With 'Cinderella' Disney Overlooks Better Opportunities

Lily Rugo ’18 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Right before the 2015 Oscars, Disney aired a new trailer for their upcoming March 2015 retelling of the classic Cinderella. But if you ask me, Disney chose the wrong movie to turn into its next live-action blockbuster.

An early Disney classic, the original Cinderella came out in 1950 right on the tales of the first animated feature Snow White. Most everyone knows the classic fairytale of the orphan girl mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, who force Cinderella to clean the house— with the help of adorable animal sidekicks— while they live the luxurious life. Today, the songs are sweet, the animation lovingly old, and the story a classic. But the same story’s been told over and over again, it’s nearly become a cliché. So why is Disney bringing Cinderella back in 2015?

For the past few years, Disney has remade some of their classics with live-action actors and top-notch computer effects. Last year was Maleficent and next year is highly anticipated Beauty in the Beast starring none other than Emma Watson. But 2015 belongs to Cinderella and all its beautiful dresses, enchanting love story, and Helena Bonham Carter. Usually, I’d expect this new Cinderella to take a new look on the classic story the same was Maleficent did to Sleeping Beauty, but it looks like this new movie is just a glamorous retelling of the same old thing.

In 1950, the original animated Cinderella was magical and inspired many a little girl’s dream. But today in 2015, Disney has since moved on and produced many other princess stories that deserve a second look and a high-budget live-action remake. First and for most in my mind— Mulan. A fan favorite, Mulan was a strong heroine that girls could look up to Chinese or not. Mulan also featured fight scenes in the snowy mountains of northern China that would look amazing with live actors, a large Chinese celebration full of color, and a sassy black dragon who would be fun to see CGI. Pitching a reboot of Mulan to a now older audience that grew up with the original animation, Disney could take a darker tone telling the story and put a more mature war-themed spin on the plot while still empowering women through Mulan.

Mulan of course isn’t the only old Disney movie that would be a much better option than Cinderella. There’s also Pocahontas, Aladdin, Hercules (for the effects), and even though she’s new, Tiana and her story would be a fun historical-based fairytale full of great music. I understand Disney’s want to capitalize on the gold mine that are its old classics, but Cinderella should not be a priority in 2015.