On October 25, 2018, Disney studios announced that Lilo and Stitch would be the next movie to join its counterparts in a live action film adaptation. Disney started off with redoing The Jungle Book, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Winnie the Pooh. What is the reason for recreating these good classics? Money perhaps? An article from newstatesman.com suggests that Disney is depending on nostalgia to reel in adults and children alike, which in doing so, will create high-grossing box office returns. Along with a Lilo and Stitch remake, there are plenty of future remakes lined up. This list includes Dumbo, The Lion King, Mulan, and The Little Mermaid. Is re-packaging nostalgic movies for new audiences the right move for Disney? If the worldwide box office take of $1.26 billion for Beauty and the Beast is any indication, then yes!
Multiple possible remakes and possibly some sequels to any successful animated movies, such as Frozen or Moana, are on the horizon. Instead of coming up with new story lines, Disney studios are merely recreating old classics with a somewhat darker twist, as they are also not animated, but live-action and more ‘realistic.’
One can argue that the old fashion animation style is classic and iconic, but live-action film adaptations are all the rage. Many think that live-action is simply more appealing to the eye and can be finished and edited quicker than regular animated, frame-by frame story-boarding footage. Because most of the films will be done with CGI, (computer-generated imagery), the iconic scenes will be seen in a whole different light (a real -CGI- scene of Mufasa getting stomped by a wildebeest herd). CGI will be how the producers and animators choose to feature the countless animals in the Pride Lands of Africa and Dumbo the elephant in the circus.
In Dumbo, the story itself is changing. The trailer seems like the movie will focus more on the humans in the film rather than the actual elephant, which has led people to question the studio’s decision to remake it. Why is the classic movie’s remake going to be focused on the humans? The elephant is the main character in the animated version, yet is seen as a secondary character in the CGI version.
Everyone in Hollywood is getting on board it seems. Several celebrities will be included in the films as voice actors, including Childish Gambino, also known as Donald Glover, voicing Simba, the main character. Beyoncé will be voicing Nala, who is Simba’s love interest later in the movie. Seth Rogen will voice Pumbaa, the warthog. These characters are iconic, and it’s no wonder Disney enlisted the help of celebrities to boost the popularity of these films.
Disney movies have played a part in inspiring our childhood and dreams. Will these live action adaptations live up to these iconic films from the past? Hopefully.
Image courtesy of screenrant
