Top 10 Disney Movies That Were Almost Completely Different
#10: “Pocahontas” (1995)
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This Disney classic is a combination of a romanticized version of the true story of Pocahontas mixed with a bit of Romeo and Juliet elements. Originally, Pocahontas was meant to have a mother spirit in the stars, but execs thought that was too close to “The Lion King,” which was also in production at the time. So, this was changed to her mother’s spirit living in the wind. Grandmother Willow also used to be a character named Old Man River, voiced by Gregory Peck. It was actually Peck who felt that the character needed to be more motherly, and refused the role. Thus, Grandmother Willow was born. Pocahontas’ animal friends Meeko and Flit were also meant to have voices, and another friend, a turkey named Redfeather.
#9: “Monsters University” (2013)
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Before this “Monsters, Inc.” prequel showed us the history of Mike and Sulley’s partnership, it was originally meant to be a sequel. The idea was to have Mike and Sulley get trapped in the human world after sneaking in to give Boo a birthday present. However, a series of changes in the deal between Disney and Pixar led to new management, which ultimately resulted in “Monsters University.” But, wouldn’t you love to see how that hypothetical sequel would have turned out? After the ending to the original movie, it would be amazing to see a new adventure with Boo. Here’s hoping that one day we might get to see something along the lines of “Monsters, Inc. 2: Lost in Scaradise.”
#8: “The Rescuers” (1977)
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This Disney classic went through several changes before the final product was created. The original script was based on the books by Margery Sharp titled “The Rescuers and Miss Bianca.” But Walt Disney found that keeping the plot of the movie too faithful to the source material would make it too political for a kids movie. Over the years, “The Rescuers” was revisited and rewritten many times with new characters and different dynamics between Bernard and Bianca. Cruella de Vil was even the main villain at one point. After over a decade, the final incarnation was finally reached.
#7: “Inside Out” (2015)
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This film is often praised for its accurate depiction of adolescence and emotions. Well, that might be because the directors did a deep dive into the psychology of it all. In the movie, Riley is guided by five major emotions; joy, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust. But originally, over 20 emotions were considered as characters. Directors Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen combined and conflated the list of emotions to create the main 5. This is understandable considering how cluttered the movie would be if Riley had 20 different emotions running around in her mind.
#6: “Mulan” (1998)
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Some early Disney Princesses have become infamous for their overreliance on male counterparts. But Mulan is without a doubt the hero of her own story. Things weren’t always like that, though. The original plot was based on a couple of stories by author Robert D. San Souci. The idea was more of a romantic comedy wherein Mulan and Li Shang are arranged to be married, but Mulan runs away to find her own path. However, the Head of Story, Chris Sanders, recreated the story around familial love, which is actually more faithful to the source material. Also, had the original plot thrived, we may never have met Mushu or Cri-Kee.
#5: “Aladdin” (1992)
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Can you even imagine this movie without Aladdin’s sneaky sidekick, Abu? Well believe it or not, he wasn’t a part of the original script. Neither was Jasmine’s Tiger, Rajah. Originally, Aladdin had three human friends, and his mother. Eventually, those characters were scrapped and replaced with human versions of Abu and Raja. Unfortunately, the studio chief did not like the script at all, and the whole thing had to be rewritten. The mother was removed, Abu and Raja became animal sidekicks, and Iago was inspired by Gilbert Gottfried, who went on to play the character.
#4: “Moana” (2016)
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Inspired by mythology about the Polynesian demigod, John Musker and Ron Clements decided to write a story about him. He was originally meant to be the main character, but Musker and Clements’ research trips changed everything. They learned about the history and traditions of Fiji, Samoa, and Tahiti, inspiring the final version of the movie. The focus became on Moana and her journey of self-discovery. They used the real history of Pacific Islanders' exploration thousands of years ago to help craft the narrative. But that’s not all. At one point or another, Moana had several brothers, she had to save her father from being lost at sea, and in one version, there was no grandmother character. We almost had a vastly different movie.
#3: “Peter Pan” (1953)
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According to the man himself, Walt Disney, there was originally a plan to make Peter Pan much darker, but he changed his mind. A huge plot point in the movie is Peter trying to convince Wendy to stay in Neverland to be a mother to the Lost Boys. Well, in an earlier idea, Peter never gives Wendy the choice. He captures her from her home to be their mother. Not exactly a jaunty adventure past the second star to the right. In another idea, Nana the dog is the protagonist. We see the story unfold from her point of view. Though we love the way this classic film turned out, we have to admit it would be incredibly interesting to see Nana’s thoughts on the events.
#2: “Frozen” (2013)
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This instant Disney classic is all about friendship and sisterly love. In fact, the love Anna and Elsa share for each other is not only a central theme in the movie, but one of the greatest parts of it. Well, the initial idea for this movie was actually the exact opposite. Anna and Elsa were rivals in a version of the movie that was more faithful to the story “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen. In this version, Elsa was an evil Queen and she and Anna weren’t even sisters. It was actually the song “Let It Go” that changed things. This powerful song by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez was clearly meant for a hero. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Beauty and the Beast” (1991) The Opening Scene Makes the Movie - Which Wasn’t Originally Going to be a Musical “The Little Mermaid” (1989) Ursula Was Almost Triton’s Sister “Wall-E” (2008) The Future of the Human Race Was Different
#1: “Toy Story” (1995)
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Has there ever been a happy, friendly story about a sentient ventriloquist dummy? Well, the creators of “Toy Story” didn’t think so either. The original incarnation of Woody was a dummy who teamed up with a wind-up toy named Tinny and journeyed together to find a kindergarten classroom so they can always be played with. But this was eventually changed because the dummy seemed way too creepy, and Tinny didn’t feel modern enough. Through a series of changes, Tinny eventually became Buzz Lightyear, and Woody became a cowboy. What resulted was a classic opposites to best friends film.
