10 Examples Of How Progressive Disney Has Become

The live action retellings of Beauty & The Beast and Aladdin both stayed fairly true to the original script while making some much needed tweaks. Lily James’ Cinderella storyline changed slightly too, but it’s Emma Watson’s Belle and Naomi Scott’s Jasmine who are truly progressive.

Neither depiction is perfect, and there’s certainly an argument to be made that these massively successful animated classics didn’t need remakes, but the changes are good nonetheless.

Belle was considered Disney’s first feminist Princess right from her animated debut. She loves reading in a world where girls are taught not to think, and goes on her own quest to save a man (her father) rather than the other way around.

However, accusations of Stockholm Syndrome rather than true love still persisted. The recent film doesn’t exactly do away with that, though it is neater, and it develops her love of literature by having her share it with another young girl.

As for Jasmine, she was always rebellious and independent, but her storyline was fixated on romance back in 1992. In 2019, she’s brazenly feminist, fighting for equal rights in a society clearly does not bestow them. While more was made of Belle’s feminist retelling, Jasmine’s is arguably more important.