Usually when we think of Disney movies, we think of fairy tale adaptations -- and with good reason: Snow White, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, and Frozen being among their most successful. But that’s not to say that Disney hasn’t found inspiration from other, unlikely, sources: from novels (Peter Pan, The Hunchback of Notre Dame), to historical people (Pocahontas, Mulan), from classical myth (Hercules) and tales from all over the world (Robin Hood, The Arabian Nights). Disney knows that inspiration can be found anywhere and everywhere. So here is a list of five non-fairy tale sources that Disney should really look into when planning out their next big screen hit.
1. "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen.
Probably Jane Austen’s most famous novel, Pride and Prejudice tells the story of two unlikely people who fall in love. The romance between the stubborn and proud Elizabeth Bennet and the mysterious Mr. Darcy may not seem like the traditional Disney romance at first. I mean, Disney is pretty famous for supporting love at first sight. But if recent Disney princess movies have anything to say about it, it seems Disney is changing to suit the expectations of a modern generation. The fact that it’s set in England in the 1800s should make it even more appealing to Disney, who loves historical time periods.
2. Pandora’s Box (Greek myth).
Disney didn’t have the most success with their first Greek myth inspired movie, Hercules, but maybe they just touched on the wrong Greek myth. Pandora’s Box offers much in the terms of creative freedom. It's a story about a princess who makes the unwise choice of opening a forbidden box and unleashing all the evil into the world, which is an interesting enough plot line. But then imagine what adventures she’d go on trying to put everything back together! What really sells this story as a magical masterpiece is the bitter-sweet revelation that hope is the only good thing released from the box.
3. Cleopatra (Ancient Egypt).
Ancient Egypt is a fairly untouched source of inspiration for Disney so it’s about time they tap into some aspect of the 3,000 years of history that this civilization provides us with. What better way to do it then with the last pharaoh, and probably one of the best known, Cleopatra. The only pharaoh from the Ptolemaic dynasty who could speak Egyptian, Cleopatra was a powerful and clever leader who met a tragic end and whose romances with Julius Caesar and, later, Marc Antony continue to intrigue people centuries later. Her life story would make an engaging and informative film for children and adults alike, and would introduce them to this beautiful civilization.
4. Romulus and Remus (Roman legend).
We’ve all missed our beloved Disney animal movies, my personal favorite being The Lion King. It’s about time Disney brought them back and what better way to do it then with an anthropomorphic adaptation of a famous Roman legend: the story of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. The reason this story would make a particularly good animal movie is because one of the characters is already an animal: the she-wolf. She adopts the twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, after they’ve been abandoned by their parents and they decide to build a city where the she-wolf raised them. Unfortunately, when a disagreement breaks out, Romulus murders his brother. Fratricide isn’t new to Disney but perhaps Disney will be nice and give us a happier ending this time.
5. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde.
Perhaps the adult themes and nature of Wilde’s beloved novel would probably not seem like an appropriate source for a Disney film. But as everyone who has watched (and read) the Hunchback of Notre Dame knows, Disney doesn’t shy away from twisting stories around so that they’re more suited for children. The Picture of Dorian Gray would be a perfectly magical story to animate on the big screen: a story of a young man who sells his soul to the devil for eternal youth and beauty while his damaged soul reflects its disfigurement in a haunting portrait. The only thing I’m wondering is would Dorian be the hero of this movie -- or the villain?
