If we're talking about where future art direction is going, then how much artwork from centuries ago exists is not relevant.
I was noticing it most strongly with Disney. Not sure what was their strategy there, but for some period in the last few years, they seemed to go mechanically through their IP catalog and produce a life action reboot for each classic. The reboots were mostly unremarkable IMO, but they had a strange recurring pattern: Almost every one of them included one controversial change to the original setup that was guaranteed to rile up certain fans and cause drama, ostensibly in the name of DEI.
It became such a predictable occurrence that I'm honestly not sure if they really felt the need to "modernize" their classics, or if they were deliberately causing those controversies as a promotion tactic.
The reboots are utter garbage even if you disregard the woke1.0 updates
Btw Disney has always been garbage and always will be. If we use that as the measuring stick for culture idk
But i'm getting terrible movies that also preach massively. Even without the preaching, it's terrible, but preaching certainly makes it even worse than what it was due to the immense hypocrisy of a gigantic corporation asking us to do better while it absolutely does worse daily.