Why’s it Forgotten? Disney Remakes

https://lebeauleblog.com/2020/09/11/whys-it-forgotten-disney-remakes/

Well I guess it’s not entirely the same thing. It feels like Disney has been remaking or giving a sequel to everything they’ve made that’s popular since 2016. When they aren’t doing that, they’re making a sequel to everything they bought that’s popular (i.e. Pixar, Marvel, or Star Wars). Granted they also do book adaptations (i.e. Wrinkle in Time or Artemis Fowl) and Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar still make original films from time to time but the sequels and remakes do tend to outweigh everything else nowadays.

In the 90’s, while they started the direct to video sequels and did remake their past films in that period, they still had plenty of original live action movies. Granted most of those “original films” were forgettable kiddie fair no one who wasn’t 10 or below in the 90’s remembers but, still, they did make a lot of non-franchise films in the 90’s.

And they also had the Disney Renaissance back then, which most would agree is their biggest achievement from that period.

Nowadays, though, everything outside of Pixar, WDAS, or the occasional Marvel movie that’s introducing is a new superhero, is either a remake or a sequel to a big franchise. And even those three are technically all part of their own franchises plus WDAS hasn’t made an original film since, well, 2016 (though, to be fair, if it wasn’t for the pandemic, they did have an original film coming out this year).

That all being said, there weren’t as many remakes in the 90’s and 00’s. Last year there were 4 remakes and a sequel to a remake. There are also several Disney remakes in production. While there were only 12-13 remakes throughout 13 years. So I think it didn’t feel quite as, I dunno, overwhelming?

While Disney has had notable live action films in the past (i.e. Mary Poppins), they are mainly known for animation as most of the movies they’ve made are considered “classics”. The Parent Trap, Homeward Bound, and The Absent Minded Professor were successful in their time but they aren’t really seen as classics the way Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella are.

So I think the recent slate of remakes are talked about more than the 90’s or 00’s remakes are because people are more protective of them seeing as they are based on the animated movies rather than the live action movies.

Plus most of these movies have been forgotten. The Parent Trap is arguably more popular than its predecessor (though it might depend on which generation you ask plus I think starting Lindsay Lohan’s career has helped it stay in peoples memories somewhat) and, if nothing else, I think people are aware that Glenn Close played Cruella DeVille and, if we count Brandy’s Cinderella, I think people remember that for its racial blind casting but the others?

Well Homeward Bound was well reviewed and successful at the box office but does anyone talk about it at all anymore? And The Jungle Book ’94, Flubber, That Darn Cat!, Freaky Friday 2003, Herbie: Fully Loaded, and The Shaggy Dog have been all but forgotten. And most of the movies they were based on have been forgotten as well. Of course The Jungle Book is well known, Freaky Friday started an entire cliche, sure, and The Love Bug started a franchise, but again a franchise I think older generations would be more aware of, however what impact have The Absent Minded Professor, The Darn Cat!, and The Shaggy Dog really had on pop culture?

I think this all goes back to that, for the longest time, Disney’s animated movies were more popular and synonymous with the studios than their live action movies were. Even when their live action movies were successful, unless maybe they started a franchise (i.e. The Santa Clause or The Mighty Ducks), they were usually all but forgotten. And even those franchises I just mentioned are probably more well known among the people who were young enough to have grown up with them than anyone outside the target audience.

But, with their animated films, at least as far as the renaissance goes, they are so well known that, even if you haven’t seen them, you’ve probably heard of them or might even be aware of their songs. I mean, hello, Song of the South is literally banned in the United States but everyone knows Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah!

At the end of the day, the live action movies just don’t usually have that big of an impact.

Which is why I think the past slate of remakes has been all but forgotten. Nowadays Disney is remaking movies that are considered flat out classics. Back in the 90’s, they were remaking movies that were popular in their day but had been mainly forgotten about. And the only exceptions were, well, the two (possibly three) movies they remade that were remakes of animated movies.