This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Casper Libero chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
The place where “ the laughter is eternal, imagination has no age and dreams are forever”, today, is now reinventing its classics to captivate generation Z. Walt Disney, known for his innovation in the field of animation, gave life to the most memorable character in the history of Disney World: Mickey Mouse. To ensure this character’s trajectory remains intact, Disney is betting on a new phase for the franchise of one of its classics. “Mickey & Friends”, features a refreshed look that connects with a new generation. The question that arises for debate is how to reinvent these classics while still maintaining the magical essence of these narratives known to this day.
According to the website Marketing World, the global campaign – which began in London – arrived in Rio de Janeiro on May 29th with an exclusive edition of the House of Mouse Tour at MAM-RJ. The event brought together music, fashion, and pop culture. It also features a DJ battle starring memorable characters like Mickey and Donald’s Duck. This campaign reinforces the idea that The Walt Disney Company Brazil does not seek to create new characters, but rather to reinvent the way in which the story is told.
A new way of storytelling: why reinvent the classics?
Given the popularity of classic franchises, betting on remakes and live actions is one of the strategies adopted by CEO of The Walt Disney Company that reinforces the need to make great films that connect with the desires of the current generation. Even after the critics that the reinvention of these classics borders on a lack of originality, Disney uses these stories to question the true purpose of these reinterpretations, since even though the authenticity of the stories is maintained, the studio is willing, together with Generation Z, to question the new reality of the world, surrounded by debates about inclusion, prejudices and inequalities.
Adapting classics that bring contemporary values into their narratives ensures that the magic of the Disney World is not restricted to outside outdated standards, morals, and social values for this generation.
Disney studio reinforces reformulating narratives such as “Peter Pan”, “ The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast” as a way to bring more representation to these stories and encourage audiences to explore them. Combining the nostalgia of these franchises with the values held dear by the current generation is an effective strategy to ensure the studio’s magic lives on.
What to expect from this transformation in the current generation
By combining emotional, technological, strategic and social aspects, Disney Studios demonstrates its commitment to meeting the demands of today’s society. More than just relevant and inspiring stories discussing Disney’s Magical transformation means discussing new stories about new dreams, shapes and colors.
For this entertainment powerhouse to move beyond princess narratives that valorize ideas of beauty and devalue the power of the female figure, as well as stereotypical villains, there is still much to be done. The current generation consistently demonstrates a “desire for more” that the old models of beauty standards, clothing, ways of thinking, and acting. The creation of Black, Indigenous, LGBT, and PwD princesses is an example of this.
“Peter Pan & Wendy” the live action that arrived on the platform Disney+ this year, the character Tinker Bell is played by black actress, Yara Shahidi, something revolutionary for this narrative. It’s worth noting the prominence of the character Wendy and the humanization of the villain Captain Hook. The live action film surprised the current generation, as the film directed by David Lowery featured, for the first time, an actor with Down syndrome. Noah Matthews, at 15 years old, plays Slightly, the leader of the Lost Boys of “Neverland”.
Producing films like Peter Pan is capable of showing that the true magic of the Disney World comes through the plurality of this production capable of representing a new generation that is appearing in society: Generation Z.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-The article above was edited by Sarah Pizarro.
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