Controversial Disney Live-Action Remake Takes Another MAJOR Hit

Love them or hate them, Disney live-action remakes are not going anywhere any time soon. While Disney CEO Bob Iger said that Disney had “lost focus” for a while, they were going to reevaluate what movies the studio was making. He later said that Disney would lean into more live-action remakes and sequels because they typically see a lot of success. Last year, Walt Disney Studios saw the most success, not with an original story, but with its live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.

Related: Best and Worst of Disney Live-Action Remakes So Far

Disney currently has several live-action remakes in various stages of development, including Snow White (2025), Moana (2025), Lilo & Stitch, Hercules, The Sword in the Stone, and The Aristocats. They are also working on creating a live-action remake of one of its more controversial and traumatizing animated films — Bambi (1942).

Bambi tells the story of a young fawn named Bambi, who is orphaned when his mother is shot and killed by a hunter. Bambi then must learn to survive on his own, but thankfully has friends like Thumper and Flower, who help him learn to thrive. Bambi also learns that his father is the Great Prince, who takes pity on the young fawn and teaches him how to be a strong buck and leader.

But the live-action Bambi has just suffered a major hit.

According to Giant Freakin’ Robot, Sarah Polley, who was signed on to direct the new film, has abruptly resigned.

Per insiders at Disney, Polley’s split from the upcomingBambi remake was amicable, with no known drama causing the change of leadership. Still, it’s hard to believe a visionary director such as Polley could have room to thrive at the production, especially as other Disney filmmakers are reporting an uptick in micromanagement from the top down.

Polley’s resignation comes just after Sean Bailey — the President of Walt Disney Motion Picture Studios — stepped down after 15 years with the company. Bailey was known as the defender of Disney live-action remakes and was a force behind the scenes. During his time as president, Disney released many live-action remake hits, including Beauty and the Beast (2017), Aladdin (2019), and The Lion King (2019). He was also responsible for Hocus Pocus 2 (2022), one of the biggest successes made exclusively for Disney+.

Related: The Real Reason Disney Movies Are So Sad

The anonymous Disney insiders who spoke to Giant Freakin’ Robot said that Disney is determined to keep the production on schedule. We do not know who will take over as director. Thankfully, Disney has not announced a release time frame, so they can take the time they need to make the movie as strong as possible.

Most of Disney’s live-action remakes are near shot-for-shot remakes of their animated counterparts. However, Disney has said that its live-action Bambi remake will most likely remove the most controversial part of its film. Disney has said that it plans to remove Bambi’s mother being shot by the hunter. They plan to change the storyline to accommodate younger viewers.

We do not have any casting information to share, but we do know that Lindsey Anderson Beer, Micah Fritzerman-Blue, and Noah Harpster are signed on to write the film.

Are you excited Disney is doing a Bambi live-action remake? Let us know in the comments!

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