Credit: MarvelWhen most people think of the Walt Disney Company, images of blood, guts, and wanton destruction aren’t exactly what most people imagine amongst the sea of cute cartoon characters and pretty princesses. However, a new development featuring the new Shōgun series might rip open a few old wounds.
Imported from Hulu and FX, Disney’s recent promotion of the intensely brutal samurai series might shock some subscribers, as neither the book by James Clavell nor the new 10-episode series adaptation skimp on the slaughter and swordplay. However, this isn’t the first time the company has experimented with something gratuitously violent under the Disney name.
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The Disney studios have come a long way since Walt’s day, and that’s undeniably evident given some of the recent material promoted by the Walt Disney Company. As much as fans enjoy fairytales and fantasy, the studio has evolved into other genres to reach a broader audience… Sometimes with gruesome results.
Death, Destruction, and the Walt Disney Company
Although many viewers might debate whether Disney’s recent changes are good for business, the studio does know how to change with its audience. While much of Disney’s success was founded on the shoulders of fairytale princesses, it’s also created some of the most refreshingly shocking subject matter put on screen.
Although primarily owned by Hulu and FX, the record-breaking Shōgun is just the latest entry in a long line of violent materials released under the Disney brand. While other projects might have subtly skirted the radar under alternative Disney-owned studios like Touchstone Pictures, Disney has gone mask off for multiple projects with distinctly non-magical entities.
Werewolf by Night was Wicked for the Walt Disney Company
This Marvel special presentation was a love letter to classic monster movies from Universal and Hammer, but the similarities between the two genres don’t end with the black-and-white filter and the presence of the titular werewolf. The Disney+ original movie is also unexpectedly gory and spares no expense on the monster effects or genuine scares.
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In this writer’s opinion, the primary reason it gets away with only a TV-14 rating is because the use of the 1930s monochrome aesthetic removes the scarlet flash of fresh gore. Of course, that might be a different conversation once the color option is turned on.
Watcher in the Woods: Disney’s Most Disturbing Film
Ever wonder what would happen if Disney attempted a Sam Raimi creature feature? Watcher in the Woods (1980) is something of an overlooked cult classic, and there’s a reason the studio has kept it in the dark and off of Disney+. A tale about a haunted house, seances, death, dark rituals, and a sinister entity stalking children in the woods isn’t exactly something that fits with Disney’s image.
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Watcher in the Woods was one of the studio’s early attempts to reach a more mature audience. While that was a mild success, the film that would truly be too dark for Disney wouldn’t arrive until three years later.
The Black Cauldron Nearly Killed Disney Animation
When it comes to dark Disney movies, no name is more infamous or iconic as The Black Cauldron (1985). Cashing in on the swords and sorcery craze of the Dungeons & Dragons era, Disney adapted Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain series with this infamous entry, and it was far from well-recieved.
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Not only was the film far from Disney’s typical wheelhouse, suffered under Jeffery Katzenberg’s hatred and lust for power at the studio, but original drafts and scenes featured imagery and elements so shockingly violent (seen here) that it supposedly nearly earned an R rating due to explicit content. And all done under the name of the mouse.
While Shōgun might be the series on everyone’s lips with over 9 million viewers flocking to screens during its premiere, the samurai and swordsmen are carrying the banner set forth by other alternative titles distributed by Disney. Compared to other entries the studio would rather us forget, a historical drama about Japan’s mighty warriors might sound tame by comparison.
Do you have a favorite dark Disney entity? Tell Inside the Magic in the comments down below!