Disney has already remade several of its animated classics for the live-action medium, and there is no end in sight. This trend birthed plenty of controversy, since some people love the remakes and others despise the idea of changing animated classics in any way. Whether you’re a remake-lover or a naysayer, the question remains: which remakes have made the best and smoothest transitions? Which have positively influenced cinema and Disney, and which will continue to do so for years after their releases?
Along with this, consider the reams of Disney animated films that are slated for remakes or haven’t been touched yet. Of these, which are the ones we truly need, and why? Are there any that should never be remade, and again, why?
Why are remakes necessary at all? Disney's appear to slavishly recreate their source material. – BallardianGorse6 years ago
Recent years have witnessed the emergence of live-action remakes of classic Disney films including Cinderella (2015), Maleficient (2014), The Jungle Book (2016), and Beauty and the Beast (2017). The trend is ongoing, with Disney planning many more adaptations in the coming years. Can the popularity of live-action remakes be reduced to nostalgia, or is it reflective of a lack of creativity on the part of studios? On the other hand, do live-action remakes offer something new to viewers, and does the genre provide opportunities for filmmakers to explore new themes?
This is a question that's been dwindling in the back of my mind for some time. I've mostly assumed this to be a lack of creativity and a need for more income but I would be very interested to see what live-action remakes have to offer. Given that the author has done their research and looked into all the possible aspects of this prompt I think it could be a very good article and may conjure some good discussion. – ReidaBookman7 years ago
I think there is definitely something to be gained here. A place to start would be the change of the elephants in the live action Jungle Book. The singing marching tanters (who are enjoyable) are transformed into animals perceived as gods in their jungle. This contrast provides an interesting view, and would make for great discussion. – McCooper7 years ago
I believe you can't help but feel nostalgic when watching these remakes. Take the classic Beauty and the Beast for example, the soundtrack was the same, so were the settings and costumes as well as the characters. You could argue that there may be a lack of creativity which is why more remakes are being filmed, in saying this, how many Beauty and the Beast remakes can you make? One should be enough to take you back and get a feel for the real life adaptation. I know this isn't a Disney film but I would love to see Anastasia remade! That would be a dream come true, I love that movie so much. I would love to see who would be best suited for the roles and how they would go about filming it, such as the settings and costumes. It even has the most amazing soundtrack as well. Hopefully some day. – claraaa7 years ago
I think these remakes provide a platform for a modern narrative within the seams of an old timeless story. It gives filmmakers and writer a real chance to enter contemporaneous rhetoric into allegorical, well known tales. This topic is a great one to dig deeper into because I think it would give the writer and the readers a chance to learn more about these old stories and how they affect the public today and not just the questioning of creativity on the production side of it. – JulieCMillay7 years ago
Well in the case of the 2016 Legend of Tarzan film, starring Margot Robbie, I believe it's interesting how film makers can put their own spin on an acclaimed animated Disney film without impeding on the original film. Similarly to the 1991 film Hook, I personally find it more eye-opening when creators think outside the box and develop their own story upon the original film. Perhaps another article could explore the significance of these unique stories in the form of live-action remakes which develop from classic cartoons. – ninaphillips277 years ago
I thought they were done with typical Disney movies after Enchanted, and was surprised to hear about the remakes! (Don't forget about Pete's Dragon, which has almost nothing in common with the original.) They're not making very big splashes besides Belle, but they've lined up about 19 more and bought Anastasia to adapt. What I see most in these is "fixing" the old ones: the romances have more time to develop, the background characters get a bit of heart, an abstract fairy tale gets placed in a real setting. But yeah, basically they've taken the twix of childhood and made it the truffle of adulthood for Disney fans. – IndiLeigh7 years ago