John Musker, a renowned filmmaker with Disney, has recently criticized the company for prioritizing political messaging over compelling storytelling in its recent productions.
Musker, who co-directed iconic Disney films such as "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin," and "Moana," expressed his concerns about the company's current direction in an interview with Spanish media outlet El Pas at the Animayo International Summit in Gran Canaria.
Musker suggested that Disney needs to recalibrate its approach, placing emphasis on captivating narratives and engaging characters rather than pushing a 'woke' message. "I think they need to do a course correction a bit in terms of putting the message secondary, behind entertainment and compelling story and engaging characters," he stated.
The conversation turned towards the topic of 'wokeness' at Disney when Musker addressed criticism that his 2009 film "The Princess and The Frog," which he co-directed with Ron Clements and features a Black princess, was 'woke.' "We werent trying to be woke, although I understand the criticism," Musker admitted, adding that recent Disney films appear to prioritize messaging over storytelling.
"The classic Disney films didnt start out trying to have a message. They wanted you to get involved in the characters and the story and the world, and I think thats still the heart of it," Musker explained. "You dont have to exclude agendas, but you have to first create characters who you sympathize with and who are compelling."
Disney has faced considerable criticism in recent years, with detractors accusing the media conglomerate of promoting a 'woke' agenda. The company's corporate leaders have frequently found themselves at odds with conservative lawmakers, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Disney has also suffered from box office failures, such as the pro-LGBTQ film "Lightyear" in 2022, significant layoffs, and a loss of 2.4 million subscribers from its Disney+ streaming service.
Musker observed that the political agenda at Disney was never as pronounced during his prime in the 1990s and 2000s as it is currently. However, he acknowledged that he had to modify some content for the sake of political correctness. For instance, he had to change the name of the city of Baghdad to "Agrabah" in "Aladdin" due to the ongoing Gulf War. "Because of the war, we couldnt even go there to do research. Our big research took place at the Saudi Arabian expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center," Musker revealed.
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