Disney‘s Live-Action Remake Strategy is Stifling Original Animation – and “Treasure Planet” Holds the Key to Fixing It
By Julia Evans, World-Today-News.com – July 12,2024
LOS ANGELES,CA – disney’s recent box office results paint a stark picture: while live-action remakes can deliver blockbuster profits,the relentless pursuit of this strategy is demonstrably harming the studio’s original animated output. The success of films like the recently released Lilo & Stitch (2024),which surpassed The Lion King (2019) to become the highest-grossing animated-to-live-action film of all time,masks a troubling trend – a decline in both the quantity and quality of Disney’s original animated features.
The financial failure of Snow White (2024), grossing a mere $205 million worldwide against a $250 million budget, initially signaled a potential shift. Though, Lilo & Stitch‘s billion-dollar success has seemingly doubled down on the studio’s reliance on familiar properties. This isn’t simply a case of capitalizing on nostalgia; it’s a self-perpetuating cycle that actively disincentivizes risk-taking and genuine creativity.
Since 2015, Disney has consistently released at least one live-action remake annually. In contrast, Walt Disney Animation Studios has released only six original animated features in the same period. More concerningly, the performance of these originals has steadily declined since the critically acclaimed and commercially accomplished Zootopia and Moana in 2016. Recent releases Wish (2023) and Strange World (2022) were both box office disappointments, with Strange World earning the dubious distinction of being one of modern cinema’s biggest flops.
This isn’t to say all remakes are inherently bad. but Disney needs to fundamentally rethink which stories it chooses to revisit.Currently, the studio favors guaranteed hits, leveraging pre-existing popularity. A more innovative approach would be to breathe new life into films that underperformed upon their initial release – offering a chance for redemption and demanding a higher degree of originality to attract audiences.
Enter Treasure Planet. Released in 2002 alongside Lilo & Stitch, this ambitious sci-fi adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic Treasure Island was a monumental box office failure, costing a reported $140 million and grossing just $109.6 million worldwide.
Yet, Treasure Planet was, and remains, a critical darling. The film garnered praise for its groundbreaking blend of traditional hand-drawn animation and cutting-edge CGI, creating a visually stunning and unique aesthetic. It even received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.
A live-action remake of Treasure Planet presents a compelling prospect. The film’s ethereal outer space setting and innovative visual style would be perfectly suited to modern CGI techniques. More importantly, reimagining a film that was initially undervalued allows Disney to demonstrate genuine artistic vision, rather than simply rehashing well-worn territory.
Disney’s current strategy is a dangerous game. Prioritizing safe bets over creative risks threatens the future of original animation, not just at Disney, but across the industry.By looking beyond the obvious choices and embracing the potential of forgotten gems like Treasure Planet, Disney can reignite its creative spark and ensure a vibrant future for cinematic storytelling.
Keywords: Disney,Live-Action Remakes,Animation,treasure Planet,Box Office,Film Industry,Wish,Strange World,Lilo and Stitch,Snow White,Zootopia,Moana,CGI,remake Strategy,Film Criticism.
