Is Disney's Revival Era Over?

[Angeldude98]

As we all know, the WDAS film canon is divided into different eras, with the latest era called "The Disney Revival". This latest era began in 2009 with the release of "The Princess and The Frog" (or in 2008 with "Bolt", depending on your point of view).

What defined this era (besides astronomical box office returns) is Disney's return to form in the storytelling and music, and also the willingness to tell unique and unconventional stories. Another defining aspect is the undeniable effect that John Lasseter had in each of these films (Bad behavior or not, the man is a creative genius and knew what he was doing). All these aspects are evident in all the films of this era up until "Moana".

With the departure of Lasseter from Disney, the release of "Ralph Breaks The Internet" (the 4th sequel in the canon), the upcoming "Frozen 2" (the 5th sequel in the canon), and the rumored Zootopia and Big Hero 6 sequels, it seems we are now in a new era of Disney Animation... An era that seems to be defined by sequels and franchises over original output, not to mention remakes (with the current trend of live action remakes). Yes, it may be too soon to affirm this, but it certainly seems that way.

Do you agree that Disney's Revival era is over? Why or why not? What do you think of the current trend of sequels? What do you think is the future of WDAS?

[Farerb]

Yes and no. The animation departments (WDAS and Pixar) might have a slight change now that Lasseter is no longer involved. However, it is important to note that Bob Iger is still CEO of the Disney company. He's really the reason behind so many Pixar sequels and the live action remakes and as long as he is in charge that is not going to change. The reason why Disney didn't have as much sequels this decade is because they wanted to kill hand drawn animation, they really didn't have anything to work with, I guess that will continue into the next decade since they still have only 6 original CGI films, they need more. That's why in my opinion, Iger decided to do the remakes, so now he can make money off of the classics, and he can do sequels to the remakes that succeed financially.

It will be different though in WDAS in terms of storytelling since they no longer bound to Lasseter's old formula.

[thedisneyspirit]

Unless Mulan-CGI, Sadé and Princess Miranda fail super hard...Which I can see happening honestly. The formula is getting old and if there's no interesting story or twist on these movies the audiences will just be bored. And people will just assume they're the token princesses, with nothing else to their personalities aside from their ethnicity. And Disney is so lazy, they could easily do that.

[JTurner]

Yes and no. The animation departments (WDAS and Pixar) might have a slight change now that Lasseter is no longer involved. However, it is important to note that Bob Iger is still CEO of the Disney company. He's really the reason behind so many Pixar sequels and the live action remakes and as long as he is in charge that is not going to change. The reason why Disney didn't have as much sequels this decade is because they wanted to kill hand drawn animation, they really didn't have anything to work with, I guess that will continue into the next decade since they still have only 6 original CGI films, they need more. That's why in my opinion, Iger decided to do the remakes, so now he can make money off of the classics, and he can do sequels to the remakes that succeed financially.

It will be different though in WDAS in terms of storytelling since they no longer bound to Lasseter's old formula.

I personally feel Iger needs to step down this time. I feel that Disney is entering yet another slump and dismantling their hand drawn department was a mistake. I was glad for Mary Poppins Returns using it though. Kitbull, too, was great. Both are easily better than Ralph Breaks The Internet, which was arguably one of the most disappointing animated movies I'd seen in a long time.

[JeanGreyForever]

One would think that the success of the Spider-Man film and its effects would be enough to spur Disney into seeking out the next big medium for their films. CGI films are in a rut right now and this could be the thing to break it. Especially since this film will likely win the Oscar and thus break Disney's animated streak there. Lasseter is gone too so the main figurehead of the CGI bias shouldn't be an issue anymore either.

[REINIER]

2D hybrid Klaus might be a game changer too..as much, if not more than Spider-man. Anything that deflects from 3D would be a welcoming change. Though Iger was bound to be succesfull in purchasing IP, in doing so he has imho filed for creative bankruptcy. He, along with Lasseter are the sole reason that 2D is dead today, and I for one will never forgive them for it. So no, too me this is no "revival era"..this is an age of lackluster entertainment where superheroes and all it's derivatives are determening box office returns. And the public is just eating it all up. People have grown lazy and are unable to recognize a good story when it's there...instead the masses are easily persuaded into liking just about everything. Quantity over Quality THAT is Disneys mo nowadays ... The sheer disrespect towards the public in saying 2D is dead is just another kick in the teeth to add insult to injury. They made sure it was dead by deminishing the quality of the product. Home on the Range is no Lion King. Visually and storywise it was a great way to kill off 2D ..The Princess and the Frog looked stunning but suffered the Lasseter touch storywise..just like the man f*d up Brave and Tangled. I long for the day where superheroes are long gone and decent stories once again roam free...And then I woke up

[Angeldude98]

I think it's safe to say that the Revival Era is officialy over and WDAS is in a new era. According to these 3 articles, which confirm Disney's leaning towards franchises and sequels (what do you think the name should be for this new era? The Franchise Era? The Commercial Era?):

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/m ... story.html

https://www.cinemablend.com/news/246694 ... ng-forward

https://www.indiewire.com/2018/11/ralph ... 1202022674

[JTurner]

2D hybrid Klaus might be a game changer too..as much, if not more than Spider-man. Anything that deflects from 3D would be a welcoming change.

Ah yes, how could I forget about that movie? Klaus looks absolutely promising. It and Spiderman stand out for attempting to break the mold and trying something different.

[Warm Regards]

One would think that the success of the Spider-Man film and its effects would be enough to spur Disney into seeking out the next big medium for their films. CGI films are in a rut right now and this could be the thing to break it. Especially since this film will likely win the Oscar and thus break Disney's animated streak there. Lasseter is gone too so the main figurehead of the CGI bias shouldn't be an issue anymore either.

I would hesitate to call it a "rut", at least financially.

Now I really love Spider-verse. Plus it is critically acclaimed and popular, especially with the unique and refreshing animation style. It made about $360 million worldwide.

Meanwhile, Wreck-it Ralph 2, even though apparently it under performed even with the Disney princess scenes, made around $500 million. Incredibles 2 went well over $1 billion.

It's the difference between box office grosses for Tangled and Frozen. One got a TV series, the other got a sequel, musical, cruise show and more.

Upcoming movies like Toy Story 4 and Frozen 2 are going to be high grossers too even if some are pushing the limits on which franchises deserve a sequel with audiences. Not to mention toy sales and merchandise (which for better or worse is a big reason Disney has a thing for remakes and sequels, they're easy to market because they make one feel, "I remember the first movie!")

Personally I get frustrated with too many sequels but they make money which is Disney's main goal at the moment. Creativity is relegated to the short films and seemingly irrelevant to how much a film makes.

(I am honestly surprised that there's been a lot of backlash recently for the live action Aladdin movie. Though I suspect it'll be a high grosser too.)

[JeanGreyForever]

From what I've heard, WIR2 made almost as much or just as much as the first film did, if you regard inflation. And even without it, Disney was probably expecting way more with those princess scenes. Incredibles 2 is a far more tested and familiar brand for audiences, much like Toy Story 4 and Frozen 2, which is why all those films are safe money. But films like WIR, which were never that big to begin with, or original films in general, will have a much harder time trying to compete with other CGI flicks. WIR2 proved that as well since The Grinch completely dominated it.

[blackcauldron85]

It's the difference between box office grosses for Tangled and Frozen. One got a TV series, the other got a sequel, musical, cruise show and more.

Tangled did also get a Disney Cruise Line show.
https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/onbo ... gled-show/

[Angeldude98]

Yes and no. The animation departments (WDAS and Pixar) might have a slight change now that Lasseter is no longer involved. However, it is important to note that Bob Iger is still CEO of the Disney company. He's really the reason behind so many Pixar sequels and the live action remakes and as long as he is in charge that is not going to change. The reason why Disney didn't have as much sequels this decade is because they wanted to kill hand drawn animation, they really didn't have anything to work with, I guess that will continue into the next decade since they still have only 6 original CGI films, they need more. That's why in my opinion, Iger decided to do the remakes, so now he can make money off of the classics, and he can do sequels to the remakes that succeed financially.

It will be different though in WDAS in terms of storytelling since they no longer bound to Lasseter's old formula.

I personally feel Iger needs to step down this time. I feel that Disney is entering yet another slump and dismantling their hand drawn department was a mistake. I was glad for Mary Poppins Returns using it though. Kitbull, too, was great. Both are easily better than Ralph Breaks The Internet, which was arguably one of the most disappointing animated movies I'd seen in a long time.

I completely agree with these statements. I think this is a good opportunity for positive change and growth at Disney. But they need to keep what they've learned from Lasseter and Catmull as far as storytelling and filmmaking go. I hope they don't start making too many crazy experiments with their upcoming films like they did in the 2000s... Which put them in a Depression/Slump Era!

[JTurner]

I personally feel Iger needs to step down this time. I feel that Disney is entering yet another slump and dismantling their hand drawn department was a mistake. I was glad for Mary Poppins Returns using it though. Kitbull, too, was great. Both are easily better than Ralph Breaks The Internet, which was arguably one of the most disappointing animated movies I'd seen in a long time.

I completely agree with these statements. I think this is a good opportunity for positive change and growth at Disney. But they need to keep what they've learned from Lasseter and Catmull as far as storytelling and filmmaking go. I hope they don't start making too many crazy experiments with their upcoming films like they did in the 2000s... Which put them in a Depression/Slump Era!

Indeed. I can only hope that they'll have a change of heart regarding 2D animation and decide to use it again instead of sidelining it altogether. MPR was a start, but it will take the efforts of other productions to really bring it back. Spiderverse was a good disrupter for it. Klaus, too, seems to be positioned to make a great impression, even though that film is a Netflix-exclusive. Oh, and there's also a rumor that Space Jam 2 will probably use 2D.

[thedisneyspirit]

Imagine if Ralph 2 had managed to be a box office hit and win any Awards. That would've given the incentive of Disney to make their new Era the Crossover Era, you know. Nothing but meaningless crossovers that entirely contradict the canon of previous films, but would get fanboys/fangirls wet and excited.

I guess it's a good thing that possible Pocket Princesses series was cancelled...

[Disney's Divinity]

I don't think we're in a new era just because there are sequels galore. The sequel / franchise opportunities are the reason Disney killed off hand-drawn animation for CGI in the first place. This is just the fulfillment of the plan they've always had in mind.

Now, if the stories, characters, plots start to follow the strict buddy roadtrip formula less and feature a touch more creativity now that Lasseter no longer has his grimy hands on everything--and I hope so--that may distinguish the next films as their own era. So far Disney is not suffering financially at all.

[Angeldude98]

Now, if the stories, characters, plots start to follow the strict buddy roadtrip formula less and feature a touch more creativity now that Lasseter no longer has his grimy hands on everything--and I hope so--that may distinguish the next films as their own era. So far Disney is not suffering financially at all.

I agree... The buddy road trip formula is getting old. I so wish they went back to the classic fairytale storytelling of the early days, at least for a while. The "put-a-modern-spin---and-modern-ideology-on-classic-stories" is also getting old. I don't know why they have to keep messing with classic stories. They lose charm that way. I'd love to see Disney do another magical story like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White and Peter Pan. Also, I'd love to see a new evil, mean and scary villain (and supervillain) like Maleficent, Ursula and Jafar. But a real evil villain. Not a "misunderstood-character-who-becomes-a-villain-due-to-circumstances" kind of villain. A villain who is evil just because she/he is evil, selfish and mean (and not comical, but really serious). A memorable, delicious, scary, evil villain who makes you shiver and whom you're happy to see get defeated and get his/her comeuppance in the most spectacular, heart pounding final battle! Disney hasn't done one of those in a long while!

[DisneyEra]

I honestly think Walt Disney Animation Studios should just shut down after the Frozen/Zoo sequels. I mean, where do they go from there

[Sotiris]

It's sad how few Disney fans care about WDAS's output. Even though it's a limited sample, I think it's indicative of the overall disposition within the fandom. People may be Frozen or Zootopia or Moana fans but they aren't WDAS fans. Disney is to blame for this lack of interest and awareness. WDAS needs to be marketed as its own brand the way Pixar or Marvel is.

[DisneyEra]

The difference is that Marvel/Pixar actually make money. WDAS does not "Frozen & Zoo are the exception, not the norm". Incredibles 2 did over 1.2 billion, while Ralph 2 barley made over 500 million, & did worse than the original when adjusted for inflation. I see WDAS becoming DreamWorks Animation of the mid 2000s now. Frozen is like Shrek, they're big money maker, Zootopia is like Kung-Fu Panda, animal characters that over preformed expectations, & Moana is How to train your Dragon, not a big money maker, but has a fanbase that will defend it til the end. With nothing original in the works, once these sequels dry out, what does the studio do then? They basically have no future with original content. It's not just the public that doesn't care, it's the Walt Disney Company as a whole! Other than Live-action remakes, there really is not use for WDAS in the modern era. The infamous Princess scene in Ralph 2, is really how the company sees the studio, as just one big joke, completely out of touch with modern times. Also the company is not gonna give WDAS 100s of millions of dollars to make features no one cares about, when that money could go to Pixar. Why do you think they've already announced Onward, even though Toy Story 4 isn't out yet. Because they are confident in Pixar. This would NEVER happen at WDAS, that has nothing announced post Frozen 2. The company is not confident in WDAS, as even the rumored Dragon Empire has not even made a blip on the radar. D23 this August will tell us all we need to know about WDAS post Frozen 2. I hope they pull a shocker, & announce new original features, but I can see the writing on the wall now, that's just not going to happen.

[Farerb]

You say this as if Pixar didn't release 7 sequels over the past decade and only 4 original films.