Renowned animator John Musker, the genius behind numerous classics that ushered in the Disney renaissance, such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Hercules, is outspoken about his thoughts on Disney's current direction. The Treasure Planet helmer is upfront about what he believes are the less successful aspects of Disney’s recent live-action reimaginings. He also shared his opinions on what adjustments Disney needs to make, particularly concerning their schedule of upcoming live-action remakes.
John Musker teamed up with director Ron Clements on numerous Disney animated classics throughout the late '80s through the mid-2000s, including The Princess and the Frog (2009).
Speaking at the Animayo International Summit in Gran Canaria, Spain, John was candid in his conversation with the Spanish publication EL PAÍS. The 70-year-old veteran animator opened up about his 2009 return to Disney and what the team was trying to do, noting they weren't "trying to be woke." He elaborated:
We weren’t trying to be woke, although I understand the criticism. The classic Disney films didn’t start out trying to have a message. They wanted you to get involved in the characters and the story and the world, and I think that’s still the heart of it. You don’t have to exclude agendas, but you have to first create characters who you sympathize with and who are compelling. I think they need to do a course correction a bit in terms of putting the message secondary, behind entertainment and compelling story and engaging characters.
The Great Mouse Detective writer emphasized the importance of character-driven narratives, stressing that the House of Mouse’s magic has always been rooted in its ability to create compelling and relatable characters. He believes that while it is essential to include progressive themes, these should not overshadow the essence of storytelling. He believes a "course correction" really needs to be made by the company.
According to John, Disney's recent focus on messages can sometimes detract from the engaging, emotional journeys defining its best works. He used the choices The Little Mermaid live action remake ultimately made to highlight what he feels that movie was missing compared to the original (which he did co-direct).
Companies are always like, ‘How do we reduce our risk? They like this, right? We’ll just do it again and sell it to them in a different form.’ Or they think, ‘Well, we could make it better.’ I think there was a question even with The Little Mermaid. They didn’t play up the father-daughter story, and that was the heart of the movie, in a way. And the crab — you could look at live animals in a zoo, and they have more expression, like with The Lion King. That’s one of the basic things about Disney, is the appeal. That’s what animation does best.
The longtime animator has a particular grievance with the 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, specifically its less expressive animal characters. This criticism is understandable, given how personal the original film is to him. Remarkably, the 1989 adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale almost didn't happen, so it's no surprise that Musker feels protective of the story.
In a later part of the interview, the animation veteran shared an unexpected inspiration behind the original film’s second act–an action movie box office hit. He revealed that then-president of Disney, Jeffrey Katzenberg, had a surprising request:
Die Hard had been a box-office hit. So he (Katzenberg) came into the office saying, ‘We need The Little Mermaid to be more Die Hard. That’s how we got the second action sequence, with an Ursula who is as big as the building in Nakatomi Plaza.
The former Disney director's criticisms extend beyond live-action animation. Musker believes the company suffers from having too many cooks in the kitchen regarding their projects. Reflecting on his experiences, he said:
Moana was a very difficult project. It was our idea, but with Pixar and John Lasseter, our story kept changing hands. In the ‘90s, we had Jeffrey. He was an emperor, you know. But there weren’t 10 Jeffreys. Now, you have too many people to satisfy, before we didn’t have 15 directors telling you how to make the movie. But in some ways, they were right, it was a good thing.
Despite these challenges, according to Nielsen's numbers, Moana has proven to be one of the most popular films on streaming platforms. It's widely regarded as a modern-day classic, with a sequel and a live-action remake on the horizon.
The conversation around Disney’s live-action adaptations continues to evolve, and John Musker’s insights provide food for thought. As Disney moves forward, it faces the challenge of honoring its rich legacy while embracing new opportunities, ensuring that the magic of its storytelling continues to captivate audiences of all ages.
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