Lately, Disney has been making so many live action movies that already have phenomenal animated versions! Everyone knows the saying “if something ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” so would this apply here too? Do the viewers really need all of these remakes or should Disney start producing original films instead?
People all over the internet have complaints about the live action remakes. Whether it be that the leading actor/actress doesn’t look exactly like they did in the original or changing the storyline too much. Lifelong Disney fans didn’t like the fact that Disney changed so many details in some of the remakes and that the plotline differs so much.
Starting off with the remake of “Snow White” which just recently came out has had many rotten tomatoes, and not the good kind. Rachel Zegler, cast as Snow White, has received major backlash after how she talked about her character and the movie in general.
“The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so. There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird, weird, so we didn’t do that this time,” said Rachel Zegler who plays Snow White in “Snow White,” in an interview from Variety, “She’s not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be.”
Zegler further goes on to say that she was scared of the original cartoon and never picked it up again. Some say that if she hated Snow White so much, why would she agree to play her while others praise her for this different take on the original story.
An important part of playing a role of any kind, is understanding your character and who they are within, and if you don’t understand, you won’t portray them the right way as they were in the original film.
“When the sequel comes, they expect the princess to be in armor and have a sword and fight and that makes her strong. Of course there are princesses that its necessary like Mulan, she is a fighter, that’s in her DNA,” said Elle Fanning who plays Aurora in “Maleficent,” in an interview from Good Morning America, “Aurora is a fighter, but in a different way. I think there’s a strength in her femininity and softness, and there’s nothing wrong with her wanting to be a mother and be married.”
The 2015- live action “Cinderella” film was the first Disney princess remake. In the interviews of Lily James talking about her live action remake, she said a lot of things that were quite similar to what Rachel Zegler said in her “Snow White” interviews.
“It’s not that he just comes and sweeps her off her feet, it’s very like an equal meeting, I think of two people so that’s a bit different from the animation,” said Lily James who plays Cinderella in “Cinderella,” in an interview from Flicks and the City, “I think it’s not about Cinderella just being rescued by a man, it’s that ‘he happens to be a friend so he happens to have a castle’, but they’re really perfect for one another.”
When speaking about your movie and your character to your audience, it is all about showing appreciation and admiration for the original film while also having a tone that supports the original source of material. While they both talked about being strong and not “needing” a man, only one talked about the feminine and soft side they also loved about their character.
