As children, we would sit in front of a TV and watch our favorite Disney movies, whether it be ‘Beauty and the Beast’ or the ‘The Lion King,’ our memories filled with toys form these iconic films and idolizing these characters. Most of the iconic Disney movies that we grew up idolizing and loving have grown old. To revive their incredible legacy, Disney has taken on the task of turning these classic animations into live action remakes. Surprisingly, this has sparked controversy and leaves many debating whether or not Disney should leave the iconic stories behind and focus on original content or continue on their current path.
I strongly believe in the power that a live action remake can have. As someone who grew up watching Disney princess movies, it’s truly incredible seeing them come to life. Disney has had some incredibly successful remakes such as ‘The Jungle Book’ and ‘Cinderella.’ Both of these adaptations did a wonderful job.
Let’s go a little further into why these movies did so well. For one, the most important part of a live action remake is not directly copying every single aspect of the original to the screen, but rather giving a little magic into the real world that the animation can’t quite capture. For example, in the live action ‘Cinderella,’ Cinderella’s dress transformation isn’t an exact replica but it still remains one of the most iconic gowns in a Disney movie. It was a life changing moment seeing this magical dress that nobody thought possible come to life, even if that meant changing the design ever so slightly.
If done correctly, a live-action remake gives other generations the chance to enjoy the stories we grew up with and that shaped our lives. It was incredibly disappointing seeing the box office failure of the live action ‘Snow White,’ but also understandable. I grew up watching ‘Snow White,’ and she was the very first person I looked up to [even though she is not real]. I believe that what went wrong with the live-action ‘Snow White’ was the fact that Disney tried to take their original princess and turn her into something she was not. When making a remake, you have to make sure that the baseline story stays the same. If you change the characters’ goals/morals, then it is not the same character we all grew to love.
Another important thing when making a remake is ensuring every single aspect is as high quality as possible. When watching these stories come to life, you need magic and to get magic you need computer generated imagery [CGI]. People want to see a seamless transformation from Cinderella’s dress or seven magical dwarfs from ‘Snow White.’ Oftentimes, Disney falls off on this part of the remake process. When remaking a classic, it is important to preserve the elements of the original that make it iconic to really play on the nostalgic element.
When it comes to casting of these movies it has to be just as spot on as the story-line. Disney has to ensure they cast individuals who represent the character’s personality. It does not matter if they match the character visually, but rather they encapsulate the mannerisms of said character. News of the live-action ‘Tangled’ that Disney is considering creating has sparked much controversy as to casting of Flynn Ryder. In my opinion, one of the most important thing when casting this character is representing his charm. It does not change the story if he looks different than the original Flynn Ryder.
I am not saying that Disney should stop making these remakes, because it brings back a little bit of our childhood and allows the magic of the original animation to be brought back to life. Disney just needs to make sure that each and every remake is going to follow the script and be better than each one before it.
-Carys Eynon ’26
Nostalgia is a funny thing. For some, it may be the smell of freshly cut grass that reminds them of a summer in which they ran so carefree through nature’s carpet. For others, a certain toy that was so loved, it was pushed to the point of destruction, being held together only by duct tape and prayers. A pinnacle of nostalgia is a Disney movie. Ever since I was a little girl, there has always been a special place in my heart for a Disney production. Whether it be a story about a space ranger or a tale as old as time, a spark of wonder has always accompanied Disney’s animation.
The magic that Disney has seemed to capture in a bottle, is not something that can ever be transcribed in the real world. Such mystical qualities are reserved only for those stories which are told through drawing.
The soft lines and dynamic color that pops off the screen in an animated film is untouchable. They feel, not childish, but childlike. Take, for example, the vibrance weaved throughout the story of “Beauty and the Beast.” The first time Belle saw the library was a moment that was forever ingrained in my soul. The bright teal of the shelves contrasted with the color of the books and sunshine streaming in made the memory feel as close to magic as I think I’ll ever feel. While the live action incorporates this scene, in no way, shape or form does it impart the same feeling. It is not for lack of content but rather a lack of emotion associated. I didn’t grow up watching live actions. Watching live action films doesn’t take me back to a simpler time as viewing a true, authentic animated film does. It is that sense of nostalgia that I chase when watching an animated movie from my childhood. The memories that these projects hold are something that cannot be replicated, nor should they be.
When I turn on my TV and think to myself “I want to watch an animated movie,” I am not craving a sense of realism, but an escape from reality. I wish to be transported somewhere different. A world where magic exists, where the hero always wins, where true love saves the day and tow trucks have bucked teeth. If it was a real life story that I was craving, I wouldn’t need to look any farther than my own life for that.
There are times that this planet feels too doom and gloom, and watching a movie with the same feelings is as repulsive as putting anchovies in…well, anything. When the world feels too black and white, a little trip to color and light is just what the doctor ordered. There is no faster way to get there than by sitting yourself down and putting on a good ol’ fashioned Disney classic and last I checked, the classics did not include real people.
The Disney we know today would cease to exist without the contributions of their animated characters. Not in the sense of physical contributions, but the intangible, emotional ones. They seemed so personable yet mystical that every child was enraptured by the stories spun. Not to mention, there would be no basis for the live actions were there no animated precursors. To simply dismiss the original is to dishonor the legacy that these characters have built.
Bringing a touch of reality to something that exists only in pages is a challenge that ought not to be tackled. There is too much emotion that couldn’t be captured and details that would be missed. There are times it may be better to not tarnish what is already golden and rather move on to creating something new. Give a new generation that feeling of nostalgia I feel with these movies, not by flipping the same story, but by creating new ones entirely.
-Julia Frantz ’26
