Disney's 'Bambi' live-action remake will be updated for modern audiences

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By James Kay

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Disney will be altering the live-action version of Bambi to ensure that the tale is suitable for modern audiences.

Remaking Disney classics is all the rage at the minute as a number of tales from our childhood have got a revamp.

These include The Lion King, Snow White, Cinderella, Mulan, Dumbo, and a few more - though they aren't always met with open arms.

Some are naturally skeptical about remakes as they believe that the classics should be left alone, especially when the story is altered to cater to modern audiences.

Bambi is getting that treatment, and after the childhood trauma that the original brought to many of us, it's pretty understandable that things will be tweaked.

The original was made in 1942 and then got a sequel in 2006 - so it's been a while since Bambi graced our screens.

Lindsey Anderson Beer, a screenwriter working on the new movie, sat down with Collider where she revealed that small changes will be made to Bambi.

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Bambi was first released in 1942. Credit: LMPC/Getty

Beer began: "The thing is, [Bambi] is such a gorgeous film. It's a little bit different tempo than I think modern audiences are used to. Not to spoil the plot, but there's a treatment of the dying mom that I think some kids, some parents these days are more sensitive about than they were in the past."

She went on: "I do think there is a way to update Bambi and our take on it was… did give a little bit more of a scope to it. And I just think that to be able to bring it to life for kids these days in a way that maybe they relate to a little bit more would be of service to the original."

Beer also discussed the idea that Bambi hasn't been watched through the generations as much as other classics such as The Little Mermaid and The Lion King.

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The original movie left a mark on many people as children. Credit: LMPC/Getty

So that itself presents a new challenge of having to keep the new movie faithful to the original to not upset lovers of the classic, but also find a way of making it accessible to new audiences who aren't familiar with the story.

Beer said: "What's interesting about Bambi to me is it absolutely is a classic and it's a beautiful love poem, such artistry to it. I do think there's an entire generation of children who have never seen the original and that's very different from, say Little Mermaid or Aladdin or the '90s heyday films that they've definitely already seen.

"I can't tell you how many kids I've seen who've never seen Bambi, which is such a shame."

It'll be interesting to see how Disney tackles the heartbreaking moments in the movie because all of that childhood trauma has suddenly come flooding back to me.

Featured image credit: LMPC/Getty