The upcoming theatrical release of Disney's Snow White (March 21), is yet another film in an ever-growing list of live-action remakes the company has produced over the past 10 years. While some may be begging for a slowdown, if not a stop to this process altogether, it does not appear that The Mouse agrees.
While Disney is no stranger to remakes of the live-action variety, things really started to shift in 2015 with the first release of one of its true classics, Cinderella. In the few years prior, such remakes of Alice in Wonderland and later its sequel had been released, plus Maleficent, a new take on a classic character's story. But Cinderella set the stage for what would become a since annual tradition of these animated-classics-turned-realistic productions.
Next was The Jungle Book (2016). Then 2017's Beauty and the Beast remake. Dumbo, Aladdin, The Lion King. Lady and the Tramp; Mulan; Pinocchio; Peter Pan & Wendy; The Little Mermaid. And now, this year alone, Snow White and Lilo & Stitch, with Moana allegedly slated for 2026. And on. And on. Possibly forever.
There are a mix of things going on here, though the exact order choice of release remains a mystery. It's no secret that nostalgia sells, though if that were the only factor, the company could theoretically save a lot of money and just re-release the classics into theaters. Even I would fall for that every single time, having been too young to see or remember a lot of the Golden Age releases on the big screen. It's something else too -- perhaps the need to showcase that after a century, Disney can take old things and make them new again. Unique. Sought-after. And because we all keep falling for it, it's likely this train will never reach a final destination.
And one might think -- isn't this enough? Haven't we been disappointed enough times with remakes that just don't live up to the original (with the exception of, perhaps, The Jungle Book)? And the answer is probably "maybe."
But that's not enough. Disney is so embedded into multiple generations of humanity that no matter how much we think we've exhausted our limits, we will keep showing up for each new release. The parents of millennials, who watched us grow up engrossed in these movies. Millennials ourselves, who seem to thrive on nostalgia whether we like it or not. And our children, who we will teach to love these films as we did, because they built and shaped us. We cannot help ourselves. This is a lifelong commitment.
We may think, "This won't be as good as the original." But we will see it for ourselves, to make our own judgments, and will likely enjoy the experience overall anyway. Every single time.