Television

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought it was a poor choice.

I work with adults that mentally never left middle school. They already tell crass sexist jokes that make HR cry. I can only imagine the shit they'd come up with for something like this.

because they're talentless hacks that can't come up with original content (or just refuse to pay people who can), same reason behind every reboot/remake

I also don't get it, and don't like it. Then again I don't like reboots either like at all (exception, the KOTH continuation, they're doing alright).

Part of what made Alien so good is specifically that they had a woman in a typically-male role, Action Hero, but also it was an original movie.

To use an example you provided, I have no problem with Princess and the Frog, not exactly an original concept being based on The Brother's Grimm style stuff, but it draws from that well for inspiration and at least adds some originality, and representation is for sure important, I'm all for it! Whereas rebooting The Little Mermaid with a race-swapped Ariel is just a reboot with race swapping for good boy points and virtue signaling. Instead I'd much prefer a movie in what we could consider the expanded Little Mermaid universe that featured a black lead mermaid on some new adventure, maybe Ariel is old or dead or maybe not and they're bffs, maybe Ariel hasn't even been born and some Greek shit is happening on the mainland idk, but the possibilities are literally endless instead of "rerun same script but swap X."

(And let me be clear it's not entirely about the demographic-swapping, I hate live action reboots, reboots that don't have the same production staff, etc. Oddly the only "change" that isn't always terrible is cartoonification of live action things, sometimes that actually works like Toxic Crusaders.

KOTH gets a pass because they're doing the best they can, most OG members are back except the dead ones, the new animation isn't the best but the old way of cell animation is dead and lost, and the last fully cell animated episode was in season 8 anyway.)

I just want new and good, and preferably a return to practical effects.

Fun fact, the alien script was written without specified genders in any of the roles so it could have just as easily had a male lead or anything really.

It's because it is now considered (more) socially acceptable for women to take an interest in historically masculine things/exhibit feminine behaviour. You do not need to be a gay woman to appreciate a film about a "tomboy". This doesn't work the other way around though, no one is really interested in films about boys/men doing historically feminine things/exhibiting feminine qualities. It's considered gay and weird/creepy, unless it's specifically played for laughs.

Like think about any famous film about a girl or a woman and then imagine if it would be successful with a male lead. It probably wouldn't, unless you massively overhaul the character and plot.

"Omg, you know who would be a perfect Hercules!? Get The Rock on the line!" - some exec probably

Maybe they could remaster old movies/shows and “re-release them” for attention like they do games? The tools they have to do it now are quite good.

Agreed, this was one of my favourites as a kid. Long overdue for a rewatch!

Interesting choice to say "males" for men and "women" for women

I would watch the hell out of Janet McClane fucking up terrorists at Nakatomi Plaza. That sounds amazing.