海角大神

海角大神 / Text

'Alice Through the Looking Glass': What the new trailer reveals about the Disney sequel

'Alice Through the Looking Glass' is a sequel to the 2010 live-action movie 'Alice in Wonderland,' bringing back stars Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, and Helena Bonham-Carter.

By Molly Driscoll, Staff writer

A new trailer has been released for the 鈥淎lice in Wonderland鈥 live-action sequel 鈥淎lice Through the Looking Glass.鈥

Disney released a live-action version of Lewis Carroll鈥檚 story 鈥淎lice in Wonderland鈥 in 2010, starring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter, and Anne Hathaway. The movie became a huge hit.聽

The new trailer shows protagonist Alice being urged to return to Wonderland by someone that sounds like the Caterpillar (Alan Rickman) she encountered in the first film. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e been gone too long, Alice,鈥 he says.

A rhyming prophecy predicts that 鈥渟he will come back home to Wonderland and turn back the hands of time.鈥

Time is personified as a person (Sacha Baron Cohen). Alice is warned that he is "not someone you want as your enemy.鈥 Meanwhile, the Mad Hatter (Depp) seems to be in some kind of trouble.聽

James Bobin of 鈥淢uppets Most Wanted鈥 is stepping in to direct this film, replacing Tim Burton from the original 鈥淎lice鈥 movie. 鈥淭hrough the Looking Glass鈥 is scheduled to be released next summer.聽

The 2010 鈥淎lice鈥 movie and this sequel follow Disney's recent practice of adapting its animated features as live-action movies. (Disney released an animated take on the Lewis Carroll story in 1951.) The success of the 2010 film no doubt encouraged Disney to go ahead with other live-action movies, such as this year's 鈥淐inderella鈥 and 2014鈥檚 鈥淢aleficent,鈥 both of which have done well financially.

Disney's continuing success with these live-action reincarnations may be due to the creativity of the adaptations 鈥 with the exception of this summer鈥檚 鈥淐inderella,鈥 which only deviated from the Disney version of the fairy tale by giving Cinderella and her prince more time together, among other small changes.

By contrast, 鈥淢aleficent鈥 billed itself as 鈥渢he story you don鈥檛 know鈥 about the 鈥淪leeping Beauty鈥 fairy tale. Those who saw the older Disney film remember Maleficent as a malicious villain who curses the title princess, but the movie 鈥淢aleficent鈥 presents an alternate story, where the dark fairy is violently wronged by Stefan, the father of the enchanted princess.聽

Meanwhile, in contrast with the animated 鈥淎lice鈥 film, the 2010 鈥淎lice鈥 movie had almost a 鈥淟ord of the Rings鈥 air, culminating in a large battle.

These three recent live-action movies are almost different genres 鈥 a practice Disney succeeded with in their animated films as well. The 1991 movie 鈥淏eauty and the Beast,鈥 for example, is a more serious movie than its 1992 film 鈥淎laddin,鈥 which is most memorable for the wisecracking voice work of actor Robin Williams.聽

If Disney continues producing live-action adaptations of their animated movies that are different in tone, they may keep audiences鈥 attention and stave off fatigue for the form.