There is a right and a wrong way to remake an animated movie. Animated films centered around drama and emotional turmoil make the best live-action adaptations because real actors can enhance the emotion of the film.

The first company to start making live-action remakes was Disney. Their first major live-action remake was “101 Dalmations” in 1996. The original “101 Dalmations” was released in 1961 and has been well received for decades, as the animated canines are beloved by fans all around the world. The movie’s emotional effectiveness can be credited to it being filled with a certain innocence that can only be achieved through animation. The live action was mediocre at best, receiving a 39% on Rotten Tomatoes. The quality of the film decreased due to the use of real dogs because they don’t have as much visible emotion as the animated dogs.

An example of a satisfactory live-action is “Cinderella,” which was remade into a live-action in 2015. The story is centered around Cinderella’s mental journey in becoming a princess, so the actress, Lily James, was able to capture the emotion that the story required.

However, animated films presenting an action-filled story should not be remade into a live-action. The 2010 animated fantasy film, “How to Train Your Dragon” is a prime example of a good animated movie turning into a worrisome live-action remake. The original film was highly celebrated, winning the Annie Award for Best Animated Effects in 2011. The live action remake, set to release in June 2025, premiered its first teaser trailer in November. The bulk of the teaser presents the main character Hiccup deciding whether or not to kill Toothless, the dragon from the original animated film. In addition, the teaser features a scene of the Vikings preparing for war. 

The violence from the trailer is a clear indication of how different this movie will be from the original. Turning this movie into a violent live-action would make it unable to be considered the same movie. A fight scene would largely differ from the animated film because it would look much more real and gory. This movie is not meant to be a gruesome, terrifying story, which is what the live-action would turn it into. 

There is no point in remaking a beloved film if you are just going to change the story’s message.

This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on Dec. 19, 2024