Live-action ‘Dumbo’ movie is on the way: How far will the Disney remakes go?

Instead of a beloved cartoon mouse, perhaps studio Walt Disney Pictures should consider changing their corporate mascot to a snake eating its own tail. Apparently uninterested in creating original film properties anymore, the house that Mickey built now seems more interested in looking back to its glory days for inspiration. According to the Hollywood Reporter a live-action movie based on 1941’s “Dumbo” is now in the works.

The “Dumbo” remake is latest in a long list of Disney projects (including the recently released “Maleficent," and the upcoming "Cinderella," "The Jungle Book," and "Beauty and the Beast" live-action adaptations) which are re-imaginings of the studio’s animated classics.

“Dumbo” (the story of a young circus elephant whose oversized ears give him the ability to fly) seems an odd candidate for a remake, especially given the fantasy bent of most of Disney's current reboot roster. The new version will reportedly flesh out the story by adding a family whose own plot runs in parallel to the titular flying elephant. “Transformers” series writer Ehren Kruger will pen the new “Dumbo” screenplay.

So what happens when Disney runs out of animated classics to cannibalize? At this pace, live-action retellings of “Aladdin” and the “Lion King” can’t be far behind. (Universal beat Disney to the punch with a live-action “The Little Mermaid” movie, which is being directed by Sofia Coppola). What will come next?

The answer might look something like the upcoming TV movie “Descendants.” The Disney Channel film centres on a school that the children of some of the studio’s most famous villains attend. Featuring the offpsring of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Cruella de Vil, and Jafar (among others), “Descendants” is basically “Tiny Toons” with Disney characters. Can’t remake it or reboot it? Why not remix it?

Disney’s problem is actually very similar to the one faced by video game company Nintendo. With countless classic characters like Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, and Samus Aran, the game and console maker has had difficulty finding new and inventive ways to use these characters without simply rehashing old games. Nintendo’s solution has involved creating video games that pit these characters against one another, titles like “Super Smash Bros.,” “Mario Party,” and “Mario Kart.” If Disney should exhaust its supply of animated classics to remake, you can probably expect a "Battle of the Disney Princesses" movie in the not too distant future.