Disneyhas a notorious track record with fantasy movies over the last 16 years—so it is relieving that Disney will not produceChildren of Blood & Bone. Theadaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’sChildren of Blood & Bonehas been in production for quite some time. Disney announced thatLucasfilm was developing theChildren of Blood & Boneadaptation. Before this announcement,Rick Famuyiwa was set to directChildren of Blood & Boneunder Fox 2000’s distribution. Once Disney purchased Fox 2000, the company shut down, allowing Disney’s partnership with 20th Century Studios forChildren of Blood & Bone.
However, these events occurred over four years ago in 2020. Since then, the adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’sChildren of Blood & Bonehas endured significant changes. In January 2022,Lucasfilm lost the rights toChildren of Blood & Boneto Paramount Pictures, where this adaptation has been developing ever since. Tomi Adeyemi recently announcedChildren of Blood & Bone’s cast, which includes Viola Davis and Idris Elba. Now that production is well underway with Paramount Pictures, it is a relief that Disney will no longer produceChildren of Blood & Bonebecause of their track record with mediocre fantasy movies.
Disney Has Let Me Down Multiple Times With Its Modern Fantasy Movies
Live-Action Fantasy Is Not Disney’s Strong Suit
Disney’s track record with fantasy movies does not bode well. Beginning withBedtime Storiesin 2008,Disney has had difficulty breaking into fantasy with a high-quality film. Disney has released a plethora of fantasy movies in the last 16 years, includingAlice in Wonderland,Oz the Great & Powerful,A Wrinkle in Time, andThe Nutcracker & the Four Realms. However, many of them have not done well with critics, even if some are commercial successes. Furthermore, many ofDisney’s live-action remakesare fantasy movies, but they have not fared well for the most part either.
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Disney also released live-action sequelsto reversed fantasy films, such asPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, but even these films are mediocre, especially compared toThe Curse of the Black PearlandDead Man’s Chest. It is hard to believe Disney once released films such asEnchantedorFreaky Fridaybecause of their lack of critical success regarding fantasy movies. Although there have been some exceptions, such asThe Jungle BookandPete’s Dragon,Disney has let me down too oftento believe they could have made a decent adaptation forChildren of Blood & Bone.
Paramount Pictures Will Release Children Of Blood & Bone
Considering Disney’s history with recent fantasy movies, I am relieved that Lucasfilm lost the rights toChildren of Blood & Boneto Paramount Pictures.This film studio is home to several iconic fantasy movies, includingDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,Ghost,Charlotte’s Web,It’s a Wonderful Life, andWilly Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Paramount Pictures also has a better track record withbook-to-screen adaptations, generally producing better films than Disney in this department. Furthermore,Children of Blood & Bonehas an iconic cast, proving that it is shaping up to be a good movie.
Disney Still Needs To Get Original Fantasy Movies Right
Disney Needs To Prioritize Original Live-Action Fantasy Movies
One of Disney’s biggest problems regarding fantasy movies is theirunwillingness to branch beyond franchises, sequels, and live-action remakes. Of course, these types of films are necessary for Disney, and someDisney sequelsare pretty good. However, Disney has not tried to create an original fantasy movie in quite some time—which does not make sense because of the franchise’s success with original fantasy movies. It is surprising that Disney cannot seem to find its footing withlive-action fantasy movies, given its success with animation.
Every Upcoming Live-Action Disney Remake In Development
There are over a dozen Disney live-action remakes currently in development. Here’s which movies are coming, when they’ll release, and who’ll star.
Of course, someDisney animated moviesperform better than others, but these films make up most of Disney’s brand. Although many of these films are based on fairy tales, Disney does an excellent job of making them their own without killing the narrative. For some reason, Disney cannot translate this process with live-action remakes or book adaptations. Disney is innovative with animated fantasy movies, butthey prioritize money with live-action fantasy films. As long as the movie does well commercially, then its quality does not seem to matter.
Disney needs to take great care in producing fantasy movies and optimizing storytelling instead of commercial success (without forgetting about the latter).
Going forward, Disney must change this mindset if the company wants to produce good fantasy movies. We know Disney is capable, so their failure is more frustrating than anything. Disney needs to take great care in producing fantasy movies and optimizing storytelling instead of commercial success (without forgetting about the latter).Disneyfantasy movies will continue to be stale if the company continues to play it safeand prioritize financial success over creativity. Thankfully, Paramount’s better track record with this genre makes me optimistic aboutChildren of Blood & Bone.
Children of Blood and Bone
Cast
Children of Blood and Bone follows Zelie and her brother Tzain as they join forces with Princess Amari and Prince Inan to resist their father’s oppressive regime. The 2027 film adapts Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling novel, exploring themes of magic, family, and resistance in a richly imagined fantasy setting.
