Summary
- The live-action reboot of Disney Gargoyles is troubling because the original series was beloved for its dark tone and complex storytelling.
- While it has a strong fan community, turning Gargoyles into a live action series instead of an animated one feels like a step in the wrong direction.
- The lack of a proper conclusion to the Gargoyles animated series makes an animated sequel more appealing, but Disney’s choice reflects Hollywood’s preference for live action over animation.
Although Disney’s announcement that they are rebooting Gargoyles is exciting news for fans of the 1990s animated series, this live-action remake is actually a perfect example of one of Hollywood’s longest-running and most frustrating trends. Gargoyles originated as an animated television series in 1994 and ran for 3 seasons until 1997. The show follows a group of Scottish gargoyles who are reawakened in New York and become its nighttime protectors. Although not among Disney’s most famous properties, Gargoyles was praised for its complex character arcs and storylines and is considered a cult classic.
because Gargoyles already has a strong fan community, there should be no doubt about Disney’s success Gargoyles remake. Actually a Gargoyles the film adaptation has been anticipated for years. However, some aspects of this new project are already worrying. Gargoyles is a franchise with a lot of expectations to live up to. Indeed, this is more than a 90s cartoon series. The show had a dark tone and a more complex method of storytelling that set it apart from other Disney projects of the time. Therefore, on Gargoyles the reboot has massive shoes to fill, and unfortunately it can already be said to be taking a step in the wrong direction.
Disney’s Gargoyles Reboot Is Live Action (Not An Animated Sequel)
The main problem with Disney Gargoyles reboot is that it is live action and not animated like the original series. According to recent reports from Disney, the series is currently in development with Atomic Monster, the production company headed by The spell directed by James Wan. Also serving as executive producer, writer and showrunner is Gary Dauberman, who is known for his work on Annabelle. Despite these big and exciting names, gargoyles the problem is constant. The original series even thrived as an animated series, yet Disney, as is their domain these days, decided to turn this beloved property into a live-action adaptation.
In reality, it shouldn’t be all that surprising that Disney does Gargoyles Live. For years now, Disney’s live-action remake strategy has been in place, where the company meticulously sifts through its catalog of classic cartoons and makes a live-action reboot. While some have succeeded, others have failed. However, simply because Disney can Gargoyles live action doesn’t mean you have to. In the end, it all comes down to two factors. first, Gargoyles became popular as an animation and perhaps should remain so. Second, Hollywood in general doesn’t appreciate animation enough, and animation Gargoyles the restart can move the ball.
The Gargoyles animated show never got a proper conclusion
Beyond just the live-action vs. animation discourse, there’s another good reason why Gargoyles the reboot should be animated: the original Gargoyles never got a proper ending. Although it has amassed a huge fanbase, Gargoyles season 3 was not a critical or commercial success, and so the series was quietly cancelled. Consequently, the series never managed to offer a true conclusion for its characters, leaving many audience members hanging. After all, what could be better than a Gargoyles reboot, live or not, will be animation Gargoyles a sequel that picks up where the original series left off.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be in the cards for Disney. From what they announced, it appears that Gargoyles the reboot will be a complete live-action retelling. This means the story will start all over again and likely take new and different paths from the original series. Ultimately, this means that audiences still won’t get the ending of the original Gargoyles. However, if the reboot is successful and stays that way, hopefully it can run for three seasons or more, which will keep gargoyles legacy while completing what the 90s series couldn’t.
Hollywood continues to favor action content over animation
Ultimately, Disney’s choice to make a live action Gargoyles reboot, rather than an animated one, reflects a longstanding Hollywood tradition of favoring live-action content over animation. To this day, many audiences still believe that animation is reserved for children only, despite the fact that there are many animated series and films that have done well with adult audiences. Gargoyles is an example of this. Although it originated as an animated series, it still maintains a strong adult fan base.
Overall, it’s a disappointing belief that means really strong and entertaining animated content is being overlooked in favor of more live-action series. of Disney Gargoyles the reboot is just another entry in that long line. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that Gargoyles the remake will be bad. Actually, this project definitely has some advantages, namely its horror movie producers. Hopefully, even in a live-action format, Gargoyles a reboot can recreate the magic of the original series, or better yet, improve upon it.