To the disappointment of most Disney fans, Splash Mountain closed permanently at Disney World and Disneyland. The good news is, it will reopen in Universal Studios as we reported here. Despite this, Disney originally closed the ride because it was “controversial”. The controversy surrounds Song of the South, the movie Splash Mountain is based on. However, it’s just been announced that Song of the South is returning to movie theaters this summer.
In an unexpected turn of events, Disney just made a groundbreaking announcement that is igniting both excitement and controversy. The legendary film Song of the South will be returning to movie theaters for a limited time this summer. This is part of Disney’s 100th Anniversary celebration. So get ready to dive back into the charming and controversial world of Uncle Remus and his heartwarming stories!
The Controversial Return of Song of the South
It was just announced that Song of the South will be returning to Movie Theaters this summer. In fact, throughout the summer, Disney is releasing their classic movies back into the theaters. This is a way to bring back nostalgia and some of the best Disney movies ever made to celebrate the company’s huge milestone. As you can see, some iconic films have made the list. For example, Toy Story, Frozen, The Lion King, and more. But one of the movies on the list sticks out like a sore thumb.
Song of the South, released in 1946, tells the story of Uncle Remus and his interactions with a young boy named Johnny. It blends live-action and animation, creating a whimsical world that captivated audiences of its time. However, this film has proven to be controversial. In fact, a journalist at The Afro-American slammed the movie as “a piece of propaganda for white supremacy as Hollywood ever produced.” This clearly shows how angry this movie makes people, whether they have seen it or most likely not.
The decision to bring Song of the South back to the big screen is a bold move by Disney. If Splash Mountain, a ride loosely based on the movie, isn’t suitable for today’s audience, how is the movie okay? In fact, just back in 2020, Bob Iger stated “I’ve felt, as long as I’ve been CEO, that ‘Song of the South’ was — even with a disclaimer — just not appropriate in today’s world.” Based on this commentary and the progressive company that Disney is, it’s surprising they are bringing the film back to the theaters.
The Classic Trigger Warning
Now, before you start humming “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” and preparing to skip merrily down memory lane, there are a few things you should know. Due to the movie’s controversial nature, Disney will include a trigger warning before the movie. This warning is essentially a copout by Disney. They are bringing the movie back, but to reduce backlash, they will argue that they warned people before watching the movie. However, everyone knows these warnings are silly and meaningless.
Disney will be swimming in controversy and discussion all summer because of this announcement. As Splash Mountain used to tell us, “You can’t run away from trouble… ain’t no place that far.” In fact, there is no clear reason from Disney as to why Song of the South is on that movie theater release list. It’s especially surprising because of how far Disney is going to remove any trace of Splash Mountain and Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah from their parks.
The most logical reason for this release is PR. As the saying goes, all PR is good PR, unless you are Anheuser Busch. The Disney Company wants people to talk about them and talk about this film. The controversy will likely sell out theaters across the country. Those who love the movie can see it as well as those who hate on the film despite never seeing it. In a weird way, bringing such a controversial film back to the theaters may actually work in Disney’s favor.
What do you think of the return of Song of the South? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Make Sure to Follow Us and Subscribe to our Emails!
To stay up to date on more very real Disney news like this totally made-up story, be sure to follow Mouse Trap News on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Please consider joining our email list below to get all of our stories sent directly to your inbox!
Yeah, sure it is! Tell us you aren’t a clickbait site.