There is a high demand for live action fairytale movies lately and Disney is having no problems keeping up. Right on the glass heels of box office hit, “Cinderella,” the magical company has three more live action films on the way and already had two under its belt.
The trend began in 2010 when Tim Burton released “Alice in Wonderland,” which earned the company $1,025,467,110 worldwide. The film also earned three Academy Award nominations and won two for art direction and costume design. While reviews were not fantastic, it received a large fan base especially for Johnny Depp’s portrayal of the Mad Hatter.
Disney then focused on its animated films (“Tangled,” “Brave,” and “Frozen” for example) until news broke that Angelina Jolie would star as the “Sleeping Beauty” villain, Maleficent, in her own film. It served as a prequel to the animated classic, “Sleeping Beauty,” and opened in May 2014. The film only made $758,410,378 worldwide and fans were angry that the ending did not match with the original. Despite their love for Angelina Jolie’s performance, critics were not wowed by the film.
“Cinderella” was originally green lit in 2010 after the success of “Alice in Wonderland.” However, there were several bumps along the way with directors backing out and the script being rewritten due to artistic differences between the writers, directors and Disney. Casting began in 2012 and filming began in 2013 before being released on March 13 to a large profit of $67,877,361 on opening weekend with positive reviews.
Disney took it one step further when it announced in June that its next live action project would be “Beauty and the Beast.” Emma Watson was cast first as Belle in January, with most of the cast following in March. “Downton Abbey’s” Dan Stevens will play the Beast while “The Hobbit” actor Luke Evans will play Gaston. The film is expected to be released on March 17, 2017.
On March 30, Disney almost broke the Internet when ot announced the plans to bring “Mulan” to life. Ideas had been stirring since 2010 but were shelved for other projects. Fans on social network have already voiced their opinions on the cast, with many hoping they will bring back Eddie Murphy to voice dragon sidekick, Mushu.
Critics and Disney enthusiasts believe “Mulan” will bring diversity to its films. There are accusations of the company white washing its animated classics, particularly 2013’s “Frozen.” Whether the company is doing so knowingly or not, “Mulan” could bring in a new crowd of children and could boost ticket and merchandise sales.
On April 2, Disney announced it was planning a live action “Winnie the Pooh.” No other news has been reported other than who has been penned to write the script.
If you are a child, teenager or adult, Disney has something for everyone, and bringing these animated films to life could make “happily ever after” seem that much more real.
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