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Disney’s Live-Action Remake Cancellation Shows It Might’ve Finally Learned Its Lesson
The last few years have shown a rise in Disney live-action remakes, and it’s safe to say that fans have had a lot of opinions about this. While there’s no denying that some of these live-action remakes have been a resounding success (with Lilo and Stitch recently paying out), others were certified flops right from the beginning. It’s hit the point where the whole Disney live-action remake thing has become a bit of a joke for fans. However, recent news may indicate that Disney has finally learned its lesson, indicating that it’ll be making smarter moves going forward, instead of picking a trend and forcing it forward.
Most recently, fans were made aware that Disney’s live-action adaptation plans for The Aristocats have been cancelled. While the 1970 animated film is beloved by many, most would agree that the animal-filled cast was not the best candidate for the live-action treatment; it was a common point of concern revolving around previous Disney adaptations. While that may sound like bad news on the surface, this cancellation may signal a bigger moment in Disney’s plans. Perhaps this means that Disney will stop copying and pasting the same ideas across the line.
Live-Action Pauses and Cancellations
The live-action adaptation of The Aristocats had been on the table for quite some time, and yes, it faced pauses and stagnation. It seems that most progress had stalled out, following the 2023 announcement. Any updates from that point were few and far between, which is usually a bad sign when it comes to production. We’ve all seen it happen. So fans were probably already anticipating the news.
The Aristocats isn’t the only film facing pauses and concerns, as Disney likewise paused production for Tangled earlier this year. Disney stepping back from Tangled may be somewhat surprising, given how successful the animated version was. However, Snow White’s flop has almost certainly given Disney reason to hesitate.
What This Means For Future Disney Remakes
Disney’s cancellation of one live-action remake does not spell the beginning of the end for future remakes. Realistically, Disney is likely taking a good, hard look at their list of adaptations and making decisions about which ones are worth pursuing and which ones are better left on the table.
Let’s look at it this way: The Aristocats is a predominantly animal-led cast, meaning that Disney would have to lean heavily on CGI to create their “live-action” adaptation. We saw this with The Lion King and Mufasa, and it was not the first choice most fans would have made. While CGI can do some amazing things, it tends to fall short in terms of emotional engagement. It’s not hard to guess how that might be bad for any Disney movie, especially one about adorable cats.
Disney shelving Tangled reinforces this theory, as while the cast is largely human, Rapunzel’s hair would have been a nightmare to create, leaving fans to believe it would have required a whole lot of CGI to make it believable. Disney ruling out live-action adaptations that require heavy use of CGI means that the company can instead focus on films that can truly be live-action.
Don’t Worry, Live Action Remakes Aren’t Going Anywhere
Don’t worry, Disney dropping one or two films from the live-action roster does not mean that the House of Mouse is giving up on the idea altogether. Lilo and Stitch just made $1 billion in revenue, and Disney is not going to walk away from the temptation of making that work again.
Hopefully, this means that Disney has learned to be more discerning in what films it chooses. Disney’s live-action adaptation of Moana is still going strong, indicating that the company is making a meaningful pivot in films it chooses. Out of the three films (Moana, Tangled, and The Aristocats), Moana would have had the easiest time applying practical effects and authentic performances, which helps explain why Disney saved one while turning away from the other two. It doesn’t hurt that Moana also lets Disney really lean on the star power, thanks to Dwayne Johnson.
Looking at it from the outside, these cancellations could mean that Disney is no longer green-lighting projects based purely on a nostalgic factor or even brand recognition. They could be taking the bigger picture into account, such as executive turnover, adaptation costs, and audience reception. This is fantastic news for fans, as it means we’ll be getting only the best of the best. The movies that make it through this new process will be the ones that Disney has the most faith in, and that should mean we all win.
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