“‘We’re just going to start over and sell it to them in a different form,'” John Musker said of Disney’s animated or live-action remakes.
The little Mermaid Director John Musker is making waves over Disney’s live-action remake.
In an interview with Spanish media El Pais, The prolific animator, who co-directed the 1989 original with longtime collaborator Ron Clements, criticized the studio’s habit of remaking and reimagining its animated classics like 2019’s. The Lion King and 2023 Little Mermaid.
“Companies are always thinking, ‘How can we reduce our risk? They like that, right? We’ll just start again and sell it to them in a different form.’ Or they think, ‘Well, we could make it better,’” the retired Disney animator said. “I think there was a question even with The little Mermaid. They didn’t emphasize the father-daughter story, and that was kind of the heart of the film. »
Musker also criticized realistic redesigns of old cartoon creatures, including the crab-eating crustacean Sebastian (voiced by Daveed Diggs) and Ariel’s fish friend Flounder (Jacob Tremblay).
“And the crab – you could look at live animals in a zoo and they would have more expression, like with The Lion King” Musker continued, referring to Jon Favreau’s photo-realistic remake. “That’s one of the fundamental things about Disney, is the appeal. This is what animation does best. If you’re doing something animated, take advantage of all its qualities and imagination.”
He then echoed recent comments from Disney CEO Bob Iger, who described Disney as an “entertainment-driven company” in an interview with CNBC. Screamed in the street. While Disney aims to continue to attract a “very diverse audience” with positive messages, Iger said that “making the message kind of the number one priority in our films and TV shows is not what we do.”
“We weren’t trying to be woke, although I understand the criticism. The classic Disney films didn’t start out trying to convey a message. They wanted you to become involved in the characters, the story and the world , and I think that’s still the heart of the problem,” Musker said. “You don’t have to rule out agendas, but you have to first create characters that you empathize with and are compelling. I think they need to course correct a little bit by putting the message on the back burner, behind the entertainment and a compelling story and endearing characters.”
Between 1986 and 2016, Musker and Ron Clements co-directed Disney animated films. The Great Mouse Detective, The little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, Treasure Planet, The princess and the FrogAnd Moana. The latter was released in 2016 but was the most released film of 2023 in the United States, explaining why Disney will release the CG animated film Moana 2 in theaters this fall before translating the original film into a live-action adaptation starring starring Dwayne Johnson in 2026.
“I hope they do it well,” Musker said of the live-action. Moana“but we had nothing to do with that.”
Disney Live Action Little Mermaid starred Halle Bailey in the title role opposite Javier Bardem as her father, King Triton, Jonah Hauer-King as the human Prince Eric, and Melissa McCarthy as the intriguing sea witch Ursula. With new and original music by original Little Mermaid composer Alan Menken and Moanaby Lin Manuel-Miranda, the remake was released theatrically over Memorial Day weekend in 2023 and grossed $569.6 million at the worldwide box office.
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News Source : comicbook.com
