If Disney made a movie about OTMA...?

[Nictionary]

One of Disney's rules seems to be no sad endings.  If they did a movie about OTMA, perhaps they would alter the original story completely to give it a happy ending, the way they did for Hunchback of Notre Dame, or, to cite a non-Disney example, the way Delta Force is a fictionalized account of TWA Flight 847, but portrayed as ending with an Entebbe-inspired rescue, rather than with the terrorists' demands being met, as happened in real life.

[edubs31]

One of Disney's rules seems to be no sad endings.  If they did a movie about OTMA, perhaps they would alter the original story completely to give it a happy ending, the way they did for Hunchback of Notre Dame, or, to cite a non-Disney example, the way Delta Force is a fictionalized account of TWA Flight 847, but portrayed as ending with an Entebbe-inspired rescue, rather than with the terrorists' demands being met, as happened in real life.

Agreed. And unfortunately for those hanging on to the Anastasia survival myth the "happy ending" you speak of seems to have vanished as evidence of the entire family's murder on 7/17/18 became to hard to ignore.

[Nictionary]

What I meant was a happy ending with no basis in the original story, like the example you pointed out earlier of how Inglourious Basterds plays around with history.  The Anastasia survival story served as a basis for much media over the years because before the discovery of 12 sets of remains and DNA testing, there was still wiggle room to argue that the entire family wasn't killed, so the story had some degree of plausibility.  With Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney altered the plot until it bore almost no resemblance to the original story, i.e., Phoebus is converted from a villain to a supporting hero and Esmeralda is saved from the fate she suffered in the book.  There have already been fanfics posted on this board which did the same thing with NAOTMAA.

[edubs31]

What I meant was a happy ending with no basis in the original story, like the example you pointed out earlier of how Inglourious Basterds plays around with history.  The Anastasia survival story served as a basis for much media over the years because before the discovery of 12 sets of remains and DNA testing, there was still wiggle room to argue that the entire family wasn't killed, so the story had some degree of plausibility.  With Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney altered the plot until it bore almost no resemblance to the original story, i.e., Phoebus is converted from a villain to a supporting hero and Esmeralda is saved from the fate she suffered in the book.  There have already been fanfics posted on this board which did the same thing with NAOTMAA.

Right you are.

What you mentioned about the revision of the "Hunchback of Notre Dame" and how Disney could easily do something similar (and Fox already has) regarding the Romanovs tragic end is bothersome to me.

Wouldn't it just be easier to make a film inspired by the real life events but fictional characters and setting? That way you can alter things as you see fit. My Romanovs meets "The Sound of Music" idea as an example.

Is there really that much money in the Romanovs (or Anastasia) name at this point to where it would matter rather you used the actual characters and drama of their time, or if you created a fictional portrayal inspired by those people and events?

[GDSophie]

Well, the 100th anniversary of the Romanovs deaths is next year. I hear that Russia is going all out to celebrate and remember the Romanovs as they were living. It would be huge, and although there is tension between USA and Russia (yet again, sigh) Disney could easily cash in on it and make a movie about them or your idea about the Romanovs meeting 'The Sound of Music'.

[TimM]

Since the Hunchback of Notre Dame is a fictional character, i have no issue with the Disney version.

However, the Romanov family were real people.  If you're going to bring their story to the big screen, you should stick to the facts, even the unpleasant ones.

[GDSophie]

Since the Hunchback of Notre Dame is a fictional character, i have no issue with the Disney version.

However, the Romanov family were real people.  If you're going to bring their story to the big screen, you should stick to the facts, even the unpleasant ones.

Pocahontas and, surprisingly to some people, Mulan were also real people but Disney had no trouble altering (Pocahontas more than Mulan) their stories for the movies they feature in. Who says they won't do the same?

[edubs31]

Good points as usual GDSophie!

Quite a bit of artistic license taken regardless of who the subject might be. I guess the bottom line is this. Disney will do whatever they choose to do. Be that mostly historically accurate, partially accurate, or pure fiction.

It's then up to us to decide for ourselves how we feel about that.

[TimM]

Lucky for us, Disney now has Marvel and Star Wars.  With those two powerhouses in their possession, an OTMA movie is probably the farthest thing in their minds now.

[Превед]

Olga and Tatiana will be different to Elsa and Anna as they're not Scandinavian

As a Scandinavian one laughs at the idea of a Nordic princess called Elsa. Sounds like a real princess Eufemia's German chamber maid.

I'm surprised there wasn't more written at the time of the release of the movie about the only real Princess Elsa (if you don't count the princesses called Elisabeth and nicknamed Elsa / Else / Ella): Duchess Elsa of Württemberg, who was a Romanov on her mother's side. This story with its pictures of a little gender-bending boy who wanted to be Princess Elsa for Halloween really made me think of the staid and not very ætheral real-life Princess Elsa and even more so her matronely-looking mother Queen Vera. Huffington Post should have written: Little boy challenges Disney's cutesy princess model by dressing up as the real Teutonic Princess Elsa of Württemberg of the Wilhelminian Era!

Disney's princess movies are probably highly influential in shaping people's ideas about what it means being a princess, particularly in countries without monarchies. Disney, although basing much of their universe on German folklore and the Fairytales of the Brothers Grimm in particular, are rather anti-German and undercommunicate the fact that the German lands had and still have the highest princess-per-capita ratio in the whole world (only rivalled by Saudi-Arabia, I suppose). Including such problematic princesses as leading German right-wing politician Beatrix von Storch née Duchess of Oldenburg. She is of course the real ice queen wanting to give refugees a very frosty welcome :-)

[JamesAPrattIII]

A successful OTMA movie:
Female will flock to see it
Most Males will run screaming from the movie theater after 10 minutes
Scenes that will cause Women to laugh and cry
Scenes that will cause most men forced to watch this movie to cry for different reasons
Most females will be crying as they leave the theater
Most males will be relieved OTMA were murdered and there will be no sequel
Female will trying the OTMA look
Males will looking to get one of the black leather coats the Chekists and Commissars wore in the movie because it makes them look like a badass.

The movie:
First one third: lots of white dresses and big hats, lots of girl,sister,growing up and Princess stuff. Problem trouble outside the palace the Russo-Japanese War, 1905 revolution, ON and TN at the Stolypin assassination. the 1913 Romanov Tercentury
Second third Suits and Nurses uniforms smaller hats. ON and TN nurse and charity work . ON's breakdown. MN and AN visit the wounded. WW I mostly goes badly. OTMA measles. Revolution breaks out father abdicates
Final third lots of white blouses and skirts and turbans do to having heads shaved prisoners to Tobolsk, Bolshevik revolution the final trip to Ekaterinberg the final days their murder.
 

[TimM]

That's the whole problem with Disney doing such a movie.

Disney likes happy endings, and, with OTMA, that is clearly impossible.

[edubs31]

If animated than yes, I agree. If live action however the final scene could be dissolved into a series of flashbacks that reflected on happier times for the family.

Or you simply elect to focus on a chapter of their lives rather than the full scope of their existence. Maybe something that begins with the birth of Alexei (such as was done in the 1971 film) and ending with their nursing activities and father’s abdication.

[TimM]

 

Maybe something that begins with the birth of Alexei (such as was done in the 1971 film) and ending with their nursing activities and father’s abdication.

Yeah, that could work.