Pixar Chief Content Officer Pete Docter addresses why the animation studio won’t develop live-action remakes. From The Little Mermaid to The Lion King, many of Disney animation’s beloved movies have been adapted into live-action remakes in recent years. Critical reception varies from the live-action Jungle Book‘s 94% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes to the live-action Pinocchio‘s 28%. Some of these reimaginings have been financially lucrative for Disney, including the live-action Lion King grossing more than a billion worldwide, creating speculation about whether Pixar will follow suit.
In an interview with Time Magazine, Docter was asked if Pixar has considered developing live-action remakes for any of their films. The question was asked in light of Challengers star Josh O’Connor expressing his love for Pixar’s Ratatouille and an ongoing fan campaign to cast the actor as Alfredo Linguini in a live-action Ratatouille remake. Despite the public interest in such projects, Docter explained why Pixar is not interested in live-action remakes. Check out his response below:
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.
No Live-Action Remakes Is A Smart Move For Pixar
There Is Too Much Of A Risk To Remake Pixar Movies.
Pixar made a name for itself by telling original stories through cutting-edge animation. From Pixar’s first fully computer-animated feature-length film, Toy Story, to its most recent release Inside Out 2, the studio has continually found visually innovative ways to tell meaningful and imaginative stories that can be understood and enjoyed by all ages. Whether the studio is crafting a sequel, spinoff, or an entirely new premise, this approach has remained consistent, with Pixar maintaining its quality even when the box office returns did not meet expectations.
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Live-action remakes would undermine too much of what defines Pixar, from taking away the animation to overly relying on stories that have already been told. A Toy Story or Inside Out sequel provides new opportunities for animation and storytelling, whereas a live-action remake would be expected to simply rehash what the studio has already achieved, but in a less satisfying form. Live-action remakes are criticized when they deviate from the source material while also being criticized for making changes that stray too far from the original story, placing them in a generally unwinnable situation.
One of Pixar’s greatest strengths is how the films stand the test of time. Twenty-nine years later, Toy Story remains a beloved film, and even those without the benefit of becoming part of a franchise, including Ratatouille, Wall-E, and Coco, continue to be celebrated. The live-action Jungle Book and Lion King may have found their respective critical and financial success, but none of Disney’s live-action reimaginings have formed a legacy or enduring fanbase akin to most Pixar films.
Source: Time Magazine
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