You may have seen one or two live action remakes of classic Disney movies lately. Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo, Jungle Book, and this year's upcoming Aladdin and Lion King, to name a few. Filmmakers seem obsessed recently with pursuing actors to step into the role of some of our most beloved animated Disney characters. They've been pretty popular, but not every Disney film should get the live action treatment, according to composer Alan Menken.
Menken, known for penning some of the most iconic movie soundtracks of all time, suggests that Pocahontas and its culturally sensitive plot may be better left in the 1990s.
“I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to do Pocahontas, I think that story is going to be difficult," he admitted. "With modern sensibilities, it’d be hard – you’re going to offend somebody – so I don’t know.”
In the animated feature, Pocahontas, a Native American woman, falls for white settler John Smith. Critics say the movie "whitewashes" America's past. The actual story of Pocahontas, they note, is comprised of abusive settlers and heartbreak.
Some pop culture experts couldn't agree more with Menken.
Well, yes, Alan. The songs might be absolute bops but Pocohontas is a white saviour narrative of the most dishonest kind so unless you're gonna make Kocoum the romantic lead you can keep your live-action remake. https://t.co/7JEfEbB7M6
— Hanna Ines Flint (@HannaFlint) May 22, 2019
Menken helped pen some new songs for the live Aladdin remake, which comes out this Friday. He revealed he's also working on the reimagined versions of The Little Mermaid and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the latter of which, he said, may also prove to be a bit tricky because it deals with "dark" themes.