Disney Loses High-Profile Director For Yet Another Remake

Sarah Polley was originally lined up to helm a remake of the 1942 animated film Bambi, which famously follows the eponymous anthropomorphic deer as he explores all that life has to offer in a vast woodland forest. Obviously, the first thought on everyone’s mind when a live-action Bambi film was first announced was shock and horror at the thought of watching Bambi’s mother die in horrifying 4k rendering. Despite Polley’s exit, Disney insiders have confirmed that the production will continue as scheduled, though Disney’s track record with live-action remakes has been less than stellar.

Early attempts to launch live-action remakes of famed animated films at Disney found massive success, with outings such as 2015’s Cinderella and 2016’s The Jungle Book. However, more recent projects like Pinocchio, The Little Mermaid, and most recently Haunted Mansion, each failed to inspire the same level of audience favor, potentially prompting Disney to enter into a panic. While very little is known regarding the reason behind Sarah Polley’s exit from Bambi, it seems clear that the studio is still attempting to course-correct some of Sean Bailey’s recent choices.

Among Bailey’s yet-to-be-completed projects are live-action iterations of Lilo & Stitch, Moana, and a Lion King prequel centered on Simba’s ill-fated father, Mufasa. While these projects each received a wide array of differing responses from the general public upon announcement, audiences at large seem to be souring on Disney live-action remakes in general. Bambi was previously anticipated to be a welcome departure from the cookie-cutter template of other Disney missteps, primarily due to Sarah Polley’s involvement.

Sarah Polley first joined the project after her 2023 Oscar win for the film Women Talking, leaving many fans to wonder just what kind of new and exciting flair she could bring to the table. Per insiders at Disney, Polley’s split from the upcoming Bambi remake was amicable, with no known drama causing the change of leadership. Still, it’s hard to believe a visionary director such as Polley could have room to thrive at the production, especially as other Disney filmmakers are reporting an uptick in micromanagement from the top down.

Disney has been feeling the heat from all angles in recent years, as even reliable cash-cows like Marvel and Star Wars have been failing to offer major return on investment. Last year was marked by union-led work stoppages within the film industry as box office figures for guaranteed hits reached all-time lows, causing major studios to scramble.

Regardless, considering her other work, Sarah Polley will likely have something interesting lined up soon if she doesn’t already.