Live-Action ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’

[Vegas Disney Fan]

It’s a fair assessment, but it comes from a point of weakness.

Confident people aren’t threatened by such things.

“Oh, Heavens, they’re replacing Ariel!” Does that come from a position of strength or frailty?

Why does it bother some so much and others not at all?

That proves it’s all perspective. TLM isn’t objectively a bad film as some would have us believe. (If it is, then so is the earlier version because they are so similar.)

Some just refused to see it because they fancied themselves insulted. *Weak*

I think people generally just dislike change, especially when it comes to nostalgia. People constantly complain about rides being replaced in the parks despite them (often) being replaced by superior rides, it’s not that we hate new rides, we actually love them, but we do hate them messing with our memories.

TV shows are probably a more common example of this, they often fail when a popular character is recast, the new actor can be the same color, same gender, have a very similar appearance, and try their best to recreate the exact same character but people will still tune out because it’s a different actor.

It’s a complex issue and biases are definitely a factor, I just think Disney is adding a level of backlash that doesn’t need to be there.

 

[doctornick]

The world is pretty girl power-y now.

Shouldn’t a new version reflect that vs. the 1930’s?

Why do we need a new version at all? Why not just make a different film that is "girl power-y"?

If you are doing a "remake" of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the whole greedy reason is to build off the nostalgia for the original encouraging people to see the new one. Why try to sell something based on nostalgia and then change a bunch of it to be different and annoy the people you are marketing it to?

 

[Californian Elitist]

It bothers some so much because they shouldn’t change their original characters.

They haven’t done this, though.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Why do we need a new version at all? Why not just make a different film that is "girl power-y"?

If you are doing a "remake" of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the whole greedy reason is to build off the nostalgia for the original encouraging people to see the new one. Why try to sell something based on nostalgia and then change a bunch of it to be different and annoy the people you are marketing it to?

Very nearly every film is based on pre-existing IP. This is just a cutesy way to avoid representation without admitting that’s the goal.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Why do we need a new version at all? Why not just make a different film that is "girl power-y"?

If you are doing a "remake" of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the whole greedy reason is to build off the nostalgia for the original encouraging people to see the new one. Why try to sell something based on nostalgia and then change a bunch of it to be different and annoy the people you are marketing it to?

Why can’t people have the freedom to take an existing story and putting their own spin on it?

Disney has never claimed that their live-action remakes will be carbon copies of their animated counterparts. The fans just always assume that things will be exactly or almost exactly the same. Disney never said they would be. They just said they’re making live-action versions. If people are annoyed by this, that’s on them, not Disney.

I would argue they’re not building off the nostalgia, but the familiarity of the content.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Very nearly every film is based on pre-existing IP. This is just a cutesy way to avoid representation without admitting that’s the goal.

Disney shouldn't give a rat's backside about representation, they should care about making money and literally nothing else.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Very nearly every film is based on pre-existing IP. This is just a cutesy way to avoid representation without admitting that’s the goal.

Soooooo Disney is into deception, deceit, bait and switch and misrepresentation?

 

[doctornick]

Why can’t people have the freedom to take an existing story and putting their own spin on it?

They absolutely can. And there's nothing wrong with it artistically. It's just poor for marketing.

If they are wondering why the box office for these movies are failing, many on this thread are trying to explain why and offering a way to have both inclusiveness that is a very good thing while also not annoying people who like their nostalgia. It doesn't have to be either/or.

 

[Californian Elitist]

@GimpYancIent What about my post has you hee-hawing?

 

[Californian Elitist]

They absolutely can. And there's nothing wrong with it artistically. It's just poor for marketing.

If they are wondering why the box office for these movies are failing, many on this thread are trying to explain why and offering a way to have both inclusiveness that is a very good thing while also not annoying people who like their nostalgia. It doesn't have to be either/or.

How are certain for sure that inclusiveness is the reason why these movies aren’t making billions of dollars? Or is that an assumption?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Why can’t people have the freedom to take an existing story and putting their own spin on it?

Because the movies keep flopping.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Why can’t people have the freedom to take an existing story and putting their own spin on it?

Disney has never claimed that their live-action remakes will be carbon copies of their animated counterparts. The fans just always assume that things will be exactly or almost exactly the same. Disney never said they would be. They just said they’re making live-action versions. If people are annoyed by this, that’s on them, not Disney.

I would argue they’re not building off the nostalgia, but the familiarity of the content.

If Disney was actually cleaver, creative and entertaining in their taking artistic license to modify the existing story lines it would be one thing, but all they successfully do is irritate, make stories mediocre and senseless non entertainment.

 

[doctornick]

Very nearly every film is based on pre-existing IP. This is just a cutesy way to avoid representation without admitting that’s the goal.

I have no idea what you mean by that, but it is certainly not my opinion. I actually love seeing diverse Disney movies. I wish they would find some African or Indian or Korean, etc fairy tales and adapt them and have more diverse characters. I don't want to see them take older movies and change existing characters though.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Why do we need a new version at all? Why not just make a different film that is "girl power-y"?

If you are doing a "remake" of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the whole greedy reason is to build off the nostalgia for the original encouraging people to see the new one. Why try to sell something based on nostalgia and then change a bunch of it to be different and annoy the people you are marketing it to?

 

[Disstevefan1]

Why do we need a new version at all? Why not just make a different film that is "girl power-y"?

If you are doing a "remake" of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the whole greedy reason is to build off the nostalgia for the original encouraging people to see the new one. Why try to sell something based on nostalgia and then change a bunch of it to be different and annoy the people you are marketing it to?

I GET WHAT THEY ARE DOING NOW! Its the old "Bait and switch"

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

They absolutely can. And there's nothing wrong with it artistically. It's just poor for marketing.

If they are wondering why the box office for these movies are failing, many on this thread are trying to explain why and offering a way to have both inclusiveness that is a very good thing while also not annoying people who like their nostalgia. It doesn't have to be either/or.

This is my take also, Disney is free to make whatever changes they want but customers are also free not to like the changes and not to pay to see them, from a freedom perspective everyone wins but from a box office perspective it’s a losing gameplan for Disney (IMHO).

This is probably where the disconnect lies, some of us view it from a business perspective, why alienate potential customers if you don’t have to?, others are viewing it from an inclusion perspective, the fastest/easiest way to increase inclusion is to tell a known story, with a more diverse cast, because more people are likely to watch that than a brand new story.

Neither side is wrong and both are wrong simultaneously, just depends on where you place the importance.

 

[GimpYancIent]

@GimpYancIent What about my post has you hee-hawing?

I find it humorous that Disney's taking artistic license with I.P. live action remakes, as you correctly point out Disney never said in any way they would be carbon copies of the originals, is the reason / reasons for their failures. It's not what is changed but how its changed and presented to the audience. Your post is solid but in no way can Disney's not stating they would not change / modify the original classic stories excuse their complete lack of talent and understanding of the audience. I do like your post, just laughing at the irony.

 

[LittleBuford]

If you are doing a "remake" of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the whole greedy reason is to build off the nostalgia for the original encouraging people to see the new one. Why try to sell something based on nostalgia and then change a bunch of it to be different and annoy the people you are marketing it to?

I'm not annoyed when the remakes deviate from the originals. Quite the opposite.

Again, none of us should assume that we speak for the audience that Disney is marketing its films to. There is no monolithic audience anyway.

 

[LittleBuford]

The fans just always assume that things will be exactly or almost exactly the same.

Do they, though? All of us here are fans, and there is no consensus among us.

 

[GimpYancIent]

I'm not annoyed when the remakes deviate from the originals. Quite the opposite.

Again, none of us should assume that we speak for the audience that Disney is marketing its films to. There is no monolithic audience anyway.

Ahhhhhh, there it is! Through, now, continued results and poor performance it is clear that Disney has lost its ability to read / understand the audience being marketed to. No assumptions but actual poor performance. Whoever is analyzing the potential audience reactions for Disney needs to be fired. You are correct "there is no monolithic audience anyway" but Disney thinks there is.