Live action seems to be the way most movies are going nowadays, but one might think it odd to see a live action DuckTales movie largely because there are no humans in this story and, more to the point, this means that absolutely everything would be CGI. There’s no doubt that live action would be needed, but the idea is that DuckTales has absolutely no human characters, and as a result would need to be more cartoonish in form.
It’s entirely possible, but it would be a very large undertaking and would need to be handled by only the best and most dedicated in the business. A movie like this might be very entertaining, but like all live action movies it would need the right touch to be a hit. Here are our thoughts on how to successfully pull off a live action DuckTales movie:
Director – Bill Condon
A screenwriter and a director, Condon has already proven he can make a success by bringing the public the newest version of “Beauty and the Beast”, a smash hit that many people have claimed is the best version yet. While much of it is CGI coupled with live action, the CGI sequences are so masterful and well rendered that audiences were wowed at the presentation and how they melded with the overall film. Condon could no doubt apply that same effect to Ducktales in a light and amusing way that would bring the characters to life.
Scrooge McDuck – David Tennant
The voice of Scrooge is already iconic and workable, and acting his character is no stretch of Tennant, who has already shown that he knows how to tackle the part.
Huey, Dewey, and Louie – Ben Schwarz
There’s really no need to differentiate the voices of the nephews, but there would no doubt need to be three separate actors to simulate their actual presence.
Launchpad McQuack – Beck Bennett
This character needs to have a fairly solid build, even though CGI can fill in whatever is needed. Bennett is solid enough and has the right voice however.
There’s really no need to rock the boat when it comes to who will voice the characters, but whether they will be lending just their voices or wearing the same type of motion capture suits that have been utilized in many films to date. Much like the film Beowulf and a few others, DuckTales would need to suit up every actor and fit them with a full array of sensors in order to capture every action and tic possible.
Plot
Most of the time DuckTales revolved around Scrooge’s money, his money bin, and some new adventure that he and the nephews would undertake in order to add to or maintain his wealth. The new cartoon seems to indicate that Scrooge has fallen on hard times, and would help to drive a plot to recover a treasure that would eliminate his money troubles and offer the grandest adventure of all.
What this treasure would be and how Scrooge would find it would become a plot point that would call for the inclusion of his nephews, Launchpad, and even Donald Duck. Of course Webby would somehow implicate herself into the mix, and the other characters would eventually come into the mix. Scrooge’s old nemesis, Glomgold, and the Beagle Boys could play the main antagonists of the film as they attempt to beat Scrooge to the treasure. Much like the cartoon, the plot would center around the acquisition of riches and eventually point out what really matters, which is family.
Conclusion
The hardest part of a live action DuckTales movie would not be the plot or finding the actors, but getting the motions down just right. Keep in mind that without any human presence the movement of each character would be different, from the way they walk to the way they talk. This movie could happen, but it would take a very patient and attentive eye to get each detail just right.
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