There is plenty of great news right now for a Disney movie fan. First, there is the news that one of my favorite actress’s, Elizabeth Banks, will be filling the little elf shoes of Tinkerbell in a live action movie. Then Disney announces that Guillermo del Toro will be directing the remake of The Haunted Mansion and now (just this morning) I’ve learned that not only is Disney planning on releasing a live action version of Mulan, but that they are courting Zhang Ziyi for the lead role.
I’m excited! And here’s why:
Elizabeth Banks
I don’t really have too much interest in a Tinkerbell movie outside of the Disney talking point it will be the first time the little pixie gets her own actress in a real life lead role. Julia Roberts played her previously in the 1991 film Hook, but somehow this doesn’t count. Based on the targeted demographic for the Tinkerbell franchise, the plot will most likely involve Tinkerbell on a “magical mysterious adventure to see the Jonas brother live in concert”. Despite my love for all things Disney… I do have limits. That being said, I still can’t wait to see Elizabeth Banks fill those tiny pixie shoes. I think she’s a highly underrated actress, who puts 110% of herself into everything she does. I would (will) watch this just for her.
The news about The Haunted Mansion excites me the most. The Haunted Mansion is one of my favorite attractions in all of Walt Disney World and the beautifully crafted story around the attraction is just waiting for someone to adapt it for the silver screen. For those that might not know, this would be the second chance for a Haunted Mansion movie. The 2003 version of the movie, starring Eddie Murphy, didn’t fair as well as I’m sure Walt Disney Entertainment was hoping. Though, if I’m being honest, I didn’t think the movie was bad at all. To the contrary, I really enjoyed it.
What excites me the most about this particular story is the decision to let Guillermo del Toro take the helm. He is nothing short of a brilliant director. His visual masterpiece, Pan’s Labyrinth, is one of the greatest movies of all time. I know this is running counter to what most people would think of a Disney movie, but I would like to see the over arching tone of the movie kept very dark. I think it’s a necessity if they’re attempting to reach “Pirate’s of the Caribbean” level of success.
Zhang Ziyi
Lastly, and maybe a little too early to get my hopes up, the news about casting Zhang Ziyi for a live action Mulan film excites me. Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies and I never really thought it got the recognition that it deserves. I’m happy to see that Disney isn’t trying to give this franchise the Black Cauldron treatment. And they can’t go wrong with Ziyi. She’s absolutely beautiful and her work in both Memoirs of a Geisha and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, is enthralling. The only potential down fall to this arrangement could be poor scripting. Something that, if we’re all being honest, happens a little too often for Disney movies.
August 5, 2010
All About The Mouse, Disney, Media