Disney’s Remake Redemption
“I would move the mountains
Encanto
Make new trees and flowers grow
Someone please just let me know where do I go
I am waiting on a miracle, a miracle
I would heal what’s broken
Show this family something new
Who I am inside, so what can I do
I’m sick of waiting on a miracle, so here I go!”
Disney has caught a lot of flak over remakes. Ever since 2014’s Maleficent, there’s been a yearly release. Fans are often divided about their quality because glitz and glamour can’t compete with childhood nostalgia. Higher production costs also prevent the remakes from earning as much as the classics.
We’ve got a different tactic: second chances instead of double-dipping.
Many Disney movies were pushed out of the spotlight by timing or lack of commercial success, but have since developed cult followings. Before we hear announcements of a live-action Frozen, let’s find the five Disney Remakes that they should make next.
Our criteria: nothing from the last decade and nothing that’s already been remade or announced.
Scene Select
Honorable Mention: Fantasia
Starring: Deems Taylor, Leopold Stokowski, Walt Disney (Voice Only)
Taylor: “It’s a series of dances taken out of a full-length ballet called The Nutcracker that [Tchaikovsky] once composed for the St. Petersburg Opera House. It wasn’t much of a success and nobody performs it nowadays, but I’m pretty sure you’ll recognize the music of the suite when you hear it.”
Fantasia
Walt Disney had a brilliant idea in the early 1940s: A concert video pushing his animation studio past its previous limits. Production costs and the outbreak of World War II killed the planned franchise, but it would be perfect now for a Disney Remake with a twist.
The Original: Composer Deems Taylor introduces a series of classical music selections. Each is accompanied by animated shorts of varying tones, including Mickey Mouse’s mischief as The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, a festival celebrating Bacchus set to The Pastoral Symphony, and the Slavic god Chernabog hosting demons for A Night on Bald Mountain.
The Remake: Fantasia was meant to be updated and rereleased every few years. Disney could easily bring back that idea, releasing sequels to buy time for other projects. Perhaps one segment from the original is remade each time to provide familiarity amid classical music from across the world.
Fantasia could also draw fans by having musical legends acting as Masters of Ceremonies. Many viewers wouldn’t recognize accomplished classical musicians, but Paul McCartney? Enya? Lady Gaga, John Williams, or Taylor Swift? There’s your siren song.
#5 The Great Mouse Detective
Voice Actors: Vincent Price, Barrie Ingham, Val Bettin, Susanne Pollatschek
[Dawson wants to know how Basil figured out he’s an army surgeon]
The Great Mouse Detective
Basil: “Quite simple, really. You’ve tied your torn cuff together with a Lembert stitch, which, of course, only a surgeon uses. And the material is a unique form of catgut easily distinguished by its peculiar pungency, found only in the Afghan provinces.”
Dawson: “Amazing!”
Basil: “Actually, it’s elementary, my dear Dawson.”
Disney loves changing famous stories to suit their values. This time they used Eve Titus’ “Basil of Baker Street” featuring a mouse in an adapted Sherlock Holmes story instead of adapting Holmes themselves. It’s time for Disney to remake the unsung hero who saved them from bankruptcy.
The Original: Doctor Dawson is an army surgeon returning to London after a deployment. He meets a young girl named Olivia whose father has been kidnapped. Dr. Dawson brings her to eccentric detective Basil of Baker Street, who deduces that Olivia’s father was taken by crime lord Professor Ratigan. Can they save him and capture that dirty rat?
The Remake: The Great Mouse Detective is a breezy watch at an hour and fifteen minutes. A remake could build upon it with further connections to Holmesian lore. Perhaps a mouse version of Inspector Lestrade guards The Queen? The flirtatious cabaret singer at Ratigan’s could become an Irene Adler analogue playing both sides. Disney could give Bernie Ingham and Vincent Price vocal cameos as the real Holmes and Professor Moriarty, just as the original movie did for Basil Rathbone’s Sherlock.
Beyond adding to the cast, how about sharpening the characters? Dawson could receive a larger dose of Watson’s quiet strength instead of acting as comic relief. Perhaps we see Basil’s origins and inspiration from the human Sherlock Holmes? The characters allude to prior encounters with Ratigan, which would delight audiences as the opening scene of a remake. Show, don’t tell.
Our Cast: Basil’s eccentric energy is a perfect fit for David Tennant, and Stephen Fry would nicely balance his energy as Dr. Dawson. McKenna Grace could keep up with both as Olivia. Replacing Vincent Price’s Professor Ratigan won’t be easy, but Doctor Who’s Ncuti Gatwa is up to the task.
#4 Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Voice Actors: Michael J. Fox, James Garner, Cree Summer, Claudia Christian, Leonard Nimoy
Rourke: “Alright, who’s not dead? Sound off.”
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
2001 was a stacked year for Hollywood. Between Shrek, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and other monster hits, something was bound to be marooned. Now with calmer waters this Disney remake can rise to its rightful place.
The Original: Downtrodden linguist Milo Thatch believes that Atlantis really existed. An associate of his father gives Milo an ancient tome of Atlantean lore and finances an expedition led by charismatic Commander Rourke. The perilous journey leads the crew to Atlantis, where they meet the free-spirited Princess Kida. Milo doesn’t know that he has brought an unseen threat with him.
The Remake: Atlantis: The Lost Empire doesn’t spend much time with that empire. Most of the movie is spent searching for it, then establishing a romance for Milo and Kida before they fight the Big Bad. A remake could explore Atlantean civilization. How do they differ from other cultures? What is their society like?
Milo is written as a White Savior, able to speak Atlantean and use their tech better than their 8000-year old princess. A remake could refocus his success as Kida’s collaborator. Milo’s tome becomes the Rosetta Stone for a forgotten Atlantean language, but the translation doesn’t make sense without her historical and cultural knowledge. Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra, as they say in ancient Atlantean.
Our Cast: Grant Gustin could portray Milo’s anxiety without being annoying. Princess Kida needs agility and grace, so let’s go with Zendaya. Rourke is from a previous generation and warrants an older actor. Jeffrey Dean Morgan fits the bill for a ruthless commander, and Jessica Chastain can play Helga, his second in command.
#3 Disney Remakes: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Voice Actors: Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Tony Jay, Kevin Kline
Clopin: “Up there, high, high in the dark bell tower lives the mysterious Bell Ringer. Who is this creature? What is he? How did he come to be there? Hush, and Clopin will tell you. It is the tale, the tale of a man… and a monster.”
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Second chances are all well and good, but a surefire success appeals more to shareholders. The Notre Dame Cathedral recently reopened after the 2019 fire, so this Disney Remake could strike while the iron is hot.
The Original: Hunchback Quasimodo lives in Notre Dame’s bell tower. While attending a masked festival, he falls in love with Roma dancer Esmeralda, the only person who doesn’t mock his appearance. Quasimodo’s cruel guardian, Frollo, also falls in love with her. Frollo is torn between lust and bigotry as he prepares a genocide against Paris’ Roma population. Can Quasimodo and Esmeralda stop him?
The Remake: The Hunchback of Notre Dame was great, but could benefit from embracing the darker source material. Racism, religious quandaries, and abuse were covered by Disney’s trademark bright colors and non-human sidekicks. Downplaying those elements could allow Victor Hugo’s writing to say the quiet part out loud.
The Notre Dame Cathedral is implicitly alive in the original movie, so a remake could gently lean into those magical elements. Perhaps an angel guides Esmeralda to safety before disappearing. Frollo’s villain song “Hellfire” could replace the red-robed figures with an (imagined?) vision of Hell. There would never be proof of divine intervention, but enough evidence to infer that it’s happening.
Our Cast: Quasimodo needs warmth more than strength or beauty. Nick Frost can pull that off. Esmeralda could spotlight a Romani actor like X-Factor’s Cher Lloyd while Bridgerton’s Rege-Jean Page is picture perfect for her final love interest, Captain Phoebus. Frollo turned from The Lord, so why not cast him with the Dark Lord Voldemort: Ralph Fiennes?
#2 Disney Remakes: Treasure Planet
Voice Actors: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brian Murray, David Hyde Pierce, Emma Thompson
John Silver: “You got the makings of greatness in you, but you gotta take the helm and chart your own course! Stick to it, no matter the squalls! And when the time comes, you’ll get the chance to really test the cut of your sails and show what you’re made of! And… well, I hope I’m there, catching some of the light coming off you that day.”
Treasure Planet
Shiver me timbers, we found it! The lost treasure of Cap’n Disney! This steampunk Robert Louis Stevenson adaptation is due another chance, you may lay to that!
The Original: Delinquent Jim Hawkins finds a dying pirate who gives him a map and warns him to “Beware the cyborg.” His friend Dr. Doppler discovers the map leads to the treasure hoard of infamous Captain Flint. They charter a ship commanded by Captain Amelia to take them to the planet. Jim is assigned to work as a cabin boy alongside John Silver, a cyborg chef. With danger on all sides, can Jim and the crew find Captain Flint’s treasure?
The Remake: Treasure Planet‘s story is fast-paced and well made, but there’s always room for improvement. Much of Jim’s early days on the ship are glossed over in a montage, including events where he bonds with Silver despite his concern that this is the cyborg he was warned of. A remake could cover that period, sacrificing a good John Rzeznik song for better character development.
Captain Amelia begins as a cunning and brave naval captain, but injuries make her a damsel in distress to bolster Dr. Doppler’s story. A remake could allow her a better fight against the pirates, then show her experience by having Amelia develop winning strategies that the uninjured Jim has to perform. That framing allows her to be a second mentor who doesn’t overshadow Jim’s growth.
Our Cast: Jim Hawkins needs to be self-assured, but vulnerable. Xolo Meridauna can be both and is young enough for the role. Put him up against David Harbour as the deadly, but charming, John Silver and you’ve got a winner. Jim Parsons is a perfect fit for know-it-all Dr. Doppler. Round out the crew with Charlize Theron as the prim badass Captain Amelia.
#1 The Black Cauldron
Voice Actors: Grant Bardsley, Susan Sheridan, Nigel Hawthorne, John Hurt
[A woman has broken into Taran’s jail cell]
The Black Cauldron
Eilonwy: “I’m Princess Eilonwy. Are you a lord, or a warrior?”
Taran: “Uh, no. Uh… I-I-I’m an assistant pig-keeper.”
Eilonwy: “Oh, what a pity. I was so hoping for someone who could help me escape. Oh well. If you want to come with me, you may.”
One movie flopped so hard that it almost killed Disney. They’ve distanced themselves from that disaster, but the debt’s come due. The best chance that Disney Remakes has is to face their failures and take another shot at The Black Cauldron.
The Original: Would-be hero Taran is assigned to protect a prophetic pig from The Horned King. He loses it immediately and is captured trying to rescue it. Taran escapes with help from resourceful Princess Eilonwy, grandiose bard Fflewddur Fflam, and mischievous critter Gurgi. The party must find a legendary artifact called The Black Cauldron to stop the Horned King from raising an undead army.
The Remake: The Black Cauldron’s greatest sin is an inconsistent tone. Pitched as a grown-up fairy tale, it failed to appeal to any age. Older fans were bored by childish elements like The Fair Folk and Gurgi, a proto-Jar Jar Binks. Kids were terrified by The Horned King and his skeletal army. The remake needs to decide which audience it wants most and appeal to them.
The Black Cauldron was a compressed adaptation of Lloyd Alexander’s The Chronicles of Prydain. Faithfully adapting that series with Disney’s title is the way to go. With a Star Wars-level budget and the books as a firm guide, The Black Cauldron could become The Lord of the Rings to the original movie’s The Hobbit.
Our Cast: Taran is young and cocky, but has a heart of gold. Mason Thames could work well. Future Supergirl Milly Alcock has what it takes to make Princess Elionwy shine. Rhys Darby is perfect for Fflewddur Fflam, able to play Disney’s bumbling bard or the book’s boastful king incognito. Disney veteran Keith David would make The Horned King a fearsome monster.
What Disney Remake do you want to see? Is there one that would be better? Tell us in the comments.
Image: Rachel Zegler as Snow White in DISNEY’s live-action SNOW WHITE. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Jared Bounacos has written for Movie Rewind since 2016.
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