With the Disney+ rollout set to commence at the D23 Expo coming up in Anaheim (Aug 23-25), we receive more news about Disney's highly-anticipated streaming service. In a Q3 Earnings Call on Tuesday morning, Disney CEO, Bog Iger, announced that the streaming service - which will be bundled with Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99/month - will also serve as a platform for Home Alone, Night at the Museum, Cheaper By The Dozen and Diary of a Wimpy Kid to be "reimagined for a new generation." These movies previously belonged to 21st Century Fox, which Disney acquired back in March. Iger did not expand on what exactly this reimagination entails, but perhaps it will bring new original content, as Iger previously revealed Disney intends to do with their Marvel and Star Wars franchises. Considering Disney missed their Q3 earnings expectations, all this reaching into the past for inspiration can come across as rather desperate.
With the recent Lion King remake leaving many disappointed, should we be concerned about Disney refusing to leave the classics alone? Do these stories need to be updated for a new generation, or do they hold up in their own right? Either way, we're likely to get access to the originals on Disney+ if we're not feeling the "reimaginations."
The Internet's beloved Macaulay Culkin was able to receive this news with a sense of humor. Culkin posted a photo to Instagram providing us with his idea of what a reimagined Home Alone would look like. It would star him, once again, but this time as a disheveled adult that still seems to be abusing his freedom. This might be a reboot that we can get behind.