Following the release of the “Little Mermaid” trailer, many people complained about the movie being drastically different than its original version. The fact lead actress Halle Bailey, who plays Princess Ariel, is Black and doesn’t have red hair has people complaining because, according to them, it does not have the same essence as the original.

Remakes should not have to stay true to an outdated original version of a story just because some viewers don’t want their childhood stories changed. You should not complain about Princess Ariel being Black because these remakes are more than likely not for you but for a new generation of kids. It is important to raise this new generation with awareness and to teach them the importance of inclusion. Having a Black Princess Ariel is extremely important to teach little kids anyone can be a princess or prince.

This isn’t the only time Disney drew criticism after changing an original movie too much. For example, in the “Mulan” remake, people were upset because Mulan no longer had a guardian dragon named Mushu or a cricket sidekick. Instead, she was guarded by a phoenix. People were also upset because Mulan’s love interest had changed and because, more importantly, all musical numbers were removed.

While some people were mad about this, I think it is refreshing to see a new take on classic movies. Disney’s “The Beauty and the Beast” remake was mostly faithful to the animated movie, except for the notable change in which LeFou was portrayed as an LGBTQ+ character. This was hinted at several times throughout the movie and was confirmed at the end when he dances with a man. Changes like this are important because they give child viewers a chance to familiarize themselves and learn respect for other people’s sexual orientation.

Remakes will never make everyone happy; there will always be unhappy people. Making the remakes different than the original story is important because viewpoints are changing, and it is important to show acceptance of those changing viewpoints to new generations.