Reboots, Remakes, And Color-Blind Casting
Halle Bailey - Kevin Winter/Getty Images
It is not new information that Hollywood has a tendency to make reboots of beloved classics. In the last decade, they seem more popular than ever. Some remakes are mere retellings of a story or are inspired by a past film. However, it is becoming the new trend to see animated films getting their own live-action remake.
Back in July 2019, Disney casted Halle Bailey to play Ariel in the live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid.” While Disney made a huge stride with this decision and Bailey’s fans congratulated her, there still came the ugly side of the internet. Many people criticized Disney’s casting, tagging tweets with the insensitive #NotMyAriel hashtag. Stuck to the original 1837 fairytale and 1989 film, people attempted to argue that the role should be played by a white actress.
Like most things, people tend to develop set images for specific subjects or objects. It makes sense that since the media has constantly used white actors in film for the public to primarily or initially think of someone white to play the part. But, why do people feel like we cannot change that mindset? The story of The Little Mermaid has nothing to do with her race, or any other aspects of her looks. However, society and the film industry have normalized the white characters so much, people choose to see Ariel as no one else but a young white woman.
Even the original voice actress for Ariel, Jodi Benson, clarified on what really matters in casting. She responded to the backlash, declaring, “the spirit of a character is what really matters […] What you bring to the table in a character as far as their heart and their spirit is what really counts.” What is Hollywood looking for in their actors? Someone who has the personality and talent to bring out the power in a role? Or is it someone who has, in the media’s terms, “the look”? It is not an actor’s job to look a certain way, but bring out all the traits and behaviors that make these beloved characters great and unique. At the same time, it is our job as the new generation to talk about the importance of who can take on the representation of the current times.
Luckily, Bailey did not allow that criticism to bring her down. In an interview with Variety, Halle proudly stated, “I feel like I’m dreaming, and I’m just grateful. And I don’t pay attention to the negativity. I just feel like this role is something bigger than me, and greater. And it’s going to be beautiful. I’m just so excited to be a part of it.”
Not allowing themselves to be daunted by last year’s criticism, Disney just recently announced that Yara Shahidi will play the famous fairy Tinker Bell in the Peter Pan reboot, Peter Pan and Wendy. Both Shahidi and Bailey star in the Freeform television show Grown-ish. Before, Shahidi starred in the ABC comedy Black-ish, while Bailey makes up half of the R&B duo Chloe x Halle. Though the actors already have a wide fanbase, an opportunity to play an admired Disney character will help them breakout into the blockbuster film world, skyrocketing their fame.
Along with furthering careers, it cannot be denied that reboots and remakes do wonders for diversity. However, does Hollywood rely on these remakes for inclusion too much? It is not necessarily that all remakes and reboots are bad or that they cannot be successful. Audiences have their preferences on which version they like better. Still, could it be that the act of casting a person of color in a remake film can have its downfalls along with its benefits?
First, one has to look at the reason why reboots and remakes have become so popular in the first place. Even then, are they really popular? The Washington Post conducted a survey, proving that audiences prefer original films more than their remakes in terms of story. However, people still go to see these remakes regardless. The Washington Post clarified why that is, stating, "The nature of nostalgia is such that viewers can’t help thinking an original film was better, but that doesn’t mean they won’t pay to see the new one.” Hollywood is not really then focusing on what audiences want to see, but on what sells. Plus, it is cheaper to produce a remake since the intellectual property, IP, is already laid out for writers. So it might balance out if the remake fails at the box office with the money studios could potentially save. But, it probably won’t.
Knowing this, it can make one question the credibility when it comes to remakes with a cast of people of color. The studios give themselves a mark on the diversity checklist and call it a day. It’s a safe bet for Hollywood studios. While remakes can increase diversity, these stories lack originality. It feels like studios have the mentality that if audiences disagree with the casting, maybe they’ll be drawn in by the familiar storyline.
Indiewire elaborated more on this trend of “colorblind casting”, warning of its potential to forget Black stories in film. The article looked specifically at The Little Mermaid, pointing out different examples from Black folklore that filmmakers can get inspiration from.
Some reboots at least try to switch things up, creating new characters instead of reusing old ones. For example, Charlie’s Angels (2019) and Ocean’s 8 (2018) both followed a similar concept as its predecessor, but created new characters that still existed in the same cinematic world as the original characters. In this way, the characters in the remakes all have their own personality. It allows the actors to bring something new to the character rather than try to replicate someone else.
Color-blind casting has proved itself to bring large amounts of representation. With it, new generations have new role models. The classics of an older generation are enhanced and made relevant to become the new classics for a new generation. People of color have the chance to see themselves represented on the screen. Every color-blind casting can begin the normalization of inclusion, while diminishing the white standard in film. Color-blind casting is important, but it brings into question the viability for Hollywood to wait for the next remake and reboot to do so.
Nonetheless, The Little Mermaid and Peter Pan and Wendy will be great films. It will be so refreshing and amazing to see Yara Shahidi and Halle Bailey getting the recognition they deserve with being in such iconic roles. However, it is more than likely that there exists a large number of original stories and untouched source material out there waiting to be told. It would be interesting to see studios start delving through it, putting out original content. Color-blinding casting is important, but so is the incorporation of Black writers, actors, and stories into mass media.
