And now, Snow White may be getting some spunk of her own. Walt Disney has teamed with director Francis Lawrence ("Constantine," "I Am Legend") on a live action adaptation of the timeless children's story. The film will focus on a 19th century British girl who is raised in Hong Kong. In a very Harry Potter-esque twist, she discovers she is predestined to fight a certain force of evil, and is taken in by seven Shaolin monks to prepare her for the fight. To be honest, I'm both excited and dubious about this project. Who doesn't want to see Snow White flying through trees and getting all Oren Ishii on some hell-raising witch? (It's certainly got to be better than "Leprechaun 5: In the Hood.") At the same time, who wants to see our singing-to-animals, apple-loving, cutesy-dress-wearing tragic heroin wielding a sword? It smacks of shattered dreams and lost innocence.
Disney is no stranger to reinvention and trying different formats. In recent years they've lost interest in traditional cell-style animation, and have focused on collaborating with Pixar on films like "Finding Nemo," "Toy Story," "Cars," and most recently, "Ratatouille." In fact, that willingness (what some might call necessity in Disney's case) to try new things is what has given the company staying power in the industry. They've even tried amusement park rides as movies. "The Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy, while at times confusing and oft fraught with holes in the plot, was a swashbuckling success in the box office. It should be noted that anything with Johnny Depp in it is usually recommended viewing.
And Disney isn't the only one who has been successfully revamping their image over the years. Even musicians like Madonna are in on it. The reigning Queen of Pop has been going strong since "True Blue." She's gone from bubble pop to not suitable for television (banned from MTV even several times!) to guru and back to dance-floor maniac. Her last album, "Confessions on a Dance Floor," was an immediate success and launched a worldwide tour that may or may not have featured Madonna singing while suspended on a cross. While we're comparing the two, I think it's safe to say that Madonna's "American Life" was to her career what Disney's straight to DVD shortcoming "Timon and Pumba" was to their empire. They've both got skeletons in their closets. Yet, they both seem to maintain exposure to the public.
Part of the success of these transformations can be attributed to the ever-changing staff that keeps machines like Disney and Madonna running. An organization is only ever as strong as their weakest member. More and more big companies are searching for candidates who will be able to revolutionize their futures. Recognizing that this or that approach may not be working is crucial to the success of a company, and stepping up to the plate can really be what makes or breaks you in the working world.
As a job seeker, it's important to seek out companies who will value your input. Once you've got the job, keep the ideas coming! Even if it's as simple as implementing a recycling program to collect paper cups and loose papers in a box in the break-room, your company wants to hear from you and know that you're doing all you can to keep the company moving forward. Maybe you know a way to streamline production that will cut costs and production time in half. You'd probably get a promotion (or at the very least a hefty bonus) just for speaking up.
Let's recap: Snow White's got a sword now, the seven dwarfs have become mystic Shaolin monks, Madonna's still alive, and you're the wave of the future. Break!
