OpenAISean Bailey has been running Disney’s animated film “reimagining” factory for over a decade with impressive results, including box office hits such as “Aladdin”, “The Lion King”, and “Beauty and the Beast”. While these remakes are lucrative, they are also essential for Disney’s relevance since most of their animated classics promote outdated ideas on gender roles.
Under Bailey’s direction, the remakes offer a refreshing take on Disney stories that is less retrograde with empowered heroines and a focus on diversity in casting. The live-action “Snow White”, due for release in 2022, features Rachel Zegler, a Latina actress, as the princess known for being “the fairest of them all”. In recent years, Bailey’s adaptations have also made history by casting Yara Shahidi as the first black Tinker Bell in “Peter Pan and Wendy”.
Disney’s push for making their content more inclusive has, however, created controversy among some viewers who feel the changes are force-fed “wokeness”. This hyperpartisan moment has put Disney and Bailey in the middle of a cultural fight that is overshadowing the more significant impact of their productions.
Disney’s latest release, “The Little Mermaid”, stars Halley Bailey, a Black actress, in the lead role of Ariel, a character traditionally depicted as white. The move has been praised by many but also resulted in racist comments on social media and movie fan sites. Nonetheless, Disney’s chief executive, Robert A. Iger, has shown support for the remake despite its controversy.
Disney’s live-action films are targeted at children and, as such, hold considerable impact on shaping young viewers’ attitudes and beliefs. Bailey’s endorsement of gender and racial diversity at Disney’s productions has significantly influenced the representation of women and people of color in film, which is reflected in his focus on female-led stories, women of color as lead actresses, and female directors, such as Ava DuVernay and Mira Nair.
Bailey is not only committed to making Disney’s productions more inclusive; he is also known for his consistency, stability, and decency in a Hollywood scene marked by volatility. Bailey has held the position of president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production for 13 years, providing stability and guidance in a media conglomerate that has undergone substantial restructuring and executive firings.
Bailey has over 50 films in various stages of development and production under his management, including live-action remakes of Disney classics such as “Moana”, “Hercules”, and “Lilo and Stitch”. His next project, “Haunted Mansion”, directed by Justin Simien, is scheduled for release in July and has a cast that includes LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Owen Wilson, and Tiffany Haddish. Despite criticism that he has not delivered an original blockbuster, Bailey remains committed to pursuing new projects such as “The Graveyard Book”.
