Disney has been on a remake kick lately, feeling the need to redo just about every movie they produced in the past. There’s something to be said about a lack of creativity in rehashing things that have already been done, and while one may argue that remakes bring the content to a new generation, you could also argue that the new generation should just watch the originals.
Regardless of how you feel about it, Disney has announced that they have another remake in sight, that being the classic Robin Hood: the animated variant where the hero is played by a charming fox. The remake will be made for the Disney+ streaming service, and will allegedly be not only a musical, but a blend of live-action and CGI to remake the anthropomorphic characters. Frankly, we’re not sure how we feel about after the whole Cats debacle, but maybe Disney will get it right.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Kari Granlund who supposedly worked on the screenplay for the Lady and the Tramp remake, is writing the script. Disney is allegedly also considering the talents of Carlos López Estrada, the indie director responsible for Blindspotting and Summertime. On the other hand, the report did not include any indication of whether or not the Robin Hood remake would use the same songs from the 1973 original.
For those out of the loop, that 1973 film pretty much recounted the tale of the legendary folk hero Robin Hood, as he goes about stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. It’s not much different from the general take on Robin Hood, other than the fact that all the characters are anthropomorphic animals. The characters are depicted as foxes, lions, snakes, bears and many more. The original film was also a comedy musical, something that Disney is likely going to rehash in the new one. Back in 1973, this rendition of Robin Hood was hailed as a blockbuster by the New York Times. Chances are the remake won’t have the same impact, but it could still do well.
Either way, this film is just another in a long string of remakes on Disney’s part. They are already releasing the Mulan remake in July, and the Cruella remake is coming in 2021. According to some sources, Disney was even in the midst of remaking The Little Mermaid and Peter Pan when the Coronavirus outbreak pumped the brakes on the entire entertainment industry. We can only assume that development of those remakes will continue once things have settled down and people can return to regular work hours and environments.
The announcement regarding Robin Hood comes just briefly after CEO Bob Iger said that smaller movies with theatrical potential would go to Disney+ instead of the big screen. In such a manner, plans for an Artemis Fowl theatrical release were ditched in favor of such a strategy. How many remakes will be Disney+ exclusive remains to be seen.
