Recently, there has been an upsurge in recreating animated films in a live-action light, with many of these films featuring new takes on their older counterparts. The most recent live-action release was the “Lilo & Stitch” movie May 23, which — like many of its live-action predecessors — received mixed reviews for missing the magic that its original possessed. While many of the live-action films have not originally been received by audiences the way studios hoped, they offer a look into intriguing adaptations that can possibly create refreshing understandings of familiar stories, for better and worse.
Walt Disney Pictures has been the biggest participant in revamping classic tales with over 20 films in the past three decades, with some great releases and some very poor. Films like “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Jungle Book” were released for live-action adaptations and skyrocketed at the box office. Other films such as “Mulan,” “Pete’s Dragon” and “Dumbo” — all live-action remakes — not only tanked at the box office but failed in opening and lifetime ratings.
This raises the question of why live-action remakes have become so popular with large film studios. To answer this question, it is worth looking at a few notable examples.
The most recent adaptation of “The Lion King” featured an identical plot to the 1994 animated film, with the movie following the journey of lion cub Simba and his eventual destiny as the son of King Mufasa. “The Lion King” captured the themes of nature and connection through a way of life that the original animated one expressed, while offering realistic versions of the formerly cartoon animals for audiences to enjoy.
Favreau’s decision to keep the original story with very few minor changes most likely contributed to the film’s success at the box office and worldwide showings, producing a lifetime gross of $543,638,043 and playing in about 4,802 theaters. However, box office ratings and monetary value are not the only ways to measure the value of a film. Excluding a new cast and soundtrack, critics claimed that “The Lion King” had little to offer that expanded the narrative of the story.
It should come as no surprise then, that the live-action films that have become the most well-received by audiences and critics alike are the ones that challenge and change the narrative.
In the quality of creating unique interpretations of classic tales, the live-action films “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” and “The Little Mermaid” succeeded in changing the narrative while keeping true to a familiar story. Both films gave Black women necessary representation in the historically white Disney princess world while allowing little girls around the world to see themselves within the fairy tale in a way they hadn’t before.
The 1997 “Cinderella” adaptation is praised for its amazing cast, including Whitney Houston, Whoopi Goldberg, Paolo Montalban and a younger Brandy Norwood, who officially debuted as the first black Cinderella in any Disney adaptation. The movie depicts a nostalgic love story in a late 90s to early 2000s setting suited for modern audiences and also established one of Disney’s first interracial couples.
For its part, “The Little Mermaid” fleshed out each character with background and more in-depth personalities. The box office ratings speak for themselves with “The Little Mermaid” receiving $95,578,040 for just its opening release and overall positive audience and critic reviews. The film’s success can be largely attributed to the casting of Bailey, whose captivating voice and acting compelled audiences. Yet, when Bailey was announced as the important role of Ariel, there was an enormous amount of backlash with racist insults towards her integrity and vocals. This response proved in many ways why the representation Bailey offered mattered.
Disney is not the only studio with live-action remake attempts. Universal and DreamWorks’ arguably most anticipated movie of 2025 is a live-action remake of the beloved “How to Train Your Dragon,” in theaters June 13. Universal and DreamWorks studios are collaborating with director and writer Dean DeBlois, who also directed each of the three animated “How to Train Your Dragon” films.
It's one thing to create a new live-action adaptation of a story that has been retold in the same light multiple times, but it’s another to attempt to recreate a very large cinematic universe that took nearly a decade to build. The span of the original trilogy was from 2010 to 2019, including an additional three series based on the films as well as about five official short films.
Many audiences are skeptical that the new project will add much more to the already well-developed “How to Train Your Dragon” world — similar to “The Lion King” — especially since the new live-action appears to be a near-exact replica of the story the animated films already covered. However, the upcoming remake also holds potential to follow in the footsteps of “Cinderella” and “The Little Mermaid” by reimagining the story through a more inclusive lens.
Although some live-action remakes offer good interpretations of stories, many others fall flat and rely too heavily on visual effects and nostalgia rather than meaningful innovation. This pattern reflects a broader industry trend in which studios prioritize brand familiarity over creative risk, often sidelining opportunities for original storytelling or diverse narratives that push boundaries. The remakes that truly resonate are the ones that shape new narratives with a more engaging story and remind us that these adaptations can be more than copies.
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