‘Assembly line’: The Walt Disney Company and Its Refurbished Films

By: Michela Ferreira

What comes to mind at the famous name ‘Walt Disney’? A beloved entertainment company, one that shaped many childhoods and sprinkled them with love, magic, and imagination. With their first 2-D animated princess movie released in 1937, Disney immediately flew to the top, paving a legendary path for entertainment, as well as advancement in animation and style. Everyone eagerly awaited each new movie release, nearly obsessing over every new character Disney designed. Fast forward to 2025, where there is a stark difference in praise and opinions, and a longing for the original movies of Disney’s past.  

The pattern of refurbishing old films began with The Jungle Book,  the first live-action Disney film, released in 1994. According to a  New York Times movie review, at the time of the movie’s release, people greatly enjoyed its charming, picturesque visuals yet felt let down by how loosely it took from the original animation, made in 1967. People were unsure, but excited to see Disney venture beyond its usual animation. These positive reactions were mirrored in later live-action remakes such as Cinderella (2015),  Maleficent (2014), and Beauty and the Beast (2017). Great frustrations with the path Disney was taking truly began in the late 2010s, as many fans and critics noticed the ‘assembly line’ style in which Disney was churning out these movies. Fans noticed Disney was using their previous films in new ways, hoping to obtain the same reactions they once did. They observed that the remakes now felt foolish and void of the charm the originals possessed. Chris Sanders, the director of How to Train Your Dragon (2010) and Lilo and Stitch (2002), was interviewed by Write for Animation to address the public's concerns. . Using the live-action Mulan (2020) as a reference, he stated that there are many roadblocks in the path to making a ‘good’ live-action re-make, such as budget, time, and a lack of collaboration: “While the animation team had endlessly brainstormed, wondered, and digged into the character of Mulan for a year before they came to this realization of Mulan's motivation, which drove the story, none of this was seen on the live-action re-make.”  Many of these remakes do not receive the same intensive thought as their animated counterparts, which makes the result appear sloppy and rushed. 

Earlier this year, the live-action version of the Disney classic Snow White had received severe backlash and criticism. This live-action was seen as likely the most poorly done remake Disney has ever put out. Disney has started not just recycling old movies, but also changing them in the process, which angers passionate fans. According to the entertainment editor, Joel Hendricks, from The Comenian, the new Disney films put out in recent years “feel devoid of life and just plain awful,” as well as claiming that many of these refurbished films are made quickly “...so they (Disney) can just release them and make a profit.” Critics seemed to agree, with the movie racking in a low rating of 2.2/10 on IMDB. The company seems to be sacrificing its usual inspiring, original stories for more structured, recycled films that can easily rake in attention and money. The movie that once made them rise and build so much success seems to have now pulled them down. Sequels have become victims of a similar problem, with Disney rapidly releasing several in the past few years, such as Moana 2 (2024), Mufasa: The Lion King (2024), and the upcoming Zootopia 2 (2025).  

Money is the main reason for the refurbishing of old Disney films. While this does mean increased profits for Disney, it also signifies a lack of originality among one of the largest and most successful entertainment companies in the world. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Smith, Shayleen. “The Problem with Live Action Remakes.” Write for Animation, 7 Feb. 2025, www.writeforanimation.com/articles/live-action-remakes-with-chris-sanders.

Hendricks, Joel. “The Problem with Modern Disney.” The Comenian, https://comenian.org/9350/arts-entertainment/the-problem-with-modern-disney/ . Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.

Holden, Stephen. “FILM REVIEW; Mowgli as Heartthrob and Young Gentleman.” The New York Times, 23 Dec. 1994, p. 5. https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/23/movies/film-review-mowgli-as-heartthrob-and-young-gentleman.html.