Snow White steps into the real world

The live-action remake of Disney’s Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, hits theaters Friday. The film is the latest in a steady stream of remakes of original films into modernized “live-action” — though still special-effect dependent — versions. This trend isn’t new; Disney's 101 Dalmatians remake was released in 1996. 

Since the release of the live-action Cinderella in 2015, the uptick has been palpable. Ten films were released in as many years, five in 2019 alone.

Critics tend to favor original films over their remakes, according to the tomatometer critic review metric on Rotten Tomatoes. However, there is one notable exception: the 2016 remake of “The Jungle Book.” Directed by Disney darling Jon Favreau, the film features stars like Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken and Lupita Nyong'o. This version adopts a darker tone than the original, losing some of the bright colors and lighthearted music, but it generally follows the original storyline.

Audiences often have different ideas about what makes a film "good." There’s often a gap between what critics think and how regular viewers feel about movies. However, when it comes to live-action remakes, there seems to be a consensus.

Once again, The Jungle Book remake was rated higher than its predecessor. This time, it wasn’t alone; it was joined by other remakes like Aladdin and, most notably, The Little Mermaid. The Little Mermaid remake was met with a lot of criticism when it was first announced due primarily to its casting of Halle Bailey, a Black woman, as Ariel. In the original animated films, Ariel is depicted as a white woman with bright red hair. Despite initial mixed reactions, audiences rated the new film around six points higher than the original.

The budget for the live-action remake of Snow White is over $200 million, meaning the film would need to earn more than double that to be considered a box-office success. Given that history suggests it may not be as well-regarded by critics or audiences as the original, that may seem like an uphill battle. However, in spite of the little enthusiasm for these remakes, they tend to perform quite well at the box office, while helping other Disney businesses that include theme parks, merchandising and a streaming platform.

Even if audiences and critics alike still usually prefer the originals, these films still generate a lot of money. The live-action version of The Lion King managed to earn over $2 billion worldwide during its original release, while the original animated film made about $1.6 billion, adjusted for inflation. Viewers may not hold the same level of admiration for the remakes as for the originals, yet their willingness to buy tickets is a clear indication of demand. While audience and critic hearts seem to lie with the original films, the trend of live-action adaptations is probably here to stay, with a Lilo & Stitch remake set to release in May and Moana next year.