It was announced, then forgotten for a while, briefly resurfaced, and now it's on the brink of being canceled: The Bambi live-action remake seems to be in trouble.
It's the ultimate Disney classic that has shaped multiple generations and traumatized countless children with a very specific scene (you know which one I mean). Bambi first appeared as an animated film in 1942 and was soon to experience a revival – as a live-action movie... Yes, our excitement was limited. Now, however, it's questionable whether this movie will even come to fruition at all.
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Motion Picture Studio President Leaves Disney And Bambi Loses Its Director
In recent years, Disney has repeatedly attempted live-action adaptations of their most famous classics. Initially, it seemed to work quite well with films like Maleficent and Beauty and the Beast... until it didn't. Especially, the movies that stripped the beloved animated animal characters of their charm by opting for a hyper-realistic portrayal did not sit well (I'm looking at you, Simba and Dumbo).
That may also be the reason why the reactions to the announcement of a Bambi live-action movie in 2020 were rather lukewarm.
A key figure in remaking cult classics was Walt Disney Motion Picture President Sean Bailey, who supervised many of these remakes. He has recently announced that he will be leaving the studio, stating that "the time is right for a new chapter." With him leaving Disney, the future of the new Bambi was already uncertain, but another departure of an important figure further undermines the remake.
The movie's director, Sarah Polley, is also stepping down from the project, as reported by The Wrap. The Academy Award winner was announced as the lead director for the new Bambi movie in June 2023. It is unclear who will take over her role now, assuming the project continues at all.
The New Bambi Was About To Change Its Tone
Recently, the film garnered attention when screenwriter Lindsey Anderson Beer teased in an interview with Collider that the infamous death scene of Bambi's mother (sorry for the trigger) would be softened in the remake.
Not to spoil the plot, but there’s a treatment of the mom dying that I think some kids, some parents these days are more sensitive about than they were in the past. And I think that’s one of the reasons that they haven’t shown it to their children.
Whether we will ever see this change is up in the air. We'll wait to see if Disney announces a new director for the film. If Bambi ever gets completed, we don't expect it to hit theaters before 2025, perhaps even 2026, given the current issues.