John Musker believes in the magic of animation!
The original director of Little Mermaid and other Disney films does not like live-action adaptations of animated films, as they lose their ” appeal.” Musker mocked the Little Mermaid live-action film, which starred Jonah Hauer-King, Halle Bailey, Javier Bardem, and others.
Director John Musker didn’t like the The Little Mermaid live-action film
During a chat with Spanish outlet El Pais, Musker disliked some of the live-action Disney adaptations, particularly The Little Mermaid. “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,” he told the outlet.
He took a jab at Sebastian the Crab in the live-action film and said that animals in the zoo could have more expression than that! “That’s one of the basic things about Disney, is the appeal. That’s what animation does best,” he added.
Musker believes that studios fear taking risks
Anything could be deemed offensive in today’s “woke” world! Diversification and inclusion have become crucial, but they deviate from the story-driven films that Disney’s animations once stood for. “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,” Musker said.
According to the director, studios are unwilling to take risks regarding character portrayal and understand why the film Tiana garnered criticism for being “woke.” “We weren’t trying to be woke, although I understand the criticism,” he told El Pais.
Musker believes that engaging characters and storylines are more crucial than moral messaging when it comes to Disney movies. “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,” he added.
