Amidst all the excitement coming out of CinemaCon over the studios’ upcoming theatrical slates, news broke this week that the theatrical future of one of Disney’s upcoming high-profile movies was suddenly in doubt. Disney announced that is has put on hold the development of its live-action remake of TANGLED.
Director Michael Gracey (THE GREATEST SHOWMAN) was attached to the project, which was planned to build upon the success of the 2010 animated release with the same title. However, this week’s announcement has called into question the viability of the project.
Many are linking Disney’s decision to stop production on TANGLED to the disappointing financial results of SNOW WHITE, with reports that the studio will lose as much as $200 million on their investment. Some are questioning whether the genre of live-action remakes of animated films has a future at all.
This theory will be put to the test soon, with the May 23rd release of LILO & STITCH followed by the June 13th release of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON. Unlike SNOW WHITE, the reaction from critics to DRAGON’s advanced screening at this week’s CinemaCon was very well received.
Disney may be waiting to see whether a well-reviewed live-action remake before deciding whether SNOW WHITE’s problems were the result of a poor adaptation of the animated original or a more fundamental problem with the genre itself.