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Many of us had the fantasy as children: we get to spend a night locked in the mall, or zoo, or our favorite amusement park. The details might have differed, but the overall wish remained the same. We wanted to live in whatever counted as our personal wonderland.
Now Variety Magazine reports that the Disney Company is planning a film which would play on that very desire. Forget about rides like Pirates of the Caribbean or The Haunted Mansion, it looks like the Magic Kingdom itself might be getting its very own movie.
At this point the movie exists in too early a state of pre-production for any particulars to hold true to the finished product, should such a thing eventually exist. But the whispers around Tinsel Town indicate that Disney is looking to create its own “Night at the Museum”-style juggernaut with a film or even series of films in which the characters at the Magic Kingdom come to life.
Lately Disney chief executive Bob Iger’s made it clear that his vision for the company revolves around building multi-media franchises. Iger wants to develop properties that not only spawn several films, but that will breed tie-ins for toys, games, books, the parks, and just about any other consumable of which he might dream. The proposed plan slots in nicely with that; Disney’s already managed to slap its characters on just about anything available for purchase, from Band-Aids to bed sheets, and a giant ensemble piece like this would only fuel the fervor.
Variety suggests that Disney could easily create a series of these films just by building up the characters the way its new property Marvel Studios is doing for its Avengers flick. The Avengers is Marvel’s superhero team, in which many of the independent characters gather to fight their strongest foes.
First Marvel introduces each of the Avengers with their own movies, sometimes multiple ones (like “The Incredible Hulk” or “Iron Man 1 & 2”). From a storytelling standpoint this allows the eventual Avengers film to jump right into its likely epic story without needing to take time to introduce the characters. From a movie studio’s standpoint it of course means more movies, more money.
What confuses me about that theory is Disney’s already done the legwork. Rumor is it wants this film as a showcase for its biggest characters, like Mickey and Minnie Mouse, who certainly need no introduction.
Any of the characters in the Magic Kingdom have already starred in their own movies, sometimes multiple ones (especially if one counts all the direct-to-DVD sequels), so it shouldn’t need a series of films to introduce these characters. Most of them are already household names who first lived in fairy tales, but for whom their Disney incarnations are probably the most recognizable.
Of all the films based on aspects of the Disney parks, the one for the Magic Kingdom makes the most sense. The idea also makes me wary. On the one hand, what’s lovelier than a child’s fantasy of playing amongst all their favorite characters?
On the other, nothing is lovelier than that child’s fantasy. At least nothing was for me. Fantasy and fairy tales helped fuel my avid imagination, and the child me would have been over the moon at the idea of this film.
But nothing can live up to someone’s own daydreams, and sometimes trying to put them in a visual form just can’t do them justice. In some cases it even ruins the images that one created for one’s self. If nothing can be lovelier than that fantasy a movie certainly can’t, not for all the CGI in the world.
Related Articles:
Potential Expansion for Disneyland Paris
Muppets Debut at Magic Kingdom Today
Higher Prices, Lower Crowds at Disney World
Fantasyland Expansion in Progress
*(This image by Darren Wittko is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
