from Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Remakes have always been popular with Hollywood studios, but the trend over the past decade has been to take a hit animated film and then remake it in live action, and it’s usually a hit the second time around. Disney has already made live-action versions of its Renaissance-era films from the 1990s, inclusive Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaidand Mulan.
Now the studio is remaking the classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfsfollowed by Moanabut it ignores two films that didn’t do well at the time but are now cult classics. Both Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Planet were part of the company’s last effort with traditional animation, and both films are now recognized as hidden gems that would be amazing in live action.
Why Atlantis: The Lost Empire Needs a Live-Action Remake
Atlantis: The Lost Empire was released in 2001, unfortunately hitting theaters two weeks later Dreamworks approached Disney and punched them in the face Shrek. It was pure old-school adventure that broke Disney’s renaissance string of musicals.
When the research submarine Odysseus encounters Atlantis, the crew is betrayed and must save the kingdom with the help of Kida, an Atlantean princess. It looks great, thanks to its cutting-edge mix of traditional and CGI animation, but the story is also solid. Unfortunately, the audience didn’t show up, which they do Atlantis: The Lost Empire perfect for Disney’s next live-action remake.
Of course, you can argue with that too Atlantis: The Lost Empire already exists live as Stargate as it has a lot in common with the original 1994 film. There’s also the fact that the animation and design are part of the film’s appeal, thanks to the work of Hellboy creator Mike Mignola.
The world Mignola envisioned is so vivid, vibrant, and beautiful that it would be just as or even more impressive in live action. Unlike other live-action Disney remakes, this is not a musical; it’s a pulp adventure that has more to do with Indiana Jones than it does Aladdinand modern cinema is sorely lacking this type of films.
Why Treasure Planet Needs A Disney Remake Now!
One year later Atlantis: The Lost Empire less represented, Disney released Treasure Planetthat’s exactly what it sounds like: Treasure Island in space. like the muppets proved with Tim Curry The Muppet Treasure IslandRobert Louis Stevenson’s classic adventure story is timeless and one of those stories that needs to be adapted, with each generation adding their own perspective to it.
No Disney live-action remakes have yet been affected science fictionwhich would help him stand out against the likes of Moana or The Lion King. There have been very few big-budget theatrical, family-friendly sci-fi adventure films in the last decade, so it would be a hit almost by default.
Treasure Planetlike Atlantis: The Lost Empire before it, pushed the boundaries of animation during its release, featuring traditional 2D animation overlaid on top of CGI. It still looks fantastic today, and if it was translated in the style of the live-action Disney remake, it would still look phenomenal, as evidenced by Guardians of the Galaxy movies.
After characters from Treasure Planet began appearing in the Disney Trading Card Game Lorcainterest in the film rose among those too young to see it in 2002. There is an audience for this story.
Leaving money on the table
Both Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Planet would also be a different type of Disney live-action remake as they underperformed and could be bought out. This is in contrast to the company’s current boring but financially efficient approach to remaking massive hits.
Both of these movies are cult classics, and you’ll find people asking where to find Disney theme park merchandise for them, but it’s not there. Add that as yet another reason why second-chance vault slips can work so well for a company that seems only interested in short-term cash.
While we wait for Disney to wake up, I’m going to go watch Stargate again.
