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Robert Zemeckis Remaking The Beatles' Yellow Submarine?!

by Alex Billington
August 19, 2009

Another day, another remake. Variety is reporting that Robert Zemeckis is negotiating with Disney to remake The Beatle's Yellow Submarine, the 1968 psychedelic animated film (watch the trailer). Zemeckis will turn the film into a CGI feature and shoot it using performance-capture digital 3-D the same way he did for A Christmas Carol. The hope is to have the new version of Yellow Submarine ready to premiere around the 2012 Summer Olympics, which begins July 27th that year in London. Disney has been quietly brokering a complicated rights deal that would give Zemeckis access to 16 original Beatles songs for use in the film.

The storyline of the original film took place in Pepperland, an undersea paradise protected by Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. When the band is captured by the music-hating Blue Meanies, a soldier is sent to Liverpool to fetch the Fab Four, who hop in the submarine and save the day. You know, as much as I love The Beatles, is this really necessary? Zemeckis really just needs to give up on this CGI format and go back to making great live-action movies like Back to the Future and Forrest Gump. I'll reserve any further judgment on this until I see what it looks like - which probably won't be for a very long time. What do you think?

Filed under Movie News, Opinions

From around the web:

jasonmd2020

no No NO!!! Leave this one alone. Especially if Disney's involved. Between Miley & those Jonas bastards the Mouse is doing all it can to kill rock & roll. If this happens I will declare jihad on Disney and burn Epcot center to the ground!!! (Not really. But I'll still be pissed off!)
Ajax

HOW? The first one was so trippy and 60's-ish that to remake it would homogenize it and lose its original flair. DON'T DO IT! #1: Not Epcot! Magic Kingdom is ok, but not Epcot.
Pricetag

JOIN THE REBELLION http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=145457832305
Drew

I sure wish Zemeckis would do something original instead of remaking old stories just to show off what a tech geek he is. He used to write and direct many great movies. Remember Used Cars? Back To The Future? Castaway? He sure seems damned lazy now.
Sabes

:\ ^^ the only way I can explain my feelings on this.
Voice of Reason

If this is true, it's like Zemeckis is begging me to find him and punch him in the face.
Toucmyinfection

Wow Didnt realize how much rabble this one stirred up.. :l I for one think this is great! Ya it seems like Zemeckis is goin a bit on the lazy side, but still, Im up for this. but 16 songs? Thats it? Across The Universe had like...25 songs or somethin...
SlashBeast

There's no way you can "update" this without losing it's charm. The bulk of which, comes from it's time period.
Al

DO NOT DO IT
Ned

There is no god.
bracomadar

Is this Yoko's idea?
Sleepykid

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away....
Leah

I think as long as they dont completely f up the storyline/songs, its a fairly good idea. It'll give the newer generation an easier chance to see who the beatles were and (sort of) what they were all about. Maybe even extending the fan base... I dont see why everyone is completely against it.
http://movies.iconocritic.com peloquin

This is a dumb idea...I will not see it, and I love Zemeckis!
lando

Zemeckis has made a few great movies...but does this really need remaking? Can you really improve this movie with new tech? new animation? the fact that its old is part of its charm, it NEEDS TO STAY IN ITS TIME AND CONTEXT!! please dont remake this, please stop bastardizing classics, do the beatles really need a new fanbase? They were a band, not a franchise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fed Up With Hollywood

I say we take off and nuke Hollywood from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.
Dan W

NOOOOOOO!
Leah

By 'fan base' I didnt just mean some more people to buy Beatles stuff. I was just saying, wouldnt it be great if the even younger generation got into the beatles? Im only 13 and I love em, but I think it'd be cool just for more people to be into the Beatles. I mean, they are a huge inspiration to me, I dont know about you, but I think we should try and spread the love. Its all you need, right? And even if it is a disaster...Oh well, its just a movie. Im sure not too many people will see it, anyway. The classic movie, of course, will always be best, though.
CTHULU

NO. NO. BAD ZEMECKIS. BAAAAD DOG. *whacks with a newspaper*
CTHULU CONTINUED

i am utterly & ENTIRELY against this. yellow sub was an amazing movie & has NO NEED to be remade into a ridiculous CGI disney movie. DISNEY MOVIE?? DISNEY DIED ALONG WITH DISNEY & THEN HSM CAME ALONG & BURNED THE REMAINS, WITH DISNEY NEVER BEING THE SAME AGAIN. ok... if i hear ringos voice sounding like a tiny jonas brother that seems doubtly to have reached puberty, I WILL CUT... SOMETHING. something i with cut! oh jeesh, what has this world come to... hiding under a rock now.