First things first, Pocahontas is a fantastic movie, which was a box office smash back when it was released in 1995. Many Disney fans adore Pocahontas for her strength and critical thinking, but the original film has also been heavily criticised for whitewashing a pretty horrific time in history. Indeed, one critic of the animated film writes that it “completely ignores the grim wheel of history in favor of a fuzzy, feel-good narrative that viewers never have to really ponder afterwards.”
Disney legend Alan Menken, whose music has featured in the likes of The Little Mermaid (1989), The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and, of course, Pocahontas, has expressed that he feels a live-action is unlikely. “I think that story is going to be difficult. With modern sensibilities, it’d be hard – you’re going to offend somebody”, he said at a promotional event. Ultimately, as this article suggests, the film (and any ensuing live-action version) may actually do more harm than good.
