We are getting a lot of movie remakes now. Looking back at original movies gives us a blast of nostalgia but when a movie is that good, we would like a sequel or even a remake. Disney has dabbled in remakes with the classics such as the 2015 “Cinderella” and the 2017 “Beauty and the Beast.”
According to InStyle, intellectual property is the reason for this because Disney holds the rights to these classics and have the ability to remake them, but Disney is not the only one making them.
Classic movies from the past such as “Ghostbusters” (2016) and Stephen King’s “IT” (2017) were also remade, so why are filmmakers are remaking original movies? One reason why they are doing it is to show other countries these remakes especially if the original version is unheard of. This ties to the global box office.
“Many times what will decide if a sequel happens if a film flops in North America is how strong it does overseas.” editorial director for Boxoffice Media Daniel Loria said in the Chicago Tribune.
Younger and newer audiences can learn about older movies through remakes. This is understandable as they might not enjoy the original version as older audiences do. Movies such as “Star Wars” reach out to young audiences to introduce them to the franchise by making sequels and reboots.
Honestly, it depends on how the remake is done. A remake is to tell the story of a movie again, but sometimes the creators will add new twists into them to keep it updated. Let us look back at the 2017 “Beauty and the Beast” and compare it with the original. In the remake starring “Harry Potter” star, Emma Watson, we get to see more of the Beast’s history as a misled character. “There’s something not quite right in his heart, and it needs to be put right,” actor Dan Stevens who played the Beast said in The Hollywood Reporter. “Something Bill, Emma and I wanted to put out is this sense of entitlement and privilege of this spoiled prince who was raised wrong, really, and left to grow into a monster, a hideous man-child.”
In the 1991 Disney film, “Beauty and the Beast”, Belle’s mother is not mentioned, but there is still an ongoing argument whether or not her mother played an active role in the movie. However, LeFou who plays a major role for the LGBTQ+ community, is the first openly gay Disney character. According to a People article by Stephanie Petit, a press conference was held in Beverly Hills in 2017 where the director of the movie Bill Condon wanted LeFou to have a new subplot that he has a crush on Gaston.
Adding new twists is a good way to make remade movies fresh to new audiences and even deepens the story for older audiences to enjoy. There cannot be too many twists into the story though as adding on so many new things may ruin the original plot. Adding something into the new movie that would not make sense would confuse the viewers.
It seems like Hollywood’s habit of remaking movies are not slowing down because there will be new ones coming out in the following years.
According to USA Today, Disney is also planning on making a new Mary Poppins movie called “Mary Poppins Returns” which will be released on Dec. 19, starring Emily Blunt and Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Everyone knows the story of the flying nanny who swoops in to help take care of Jane and Michael Banks. Filmed in 1964, it introduced the world to the legendary Julie Andrews and the dancing legend, Dick Van Dyke.
While this remake will re-introduce lovers of the musical to an entirely new cast, the love people have for the original “Mary Poppins” will still be in their hearts even as they sit in the theater. According to Variety, “Mary Poppins Returns” just might be a “Best Picture” contender at next year’s Academy Awards.
This hype surrounding movie remakes is not going anywhere anytime soon. The public just loves a good remake.
Watching a story continue through sequels is a part of the childhood nostalgia that takes us back in time. The warm feeling of seeing your favorite characters on screen. Take for example, the “Star Wars” franchise. Star Wars found its way into the world’s heart in 1977, and still today, teenagers are being introduced by their parents to these movies.
The process and rapid repetition directors are doing to classic movies is causing a never-ending argument. Classic movies should remain just that – classic.
