Executives at Disney are intent to milk these live-action remakes for as long as they can, as according to our sources, next up on the list appears to be Pocahontas. The Academy Award-winning 1995 film was met with mixed reviews from critics and fans alike. While they praised the animation and music, many people were put off by the movie’s plot and racial overtones.
No doubt, the studio will try to avoid these mistakes this time around. In an effort to avoid yet another casting controversy, Disney is already trying to find a Native American actress to star in the titular role. Much like the upcoming remake of Mulan, there’s a solid chance that this feature will forgo much of the silliness that made both of the original flicks so fun. It remains to be seen if those in charge also intend to do away with the music though, which is what made Pocahontas so memorable to begin with.
It’s also likely that Disney will try to be much more historically accurate in this reimagining. The 1995 movie played very fast and loose with the facts, thereby drawing the ire of the community they were hoping to represent onscreen. The new Mulan is supposedly attempting to stick close to the real story as well, though China wholeheartedly disagrees.
From what we understand, this film is still in the very early stages of being made and as such, by the time it comes to fruition years from now, the public may already be burned out on all of these remakes. Pocahontas is actually one of the few flicks that deserves another shot though. While there’s plenty to like about the original, there are also a lot of flaws that can hopefully be ironed out in a remake with help from the Native American community.
This underrepresented group deserves a big-budget film that correctly tells the story of their people but whether or not Disney actually manages to get it right this time remains to be seen. In any case, keeping notorious racist Mel Gibson far away from this production is a good first step.