Disney's 6 Best Live-Action Remakes, And What They Can Learn From Them

Disney have been left scrambling for answers after their latest big live action remake, Snow White, failed to impress fans or critics. The poor reception for the film has lead the studio to press pause on plans for a live-action remake of Tangled, which had been reportedly about to begin casting before Snow White's release. Now, the fate of the live-action Tangled apparently rests on how Disney's next two live-action remakes (Lilo & Stitch, hitting theatres in May, and Moana, currently in production) are received by audiences.

While a lot of blame has been placed on lead actress Rachel Zegler, perhaps the bigger problem with Snow White is a growing fatigue towards the remakes, which some fans see as uncreative, low-effort cash grabs. This has not always been the case, so if Disney wants to rediscover their past success, they need to remember what worked well in their previous live-action efforts.

1. 101 Dalmatians

Released in 1996, 101 Dalmatians was a remake of the 1961 animated Disney classic One Hundred and One Dalmatians. While often considered a classic in it's own right, 101 Dalmatians rarely comes up in discussions of Disney's successful live action remakes of their animated properties, likely because it was made around two decades prior to the remakes becoming a trend.

While the plot of the remake is similar to the animated film, there are some slight alterations to the story and characters, including bringing the story forward from the sixties to the nineties (then present day), changing Cruella into a designer rather than just a connoisseur of furs, and making Anita Cruella's employee rather than an old schoolmate. These were changes that modernised the story without destroying any of the core elements, and of course, the film is greatly lifted by the human cast, particularly Glenn Close as Cruella De Vil, also acting as a reminder that even in live action, some characters are made to be cartoonish.. Disney may want to look at going back to basics for future remakes.

A sequel, 102 Dalmatians, in which Cruella targets the offspring of Dipstick, one of the original 101, was released in 2000, while Close produced the alternate-timeline prequel, Cruella, in 2021.

2. Cinderella

Released in 2015, Disney's live-action Cinderella starred Lily James, then a relative newcomer, in the title role, with Richard Madden as the Prince, and Cate Blanchett playing Cinderella/Ella's Wicked Stepmother, Lady Tremaine. The film's Ella does not accept her fate as the family servant quite as passively as her animated counterpart, occasionally escaping her servitude. On one such outing, she meets the Prince, Kit, prior to the Ball, and is unaware he is the Prince, adding an extra element to their fledgling romance.

2015's Cinderella is not, strictly speaking, a true remake of the 1950 animated film, but rather a new adaptation of the Cinderella fairytale, that incorporates some elements of the animated version, such as the names of Ella's mouse friends, or including the animated film's songs over the credits. This may be the best path for Disney to take with future 'remakes', as Cinderella is still considered one of the best.

3. The Jungle Book

In 2016, Disney released a new live-action version of The Jungle Book, starring young actor Neel Sethi as Mowgli. Like the 2015 Cinderella, The Jungle Book was closer to a new adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book stories than a remake of the 1967 animated The Jungle Book, although it does include many of the songs from the animated film, including a new twist on 'Trust in Me with Scarlett Johannson voicing a female version of the hypnotic python, Kaa.

The 2016 film definitely takes more elements from the books, including Mowgli's discovery and use of fire, and the fact that Mowgli has not yet returned to the Man Village by the film's end, leaving an opening for a sequel that now seems unlikely to come.

The success of the live-action The Jungle Book lead Disney to hand the film's director, Jon Favreau, the reins for a 'live action' remake of The Lion King. However, The Jungle Book succeeded where many claim The Lion King failed: Showing the emotions of the animal characters. This seems to have been corrected in the Mufasa: The Lion King prequel, and it's definitely something Disney will need to keep in mind for photo-realistic animal characters in any future films or remakes.

4. Maleficent

Released in 2014, Maleficent retells the story of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the 1959 animated film's villain, Maleficent the dark fairy. After a terrible betrayal on the part of King Stefan, who had been her childhood friend, Maleficent places the well-known curse on his newborn daughter, Princess Aurora, dooming her to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall into an eternal sleep on her sixteenth Birthday. However, unexpectedly forming a close bond with Aurora during her time being raised by the other fairies in the woods, Maleficent becomes eager to break her curse before it comes to pass.

Some would argue that Maleficent is not really a remake at all, but maybe that's why it works. Revisiting an old story from a new point of view could help to keep things fresh.

5. Beauty & The Beast

Hitting theatres in 2017, Beauty & The Beast starred former Harry Potter star Emma Watson as Belle, and Dan Stevens as The Beast, who as fans of the original story will know, is a Prince cursed for his selfish behaviour. While Beauty & The Beast was perhaps the first of Disney's live-action remakes made with the intention of replicating the 1991 animated version, it is not a soulless, 'shot for shot' remake, an accusation levelled at some later attempts.

The 2017 Beauty & The Beast includes elements that add depth to the story, such as the fates of both Belle and the Beast's lost Mothers, adding to their understanding of each other without making anything unrecognisable.

For remakes looking to stay close to the original, this is probably the way to go.

6. Mulan

Despite being released during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 film Mulan earned passable box office numbers with a joint cinema and Disney Plus Premiere Access release. The film follows Hua Mulan, a young woman who disguises herself as a man to take her Father's place in the army, facing an impending Rouran invasion of China. Mulan is also strong in Chi energy, helping her prove herself to her fellow soldiers even after her identity is exposed.

Many fans would disagree with Mulan 2020 earning a spot on a best live-action remakes list. A large section of the fandom were disappointed with the omission of characters from the animated film, such as Mushu the dragon, and the decision to not make the film a musical, although samples from the animated film did make it into the score. However, Disney were open from the beginning that the plan for 2020's Mulan was to produce a new, slightly more accurate, and more respectful adaptation of the classic folktale the Ballad of Hua Mulan. This meant removing Mushu, a comic relief character who while popular with Western audiences, was viewed as insulting by some Chinese viewers, to whom dragons are sacred.

So, while not exactly an accurate remake of the 1998 animated film, the live-action Mulan succeeded in producing an adaptation of the Ballad, doing something at least semi-original. Originality is something fans have been asking for, so for that, Mulan deserves appreciation.

This is also something Disney could keep in mind for the future. If there's nothing new to say, or a story cannot be added to in a meaningful way, perhaps that story does not need to be remade. Their is still time for Disney to learn from their mistakes.