The live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon is on pace to bring in $80-$100 million at the US box office when it releases on June 13, according to projections. Combine that with the mega hit that has been the live-action Lilo & Stitch (the second highest-grossing movie of the year in the US after nearly three weeks in theaters), and live-action remakes of animated movies aren't likely going anywhere.
In fact, we already know that DreamWorks is planning to continue with the trend, as a How to Train Your Dragon 2 live-action movie is already in the works.
I understand the reasoning behind these movies — taking beloved IP and giving it a new look to play on older moviegoers’ nostalgia while trying to give younger audiences their own version has been pretty consistent at the box office. But one of the main critiques of both How to Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch (though notably not enough to earn either a “Rotten” score on Rotten Tomatoes) is that perhaps they’re too close a remake of their original material.
When these live-action remakes began in earnest, I actually really liked how movies like 2015’s Cinderella and 2016’s The Jungle Book and Pete’s Dragon expanded on and added new depth to their stories and were visually impressive. I’d love to see DreamWorks do something similar with a movie I feel is vastly underrated in their library: The Road to El Dorado.
Released in 2000 (happy 25th anniversary!), The Road to El Dorado tells the story of 16th-century swindlers Tulio and Miguel who come into possession of a map to the fabled City of Gold in South America, El Dorado, and set out to find it. Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh led the cast as Tulio and Miguel, with Rosie Perez, Armand Assante, Jim Cummings, Edward James Olmos and, surprisingly, Tobin Bell also lending their voices.
Another key component to the movie was its music, which featured a score by Hans Zimmer and original songs by Elton John and Tim Rice.
Refresh your memory by watching The Road to El Dorado trailer below:
The Road to El Dorado didn't quite qualify as a hit when it was released, earning $50.8 million at the US box office. Critics were also pretty divided by it. The movie has a 50% score on Rotten Tomatoes (which does classify it as “Rotten”), with some of its critics citing a lack of emotional depth and predictability. But the movie did have its supporters, including famous critic Roger Ebert, who called it “bright and zesty.”
While I would firmly place myself in the camp as someone who really enjoys The Road to El Dorado, the fact that the movie has a split opinion is exactly why it would be a perfect candidate for a live-action remake — you can play around with the story to try and improve upon it.
Because the original animated How to Train Your Dragon is so beloved, if DreamWorks had made drastic changes to the story, then they would have likely heard from angry fans about it. But with The Road to El Dorado, you could take a few more risks with the story to try, add new layers. You wouldn’t have to wholly reinvent the plot, but you could look to iron out any of the perceived shortcomings that critics of the movie previously had.
Beyond that, a live-action The Road to El Dorado could be an incredible visual experience for the big screen. An adventure in the jungles of South America with the legendary City of Gold could be an incredible opportunity for a production designer. Plus, there are a number of exciting set pieces from the original movie that could be fun to bring to live action.
If we’re going to keep doing live-action remakes of old animated movies, let’s at least pick some movies that are in need of a revitalization. The Road of El Dorado is a perfect example of that.
The Road to El Dorado is currently available via digital on-demand platforms or is free to watch with ads on YouTube in the US; it is streaming on Netflix, NOW Cinema and Sky in the UK.
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