When Disney CEO Bob Iger announced in March that the Disney+ streaming service would include "the entire Disney motion picture library," many asked whether it would include the highly controversial film "Song of the South."
However, according to Boardwalk Times and the Hollywood Reporter, Disney has no intention of putting the 1946 film on its new streaming platform.
As the Hollywood Reporter noted, the move is consistent with the company's standing policy regarding the film, that is widely seen as racist for its portrayal of African-Americans following the Civil War.
The film won an Academy Award for the original song "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" and inspired the Splash Mountain ride at Disneyland and Disneyworld, but the movie has never been available on VHS or DVD in the U.S.
During a 2011 shareholder meeting, CEO Bob Iger was asked whether the film might be re-released for its 65th anniversary. He explained that he had re-watched it but felt there are elements "that wouldn’t necessarily sit right or feel right to a number of people today." He later added that people shouldn't expect to see it again "at least for awhile, if ever."
Both Boardwalk Times and the Hollywood Reporter also report that before Disney puts the 1941 animated "Dumbo" film on its streaming service, the company plans to remove a scene featuring a crow named "Jim Crow."
As Yahoo Entertainment pointed out, in response some have accused Disney of trying to "pretend that racism in their past didn't exist."
Disney+ is set to launch on Nov. 12.