Highlights
- Disney plans to release both Moana 2 and a live-action remake, indicating a wavering commitment to past classics.
- The reliance on classic remakes hints that Disney is unwilling to take risks and develop new, original content.
- Disney should learn from Marvel’s success by focusing on original projects rather than constantly remaking recent animated films.
Over the last decade, Disney has opted to revisit its classics by breathing new life into them with live-action adaptations. From Cinderella, to Beauty and the Beast, and even The Lion King, Disney has proven that its path forward is by revisiting its past. Or at least, that appeared to be Disney’s plan until Moana. With both a sequel to the hit animated film, and a live-action adaptation planned, it seems Disney is no longer willing to pick a lane and that is a problem.
In February, Disney surprised audiences by announcing that Moana 2 would be released later this year. The long-awaited sequel to the hit animated series. The news actually came months after the studio announced that a live-action Moana remake was in the works, with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson expected to reprise his role as the demigod, Maui. That film is set to see a new actress portray the titular character, with production set to take place later this year. With two different Moana films on the way, it begs the question: What exactly is Disney’s plan going forward? Will animated films still get sequels, or are live-action remakes the way to go?
Disney is Too Reliant on its Classics
When Moana hit theaters in 2016, the film quickly proved to be a success for Disney having earned $643.3 million at the worldwide box office. Many fans expected the studio to quickly announce a sequel, but instead, Disney intended to make a Disney+ series rather than a sequel. Or at least, that was the original plan. The series was retooled into a feature film which will hit theaters later this year as a sequel. According to Variety, that decision ultimately came down to Disney CEO Bob Iger noting that they were blown away by what they saw of the series, and wanted to give it a theatrical release instead of a streaming release. The film is now set to hit theaters around Thanksgiving, nearly eight years after the first film’s release and just eight months before the release of the live-action remake. With Moana 2 finally happening, though, why is Disney still moving ahead with the remake of the first film?
Like other studios, Disney has found success in revisiting some of its biggest titles. Beauty in the Beast, starring Emma Watson as Belle, was a huge success for the studio, taking in an impressive $1.26 billion at the worldwide box office. Aladdin and The Lion King also managed to join the billion dollar club, proving there were audiences ready to relive these classics in a new light. Even still, those films were re-imaginings of classics that have been around for decades. Moana is still relatively new. And while Aladdin and The Lion King did receive sequels, they received them long before a live-action remake was ever in the works. Moana is taking a far different path with both a sequel and a live-action film in the works, one that Disney hasn’t done before, especially so close together. It suggests a lack of interest in taking risks, opting instead to rely on what has been proven already.
Moana and Disney’s Future
So, what is Disney’s plan going forward? Will it continue to stick to breathing new life into some of its best animated titles by giving them live-action adaptations? As it stands, a live-action Lilo & Stitch just recently wrapped production, and that’s just one of many productions on the way. The studio is also working on Mufasa: The Lion King, Hercules, Bambi, and Snow White, having just recently released its Little Mermaid re-imagining. It seems unlikely Disney has plans to stop with its live-action remakes. It’s almost as if the studio has become reliant on what has worked in the past, and is unwilling to take the risks it once thrived on. Rather than picking a lane, the studio looks happy to produce both sequels to its recent films, and live-action remakes. While there certainly is room for its live-action re-imaginings, that doesn’t mean every film needs one.
How Disney Can Learn From Marvel Studios
There are plenty of other stories worth exploring, risks worth taking, rather than relying on the past. It’s a lesson one would’ve hoped Disney could’ve taken away from Marvel Studios’ success. Not only did Marvel manage to make Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor household names, but they managed to make people excited about the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. These are characters that the general public lacked any knowledge about, but ones that they quickly fell in love with once the movies were released. If Marvel could build an entire franchise that is still running to this day, then surely, Disney could find other stories worth telling on the big screen.
Rethink Which Franchises Need Remakes
Most of the live-action remakes have been of Disney’s classics, films that were made long ago. Moana is still relatively new. There is no reason to remake the first film, not when it isn’t even a decade on. Instead, why not simply focus on expanding the franchise? Allow fans to grow with these characters, further their stories and allow them to thrive as animated projects. Give the film time to truly establish itself as a Disney classic. T
here’s simply no reason Moana should be getting a sequel and a live-action remake within the span of eight months. Disney is too focused on making sure they continue with what works, and Moana has proven to be successful already. The issue is that releasing a sequel and a remake so close together almost seems detrimental to the franchise. Perhaps down the line, a live-action remake of Moana would make sense, but not as the studio is seeking to further develop these characters and their stories.
Going forward, Disney should take the time to build new franchises and worlds for fans, rather than trying to cling to what worked for them before. Live-action remakes are fine, but not every animated film needs one. Much like how not every film needs a sequel. As it stands, though, Disney needs to pick a lane: remakes or sequels. Not both.
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