Disney live action vs animated classics: which do Americans prefer?
Which do viewers in the US prefer, Disney’s newest live-action movies or their animated classics? Find out here.
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Do viewers in the US prefer Disney’s newest live-action movies or their animated classics? Find out here.
“The jumble of tones and styles laid atop this basic narrative feels like it’s trying to please everyone and ends up pleasing no one.”
That’s a review of Disney’s live-action Snow White from a top critic on Rotten Tomatoes, a site designed to rank movies.
It’s safe to say that Disney’s Snow White didn’t live up to the hype, and many people were even angered by the movie, due to the producers' choice to cast a Latina actress, Rachel Zegler, as Snow White.
But, with that aside, it’s clear that Disney’s live-action remakes of their animated classics don’t sit well with the mass media company’s loyal audience.
Despite the live-action remake of Lilo and Stitch hitting big at the box office, making roughly $335.8 million in the US and $772 million globally, according to Variety, many live-action remakes tend to fall flat.
Due to the hype surrounding Lilo and Stitch and the poor reception of films like Snow White, the streaming guide service, JustWatch, has launched an in-depth analysis, measuring how these reboots resonate with American audiences.
Can these remakes capture the hearts of American audiences? Or will they struggle to muster the nostalgia of Disney’s whimsical classics?
Originals over remakes
The original films seem to captivate the hearts of American audiences, while their re-animated counterparts appear less popular.
According to JustWatch’s research, the original films score between 91% and 97% among viewers who liked the titles. Which is extremely consistent.
Whereas the live-action remakes lack this consistency and score anywhere between 31% and 88%.
“It’s always going to be a big challenge when you try to compete with expectations and the
nostalgia of films that experienced wild success,” said Mike Pearce, JustWatch analyst. “We do see that some remakes have performed better than others, but the originals still remainthe favorite.”
Disney live-action movies are clickable, but fans still don’t like them
What’s interesting about the remakes is that they garner a lot of attention, but they aren’t received well.
Data shows that remakes spark searches but don’t retain viewers, as American audiences prefer the classics.
Perhaps, it's the overuse of CGI over hand-drawn heritage that makes the remakes fall short of the animated classics.
Viewers tend to be critical of the remakes, instead of embracing them as they would the classic films.
Disney’s animated films inspire a sense of nostalgia and also define a specific space in time. They’re often regarded as childhood favourites that we grew up with.
Therefore, a remake may never inspire the same feelings as watching your favorite animated Disney films for the first time.