It's no secret that the new live-action remake of Disney's Snow White isn't exactly winning everyone over. Even with its miserable box office numbers, the movie was fated to fall long before the production was even finished.
With an ocean of controversy behind its plot, its use of CGI, and the toxic background created by its leading lady, there might be a glimmer of hope for the House of Mouse yet. As Disney's folly sinks in the live-action department, this failure might force them to return to what they do best: classic, traditional animation.
Will Disney go Looney after Snow White?
It's safe to say that Snow White is officially a laughing stock at the cinema, and not for the right reasons. The film's opening box office was a meager haul of around $42 million versus its over $200 million budget, making it one of Disney's biggest bombs. However, there might be something the studio could learn from its competition.
Snow White wasn't the only revisited classic that hit theaters, as Daffy Duck and Porky Pig took on an intergalactic menace in The Day the Earth Blew Up, an animated feature that harkens back to the days of traditional Looney Tunes antics.
While it faces choppy waters amidst a dispute with WB, it undoubtedly has the better reputation, as demonstrated by the reviews. However, the fate of the Looney Tunes remains undecided, this spark of hope for traditional animation could usher in a new age of Disney flicks.
Although an attempt was made with 2023's Wish, Disney hasn't truly dipped its toe in traditional animation since The Princess and the Frog. Imagine what would happen if the studio revamped their traditional animation formula with Mickey, Donald, and Goofy.
Disney already owns some of the most beloved animated faces in our modern culture, so why not utilize them more? We've already seen what can be done with new techniques and technology in Once Upon a Studio, and the market for these characters is still as hot as ever.
Unless Stitch can pull a complete 180 for the studio, Snow White might be the nail in the glass coffin for Disney's live-action adventures. However, that might not be such a bad thing. With an ocean of fans pleading for the days of ink and paint fueled by a steady source of nostalgia, it might be the wake up kiss the studio needs.
Should Disney reject modernity and embrace tradition?