Sarah Polley addresses why she reportedly left Disney’s live-action remake ofBambi. The project was originally confirmed in 2020, with Polley in talks to helm the re-imagination of the 1942 animated classic. However, in 2024, it was reported that the Oscar winner was no longer attached to thelive-action Disney remake, which cast uncertainty over the upcoming movie.
In an interview withVanity Fair, Polley reveals why she’s no longer attached to the project. TheWomen Talkingdirector revealed that while she had “one or two conversations” about it,she has never “officially” signed on as a director, clarifying that her rumored departure was more about her focusing on other projects. Polley shared that she was very interested in the “mother-dying-young aspect” of the remake. Check out her comments below:
I was never actually officially attached to it. I had one or two conversations about it, but there was no deal, I’d never signed on to it, soit was more of an internet phenomenon than a real thing. I did talk to them, but I was just working on a bunch of other things that I ended up being more focused on. I do think it’s a super-interesting thing to remake that movie, actually. I was also really interested in the mother-dying-young aspect of it. I could have delivered something very bleak. [Laughs]
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Ever since the director was no longer linked totheBambiremake,there have been rumors about Disney canceling the upcoming project. Though the movie was expected to arrive some time in 2025 or 2026, there has been very little development. Polley’s exit also marks the latest update on theBambiremake. However, it seems thatthe director’s choice not to take on the project may not have as big of an impact as many believe it did.
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Polley’s comment about the news being “an internet phenomenon” rather than “a real thing” debunks the rumor. It also seems thattheBambiremake is still happening, despite being stuck in development over the years.FormerBambiscreenwriter Lindsey Anderson Beerhas previously shared that the remake may tone down the death of Bambi’s mother to avoid traumatizing today’s young audience. Polley’s interest in exploring the bleak themes may not have aligned with the creative direction of this project.
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Polley’s plan sounds compellingfor a more mature version ofBambi.Lately, some of Disney’s remakes have not been doing well at the box office, including. The recentSnow Whitelive-action remakedisappointed at the box office. The lack of magic and charm has been a recurring theme among Disney remakes of their classic titles, and perhaps the key to the success of theBambilive-action version isn’t to recapture the magic in the original animation, but to do something completely different.
Polley’s departure from the project barely qualifies as an exit,since she never signed on to the film in the first place. Her comment also serves asa reminder of how the truth may become distorted and dramatized in the media. On the other hand, it sounds likeBambi, like manyannounced Disney titles, is just waiting for the right time and the right people to be made. There is currently no director attached to the upcoming title.
