Recycling old movies is nothing new, especially when it comes to Disney.Disney is renowned for their myriad of movies, especially their animated films that generations have grown up with. Disney’s most recent trend is to transform these animated classics into live-action movies.
Perhaps Disney’s dive into live-action fairytale movies began with “Enchanted” in 2007. Nonetheless, Disney’s most recent endeavor in this category is their upcoming movie “Beauty and the Beast,” set to be released on March 17.
The tale as old as time retells the familiar story of the blooming romance between Belle and the Beast. Set in a small French town, the narrative follows the protagonist, Belle, as she trades her freedom for her father’s, who has been taken prisoner by the Beast. While restricted to the Beast’s castle, Belle is introduced to his charmed staff, whom she befriends. Over time, she learns the Beast’s story and cannot help but falling in love with the soul she sees beneath the animal.
However, “Beauty and the Beast” is not the first animated movie Disney has transformed into a live-action feature. Previous films they have made come to life include “The Jungle Book,” “Maleficent,” “Cinderella” and “Alice in Wonderland.” Disney’s upcoming plans for more live-action movies include “Mulan,” “Aladdin,” “Cruella,” “Peter Pan,” “The Sword in the Stone,” “Pinocchio” and “The Lion King,” according to Time magazine.
Disney studios have already begun work on “The Lion King.” In a statement released by Walt Disney Studios in 2016, Disney said, “We can officially confirm that The Walt Disney Studios and director Jon Favreau are putting a new reimagining of ‘The Lion King’ on the fast-track to production.” Soon after this statement was released, Favreau tweeted “Excited for my next project,” and included the lion and crown emojis.
“The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast” and other upcoming classic animated films turned live-action are sure to rekindle the childhood joy in viewers who watched these movies growing up. Disney’s magic will most certainly be felt among fans during these upcoming releases.