Kevin Feige has a lot to answer for after the go-to decision for any successful blockbuster these days tends to be for the studio boardroom to hit the big red button marked “cinematic universe,” whether it makes any sense or not. Throwing its hat into a ring that should be torn down and set on fire, Disney‘s latest suggestion is creative bankruptcy at its worst.
The Little Mermaid sailing straight into choppy waters at the international box office amidst a concerted review-bombing campaign may have been hoovering up the headlines, but the argument that audiences are beginning to grow tired of the constant live-action remakes is one that holds plenty of water regardless – based on the dwindling critical and commercial reception.
Throwing caution to the wind and tossing out one of the worst pitches in recent memory, though, the Mouse House’s Sean Bailey revealed that he wouldn’t bet against The Lion King evolving into a sprawling saga that could comfortably sit alongside Star Wars in the cultural pantheon.
Looking at it objectively, George Lucas always had designs on Star Wars evolving into a huge IP that covered sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and everything in between. He may not be directly involved anymore, but the baton has been passed onto the likes of Kathleen Kennedy and Jon Favreau to carry out his vision.
The Lion King, on the other hand, is an animated feature that was remade as a live-action blockbuster that has a prequel in the works. What makes it a viable candidate for the shared universe treatment, then? Probably because the 1994 original is the highest-grossing hand-drawn animation ever made, and the do-over is Disney’s top-earning remake, as well as one of the most lucrative motion pictures in the history of cinema.
In short; money – and not creative justification – is the reason, which sums up the company’s “more is more” approach to content in a nutshell.