By Vedika Mandapati
Most of us grew up surrounded by Disney. You either watched their goofy cartoons, enjoyed Mickey Mouse or were enthralled by their stories of princesses and monsters. Those ancient animations weren’t of the best quality, but they grossed millions of dollars through box office and home video sales. Recognizing the universality of their stories, Disney has been capitalizing on the chance to retell their classics for the next generation.
Starting in the 90s, Disney began remaking animations from the 50s and 60s, such as ‘101 Dalmations’ and ‘The Jungle Book’. That ensured that we grew up with the same Disney stories as an older generation. Then, in the 2010s, Disney inaugurated a live-action era, capturing the attention of a new era of Disney fans with their ‘real-life’ princesses and heroes. The Jungle Book, by the way, has been remade twice by Disney - grossing $900 million the last time!
The Disney Princesses, known to represent global cultures, actually bring to mind cultural appropriation. From the misguided Caribbean accents in ‘The Little Mermaid’ to the inappropriate references in ‘Mulan’, Disney tended to barely scratch the surface of the world they sought to represent. While they did pioneer multicultural representation on the big screen, they had a long way to go.
They’ve now turned their attention to remaking their traditional cache of princess tales in ways that are more culturally appropriate and do not harp on the ‘heroic prince saves tragic princess’ idea. Upcoming films that play along those lines include Mulan (March 2020) and The Little Mermaid (unannounced). Of course, they not only draw millions of 6-10 year olds into their audience, but also their older siblings and parents, who long to relive their childhood experiences.
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