Comparing the contemporary remake of Alice in

Wonderland to the original

Why make a remake? Remakes are often made to update the film, making it more
relevant to today's audience, through the use of new production methods and
technologies. Obviously, one of the main reasons for creating an updated version of
a classic film is because filmmakers believe they can make money from it; therefore
tend to only remake well loved films. Alice in Wonderland being one of them, with the
original animated version being released in 1951 and the Tim Burton directed live
action remake being released almost 60 years later, in 2010. Tim Burton is famous
for directing dark, gothic, quirky horror and fantasy style films, therefore Alice in
Wonderland fitting in perfectly alongside his other many hits. He also is known for
directing remakes and adapting books into successful films, which Alice in
Wonderland was originally.

Burton wanted to create the remake of Alice in Wonderland for many reasons but
mainly because he wanted to create a definitive version of the film that has been
adapted so frequently. In an interview with The Guardian
(http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/mar/06/tim-burton-alice-wonderlandguardian) he stated that he didn't like the way the main character Alice was
commonly portrayed, criticising her saying 'she's a very annoying, odd little girl'. He
wanted to change this and create a character he could relate to, one who was quiet,
not comfortable in her own skin and often unsure how to deal with things. The story
was adapted to having more meaning, being about this young woman finding her
own strength, which she develops throughout the film. Tim Burton steered the Alice
in Wonderland story away from the old-fashioned animated musical style of the
original and truly made it his own.
Financial determinants
The money available for the two Alice in Wonderland films influenced how flexible
the creators could be on the productions. The 1951 original film had what is now
considered a tiny budget of $3 million, compared to Burton's remake which had a
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150-200 million U.S. dollar budget. This needed a higher budget due to it being a live
action film, using technology to make it appear that these real characters were
actually in Wonderland through the use of green screen and computer animation. As
it is a much more recent film, they were more likely to be funded with a large budget
to create the film as they knew it would a lot more than that at the box office. Burton's
film used a collaboration of production companies: Walt Disney Productions, Roth
Films, The Zanuck Company and Team Todd. All these would've help in the
production of the film, specifically with funding it however Walt Disney Productions is
the main company the film is made with. On the other hand, the original Alice in
Wonderland was made solely with Walt Disney Productions as during this time films
rarely had multiple funders, which suggests why the budget was so low. At the box
office, the original earned $5,232,000 compared to the remake which earned $1.025
billion. This shows the change in time within the almost 60 years, as now more
people often visit the cinema to watch films due to the advance in marketing, making
them appear 'must see'.
Technologies of production
Originally, the 1951 version was set to be an animated/live action film after the
success of the 1924-1927 'Alice Comedies' series Disney produced. These plans
were scrapped in favour for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, after being put off
when Paramount's 1933 live-action version flopped at the box office. They then
revisited the idea, however Walt Disney was not impressed by the story reel, then
World War 2 hit so the film was stored until 1946. Disney finally decided they could
do the book justice by just producing an all-animated film focussing on the comedy,
music and the whimsical side of Carroll's writing. Many animators worked on the film,
making a successful fully animated production.
On the other hand, the 2010 version of Alice
in Wonderland uses a combination of
animation and live action on their film. A
green screen was used for 90% of the film,
including covering objects in green and
having some actors wear green suits, so their
appearance could be added in after. This was
Burton's first time filming on a green screen,
however he managed to complete this part
after just 40 days worth of long filming hours.
The film used a lot of digital effects distorting a lot of the characters appearances,
such as increasing the size of the Red Queen's head and altering Alice's height.
Although the film was shot in 2D they later converted the footage to a 3D format
during post-production, as Burton felt 3D was more appropriate to the stories
environment.

Distribution and exhibition

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As both of the films were produced by Walt Disney Productions, the marketing
would've been similar despite the huge gap in release dates. Walt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures exhibited the films in cinemas first, followed by the DVD release so
people could enjoy the films at home. Both films, although more the 2010 version,
are even often shown on TV now especially around Christmas with it being a huge
family film. The time of the cinematic release is key for the success of the film. 1951
version of Alice in Wonderland was released on the 26th of July in the UK, which is
perfectly in time with the summer holidays. This was cleverly done by the distributors
as the main target audience is children, therefore giving them something to do during
their time off and allowing them to spread the word to their friends. Whereas, 2010
Alice in Wonderland was released on 25th of February in UK. The date for this
release was less important as they already knew the film would be successful due to
it being a remake of a classic. However, they did time it during a cold winter month,
not long after Christmas to allow families to have a fun day out that is inside.
Tim Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland did face a few issues during distribution
(http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/feb/23/alice-in-wonderland-disney-cinemas).
Multiple exhibitors, Odeon, Vue and Cineworld originally boycotted the movie due to
Disney wishing to shorten the amount of time, from 4 months to 3, between a film
being in the cinema to being released on DVD. Vue and
Cineworld eventually agreed with Odeon standing alone
facing further battles with Disney. They weren't happy
with the idea as they believed with a much shorter wait
for the film to be released on DVD, audiences would be
less keen to rush to the cinema to see it.

Current trends
In the 1950's, a big trend upon young women was the 'poodle'
skirt, which was typically quite long and flared out. These were
often brightly coloured and very feminine, and were later used
in films such as Grease. Alice in this film wears a similar style
outfit, in a bright blue colour portraying how young and on
trend she was.
On the other hand, in 2010 when Burton's version was released
younger women were wearing much more casual, shorter clothing.
However, as this is a remake Tim Burton wanted to keep the original
feeling around the film, by dressing Alice in a slightly more modern
twist on the original costume. This also fits in with Alice's character is
she is from a wealthy background, therefore would dress more formal
than the average person.

Genre shifts
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Understandably, within the almost 60 years between the two films the Fantasy genre
has developed slightly. In the 1950's, Fantasy films were less common as they are
today and had more extravagant storylines which weren't realistic. Most of the films
were created from pre-existing books and adapted to fit the big screen. Whereas in
more modern films such as the 2010 Alice in Wonderland, there is an element of
realism within the films. This allows audiences to ponder the idea of fantasy lands
really existing. Due to the shift in technology, the action can be more dramatic as
they are now able to create it through computer animation, such as green screening.
Fantasy films in the 1950's also tended to be completely animated, whereas now
most are live action, such as the Harry Potter franchise.

Stars
Both films use big name stars in their films, as Disney typically
do to attract their fans to watch the film. Audiences understand
that big name actors wouldn't lend their names to a film if it
wasn't going to be successful, therefore encouraging them to
see it. In the 1951 Alice in Wonderland, Alice is played by
Kathryn Beaumont who has voice acted in many Disney films
including Peter Pan as Wendy. Ed Wynn
lends his voice to the Mad Hatter,
Sterling Holloway is the Cheshire Cat and Verna Felton is the
Queen of Hearts amongst many others. All of these have
voiced characters in multiple Disney films due to their diversity
of their voices. Disney directors often choose the same actors
as they know they will portray the character well, fitting the
Disney theme.
In Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, he uses actors who have acted in many of his
films, such as Johnny Depp (who has collaborated with Burton on 8 different films)
and Helena Bonham Carter (his now ex partner). This is
because these are diverse actors, typically good at portraying
the eccentric slightly twisted characters. Burton's films are
then recognizable when watching them as if you see these
actors together it is normally in a Tim Burton directed film.
Alice is played by 25 year old Australian actress Mia
Wasikowska, who gained worldwide prominence from the film.
Depp plays the Mad Hatter, whilst Bonham Carter stars as the
Red Queen, Anne Hathaway plays the White Queen and Matt
Lucas plays both Tweedledum and Tweedledee. As this
remake is a combination of live action and animation, voice
actors are also needed for the animals etc. Michael Sheen
voices the White Rabbit, Barbara Windsor voices the
Dormouse and Stephen Fry the Cheshire Cat.
Synergy

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The original film is synergised across other Disney platforms, such as in the theme
parks, where there is a children's teacup ride entitled 'Mad Tea
Party' based on Disney's version of the film. Characters such
as Alice, The Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit also regularly
wonder around the theme park greeting and taking pictures
with the children when they visit. These characters also often
play a key role in the parades at the parks. Tim Burton's
remake of the film had much less of an impact on the theme
parks, with it only inspiring 'Mad T Party' a nighttime event at
Disney California Adventure.
Many videos games such as Disney's Villains' Revenge,
Mickey Mousecapade and Kinect Disneyland Adventures the
characters, Wonderland or parts of the plot are featured. A
video game version of the film was also released on Game Boy
Colour in October 2000, almost 50 years after the film's original
release. For the 2010 version, Disney Interactive Studios also
released an Alice in Wonderland video game available on the
Wii, Nintendo DS and Microsoft Windows.
Finally, Alice in Wonderland merchandise is also widely
available, both official from the Disney Store
(http://www.disneystore.com/alice-in-wonderland/mn/1000003/)
and unofficial such as homemade jewellery made by fans of the
film. The official merchandise is for both films and aimed
towards a wide audience including toys for young children and
mugs for adults.

In conclusion, I believe both versions of Alice in Wonderland were successful during

their time of release as they catered towards what the audience wanted from a
fantasy film. The original 1951 version had less of a budget therefore they couldn't
afford to use the many extravagant special effects like the remake did, and it was
wise for them to create a solely animated story. Whereas, Tim Burton knew he had a
larger budget to play with therefore could use new digital effects to his advantage,
creating a fresher updated version. They both take in account current trends and use
actors which people of that time enjoyed, making both films a must see. In my
opinion, Tim Burton's 2010 remake is more enjoyable to watch as the new
technologies make the story seem more believable. The actors do a brilliant job in
portraying Lewis Carroll's characters, allowing me to fully endorse myself into the
story. Burton's remake is far enough from the original that it is almost seen as a
sequel, adding more twists and turns to the already intriguing storyline.

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