If you are a fan of Disney movies, then you may have noticed that the Mouse House has been taking a big leap into creating live-action remakes of some of its most classic animated films. Disney’s live-action remakes really started taking off in 2014 with the release of Cinderella, starring Lily James and Richard Madden.
Since then, Disney has turned a lot more of its animated films into live-action ones, including Aladdin (2019), Pinocchio (2022), and The Little Mermaid (2023).
Related: Live-Action ‘Moana’ Set to Break Longstanding Disney Tradition
Despite their success, live-action remakes have been a source of contention among Disney fans. While they find the occasional remake really enjoyable, many people think that Disney is remaking too many of its animated films.
In spite of the backlash, Disney still has many live-action remakes in the works. Disney is currently working on live-action versions of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Lilo & Stitch (2002), Moana (2016), Hercules (1997), Bambi (1942), Robin Hood (1973), and The Aristocats (1970).
Related: Best and Worst of Disney Live-Action Remakes So Far
Disney is so focused on live-action remakes that some are wondering if the company will start stealing from another studio it owns, Pixar.
Disney purchased Pixar Animation Studios in 2006, and it was one of the smartest business decisions made by CEO Bob Iger during his nearly 20 years in charge. Since teaming up, Disney and Pixar have created some truly memorable movies, including Cars (2006), Ratatouille (2007), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009), Inside Out (2015), and Coco (2017).
Related: New Disney and Pixar Movies; Original Stories or More of the Same?
So, are Pixar live-action remakes on the way? Not if Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter has his way.
In a recent interview with TIME, Docter was asked about potential live-action remakes, and said that he just didn’t like the idea. He is more interested in continuing to create new and original stories.
“No, and this might bite me in the butt for saying it, but it sort of bothers me. I like making movies that are original and unique to themselves. To remake it, it’s not very interesting to me personally.”
He also said that he does not think that Pixar films lend themselves to live-action movies.
“It would be tough. So much of what we create only works because of the rules of the [animated] world. So if you have a human walk into a house that floats, your mind goes, ‘Wait a second. Hold on. Houses are super heavy. How are balloons lifting the house?’ But if you have a cartoon guy and he stands there in the house, you go, ‘Okay, I’ll buy it.’ The worlds that we’ve built just don’t translate very easily.”
Disney and Pixar are on edge as they wait for audiences to react to their newest animated film, Inside Out 2, which will be released in theaters on June 14. Pixar has been struggling since the pandemic hit, with three of its films — Soul (2020), Luca (2021), and Turning Red (2022) –not even being released in theaters.
Then, the movies that were released in theaters, Lightyear in 2022 and Elemental in 2023, were both box office flops. However, Elemental did receive a lot of praise from critics and audiences. It was also a huge hit when it premiered on Disney+. Lightyear, on the other hand, was not popular and multiple executives who worked on the film were laid off by Disney.
Do you think Pixar movies should become live-action remakes? Let us know in the comments!
