Is it weird to anyone else that they used the exact same voice line from the original movie in this trailer?
I see it as a remake. They are replacing those beloved characters. I have gotten flack for this view. I have endured rants that I need to stop looking at it as "replacing" the actors and "remaking" the film.
They liken it to when everyone was so upset Heath Ledger was cast to "replace" Jack's Joker. I hated the whole Dark Night thing, but Ledger didn't replace Jack because Jack didn't make it "his" character, Ledger did though.
And that's the same thing William's did with Genie. The character was Williams, just with a different backstory.
Any new portrayal of Genie will either try to recreate William's version and pale in comparison, or create a different archetype and pull the character away from what made it a classic in the first place.
Overall I like remakes, I loved the new Jungle Book. Most likely because I wasn't that invested in the original.
Some stories translate well and need a modern update. Ocean's 11 was really enjoyable whereas the sequels were not. And to be honest I still enjoy Lohan's The Parent Trap when I catch it on TV.
But whether a remake is basically telling the exact same story with updated details or just keeping the basic idea of the story and building it into something new and fresh by telling a new story there needs to be a reason for the changes to be believable.
With Disney on a remakes kick I don't see any reason beyond money. Again money. And maybe more money. And more money. They told timeless masterpieces and it is hard to compete against that.
In total Disney has already or will remake 22 of its classic animations into live action films including:
- The Lion King
- Aladdin
- The Little Mermaid
- Beauty and the Beast
- Lilo and Stitch
- Mulan
- Pete's Dragon
- Lady and the Tramp
- Sword in the Stone
- Pinocchio
- 101 Dalmations
- Snow White
- Mary Poppins
- Winnie the Pooh
- The Jungle Book
- Sleeping Beauty
- Cinderella
- Alice in Wonderland
- Dumbo
Among that list I can't think of a single one (that's been released) that stands above the original save for The Jungle Book.
Maybe that's me, maybe the new live action versions will be the classics for the kids of today. But the way I see it the Disney that made those classic animations is not the same Disney that recycling some of its old IP to make money.