Disney’s creativity crisis
Launched on Nov. 12, 2019, Disney+ has provided viewers with countless amounts of award-winning classics, as well as live-action remakes. However, has this caused a creativity block with creating new films?
August 30, 2021
With the release of Disney Plus almost two years ago, Disney, one of the biggest creativity producers in America, might be headed toward its demise.
There are few company names as immediately recognizable as The Walt Disney Company, and that is because for almost a century it has consistently produced media that people of all ages have come to love. From classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to more recent TV shows on Disney Channel, almost everyone can find something to love about Disney’s content.
Unfortunately, it seems Disney may be taking a new focus that could mean the end of Disney’s creativity in upcoming years. With the purchases of Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm in 2006, 2009, and 2012 respectively, Disney now owns a large percentage of the movies and TV shows many adults grew up with. These purchases, along with the ultimate release of Disney Plus, feel like a public statement from Disney that they intend to make money off the creativity of others, while cutting back on being creative themselves.
2015’s live-action Cinderella, 2017’s Beauty and the Beast, and 2021’s Cruella are all semi-decent movies that were made to profit off of nostalgia and recycled content. Live-action remakes of already successful movies are an easy cash grab and cop-out for Disney to produce new media without creating it.
While yes, Disney has been producing high quality TV shows through Disney Plus like The Mandolorian and WandaVision, these new creations feel few and far between when you scroll through hundreds of old shows and movies arguably higher in quality. Disney Plus is the ultimate culmination of Disney’s efforts to resell old content to consumers, and to showcase their lack of originality in a way that allows them to continue making money off of it.
If these trends continue in Disney’s future productions, the company may lose a lot of its charm. They’ll run out of nostalgic movies to repackage to their viewers before they decide to focus on making new content for future generations to love and cherish.
Sometimes change is necessary, no matter how magical the past is.
