Disney Movie Eras: Live Action Remakes to 2016
This month continues a new series of blogs for fans of popular culture. Whereas in the past explorations of Walt Disney films we highlighted individual works, we will now be talking about the larger groupings of movies, and the various artistic and commercial visions sought for and achieved from said movies.
A quick run though of the eras:
The Golden Age: 1937-1941
Wartime: 1942-1949
The Silver Age: 1950-1967
The Bronze Age: 1968-1988
The Renaissance: 1989-1999
Post-Renaissance: 2000-2009
Revival: 2010-2019
Streaming: 2020-Present
As you can see, the various eras are inspired by historical art movements over the year, as well as comic books. You can draw the parallel, for instance, between the Italian Renaissance, or between the iterated variations of popular superheroes like Batman and Superman.
We will also be covering Disney live action films. The list of films owned by the Walt Disney Corporation is quite expansive because it includes multiple studios and production companies, such as Touchstone Pictures, Pixar, and more. And for good measure, we will also cover animated films that released without the official Walt Disney Pictures branding, as well as films that only released via television or Disney +.
So buckle up everyone as we retread the Disney films of years passed:
Today we are beginning a new sub-category covering Disney's biggest trend of the last 30 years, the Live Action Remakes. That's right folks, Disney's been doing this since 1994, so buckle in as we start covering films. There's a lot to highlight and Disney's still releasing them, so expect this category to expand over the next few entries.
First, let's define our term. What is a Live Action Remake? We are talking about remakes of films, previously animated, now filmed in live action, or in a live action-like manner. These include obvious Live Action Remakes like Cinderella (2016) as well the completely animated, but realistic-appearing The Lion King (2019). This also includes films based even on short films, but distinctly NOT films based on theme park rides.
Beginning our retrospective is a film most casual fans aren't even aware of. That's right, Disney has remade The Jungle Book twice now, and the first time was 1994's Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. Starring Jason Scott Lee as an adult Mowgli, the film is... well, it's not quite a remake, but more of a sequel, since it's an older Mowgli, and his adventures in the first film have presumably already finished. The cast is star-studded, featuring Lena Headley, Cary Elwes, Sam Neil, and John Cleese! Nearly thirty years later Lee would work again for Disney in their remake of Mulan, while Lena Headley would eventually secure big roles in 300 and Game of Thrones.
1996 saw the release of an even bigger film. Adjusted for inflation, this film was the most successful Live Action Remake until The Lion King in 2017. Popularly known as 101 Dalmatians: Glenn Close Edition, this film saw Close as the infamous Cruella Deville, hamming it up for the cameras in delightful villainous camp. Close was so enamored with the role, she happily reprised for the sequel, 102 Dalmatians, as well as executive producer and creative mind behind the more recent revival, Cruella. The film also featured the comedic brilliance of Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams, two actors early in their careers before becoming popular in the roles of Dr. Who and Mr. Weasely respectively. 101 Dalmatians was also notable for its use of CGI in creating the numerous Dalmatian puppies in their many scenes.
Four years later, the sequel released, to notably less success. Despite Close's involvement, the film underperformed. Not helping it was the fact that Roger, Anita, Nanny, Boris and Jasper all failed to return, being replaced by newer and less memorable characters.
In 2010 Disney formally began its Live Action Remake strategy, and they started with one of their oldest films. And yet, like The Jungle Book, this was not entirely a remake. Produced by Tim Burton, the film of course stars two of the celebrated artist's best friends, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter as The Mad Hatter and The Red Queen. Alas, poor Mia Wasikowska did not get top billing in her own film. As our earlier comment implies, this film was more of a spiritual sequel, a live action follow-up to the 1950 movie starring a grown-up Alice who avoids pending nuptials by falling down the rabbit hole. Instead of simply visiting Wonderland, Alice must instead save it. Alice in Wonderland was also the first Disney movie to earn over $1 billion during its initial run.
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a live action re-imagining of the popular segment from Fantasia. Nicholas Cage plays Balthazar, an apprentice of Merlin, who is looking for his successor and apprentice, who turns out to be Dave (Jay Baruchel), a young boy destined to save the world from evil Morgonnian witches and warlocks. Strangely enough, this film also serves a bit as a live action sequel to The Sword in the Stone, focusing more on Merlin than King Arthur, and does not feature Yen Sid, the original sorcerer from 1940.
Disney's next remake would be their biggest yet. Angelina Jolie helms as Maleficent herself in this dark reimagining of Sleeping Beauty. Maleficent serves as an origin tale for the title character, showing her origins as a powerful fairy, the betrayal that leads to her becoming 'evil', and the character's redemption. That's right, Maleficent doesn't just survive the film, she becomes the hero! Filming began in 2012 and released in 2014, to be followed five years later by a sequel.
Produced at the same time as the previous film, Cinderella would serve as a more faithful retelling of its titular princess. Lily James stars as Ella opposed Richard Madden as Prince Kit and Cate Blanchett as the Stepmother. The film found success with its breathtaking visuals and the judicious expansion of the story just enough to give the film some extra interest and make all of the characters a little more empathetic. While it didn't come close to matching Alice's $1 billion figure, the film was still a solid hit. Critically speaking, it remains one of the most appreciated of the remakes, and arguably the highest rated one.
In 2016 Disney followed with a true remake of the 1960s film. The Jungle Book, produced and directed by Jon Favreau, has a star studded cast as well. Apart from Neel Sethi as Mowgli, the mostly CGI film also features the talents of Bill Murray as Baloo, Ben Kingsley as Baghera, Christopher Walken as King Louie, Scarlet Johansson as Kaa, and Idris Elba as Sher Khan. The Jungle Book was hugely successful, earning over $960 million and becoming one of the most successful (and improved) live action remakes.
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Of the recent Live Action Remakes, Alice: Through the Looking Glass is the first film to get a sequel. This time, Johnny Depp has to share the film poster with his fellow actors, now including Sacha Baron Cohen as Time, the godlike physical embodiment of that ever progressing construct. Film title aside, the plot strayed further from the plot of Lewis Carrol, as well as the massive box office success of the first film. Against a budget of nearly $300 million including advertising, the film made only $299 million, a technical loss.
Our final entry today is the 2016 remake of the 1977 classic, Pete's Dragon. Spiritually, the remake is mostly identical to the earlier film, though only as a skeleton. The meat, nerves, and tissue, however, are vastly different. The story is told in the more modern day of 1983, Elliot is covered in green fur and walks mostly on all four limbs, and the community comprises largely of foresters and lumberjacks, rather than the quaint fishing village of the original film. The stylistic production differs too, with the film being more of a drama rather than the musical romp of the prior one. And yet, for all of the changes made to this remake, Pete's Dragon feels more honest and earnest than ever. I might prefer the original, but that's entirely my nostalgia speaking, because this film is objectively better made.
Thanks for reading. Stay tuned next month when we cover Pixar Films to 2019.
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