Filmmaker Lindsey Anderson Beer has found herself attached to a number of exciting projects in recent years, from a new Star Trek to a new Lord of the Flies to a new Short Circuit, with one of the titles she had become attached to being Disney’s live-action adaptation of Bambi. With all of these films having been announced as in development in a relatively short stretch of time, the filmmaker confirmed that the abundance of opportunities she faced meant having to turn down some of these projects, which included parting ways from the new Bambi. Anderson Beer noted that it was her commitments to Pet Sematary: Bloodlines that resulted in her leaving the Disney project. Pet Sematary: Bloodlines lands on Paramount+ on October 6th.
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While speaking with Collider, Anderson Beer detailed what her approach was to reviving Bambi for a new generation, with the outlet noting, “Catching Anderson Beer’s use of the word ‘was,’ [Perri] Nemiroff asked if the Bambi remake had come to a halt. While the film is still underway, Anderson Beer revealed that her work on Pet Sematary: Bloodlines forced her to walk away from the project.”
The filmmaker was clearly passionate about the project, as she did go on to detail what the approach to the material would have been, which included finding a much more contemporary take on the material that would have highlighted how cinema has changed since the original Bambi was released in 1942.
“What’s interesting about Bambi to me is it absolutely is a classic and it’s a beautiful love poem, such artistry to it,” Anderson Beer explained of approaching the classic. “I do think there’s an entire generation of children who have never seen the original and that’s very different from, say Little Mermaid or Aladdin or the ’90s heyday films that they’ve definitely already seen. I can’t tell you how many kids I’ve seen who’ve never seen Bambi, which is such a shame.”
She added, “The thing is, [Bambi] is such a gorgeous film. It’s a little bit different tempo than I think modern audiences are used to.”
While there’s a number of memorable elements in Bambi, she also addressed one of the most tragically iconic elements, which is the death of Bambi’s mother at the hands of hunters. Anderson Beer noted the challenge of updating that element for a new generation.
“Not to spoil the plot, but there’s a treatment of the mom dying that I think some kids, some parents these days are more sensitive about than they were in the past. And I think that’s one of the reasons that they haven’t shown it to their children.” Anderson Beer expressed. “I do think there is a way to update Bambi and our take on it … Did give a little bit more of a scope to it. And I just think that to be able to bring it to life for kids these days in a way that maybe they relate to a little bit more would be of service to the original.”
Earlier this year, Sarah Polley was reported to be developing the live-action Bambi.
What do you think of the filmmaker’s remarks? Let us know in the comments!
