TL;DR: In the end, it’s all about the money, but there are a couple of different strategies at play here that only true Disney fans will understand.

Although people often think of Disney as the powerful corporation that they are, it’s important to remember that Disney is made up of real people. These people have dreams, ideas, and creative expression that are unique to each individual and the team, or company culture, they are a part of.

It’s that unique human approach that leans towards a couple of different reasons, beyond just the money, as to why Disney is rebooting so many classic films into live-action versions. In this article, we’ll explore four of those potential reasons:

The technology used to create movies today is much different than what was used when Disney originally created their animated classics.

Disney has access to the most innovative new technologies on the planet—new cameras, new animation software, CGI, HD, color formatting, etc. The plot and story fail to meet audience expectations when creators spend more time and money working with the technicalities involved with production.

The cost savings from revisiting old storylines allow more resources to go to the animation and videography departments and less to writing and development allowing the space for production teams to really stretch the capabilities of these new technologies under a tried and true storyline.

The public’s critique of Classic Disney movies has led Disney to realize that viewers want to see “real” people with real feelings and motives. Classic movies, though beautiful works of art, fall short on character development, partly because it was dealing with a brand new technology, and in part because they were born into societal disarray following wartime.

Disney, at the end of the day, is a business that supports millions of employees and the demand to generate revenue for those expenses is ongoing, which is where a lot of the “money” reasoning comes into play.

For many Disney creative employees, working at the brand has been a dream since the day they were small. Since childhood, they have been enchanted by Disney movies and animation, and now as adults, they carry on this legacy.

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

Walt Disney

In addition to their own hands and talent being involved in the creation of retelling these stories, they also get to invest in it on a personal level. They get to improve it to fit their own vision, and literally bring it to life. It’s a way to be a part of the magic that they were so fond of as a child.

By re-telling these stories, they will make this generation remember classic characters, so they will keep going to theme parks and buying merchandise.

A big part of it is to preserve a legacy that is hugely important to a lot of people. It preserves the work of masters, much like Victorian painters copied/improved on Renaissance master paintings.

Disney was founded on imagination, started by a mouse and built with the love for creating and telling stories. While there are stories to tell, the magic will continue to breathe life into them for generations to come.