In today’s film industry, almost everything we watch is either a new entry in a franchise, or a remake or reboot of an existing movie. Many have criticized this trend as a sign of Hollywood running out of ideas. However, one could argue that this movement presents some opportunities to introduce some lesser-known movies to a new generation of audiences, while also fixing problems that the original versions of these films may have possessed. Here are five movies from Disney’s “Golden Age” that could greatly benefit from a reboot.
Fantasia (1940)
This cult classic is renowned for seamlessly combining entrancing animation with mesmerizing classical music. Imagine what a modern-day take on Fantasia could be like with today’s visual effects and the talent of celebrated composers like Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, or John Powell!
Though it was revealed in 2015 that Disney is developing a live-action adaptation of the legendary Night on Bald Mountain section of Fantasia, a new version of this beloved animation extravaganza could exploit innovations in digital effects to give viewers the same sense of awe that the original Fantasia instilled in audiences back in 1940. This visual wonder that Disney could present via today’s technology is particularly evident, compared to Fantasia’s more obscure follow-up, Fantasia 2000. One could argue that, visually speaking, Fantasia 2000 hasn’t aged that well, especially compared to the updates CGI effects have undergone in the 18 years since the movie’s release.
For the music behind a Fantasia reboot, the composers assembled could recreate pieces from Leopold Stokowski’s score that accompanied the original movie’s dazzling animation. They could also incorporate new musical arrangements to make this take on Fantasia stand out that much more from its predecessor.
The Three Caballeros (1944)
This musical film saw Donald Duck discovering aspects of Brazil and Mexico’s cultures with his friends Jose Carioca and Panchito Pistoles, respectively. The Three Caballeros was originally made as a goodwill message for South America. With the tense political climate countries worldwide are enduring, an updated version of this movie portraying Latin American countries in an accurate, yet positive, light could help ease tensions with these nations.
Disney has proven that its filmmakers know how to faithfully adapt foreign cultures for their movies, as seen with 2016’s Moana, which accurately captured the assorted traditions of the Pacific Islanders. Moana’s crew researched customs that were subsequently adapted for the movie, including “wayfinding” and how ancient Polynesian navigators utilized it to find new islands to settle.
Disney must ensure the filmmakers behind a remake of The Three Caballeros maintain the cultural attention to detail given to Moana and portray what’s gathered from research in an authentic light. With this, a contemporary version of The Three Caballeros could take viewers on a journey across Mexico and South America, while also helping those countries’ inhabitants see that there are individuals who appreciate the cultures of Latin America’s people.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
This film, like The Three Caballeros before it, is actually a “package film,” as it is made up of two stories based off of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and The Wind in the Willows by Washington Irving and Kenneth Grahame, respectively. The segment of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad that should be rebooted, however, is the story of Ichabod Crane, inspired by The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
The infamous Headless Horseman that pursues Crane during the narrative’s climax has proven to be the stuff of nightmares for countless viewers over the past few decades. This is thanks to his bone-chilling laugh of pure malice, and, perhaps most significantly, relentlessness in pursuing his quarry. By maintaining these characteristics and assembling the right cast and crew, Disney could have a real Halloween classic on their hands if they go all the way with the suspense-building possibilities Ichabod and the Headless Horseman’s tale presents.
Fun and Fancy Free (1947)
Marvel Studios may have shown audiences how massive everything looks from an insect’s perspective with the Ant-Man movies, but who says Walt Disney Animation Studios couldn’t do something similar with a present-day take on the Mickey and the Beanstalk section of Fun and Fancy Free? The possibilities that are available are virtually endless, thanks to the above-the-clouds setting where much of the narrative unfolds.
For instance, the trio of Mickey Mouse, Donald, and Goofy could face opponents unique to their new surroundings, such as titanic birds, towering cloud-like beings, and other gargantuan foes who could serve as obstacles in the trio’s quest to rescue the Golden Harp from Willie the Giant. By adding these threats in, the mission to save the Harp could feel more like a grand journey for our heroes rather than a quick excursion in the original Mickey and the Beanstalk. There, Willie the Giant was the only major antagonist Mickey, Donald, and Goofy had to confront. If Disney allows its filmmakers to let their imaginations run wild with this story, viewers could be treated to a truly unique entry in the beloved animation studio’s vast library of films.
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
While Disney has already done a new version of this animated classic with the live-action 2014 movie Maleficent, that film was merely an alternate version of the events of Sleeping Beauty that fleshed out the villainous Maleficent’s character. If Disney attempted a true reboot/remake of Sleeping Beauty, not only could the filmmakers behind the scenes introduce this fairy tale-adaptation to a new generation of viewers, but it would give them a chance to amend many of the flaws the original possesses.
For example, a contemporary version of Sleeping Beauty could make Princess Aurora a more interesting, three-dimensional protagonist, instead of the walking plot device that the 1959 film portrayed her as. In addition, like the 2015 Cinderella remake before it, a Sleeping Beauty reboot could allow the romance that blossoms between Aurora and the heroic Prince Phillip to develop more organically. The original movie utilized the “love at first sight” cliché, which made the pair’s relationship come off as somewhat forced. By fixing these and other problems, while preserving everything that has made the original Sleeping Beauty so cherished, Disney could present viewers with the definitive adaptation of Charles Perrault’s renowned fairy-tale.
