Disney’s strangest live-action remake had nothing to do with the original film and flopped at the box office
Summary
- Disney’s trend toward live-action remakes began in 2010 with The Magic of Magic, but was overshadowed by Alice in Wonderland.
- “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” is actually a live-action adaptation of the Disney film, which was inspired by “Fantasia” and the character of Mickey Mouse.
- Despite an all-star cast, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was criticized for being cliched and not unique enough to stand out from the crowd.
In recent years, Disney has built on a trend of live-action remakes, but in 2010 The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was one of Disney’s first live-action reboots and a box office flop. Disney’s live-action remakes have become increasingly common, with The Little Mermaid Premiere in 2023 and Snow White And Vaiana – The wonderful world of love in the pipeline. However, Disney’s live-action remakes began decades ago. The first was in 1994 Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, followed by 101 Dalmatians And 102 Dalmatians in 1996 and 2000. In fact, these films really started to gain momentum in 2010.
In 2010, Disney released two live-action remakes. The most popular of the two was Alice in Wonderland. Starring Mia Wasikowka, Anne Hathaway, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, the film was a smash hit. Budgeted at $150-200 million, the film grossed over $1 billion at the box office. This success led to a sequel in 2016 and continued success for Disney and its live-action remakes. But This success also overshadowed the other Disney remake of the same year: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
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“The Apprentice” is technically a Disney live-action remake
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’s Inspiration Explained
Even though many may remember The Sorcerer’s Apprentice as a typical Disney live-action film, it turns out that the film is actually a remake. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice tells the story of Dave, a normal guy who is recruited by a powerful wizard to be his assistant. Dave quickly learns how to use magic to help the wizard protect New York from an evil enemy. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is inspired by the Disney films fantasy And Fantasy 2000, Mickey Mouse is the titular apprentice.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Section of
fantasy
was set to music for the symphonic poem “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by Paul Dukas.
Although it has become a Disney classic, the original point of fantasy was to bring Mickey Mouse into the history of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. In 1940, Mickey’s popularity was declining, so the company wanted to revive his legacy. The cost of producing The Sorcerer’s Apprentice exceeded what the short film could do. Therefore, Disney decided to create an anthology feature film in which The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was just one of several sections of the film, all of which were set to classical music. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice got its own film with the live-action adaptation in 2010.
What went wrong with Nicolas Cage’s film “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was not unique enough
Despite its historical roots, the year 2010 is unfortunately The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was not successful. With a budget of $150 million, the film only grossed $215 million. In addition, it was largely panned by critics, who felt that the film suffered from a derivative story. Consequently, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice earned only 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite an all-star cast and some unique visual effects, the film just doesn’t seem unique enough to stand out, especially when compared to the stylistic choices of Alice in Wonderland.
|
The cast of “Duel of the Sorcerers” |
Who they played against |
|---|---|
|
Nicholas Cage |
Balthasar Blake |
|
Jay Baruchel |
Dave Stutler |
|
Alfred Molina |
Maxim Horvath |
|
Teresa Palmer |
Rebecca Barnes |
|
Toby Kebbell |
Drake Stone |
Doesn’t matter, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice may still be worth watching. It may not be Disney’s best film, but it certainly has some nostalgic value for viewers who first saw it in their youth. Moreover, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice The cast brings undeniable talent to the project, and the fantasy connection makes it an interesting entry in the studio’s back catalogue. Overall The Sorcerer’s Apprentice may be considered a failure, but it is still a memory worth remembering.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Balthazar Blake and Maxim Horvath are rival wizards who are hundreds of years old. In modern-day Manhattan, Balthazar battles the forces of evil while Horvath searches for the person who will inherit the powers of the mythical Merlin. It turns out that this person is Dave Stutler, whom Balthazar reluctantly takes on as an apprentice to help him stop Horvath from destroying the world.
- director
- Jon Turteltaub
- Release date
- July 14, 2010
- Authors
- Doug Miro, Carlo Bernard, Matt Lopez
- Pour
- Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer, Toby Kebbell, Omar Benson Miller, Monica Bellucci, Alice Krige, Robert Capron, Ian McShane, Nicolas Cage
