This year marks Disney’s 100th anniversary; the beloved company has been known and admired for its heartwarming animated classics and fan-favorite characters. Almost anybody can easily list their favorite Disney movies, and many can place a pin on Disney’s theme parks as a dream destination. Disney has touched hearts and grown to be one of the most successful entertainment companies in the world. So why has Disney been displaying a lack of creativity in its films?

Disney has become greatly admired by most through its successful and beloved animated films. Since the 2010s, Disney has released more live-action remakes, spinoffs and late sequels.  To keep fans engaged, Disney continues to take its classics and remake them in live action, repeatedly tiring fans with the same stories. Although many of the company’s live-action remakes have been successful, fans are growing bored, and many, disappointed. Disney plays it safe with the creation of live-action adaptations, but it risks failure at creating perfect replicas of its animated films. What fans crave in these live-action movies is consistency; if an animated film is going to be adapted into live-action, they want to see it done well, and they want to see it stay true to the original; the same storyline, identical or very similar music and a cast that perfectly embodies the classic characters. But this is impossible, and while some remakes have come close to bringing its classics to life flawlessly, there will always be significant differences, leaving many fans unhappy and dissatisfied. So not only is Disney tiring its audience with the same stories, but it risks disappointing fans with changes in the original stories. It is best to leave the classics alone, as they have had time to shine and will continue to be loved by many. 

Disney has been consistent with its excessive live-action remakes and spinoffs, showing fear of new stories and characters. While it is always risky for companies to try something new in fear of failure, Disney is walking the same monotonous path; remake after remake, spinoff after spinoff. Many fans love to see their favorite characters brought to live-action but by sticking to this strategy, the company is showing how scared it is to think outside the box. What makes something successful? Creativity and uniqueness. Disney has the resources, artists and platforms necessary to develop new ideas. Rather than sticking to a safe route, fans would love to see new things on the big screen. It has been done before with films such as “Moana,” “Frozen” and “Encanto,” all of which became extremely successful. If it has been done once, it can be done again; Disney is more than capable of creating new, bold stories. Fans would love to experience something different; new characters, more inclusivity and original storylines. 

People are drawn to nostalgia, and Disney is taking advantage of this. There is nothing inherently wrong with live-action remakes, but continuously making them and straying away from new stories is a problem as people are growing tired. Disney is an admired and successful entertainment company; if it wants to stay that way, it needs to start thinking outside the box. For this to happen, Disney needs to shine the spotlight on original storylines, because fans are dying to see a change.