They’re trying to pull a fast one over us but I caught them.
“Alice in Wonderland” started it. “Jungle Book,” “Maleficent,” and “Beauty and the Beast” were part of it. You may not have realized it until seeing all their names together but these are all Disney classics that have been remade in a live-action format.
There have been tons upon tons of clickbaits and listicles that say there are 18 live action Disney remakes either out or planned. I’m sure there are a lot but I, in my faux-professional opinion think there’s something like 15.
There are some you would expect like “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” and “Aladdin” and then we have “Cruella De Vil” and “Chernaborg,” both villains who I think are unlikely to ever see an origin movie. Chernabog is big gargoyle-looking demon guy from the end of “Fantasia.” For our millenials, that is a movie from before WWII.
The next movie to hit screens should be “Mulan.” So let’s get down to business to talk about Mulan. This movie will be great for Hollywood as a whole because it may just be the movie to break the white-washing trend. Mulan is currently in pre-production so I’d expect either a late 2018 or a 2019 release.
“Lion King” has been generation hype since a (fake) poster went viral on Twitter. At first I was scared because how do you make a live-action movie with lions? Well, “Jungle Book” is a piece of visual art and I’m no longer worried about how future films might look. There are also rumors that Donald Glover will be voicing Simba, Beyonce voicing Nala, and James Earl Jones will be reprising Mufasa. So many people grew up on the original cartoon so if they mess this one up, there might actually be riots.
There is little to no information on the other movies coming out but you can be sure to expect some sort of reboot for the Peter Pan property. Between Tinkerbell, Peter, and Hook, there’s too much there not to do anything about it. Pinocchio and the Little Mermaid are another property I would say is a high probability for a remake. I would not say Fantasia or Bambi fit that bill.
Keep in mind these are not shot-for-shot remakes. “Beauty and the Beast” showed us that Disney will make changes to them in regards to plot and song. You’re welcome for not spoiling that.
All in all, I love this idea of remaking the movies that tennagers and adults saw in their childhoods. It takes nostalgia to a whole new level. However, it’s a gamble because if you don’t do it right, you could lose so many fans. However, I’m a believer in the Disney magic. And by Disney magic, I mean the best CGI in modern times.
