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| The Lion King: Disney remakes and the power of nostalgia | The Lion King: Disney remakes and the power of nostalgia |
| (14 days later) | |
| Do you ever get that feeling, when you're a bit worse for wear, or just a bit down, that the only thing that will make you feel better is a really good kids' film? | Do you ever get that feeling, when you're a bit worse for wear, or just a bit down, that the only thing that will make you feel better is a really good kids' film? |
| How often do you then turn to Disney to help pick you up? | How often do you then turn to Disney to help pick you up? |
| That feeling - of comfort, losing yourself in another world, going back in time - is hard to beat. | That feeling - of comfort, losing yourself in another world, going back in time - is hard to beat. |
| And it seems to be something Disney is particularly good at creating. | And it seems to be something Disney is particularly good at creating. |
| But does that mean that the feeling can be exploited too? | But does that mean that the feeling can be exploited too? |
| A powerful emotion | A powerful emotion |
| "People tend to enjoy being nostalgic," says Dr Wijnand van Tilburg, a psychology lecturer and expert in nostalgia at King's College London. | "People tend to enjoy being nostalgic," says Dr Wijnand van Tilburg, a psychology lecturer and expert in nostalgia at King's College London. |
| He defines nostalgia as "a wistful affection or longing for the past". | He defines nostalgia as "a wistful affection or longing for the past". |
| "That sense of connection from the past self to the present self - that is something that people see as very meaningful in life." | "That sense of connection from the past self to the present self - that is something that people see as very meaningful in life." |
| It can be a powerful emotion - which Wijnand says people turn to in difficult times. | It can be a powerful emotion - which Wijnand says people turn to in difficult times. |
| "These nostalgic memories give some sort of rose-tinted picture of the past that makes people feel better." | "These nostalgic memories give some sort of rose-tinted picture of the past that makes people feel better." |
| The Lion King is Disney's third remake to be released this year, after Dumbo and Aladdin. | The Lion King is Disney's third remake to be released this year, after Dumbo and Aladdin. |
| It comes after Cinderella (2015), The Jungle Book (2016) and Beauty and the Beast (2017). | It comes after Cinderella (2015), The Jungle Book (2016) and Beauty and the Beast (2017). |
| And Disney has also announced Mulan and The Little Mermaid remakes - with many others rumoured and in development. | And Disney has also announced Mulan and The Little Mermaid remakes - with many others rumoured and in development. |
| 'You've got to give us something fresh' | 'You've got to give us something fresh' |
| "There's an inclination to want to reach for the past," says Samuel Jones, 22, one of the creators of the movie review YouTube channel NitPix. | "There's an inclination to want to reach for the past," says Samuel Jones, 22, one of the creators of the movie review YouTube channel NitPix. |
| "The majority of films right now are sequels and remakes. They're ways to stay somewhere that's separate from our world." | "The majority of films right now are sequels and remakes. They're ways to stay somewhere that's separate from our world." |
| Samuel says technology is partly why we're so drawn to that feeling of nostalgia right now. | Samuel says technology is partly why we're so drawn to that feeling of nostalgia right now. |
| He thinks the internet and social media were meant to break down boundaries in society and bring us all closer together. | He thinks the internet and social media were meant to break down boundaries in society and bring us all closer together. |
| But instead, "We've realised that it hasn't brought anyone together that much. I think that can feel very disorienting." | But instead, "We've realised that it hasn't brought anyone together that much. I think that can feel very disorienting." |
| And that leads people to "grasp on to something that they're familiar with". | And that leads people to "grasp on to something that they're familiar with". |
| One of NitPix's most popular videos is titled: "Is Pixar dead?" | One of NitPix's most popular videos is titled: "Is Pixar dead?" |
| The video has more than a million views (and a very divided comments section). | The video has more than a million views (and a very divided comments section). |
| It argues that Pixar's sequels are released years after the originals and are just ghosts of their predecessors. | It argues that Pixar's sequels are released years after the originals and are just ghosts of their predecessors. |
| "They're basically asking you: 'Do you remember this?'" says Max Bardsley, who's 21 and the co-creator of NitPix with Samuel. | "They're basically asking you: 'Do you remember this?'" says Max Bardsley, who's 21 and the co-creator of NitPix with Samuel. |
| "The main thing that made them memorable or interesting was when they recycled aspects from the past." | "The main thing that made them memorable or interesting was when they recycled aspects from the past." |
| Samuel and Max expanded on their criticism of Pixar with another video they called: "Why Incredibles 2 is a BAD Sequel". | Samuel and Max expanded on their criticism of Pixar with another video they called: "Why Incredibles 2 is a BAD Sequel". |
| Max's problem is that "it's diluted - you need to push narrative forward, and you need to reframe. | Max's problem is that "it's diluted - you need to push narrative forward, and you need to reframe. |
| "If you're going to do a sequel, you've got to give us something fresh." | "If you're going to do a sequel, you've got to give us something fresh." |
| Sequels are making up more and more of Pixar's releases. | Sequels are making up more and more of Pixar's releases. |
| The studio, which is part of Disney, released only one sequel among its first ten films - Toy Story 2. | The studio, which is part of Disney, released only one sequel among its first ten films - Toy Story 2. |
| Of the eleven movies after that, seven have been sequels. | Of the eleven movies after that, seven have been sequels. |
| But Toy Story 4 producer Marl Nielsen told the Hollywood Reporter that Pixar's new creative director Pete Docter is "really looking out for the new voices". | But Toy Story 4 producer Marl Nielsen told the Hollywood Reporter that Pixar's new creative director Pete Docter is "really looking out for the new voices". |
| With the Toy Story franchise likely to be over, he added: "It's all original films after this one right now." | With the Toy Story franchise likely to be over, he added: "It's all original films after this one right now." |
| The safety of childhood | The safety of childhood |
| It's not just at the box office where we see people reaching out for nostalgic experiences. | It's not just at the box office where we see people reaching out for nostalgic experiences. |
| Emily Talbut is 22 and worked at Walt Disney World in Florida for two summers while she was at university. | Emily Talbut is 22 and worked at Walt Disney World in Florida for two summers while she was at university. |
| She describes her job there as "making people smile all day" and helping create a welcoming and friendly atmosphere. | She describes her job there as "making people smile all day" and helping create a welcoming and friendly atmosphere. |
| While there were a lot of young families there, Emily says there were also a lot of adults who would go without children - on romantic getaways or stag and hen dos. | While there were a lot of young families there, Emily says there were also a lot of adults who would go without children - on romantic getaways or stag and hen dos. |
| "You get people coming to visit and they've left their kids at home - because the kids aren't as interested as they are," she tells Radio 1 Newsbeat. | "You get people coming to visit and they've left their kids at home - because the kids aren't as interested as they are," she tells Radio 1 Newsbeat. |
| Emily thinks escapism is one of the main reasons people love immersing themselves in Disney World. | Emily thinks escapism is one of the main reasons people love immersing themselves in Disney World. |
| "It's just the idea of going back to your childhood," she says. | "It's just the idea of going back to your childhood," she says. |
| "We've all seen the movies, countless times - so getting to experience it in a different way I think is really appealing. | "We've all seen the movies, countless times - so getting to experience it in a different way I think is really appealing. |
| "It's also a very safe place - when you go into the parks you can't see the outside world." | "It's also a very safe place - when you go into the parks you can't see the outside world." |
| Too much, too fast | Too much, too fast |
| But as a huge Disney fan, Emily's worried the remakes might start to lose their appeal. | But as a huge Disney fan, Emily's worried the remakes might start to lose their appeal. |
| "It might get a bit intense and lose the novelty value of seeing the story again," she says. | "It might get a bit intense and lose the novelty value of seeing the story again," she says. |
| "I don't know if each one can be as powerful." | "I don't know if each one can be as powerful." |
| Disney boss Bob Iger has said similar things about the Star Wars franchise, which is owned by Disney. | Disney boss Bob Iger has said similar things about the Star Wars franchise, which is owned by Disney. |
| After the Han Solo spin-off film underwhelmed audiences last year he admitted they brought out Star Wars films "too much, too fast". | After the Han Solo spin-off film underwhelmed audiences last year he admitted they brought out Star Wars films "too much, too fast". |
| But that hasn't stopped Disney announcing a new trilogy, due for release in 2022, 2024 and 2026. | But that hasn't stopped Disney announcing a new trilogy, due for release in 2022, 2024 and 2026. |
| Dumbo's mediocre reception in March may suggest a similar fatigue with Disney remakes - although Aladdin performed well at the box office in May. | Dumbo's mediocre reception in March may suggest a similar fatigue with Disney remakes - although Aladdin performed well at the box office in May. |
| Mulan is the next film getting the "live-action" treatment - it's coming out in early 2020. | Mulan is the next film getting the "live-action" treatment - it's coming out in early 2020. |
| After that, Disney's announced nine "untitled Disney live-action" movies to come out between 2021 and 2023. | After that, Disney's announced nine "untitled Disney live-action" movies to come out between 2021 and 2023. |
| We know that one of those will be a remake of The Little Mermaid. | We know that one of those will be a remake of The Little Mermaid. |
| And it's very likely there will be more remakes of old animations - reports suggest they're working on the Hunchback of Notre Dame,Lilo & Stitch,Peter Pan and Pinocchio, among others. | |
| Plus, there's a Jungle Book 2 reported to be in the works too. | Plus, there's a Jungle Book 2 reported to be in the works too. |
| Feeling better | Feeling better |
| "Nostalgia has a strong social component and helps people to feel meaningful," says nostalgia expert Wijnand van Tilburg. | "Nostalgia has a strong social component and helps people to feel meaningful," says nostalgia expert Wijnand van Tilburg. |
| "Research suggests that people use these nostalgic memories in order to feel better." | "Research suggests that people use these nostalgic memories in order to feel better." |
| Wijnand adds that nostalgia comes easier to "people who lack in the moment a sense of belonging, or feel a bit meaningless". | Wijnand adds that nostalgia comes easier to "people who lack in the moment a sense of belonging, or feel a bit meaningless". |
| And with evidence to say that young people are feeling more distant from family and friends than ever before, nostalgia might just be our way of dealing with it. | And with evidence to say that young people are feeling more distant from family and friends than ever before, nostalgia might just be our way of dealing with it. |
| "We've all grown up and we have to live proper adult lives," says Emily Talbut. | "We've all grown up and we have to live proper adult lives," says Emily Talbut. |
| "But it's fun to go back in time I guess." | "But it's fun to go back in time I guess." |
| A version of this article appeared on 23 May 2019. | A version of this article appeared on 23 May 2019. |
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