John Musker, the animation director behind Disney films such as “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and “Hercules,” has accused the Walt Disney Company of prioritizing political messages over story in its recent movies.
“I think they need to correct course a little bit, in that the message has become secondary to entertainment, to compelling storylines and compelling characters,” Musker told Spanish media outlet El Pais at the Animayo international summit on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria this year.
“The classic Disney films weren’t set out to send a message; they wanted the audience to be drawn into the characters, the story and the world. I think that’s still at the core of Disney,” Musker added. “You don’t have to eliminate the agenda, but you have to create relatable, compelling characters first.”
Musker has collaborated with fellow director Ron Clements on Disney animated films such as The Big Mouse Detective (1986), The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), Hercules (1997), Treasure Planet (2002) and Moana (2016). Musker and Clements also directed 2009’s The Princess and the Frog, which was controversial for its portrayal of Disney’s first black princess.
“We understand the criticism, but we weren’t trying to be woke,” Musker said of “The Princess and the Frog.”
The animation director then shared his thoughts on Disney’s live-action remakes: “The company always thinks, ‘How do we mitigate the risk? They like this, right? We can just make it again and sell it differently,'” he said. “Or they think, ‘We can make it better.'”
He was particularly critical of the live-action version of “The Little Mermaid,” due for release in 2023, saying, “In a way, it de-emphasizes the father-daughter story that’s at the heart of the film. And the crab, when you see a live animal at the zoo, has more expression, like in The Lion King.”
“That’s one of the fundamental characteristics of Disney: the charm,” he continued. “That’s the best thing about animation.”
