Every Disney Live-Action Remake Movie, Ranked

Disney has been reimagining its beloved animated movies as live-action films, bringing these stories to a new audience with updated visuals, actors, and some changes to the plot. This collection highlights these full-length remakes – whether shown in theaters or on Disney+ – and includes information about the director, main cast, where to watch them, and what’s different from the original animated versions.

‘Snow White’ (2025)

Marc Webb directs this new live-action version of the beloved Snow White story, starring Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. The movie brings the fairy tale to life using a mix of real filming and impressive visual effects. Production focused on building detailed sets and filming in locations that showcased grand castles and enchanting forests. The film features both classic songs and new music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, all with fresh arrangements.

‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ (2023)

David Lowery’s new movie retells the classic Peter Pan story in a simpler way, but gives Wendy a bigger role. Alexander Molony plays Peter, Ever Anderson is Wendy, and Jude Law is Captain Hook. The film, which you can find on Disney+, uses a lot of real sets alongside computer-generated imagery. It also adds more detail to Captain Hook’s history and gives both Wendy and Tiger Lily more independence.

‘Pinocchio’ (2022)

Tom Hanks stars as Geppetto in this new version of Pinocchio, directed by Robert Zemeckis. The film combines real actors with computer-generated characters like Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket. It was released directly on Disney+ as part of the platform’s movie offerings. This version features new songs and a slightly changed ending that provides a more positive resolution to Pinocchio’s transformation.

‘The Little Mermaid’ (2023)

Rob Marshall directed the film, starring Halle Bailey as Ariel and Jonah Hauer-King as Eric. The underwater scenes were created using a mix of real water tanks and visual effects. The movie features new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken, and it gives Eric a more developed story. It was first shown in premium formats in theaters and later became available on Disney+ with a sing-along version.

‘Mulan’ (2020)

Niki Caro’s live-action Mulan stars Yifei Liu as the titular character and doesn’t include any of the songs from the original animated movie. It also introduces a new villain, Xianniang, who can shapeshift and works with Böri Khan. The film was initially released on Disney+ through Premier Access, and also had a limited release in theaters. The movie emphasizes realistic battle scenes and impressive action choreography to tell a more serious story about war.

‘101 Dalmatians’ (1996)

Glenn Close takes on the role of Cruella de Vil in Stephen Herek’s reimagining of the classic tale, featuring real puppies and very few computer-generated effects. The film also stars Jeff Daniels, Joely Richardson, and Hugh Laurie. While staying true to the story from the 1961 animated movie, it adds more slapstick humor. The film’s popularity resulted in a follow-up movie, but that sequel isn’t based on another animated film.

‘Dumbo’ (2019)

Tim Burton’s new film features a circus family brought to life by Colin Farrell, Eva Green, Michael Keaton, and Danny DeVito. The film uses completely computer-generated imagery for a baby elephant, bringing it to life with realistic animation. The story goes beyond the original tale, adding a plotline involving a corporate theme park. It had a standard theatrical release with a typical marketing campaign.

‘Lady and the Tramp’ (2019)

The movie premiered directly on Disney+, featuring Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux as the voice actors. Instead of animation, it uses real dogs and adds computer-generated effects to make their mouths move and show emotions. The story is set in America in the early 1900s, but with some updated characters. A famous scene involving spaghetti is carefully recreated, paying close attention to how it looks and is lit.

‘Alice in Wonderland’ (2010)

Tim Burton directs this film, bringing back Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Mia Wasikowska as Alice. Instead of directly recreating the 1951 animated movie, the story revisits Wonderland with a new adventure. The filmmakers used a lot of green screen and computer-generated sets to bring the fantastical world of Underland to life. The film’s success at the box office encouraged Disney to make more live-action versions of its classic animated stories.

‘Pete’s Dragon’ (2016)

David Lowery’s new film is inspired by the 1977 classic, but instead of a musical, it’s an adventurous story set in the Pacific Northwest. Oakes Fegley stars as Pete, alongside Bryce Dallas Howard and Robert Redford. The dragon, Elliot, is brought to life with impressive computer-generated imagery, designed to look furry and realistic. At its heart, the film is about the importance of finding family, and it’s set against the backdrop of a logging town.

‘Lilo & Stitch’ (2025)

Dean Fleischer Camp directs this new live-action version of the classic story. Maia Kealoha stars as Lilo, and Chris Sanders reprises his role as the voice of Stitch. Sydney Agudong plays Nani, with Zach Galifianakis as Dr. Jumba Jookiba and Billy Magnussen as Pleakley. The movie brings Stitch and the other alien characters to life using impressive visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.

‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ (2016)

This movie is a sequel to the live-action adaptation of the classic story. Director James Bobin returns with stars Mia Wasikowska and Johnny Depp, and introduces a new character, Time, played by Sacha Baron Cohen, who adds a time-travel element to the plot. Like the first film, it boasts impressive costumes and sets, but tells a completely new story inspired by the original animated movie.

‘The Lion King’ (2019)

Jon Favreau’s remake uses incredibly realistic computer-generated imagery and innovative filmmaking technology to create the animals and landscapes. The voice cast features Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and James Earl Jones. Despite looking like a live-action film, it’s actually entirely animated using computer technology and real camera movements. The film was released with a companion soundtrack and shown in large-format theaters.

‘Aladdin’ (2019)

Guy Ritchie directed this live-action version of Aladdin, featuring Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, and Will Smith as the Genie. The filmmakers created impressive sets for the city of Agrabah and combined real-life stunts with computer-generated imagery for the musical numbers. The story was updated to give Jasmine more to do politically, and a new song was written for her. After playing in theaters worldwide, the film became available to watch at home and on streaming services.

‘Cinderella’ (2015)

Kenneth Branagh’s new version of the story features Lily James, Richard Madden, and Cate Blanchett. While staying true to the original, the film really shines with its beautiful sets and detailed costumes designed by Sandy Powell. It was filmed using traditional 35mm cameras and prioritized real locations and impressive ballroom dancing. Its relatively short length and simple storytelling demonstrated Disney’s plans for future live-action remakes.

‘Beauty and the Beast’ (2017)

Bill Condon directed this adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens. The Beast’s character was created using detailed performance capture technology. The film includes Alan Menken’s original songs, plus new music and deeper explorations of the characters’ backgrounds. The castle and enchanted objects were brought to life using a mix of real sets and computer-generated imagery. It was released in theaters everywhere, including in IMAX and 3D.

‘The Jungle Book’ (2016)

Jon Favreau’s new version of The Jungle Book stars Neel Sethi as Mowgli, with Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, and Idris Elba providing the voices for other characters. While most of the film was shot in a studio in Los Angeles, the jungle setting and animals were created with impressive digital effects and motion capture technology. The movie blends classic songs with a more action-packed story, and it set a new standard for visual effects in Disney’s later live-action remakes.

Let us know how you’d rank Disney’s live-action remakes in the comments below! Also, tell us which one was your biggest surprise.

2025-11-08 06:19