经济学人下载:迪士尼创新策略:翻拍经典动画的真人版电影(3)

A crucial step in these renovations is to tap into the films’ existing fan base by zealously monitoring online forums and quizzing focus groups. A few purist fans decry any updates, such as the redesign of Mrs Potts, an enchanted teapot, in “Beauty and the Beast”. But the typical viewer covets the big moments—the waltz in “Beauty and the Beast”, or Simba held aloft on the African plains—while being less fussy about the details. That leaves room for plot changes and character development. “We looked back a lot at what Walt Disney had done, not in terms of specifics but in terms of spirit,” explains Sean Bailey, the studio’s president of production. The original Disney identified stories that had enduring appeal and adapted them to his era, Mr Bailey says; “then he applied the very best talent and technology that he could.”
翻拍的关键一步是通过密切关注在线论坛和调查焦点小组，挖掘电影现有的粉丝基础。一些纯粹主义粉丝谴责任何更新，如在《美女与野兽》中被施魔咒的茶壶——波特夫人的重新设计。但一般的观众都渴望看到宏大的场景，如《美女与野兽》里的华尔兹，或是立于非洲平原上的狮子王辛巴——同时又对细节不怎么挑剔。这为情节变化和角色发展留下了空间。“我们回顾了很多华特·迪士尼所做的事情，并非在细节上而是在精神上，”制片公司总裁肖恩·贝利解释说。最初，迪士尼先生确定了那些具有持久吸引力的故事，并将其改编到他的时代，贝利先生表示；“然后他用上了他所能运用的最好的才能和技术。”

Today that means attracting stars—Ms Watson as Belle, Donald Glover and Beyoncé as Simba and Nala, Will Smith as the Genie—and directors who reinforce each title’s strengths. Tim Burton is a good fit for a story about a persecuted circus elephant and a nefarious entertainment magnate, because Dumbo’s outsider status is “a central characteristic that also runs through all of (Mr Burton’s) work”, according to Derek Frey, the film’s producer. Guy Ritchie’s aptitude for raucous action sequences lends itself to “Aladdin”, a fable about a mischievous street urchin.
对今天来说意味着有吸引力的明星：沃特森饰演贝拉（《美女与野兽》），唐纳德·格洛沃饰演辛巴（《狮子王》），碧昂丝饰演娜拉（《狮子王》），威尔·史密斯饰演灯神（《阿拉丁》）；以及强化每个标题优势的董事。蒂姆•伯顿非常适合写这样一个故事：受迫害的马戏团大象和邪恶的娱乐巨头，因为根据电影制片人德里克•弗雷的说法，小飞象的局外人身份是“贯穿伯顿所有作品的一个中心特征”。导演盖•里奇对喧闹动作场面的天赋，让《阿拉丁》更有看头，这是一个关于一个淘气街头顽童的寓言故事。