10 High-Profile 2019 Movies You Should Be Worried About
6. Dumbo (March 29)
The Movie:
The latest in Disney's live-action updates of their animated classics, Tim Burton directs and brings with him previous collaborators Danny Elfman, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito and Eva Green without a Johnny Depp in sight, to re-tell the story of the titular flying elephant.
Why You Should Be Worried:
In short: Tim Burton.
There is no denying that Burton is an auteur, a one-of-a-kind filmmaker with a distinct voice, but his last time working for the Mouse House brought us the commercially successful but critically-panned Alice in Wonderland. Burton has always been the most comfortable and produced his best work when afforded the utmost creative freedom, something that Walt Disney Pictures aren't exactly known for.
If the director is allowed to make the movie he wants instead of simply hitting the studio mandate, then Dumbo could turn out as a truly interesting piece of cinema especially given the eclectic cast assembled and potential for Burton to inject some of his personality into the narrative.
The presence of Ehren Kruger as the sole writer is also cause for concern, as the Transformers franchise scribe hasn't had a script certified 'Fresh' on Rotten Tomatoes since 2002. Everyone knows that Tim Burton does his best work when he is allowed to express himself creatively and the script is strong enough to complement his visuals. On a surface level at least, Dumbo doesn't seem to have that.