Disney lure in Sarah Polley, Guillermo del Toro puts Doug Jones in an employment crisis; Warner Bros tries to serenade Christopher Nolan with promises like “I swear, I’ve changed baby!” and Steven Soderbergh does the most shocking thing of his career, he doesn’t surprise us.
Sarah Polley to Direct Bambi Remake
Oscar-winning director Sarah Polley is in talks to direct a live-action adaptation of Disney’s classic, Bambi. The news comes after Polley’s recent win for Best Adapted Screenplay for her film Women Talking. The project is in its early stages of development and is set to be a musical featuring music from six-time Grammy-winning country star Kacey Musgraves.
At this point, it feels like we already know there isn’t too much of a cultural taste for these remakes. It’s clear that people are going to these movies, but it feels like no one remembers them the second they step out of the cinema. Compare the box office returns of these live-action remakes to their Letterboxd score. It feels like what attraction they had has definitely waned since The Lion King, although The Little Mermaid looks like it could buck this trend. You hear more publicity about these films than discourse.
| Film | Year | Box Office ($) | Letterboxd Score |
| Cinderella | 2015 | 542,400,000 | 3.2 |
| The Jungle Book | 2016 | 966,600,000 | 3.2 |
| The Beauty and the Beast | 2017 | 1,266,000,000 | 3.1 |
| Aladdin | 2019 | 1,054,000,000 | 3 |
| The Lion King | 2019 | 1,663,000,000 | 2.8 |
| Lady and the Tramp | 2019 | ? | 2.8 |
| Dumbo | 2019 | 353,300,000 | 2.7 |
| Mulan | 2020 | 70,000,000 | 2.4 |
| Cruella | 2021 | 235,500,000 | 3.6 |
| Pinocchio | 2022 | ? | 2 |
| Peter Pan & Wendy | 2023 | ? | 2.5 |
| The Little Mermaid | 2023 | 466,000,000 | 3.6 |
Polley is just the latest in a long line of well-respected directors who have ended up under the Disney tentpole; Barry Jenkins is lined up to create a Lion King prequel in 2024. There might be people who can take value from these films, and I’m not totally dismissing them conceptually. Still, it’s quite similar to how Marvel took critically-acclaimed directors like Chloe Zhao and gave them a nice juicy cheque for something that feels like it has anything to do with these directors’ distinctive styles. Take the money and run, but seeing someone as established as Polley do it is weird.
Can’t wait for the upcoming Snow White film written by Greta Gerwig or the Lilo & Stitch remake written by the director of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On or…. You get the gist.
Guillermo del Toro Turns His Back on Live-Action
Acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro, known for his work on films like Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, Nightmare Alley, and the Oscar-winning film The Shape of Water, has announced a significant shift in his career. Speaking at the Annecy Animation Film Festival, del Toro revealed his intention to focus primarily on animation in the future. He stated, “There are a couple more live-action movies I want to do but not many. After that, I only want to do animation. That’s the plan.”
Del Toro’s love for animation dates back to his childhood when he began creating what he thought was animation using his father’s Super 8 camera. He is now following up his Oscar-nominated Pinocchio with another animated feature for Netflix: an adaptation of “The Buried Giant,” a fantasy novel by Nobel Prize-winning British writer Kazuo Ishiguro.
While it’ll be a shame not to see too many more films, The Devil’s Backbone, it’s good that del Toro is willing to follow his own path. His Pinocchio was excellent and especially good when compared to Zemeckis’ version, or Benigni’s, for that matter.
Warner Bros Dream of a Christopher Nolan Return
Warner Bros. is reportedly trying to mend its relationship with Christopher Nolan following a fallout in 2021 over the studio’s decision to shift its film release strategy during the pandemic. The studio’s new strategy, which involved sending its entire film slate straight to HBO Max, was met with significant backlash from filmmakers and stars, including Nolan, who had negotiated deals for theatrical releases. This led to Nolan severing ties with Warner Bros. and taking his upcoming film, “Oppenheimer,” to Universal.
However, Warner Bros. Film Group co-CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy are spearheading a shift in strategy at the studio. As part of this shift, they hope to patch things up with Nolan, who had a 20-year relationship with the studio during which he helmed some of its most successful projects, including “The Dark Knight” trilogy and “Inception.” De Luca expressed hope for a reunion, saying, “We’re hoping to get Nolan back. I think there’s a world.”
There are signs that the relationship between Nolan and Warner Bros. may be thawing. The studio sent Nolan a seven-figure royalty check for “Tenet” as a good-faith bonus, with no strings attached. Nolan also returned to the Warner Bros. lot for “Oppenheimer’s” post-production. However, it’s worth noting that Universal may fight hard to keep Nolan on their side, given the promises they made to him of a long theatrical window. The co-CEOs of Warner Bros. acknowledge the uphill battle they face in bringing Nolan back but remain hopeful.
Quite honestly, it’s nice to see a director at the centre of a tug-of-war, especially when we hear stories like Martin Scorsese going around with his hat in hand, begging for financing.
Steven Soderbergh To Direct Horror ‘Presence’
Steven Soderbergh, known for films like Ocean’s Eleven and Contagion, has confirmed that he is working on two new genre films. One of these projects is a comedy, while the other is a psychological horror film titled “Presence.” The horror film is set to start production in September, and Soderbergh has expressed his desire for both films to have a wide theatrical release.
“Presence” is described as a psychological thriller in the vein of horror. The story is set in a suburban house inhabited by an unknown force, hinting at the possibility of a haunted house narrative. This wouldn’t be Soderbergh’s first foray into horror, as he previously directed Unsane, a film about a young woman involuntarily committed to a mental institution where strange occurrences begin to unfold.
Soderbergh’s decision to venture into the horror genre again is exciting news for fans of his work and the genre. As demonstrated in his previous films, the director’s ability to create tension and suspense could lend itself well to the horror genre. Even at his worst, Soderbergh is relentlessly creative, so there’s every chance this could be an interesting watch.
Bronze Screen Dream 