11 Disney Live Action Remakes

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Did you see last year’s live action version of Cinderella?  It was a lovely rendition of Disney’s animated classic.

We really enjoyed it, with one only one complaint – We would’ve preferred less cleavage.  Modesty is something we appreciate.  And notice.

Nonetheless, the movie sold over 24 million tickets, so clearly we weren’t the only ones that enjoyed it.

Well, Disney has taken notice, and has plans in the works to release a number of live action remakes of other animated films.

 

There are a couple out this year, even.  Jungle Book was released on April 15 and Alice Through the Looking Glass on May 27.

It’ll be awhile before many of these come out, but it’s definitely a trend to watch for.

 

1. Beauty and the Beast – Release date March, 2017   

This is already in post production, and the cast looks stellar. Harry Potter star Emma Watson is playing the heroine Belle.  More of the cast includes:  Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, Ian McKellan as Cogsworth, Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts, Josh Gad as Le Fou, and Dan Stevens as the Beast.  (If you watched Downton Abbey, you’ll recognize Dan Stevens as the actor who played Matthew Crawley).

 

2. Cruella – Slated to begin filming later this year (2016)

Much like Maleficent told Sleeping Beauty from the villain’s perspective, Cruella will do the same, giving us Cruella de Vil’s backstory.   Emma Stone is in talks for the starring role.

 

 

3. Pinocchio  

In reading about this one, I saw Robert Downey Jr.’s name attached to it in several places.  Iron Man as Geppetto…sure, I’d buy that.  Ron Howard is also attached to this.  If you remember much about the 1940 animated film, it was quite dark, and could translate as pretty scary in live action.  Rumor is, it will only loosely be based on the animated version, though.

 

4. Dumbo

Tim Burton is slated to direct this film that will feature both computer animation and live action.  I guess that means Johnny Depp will be in it (isn’t he in everything Tim Burton does?)  Seriously, though, no cast has been named.

 

 

 

5. Mulan

Not a whole lot out there on this one except that Disney has a script for it.

 

 

 

6. Winnie the Pooh

The plot will be based on Christopher Robin returning to the Hundred Acre Wood as an adult.  (For some reason when I think of a live action Winnie the Pooh, all I can envision are the Teletubbies).

 

 

 

 

7. Sword in the Stone     

Not much to say about this one.  I did learn that this was the last animated feature to be released while Walt Disney was still alive.

 

 

 

 

Supporting Characters Getting Their Own Features:

8. Rose Red

Snow White’s sister in the Grimm fairytale doesn’t appear in the original Disney classic.  It seems that instead of creating a new story for Red, the plan is to re-imagine the classic tale with Rose Red adventuring with the dwarves to save Snow White after she bites the poisonous apple.

 

 

9. Cinderella’s Prince Charming

Disney has purchased the script for this.  No details about cast or director.  I’d love it if they cast Richard Madden, who played the Prince in the 2015 Cinderella.

 

10. Genies    

This will look at the backstory of how Genie ended up in Aladdin’s lamp.  It’s described as an adventure-comedy, and will possibly pave the way for an Aladdin live action film.

 

 

11. Tink

Peter Pan’s feisty fairy friend is slated to get her own spinoff.  Reese Witherspoon is attached to this project as well as the writer for this summer’s Finding Dory.

 

 

Although not remakes of animated movies, I came across a couple of other interesting things in the works at Disney…

A Wrinkle in Time (with the screenwriter from Frozen attached to it)

A film based on The Jungle Cruise ride at Disney parks (with Dwayne Johnson)

Maleficent 2

The Jungle Book 2

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms,

A sequel to Mary Poppins (starring Emily Blunt)

 

 

So…tell me,

Which Live Action Remake Are You Most Interested to See?