Yeah, I`m genuinely curious about this topic. Considering the reputation and stigma of these remakes have been about how they`re inferior to their animated predecessors and how they`re made to fix the mistakes lobbed at their counterparts, I`ve been genuinely curious about this question.
So let`s discuss. How would your ideal Disney remake be like?
How would your ideal Disney remake be like?
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DisneyFan09
- Diamond Edition
- Posts: 4019
- Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2009 2:28 pm
Re: How would your ideal Disney remake be like?
In general, they should not exist.
But if they have to, it has to do something that sets it apart. The lion king could have been done with human actors for example. It sounds pretty out there, but it could be pulled off. Have it take place in a tribe in Africa. Give it some of that broadway flair. You can still have lions and animal symbolism all over the place, but that human element would go pretty far.
Also, they're shooting themselves in the foot by adapting classics that will never be topped. Why not tackle lesser known properties like treasure planet? I know it wouldn't make as much sense from a business standpoint, but that's a movie they probably could improve upon with enough care put into it. You know what remakes I think worked pretty well? Flubber. Kong. These were properties that werent really done justice by any modern standard, and people seemed to enjoy them because there was no real expectation put upon them. Those are the types of movies you remake. When the original has pretty much aged like milk, even if impressive for the time. These disney classics though? They hold up better than any current movie, so why on earth are we trying to remake them?
Cast more unknown actors. And try to at least resemble the type of person shown in the animated versions.
But if they have to, it has to do something that sets it apart. The lion king could have been done with human actors for example. It sounds pretty out there, but it could be pulled off. Have it take place in a tribe in Africa. Give it some of that broadway flair. You can still have lions and animal symbolism all over the place, but that human element would go pretty far.
Also, they're shooting themselves in the foot by adapting classics that will never be topped. Why not tackle lesser known properties like treasure planet? I know it wouldn't make as much sense from a business standpoint, but that's a movie they probably could improve upon with enough care put into it. You know what remakes I think worked pretty well? Flubber. Kong. These were properties that werent really done justice by any modern standard, and people seemed to enjoy them because there was no real expectation put upon them. Those are the types of movies you remake. When the original has pretty much aged like milk, even if impressive for the time. These disney classics though? They hold up better than any current movie, so why on earth are we trying to remake them?
Cast more unknown actors. And try to at least resemble the type of person shown in the animated versions.
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PatchofBlue
- Special Edition
- Posts: 776
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- Gender: Male
Re: How would your ideal Disney remake be like?
These can obviously vary between remakes and the needs of the individual projects, but generally ...
Casting
I'm fine with using celebrity A-listers. I think it's fun when a person could have hypothetically guessed at a certain casting choice, and I like when big names out themselves as Disney fans.
But I also wouldn't restrict myself just to Hollywood or television. For musical adaptations especially, I'd be up for bringing Broadway celebrities into the mix. I think people frequently underestimate, as one example, what a marketing draw it was for theater kids to have Idina Menzel singing in a Disney movie.
I see them as having relative unknowns for the leading pairs, letting these be star-making roles, and filling out the supporting characters with big names.
I'd also personally be fine with lots of race-swapping. There's absolutely room for it.
Writing
The scripts would follow the basic outline of the films they're remaking, but very little copy+paste from the animated screenplays would be involved. Let the writers put in the hard work of crafting the story. There are certain touchstone lines that would naturally make the jump, but I want most of the writing to be fresh.
The older Disney films in particular would need to have a different story shape just to fit in the with expectations of modern filmmaking. More character autonomy, clearer internal conflict, things like that. But animated Mowgli and Snow White are still perfectly fine starting ground for figuring out what those things ought to be. If the writers can't figure out what drew people to the animated film in the first place besides nostalgia conditioning, they aint smart enough to work on this film.
Filling out the runtime would be less about having the characters sit around an exposit little fun-facts about their history and more about creating new opportunities for more interactions, letting the characters reveal themselves to the audience as they progressed toward mutual goals.
Dialogue would be a huge priority for me. Stay away from the Saturday morning cartoon banter. Make it sound like an adult wrote this. You can have intelligent writing that still aims for a child audience.
Also, stay away from revisionism and metatextual commentary. Those have a frighteningly short shelf-life and date the film far quicker than anything else.
Design
These are all fantastical stories, so I'd aim for stylized and formalism. Certain films would fall further along this spectrum than others, but even something like Pan's Labyrinth would make for a nice aesthetic.
Music
Whenever possible, bring back the music team who worked on the original animated film. Aiming for 3 or 4 new songs with each, both character solos and larger ensemble numbers, but we wouldn't commit to that number the story was stronger without it.
Promotion
Market first to die-hard Disney fans. They're the ones who won't be ashamed of seeing a Disney movie on the big screen, and they'll probably bring their roommates. It'll be fine.
Be honest about making adjustments, but see if there's a way to build up the new thing without throwing the old thing under the bus.
I'd probably point to the Aladdin remake as the closest indication for what I think the remakes ought to be: a close reflection of the film it's remaking, but also viable on its own.
Honestly, before I selected a performer (heck, before I even selected a director) I'd genuinely ask each candidate what their favorite Disney movie was and why. I wouldn't even be looking for a specific answer (though anyone who answered Shrek would be politely but immediately dismissed). I just want to establish that they have some kind of connection to the Disney legacy.
I truly don't think every person on these things needs to be like a Disney adult. Drawing from outside the normal circle can bring useful perspective. That said, I wouldn't want anyone on this project who didn't at least have the capacity to appreciate what it would mean to be a part of a Disney movie. They'd obviously have to get in on their credentials and qualifications, but honestly seeing how well this mindset seemed to work for the Wicked movie should convince anyone that there is measurable value in employing people who are fans of the property being adapted.
Casting
I'm fine with using celebrity A-listers. I think it's fun when a person could have hypothetically guessed at a certain casting choice, and I like when big names out themselves as Disney fans.
But I also wouldn't restrict myself just to Hollywood or television. For musical adaptations especially, I'd be up for bringing Broadway celebrities into the mix. I think people frequently underestimate, as one example, what a marketing draw it was for theater kids to have Idina Menzel singing in a Disney movie.
I see them as having relative unknowns for the leading pairs, letting these be star-making roles, and filling out the supporting characters with big names.
I'd also personally be fine with lots of race-swapping. There's absolutely room for it.
Writing
The scripts would follow the basic outline of the films they're remaking, but very little copy+paste from the animated screenplays would be involved. Let the writers put in the hard work of crafting the story. There are certain touchstone lines that would naturally make the jump, but I want most of the writing to be fresh.
The older Disney films in particular would need to have a different story shape just to fit in the with expectations of modern filmmaking. More character autonomy, clearer internal conflict, things like that. But animated Mowgli and Snow White are still perfectly fine starting ground for figuring out what those things ought to be. If the writers can't figure out what drew people to the animated film in the first place besides nostalgia conditioning, they aint smart enough to work on this film.
Filling out the runtime would be less about having the characters sit around an exposit little fun-facts about their history and more about creating new opportunities for more interactions, letting the characters reveal themselves to the audience as they progressed toward mutual goals.
Dialogue would be a huge priority for me. Stay away from the Saturday morning cartoon banter. Make it sound like an adult wrote this. You can have intelligent writing that still aims for a child audience.
Also, stay away from revisionism and metatextual commentary. Those have a frighteningly short shelf-life and date the film far quicker than anything else.
Design
These are all fantastical stories, so I'd aim for stylized and formalism. Certain films would fall further along this spectrum than others, but even something like Pan's Labyrinth would make for a nice aesthetic.
Music
Whenever possible, bring back the music team who worked on the original animated film. Aiming for 3 or 4 new songs with each, both character solos and larger ensemble numbers, but we wouldn't commit to that number the story was stronger without it.
Promotion
Market first to die-hard Disney fans. They're the ones who won't be ashamed of seeing a Disney movie on the big screen, and they'll probably bring their roommates. It'll be fine.
Be honest about making adjustments, but see if there's a way to build up the new thing without throwing the old thing under the bus.
I'd probably point to the Aladdin remake as the closest indication for what I think the remakes ought to be: a close reflection of the film it's remaking, but also viable on its own.
Honestly, before I selected a performer (heck, before I even selected a director) I'd genuinely ask each candidate what their favorite Disney movie was and why. I wouldn't even be looking for a specific answer (though anyone who answered Shrek would be politely but immediately dismissed). I just want to establish that they have some kind of connection to the Disney legacy.
I truly don't think every person on these things needs to be like a Disney adult. Drawing from outside the normal circle can bring useful perspective. That said, I wouldn't want anyone on this project who didn't at least have the capacity to appreciate what it would mean to be a part of a Disney movie. They'd obviously have to get in on their credentials and qualifications, but honestly seeing how well this mindset seemed to work for the Wicked movie should convince anyone that there is measurable value in employing people who are fans of the property being adapted.
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Lavendergolden
- Gold Classic Collection
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Re: How would your ideal Disney remake be like?
I had a wonderful post written out to answer your question as I promised I would. But after negative responses from 1-2 users here, I think I should hold back for now to avoid controversy. If you'd like an immediate answer, I could pm you instead as you and I might receive less flack that way and I don't want your reputation impugned again.
I think the best alternative answer is NO remakes at all and the next best alternative answer is do exactly what Wicked did. PatchofBlue had a wonderfully written and insightful post and I think he deserves props for his answer because it follows what a lot of Disney fans would want. I don't agree with all of it but I agree with a large portion of it.
I think the best alternative answer is NO remakes at all and the next best alternative answer is do exactly what Wicked did. PatchofBlue had a wonderfully written and insightful post and I think he deserves props for his answer because it follows what a lot of Disney fans would want. I don't agree with all of it but I agree with a large portion of it.