You may have seen or heard about the live action Disney movies that have been produced, bringing classic animation to life. This includes some classics: “The Little Mermaid”, “Peter Pan and Wendy”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Cinderella” and many more. Disney is continuing the live-action movie train by remaking “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “Moana” and possibly some other originals such as “Lilo and Stitch” and “Hercules”. Disney fans are thrilled to see these classics relived and brought into light again.
Why would Disney remake these movies? Well, remakes of movies that have already gotten overwhelming amounts of attention over the last few decades are a safe way to make money, given the known popularity of the movie and the excited fan base. Rather than trying to impress an audience with a new story, adding something new to classics is a safer option. To keep these tales new, Disney is reintroducing them to younger generations.
Walt Disney’s 100th birthday coming up on October 16th, 2023, we are expecting even more marketing and fan fare. Disney fanatics are waiting patiently. Most of these live-action movies are coming out in 2024, starting with “Snow White” on March 22nd, 2024, “The Lion King” on July 5th, 2024 and last but definitely not least, “Moana” on June 27th, 2025.
The live action “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” has gotten some controversial thoughts. Much like the backlash Disney has faced for changing the race of Ariel in “The Little Mermaid, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, Disney is facing the same criticism for the remake of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. Snow White is known for having “skin as white as snow,” so when Rachel Zegler got casted as Snow White for the live action, it sparked controversy. Zegler’s parents are both Colombian and Polish and Zegler doesn’t fit the stereotypical vision of how Snow White has been portrayed in past films. Many fans are criticizing Disney for casting Zegler, however, other fans are defending her. When “Snow White” finally is released in March, it will be interesting to see the reactions of moviegoers then.
The live action show, “The Little Mermaid” just came out on May 26th, 2023, and it is set to come out on Disney Plus on September 6th, 2023 for viewers to watch at home. Similar to some of the other Disney live actions, with its success also came controversy too. Some loved the idea of having Halle Bailey (an African American singer and actress) play Ariel . However some hated the idea of changing the original.
The remake of “Moana: is also highly anticipated. Johnson was excited to announce the remake as he was going to be playing Maui, who he also voiced in the original movie. Johnson also stated that the live action will be filmed in the island of Oahu, where he lived for several years during his childhood. The live action “Moana” will be coming out 9 years after the original came out.
Despite the recent criticism, Disney is taking diversity seriously by continuing to cast ethnic minority leads. Knowing how their films can reach a wide audience, Disney is making strides in inspiring change and inclusivity. This was a smart plan to remake old classic movies. With the big fan bases of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “Moana”, “Lilo and Stitch”, and “Hercules”, Disney hopes that Disney fans will not take these remakes as controversial and see them as great movies.
