Walt Disney was a budding filmmaker in Los Angeles on October 16, 1923, when he signed a distribution agreement for a run of live-action/animated comedy shorts about a girl in a cartoon universe based on “Alice in Wonderland,” and the business was established. Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio was the original name, but Walt and his brother Roy soon changed it to the more recognisable Walt Disney Studio.
After a century, the Mouse House has produced many characters, films, television shows, theme parks, and, of course, Mickey (who made his debut in the 1928 short “Steamboat Willie”). As a result, Disney has been a part of almost everyone’s life at some point. In the celebration short film “Once Upon a Studio,” produced by Disney and available for streaming on Disney+, a few of the organization’s most recognisable figures get together for the ultimate group shot. However, we’re also looking back at our own Disney history to highlight some of our favourites:
Disney’s first animated films, which date back to 1937’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” have influenced entire generations. And there will soon be a new one: the Disney 100 celebration will be capped off by the movie “Wish,” which stars Oscar winner Ariana DeBose. Disney, however, has recently gone back into the archives and given some of its most renowned films new life in live-action versions for today’s young audiences. Even if not all of them have been successful—I’m looking at you, “Alice Through the Looking Glass”—standouts like “Cruella,” “Cinderella,” and “Maleficent” have given well-known stories and characters new depth.
Looking through Disney history, there are a few that top our charts – like “Feed the Birds” from “Mary Poppins,” a fave of Walt’s back in the day, and the title love song of “Beauty and the Beast.” And if you don’t dig them, well … let it go.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the only one that brings comic book characters to life on screen. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) began with 2008’s “Iron Man,” but it truly took off when Disney took over with 2012’s “Avengers” movie. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has produced a number of blockbusters throughout the years, including “Avengers: Endgame,” “Black Panther,” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
New films like “The Marvels,” starring Brie Larson, “WandaVision” standout Teyonah Parris, and “Ms. Marvel” actor Iman Vellani, are in the process for release soon.
Despite the fact that “Star Wars” has been a major force in pop culture for more than 40 years, the property is one of Disney’s more recent acquisitions. In 2012, the studio acquired Lucasfilm from George Lucas, which is also the home of the “Indiana Jones” films. The Force has been strong for Disney lately, with a new “Star Wars” sequel trilogy — 2015’s “The Force Awakens” is the all-time domestic box-office champion with a $936.7 million total — and an expansion into streaming with Disney+ series like “The Mandalorian” and “Ahsoka.” But the best material remains “The Empire Strikes Back” and the original 1977 version of “Star Wars,” which, along with other Disney classics from the previous 100 years, demonstrate that vintage is frequently a good thing.
