Disney is to drop the Siamese cat characters from its forthcoming remake of Lady and the Tramp and revamp their infamous song, The Siamese Cat Song. This follows previous decisions to delete and edit controversial content from their Disney Plus streaming site, such as the 1946 film Song of the South and the Jim Crow scene in Dumbo (1941).
According to Variety, Janelle Monáe has been commissioned to produce two new songs for the film’s soundtrack, as well as take a voice role. Monáe’s collective, the Wondaland Arts Society, has also been asked to reinvent The Siamese Cat Song, long notorious for its depiction of Asian characters as duplicitous and vicious. Variety also reports that the characters are no longer Siamese cats.
In the original film, released in 1955, the song is performed by Peggy Lee, in the voices of cats Si and Am. The pair are responsible for conspiring to trick the human characters into thinking gentle cocker spaniel Lady is dangerous. Disney announced a live action remake of the film in 2018, with Tessa Thompson voicing Lady and Justin Theroux as Tramp. Lego Ninjago Movie joint director Charlie Bean will direct.
The film is due to release exclusively on Disney Plus, as part of the efforts of the studio to attract audiences to the new streaming service, which will launch in the US in November.
