For all you Disney fans, a new movie remake is airing soon! The original Beauty and the Beast movie, which was animated and released in 1991, has been remade nearly 26 years later with a new twist that is sure to excite old fans.

The new movie is coming out on March 17th, 2017. It stars Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as The Beast, and Luke Evans as Gaston. Disney says that Beauty and the Beast “is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior, and realizes the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within.” As Emma Watson changes into a stronger princess, Disney also changed Gaston’s sidekick, LeFou, to fit with modern standards by making his character homosexual. This change has caused controversy in many cities and countries across the globe. To learn more, visit http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/05/europe/beauty-beast-movie-russia-gay-ban/.

Disney has also remade some other movies including The Jungle Book, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. Some of these movies are spin-offs of the original movies.

The Jungle Book remake is named Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. While the movie is still a musical like the original, it does have some different aspects. The remade shows give the audience more adventure and danger compared to the original animated version. The remake also has a “darker side” compared to it’s original. Disney says Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book is about “Mowgli, a man-cub raised in the jungle by a family of wolves, who embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery when he’s forced to abandon the only home he’s ever known.” 

Another remake that has several differences is Sleeping Beauty; the remake is titled Maleficent. In the original movie, Maleficent doesn’t fly, but in the remake, she is seen flying all the time. The majority of the movie, however, is essentially the same storyline as the original Sleeping Beauty.

Disney is also planning to remake other films in the future. Some of these movies include Mulan, Lion King, Dumbo, Ariel, and Aladdin.  A live-action script was made in 2015 for Mulan, and it is planned to be released on November 2, 2018, with Niki Caro as the director. Mulan is a story about “a young Chinese maiden who learns that her weakened and lame father is to be called up into the army in order to fight the invading Huns. Knowing that he would never survive the rigors of war in his state, she decides to disguise herself and join in his place. Unknown to her, her ancestors are aware of this, and to prevent it, they order a tiny disgraced dragon, Mushu, to join her in order to force her to abandon her plan. He agrees, but when he meets Mulan, he learns that she cannot be dissuaded and decides to help her in the perilous times ahead.”

The Lion King remake, which does not yet have a release date yet, also has many fans excited. 

Disney, for the most part, keeps the storylines the same from the original movie. Many fans love the remakes because they are often live-action, instead of animated.

Disney is planning on remaking several fan favorites in the coming years, so be sure to keep an eye out!