Have you recovered from the awesomeness of “Beauty and the Beast”? Well prep yourself, because Disney is showing no signs of slowing down.
Thanks to their winning formula, the studio has a number of live-action adaptations of their classic animated films in the works. Many of these adaptation stories are slated to be released in the next few years. Needless to say, Disney fans can’t wait to relive their childhood moments.
The movement first started in 2010 with Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” starring Johnny Depp. This was followed by 2014’s “Maleficent” – a “Sleeping Beauty” prequel that centred on the vengeful fairy that cursed Aurora.
The following year, we had “Cinderella”. Although it wasn’t a musical, the remake still attracted large crowds of movie-goers to the cinemas and made a whopping US$200 million at the box office. Last year, “The Jungle Book” and “Pete’s Dragon” were among the most entertaining films released.
With so many different details announced, it’s often hard to keep up. That’s why we’ve curated a list of upcoming Disney live-action movies including director and cast, along with the released dates if they’ve been announced. Let’s get into it:
1. “The Lion King”
- Released Date: 19 July 2019
- Director: Jon Favreau
- Cast: James Earl Jones (Mufasa), Donald Glover (Simba)
“The Lion King” remains one of the most successful animated films in history, so of course it was getting a live-action treatment. Although “live action” may be a bit of a stretch considering that there aren’t any humans in the story. Since we don’t think that Disney will be using real animals, it is believed that the live-adaptation of “The Lion King” will heavily rely on CGI. Who better to direct it than Jon Favreau? The filmmaker, who was responsible for the success of last year’s “The Jungle Book”, has expressed interest in casting Beyonce as Nala.
2. “Mulan”
- Released Date: 2nd November 2018
- Director: Niki Caro
- Cast: TBA
Out of all the Disney reboots, “Mulan” may be the most controversial one yet. Last month, director Niki Caro angered many fans when she stated that “Mulan” won’t feature any of the film’s original songs. On top of that, Mulan’s love interest, Li Shang, has allegedly been removed from the plot. For those who are worried about the whitewashing of the cast, you can at least be rest assured that Disney is searching for a Chinese actress to fill in the lead role.
3. “Aladdin”
- Released Date: TBA
- Director: Guy Ritchie
- Cast: Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, and Will Smith
Years ago, Disney was apparently working on an “Aladdin” prequel that centred on the origins of Genie. However, that idea was scrapped and they opted to do a straight up remake of “Aladdin”. Regardless of the outcome, the voice actor hired to follow Robin Williams’ footsteps into the genie role will have his work cut out for him. There’s currently a lot hype surrounding how hot Jafar is.
4. “Peter Pan”
- Released Date: TBA
- Director: David Lowery
- Cast: TBA
Disney has not given up on “Peter Pan” even though there have been several “Peter Pan” films in the past. 1991’s “Hook” starred the late Robin Williams as an adult Peter. Let’s not forget that a live-adaption of “Peter Pan” was released in 2003 and the following year, “Finding Neverland” featuring Kate Winslet hit the big screen. NBC had a special broadcast of “Peter Pan Live!” in 2014, while Hugh Jackman’s “Pan” in 2015 was met with poor reviews. Despite the lack of interest and success, Disney is giving “Peter Pan” another go.
5. “Tink”
- Released Date: TBA
- Director: TBA
- Cast: Reese Witherspoon (Tink)
Speaking of “Peter Pan”, his sassy fairy accomplice, Tinkerbell, is getting her own origin story too! Reese Witherspoon will be sprinkling fairy dust all over it as she has signed on to produce as well as star in “Tink”. No word yet if the Oscar-winning actress will appear in “Peter Pan”.
6. “Pinocchio”
- Released Date: TBA
- Director: Sam Mendes
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr. (Gepetto)
We couldn’t lie about this even if we tried. Your favourite marionette, who longs to be a real boy, is also getting a live-action treatment. A whole new generation of kids are about to learn why lying is bad: Your nose will grow incredibly long. Last we heard, Sam Mendes was planning to direct the film with Robert Downey Jr. eyed for the role of woodcarver Geppetto.
7. “Dumbo”
- Released Date: TBA
- Director: Tim Burton
- Cast: Eva Green (French trapeze artist), Danny DeVito (ringmaster)
“Dumbo” chronicles the journey of a baby circus elephant who is ridiculed for its big ears and nicknamed Dumbo. After his mother was locked up for trying to protect him, a mouse named Timothy stepped in to become his mentor and protector. The story parodied the stereotypical animosity between mice and elephants through the relationship between Timothy and Dumbo. Tim Burton is set to direct the film, which means that the modernised treatment will probably have a darker feel to it.
8. “Goodbye Christopher Robin”
- Released Date: TBA
- Director: Marc Forster
- Cast: Ewan McGregor
What is Christopher Robin up to these days? The upcoming live-action remake of “Winnie the Pooh” will address that question. In this version, Christopher Robin is now a businessman who has grown out of the joyful imagination that he had during his childhood days. However, his world is upended when Pooh shows up on his doorstep seeking for help.
Take a look at the official trailer here.
9. “Cruella”
- Released Date: 2018
- Director: TBA
- Cast: Emma Stone (Cruella)
Following in the footsteps of “Maleficent”, the fur-loving villain in “101 Dalmations” – Cruella de Vil – will be getting her own movie, simply titled, “Cruella”. We know her as an evil old lady who likes to skin puppies in order to wear as a fur coat. The new adaptation will be showcasing her background and origin story. Not much has been revealed other than the fact that Oscar winner Emma Stone is set to star as the titular character.
10. “The Little Mermaid”
- Released Date: TBA
- Director: TBA
- Cast: TBA
This one is currently still in the early stages of development. Alan Menken, the genius behind the 1989 original soundtrack, is reportedly working on songwriting with “Hamilton” scribe Lin-Manuel Miranda. The music will feature a combination of your favourite classics and some new tunes. Unfortunately, Disney hasn’t announced when the movie will be part of your world.
Out of all these Disney classics, which ones are you most excited to see get a modernised treatment? Leave a comment below and let us know!
Sources: Daily Campus, Collider, Seventeen/ Featured image: Disney Wiki.
