After the commercial success of Disney’s live-action remake of The Jungle Book, the movie mogul is set to release a slew of revamped classics from Beauty and the Beast, to Dumbo, Mulan, and even Winnie the Pooh. A total of sixteen remakes have been announced so far and although for most this may come both as a surprise and delight, you have to question… do we really need them?
When it was announced that Disney would be remaking its classic, The Jungle Book, the news was exciting and strung chords of nostalgia among those of us who remember singing along as a kid. When it was finally released, the film was received well by both critics and children, however what was most inspiring was the way they immersed us in Mowgli’s world; It’s hard to imagine that it was all created in downtown Los Angeles. In the aftermath of The Jungle Book’s success, Disney began to branch out, arranging for some of their other iconic films and characters to be given the live-action treatment. Here is a list of what’s to come:
- Beauty and the Beast (2017)
- Aladdin
- The Lion King
- Mulan (2018)
- The Little Mermaid
- Cruella (101 Dalmatians)
- Dumbo
- Peter Pan
- Tinker Bell
- The Sword in the Stone
- Pinocchio
- Winnie the Pooh (2017)
- The Jungle Book 2 (2019)
- Maleficent 2
- Rose Red
- Prince Charming
It’s a big list and by the time you’re reading this more will probably have been announced. However, what I am getting at here is that for Disney this is a business move… and a smart one at that. One of the defining things about film is its ability to evoke a spectrum of emotions within a small amount of time, and as you grow up the films that you watched as a child leave imprints in your identity, and are heightened when revisited as an adult. This is part of Disney’s claw. They reel you in by overwhelming you with nostalgia. Not to forget that these films are still for children; they really do have the whole market covered.
One thing that makes the prospect of these remakes so excitable is the choice of directors. Not all the details have been released for these above films, but so far we know that Jon Favreau is set to helm both The Jungle Book sequel, as well as The Lion King, and given his success and the beauty of the first film, this is a good sign. A couple of other interesting visionaries to join the live-action saga is Tim Burton, who is connected to direct the Dumbo remake, and Guillermo del Toro, who is on board to re-invent Pinocchio.
Who knows how all these live-action remakes will pan out… Is there too much? I don’t know, but what I do know is that part of me cannot wait to see the characters that I loved as a kid really come to life. What are your thoughts on all these remakes? Which ones are you most excited for?
