Author Spotlight
Campbell Wood
Disney brought us the classics that taught us how to dream big as we danced around in Belle’s gown or fought our siblings with lightsabers. The imagination and possibilities were boundless, despite now being bright pieces of childhood that have faded gray over time.
But the magic is revived as Disney grows with us, launching new projects like a live-action prequel to “Beauty and the Beast” about Gaston and the new “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series starring Ewan McGregor.
And that’s not all. During Disney’s webcasted Investor Day on Nov. 10, they updated the public on where they’re heading in the future and the innovative projects they plan to tackle. In the next few years, we’ll see The Walt Disney Company expand its magical kingdom to animated series like “Tiana” and “Zootopia+,” as well as Avengers-related shows like “Ironheart” and “She-Hulk” — not even COVID-19 can stop the magic.
As we approach 2021, optimistic for a new start, Disney has fueled our excitement by giving us a fresh look at childhood classics and what to expect from the company in the years to come.
Just before the pandemic struck and brought on months of quarantine binging, Disney launched their streaming service, Disney+, for families to have access to all their favorite movies and TV shows. During Investor Day, Disney announced that in its first year, Disney+ subscribers accumulated to a colossal 86.8 million as of Dec. 2. Compare it to the 38.8 million Hulu has gained over the past 12 years, and you’re looking at a lot of future Imagineers. Disney’s initial prediction of 60-90 million Disney+ subscribers by the fiscal year 2024 has been bumped up to 300-350 million.
This growth was boosted by reaching out to other audiences via “The Disney Bundle” which gets you Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $13 a month — an actual steal. Since Hulu is only geographically available in the U.S., Disney is launching a streaming service called Star to fill in for Hulu on an international level so foreign viewers receive the same content in the bundle.
These bundled deals open Disney up to more mature content like “Die Hard” and “Alien.” But families with younger viewers don’t fret — Disney+ is adding a parental lock to the more explicit content. Disney gave me the princesses and singing animals I adored when I was younger, and it’s nice to know they’ll host content that fits my tastes even as I’ve matured.
Even with remake flops like Disney Channel’s attempt at “Adventures in Babysitting,” Disney is bringing back another 1987 classic: “Three Men and a Baby” — this time starring Zac Efron. Another childhood actor throwback? Josh Peck starring as Scott Turner in the TV-show interpretation of “Turner & Hooch.” Disney is all about updating their classic stories to resonate with new generations, and in my opinion, it doesn’t get better than Zac Efron and Josh Peck. Now, the real question is if Disney can put a fresh spin on these classics without butchering the nostalgia.
Only an all-expenses paid trip to Disney World could compete with the feeling of a longtime classic coming back for a sequel — the original cast included, of course. After 27 years, Disney announced a sequel to “Hocus Pocus,” as well as “Sister Act 2,” with Whoopi Goldberg rekindling her role of Deloris Van Cartier. Although the plots of these reboots haven’t been released, Disney announced the storyline for the sequel to “Enchanted” called “Disenchanted” where heroine Giselle, played by Amy Adams, questions her contentment with her “happily ever after” nearly a decade later. With Disney being renowned for their happy endings, I’ll be finding my nearest exit if they try to make a not-so-happy happily ever after. While it’s hard to know if there’s been too much time in between these sequels and their originals, I always love to see beloved characters and where they are now.
As we see steps towards equality being taken with the Black Lives Matter movement, Disney is also making progressive decisions in recasting formerly white roles with people of color — a much-needed and forward-thinking initiative by Disney after decades of white leads. The long-anticipated live-action movie “The Little Mermaid” stars R&B singer and black actress Halle Bailey as Ariel, a princess known for her beautiful voice and confident personality, not skin tone — Bailey is sure to do the role justice. Another groundbreaking role will be played by “Black-ish” star Yara Shahidi as Tinkerbell in the upcoming “Peter Pan and Wendy” movie.
While the Disney franchise let us in on upcoming releases, they also introduced future projects like “A Droid Story” — a Star Wars series based on the most lovable characters: droids. Another adorable sidekick endeavor? The “I am Groot” Disney+ series that comes out along with the many other Marvel shows set for the next few years. Speaking of Marvel, Chris Evans is set to play Buzz Lightyear — not the toy, but the space ranger the Buzz Lightyear toy line was designed after — in their feature “Lightyear.” The sentimentality of “Toy Story,” I’m sure, will give me a deeper appreciation for how the toy came to be.
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