by many factors.
And can provide considerable insight into a company ’ s promotion, sales and marketing strategies.
If the mobile app metric shows that a large number of users are leaving the mobile app quickly, this may indicate a user retention problem.
This may be due to user experience issues on the app.
High mobile churn rates may also indicate problems with the application ’ s interface and usability.
In either case, businesses should use mobile app metrics to evaluate and improve app performance.
Daily Active User Setup Indicator
These metrics accurately measure the number of daily users of mobile apps.
Based on the application metrics provided, businesses will gain valuable information about whether they are gaining and keeping users ’ attention.
These metrics are a good measure of how well an app is performing because it tracks user engagement.
It can also provide some insight into the number of users who think your mobile app is attractive, entertaining or educational enough.
A mobile app with a high DAU metric indicates that users love the app and continue to return to using it.
The marketing team can then replicate the success evaluated in that area in other areas of the business.
Application Crash
The number of app crashes provides businesses with valuable mobile app metrics based on their actual performance.
However, this metric can also help businesses quickly identify and fix errors or glitches in their mobile apps.
Using mobile app metrics to identify problems with your app, such as errors, lags, failures, or crashes, can improve its performance.
Once enterprises use these mobile app metrics to their advantage, they can easily and quickly respond to the technical problems of users or their apps.
What metrics would you use to determine the success of a new application feature?
Engagement metrics are an important tool for evaluating the success of a mobile app among app users.
Retention rate
This mobile app metric measures how long a user has visited an app at least once in a given period of time.
The high retention rate indicates that a large number of users are actively engaged and satisfied with the functionality of the mobile app.
These mobile app metrics help businesses measure the success of new app features and promote targeted sales to users.
Average Conversation Rate
This mobile app metric accurately measures the average time a user spends participating in a mobile app.
Users who are excited or excited about a new app feature will have a higher retention rate than other users.
Viscosity ratio
The number of users returning to a mobile app is a good indicator of its stickiness ratio.
The higher the viscosity ratio, the more successful a new application can be interpreted as.
Number of shares
The number of times users share an app is also a key indicator of user satisfaction with a new app ’ s functionality.
These metrics provide a positive measure of the success of mobile apps.
Once users are satisfied with an app ’ s functionality, they are more likely to share the app in their social circle.
Session length
This mobile metric measures the length of time a user spends each time visiting your app.
The longer the session, the better for the business.
This indicator shows that the company has attracted the attention of users.
Enterprises can use the insights gained from this mobile metric to adjust their other promotion strategies and optimize the availability of their application features to increase the session length of users.
Application Delay
This refers to the length of time it takes for an application to return search results or queries from the API.
It is best to keep the latency rate of mobile applications as low as possible.
For a long time, the longer the delay rate, the greater the wastage rate or exit rate.
Conclusion
All in all, Mobile App Metrics is a great tool for monitoring the efficiency and user satisfaction of your mobile app.
If used wisely, they are a valuable means of generating business insight by helping owners make strategic decisions.
These decisions affect the users of the app and inform marketing, pricing, sales, and customer service strategies.
The marketing insights provided by mobile app metrics can be used to generate useful reports.
Companies can stay ahead of the competition by wisely leveraging analytics capabilities within their applications.
They can also use these metrics to build better connections with users, retain and engage customers, and turn leads into sales.
Mobile app metrics are one of the best tools people can use, and the best tool for creating mobile apps is the no-code platform AppMaster.
With AppMaster, you can develop a native mobile app for iOS and Android without the involvement of the development team or writing lines of code.
When you ’ re not prepared to wait months and pay huge fees for classic development, no-code development is a great solution.
Learn more here.

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?