Who plays your favorite Disney character in these live-action remakes?

A live-action remake of the beloved early 2000s animated movie 'Lilo & Stitch' has been announced. Set on the island of Kauaʻi, where a lonely young girl named Lilo is being raised by her tough older sister. Their lives are thrown into chaos when Lilo befriends a lovable but destructive alien creature named Stitch. A young Hawaiian girl named Maia Kealoha will be making her acting debut in the role of Lilo. Stitch will of course be a CGI creation. Zach Galifianakis has joined the cast, and the role of Nani, Lilo's sister and guardian, will be played by Sydney Agudong.

The latter casting choice has been criticized for colorism by some groups. Agudong was born and raised in Hawaii, but critics have pointed out that Nani is portrayed as a dark-skinned indigenous Hawaiian woman in the animated movie. They feel that Disney dropped the ball by casting a light-skinned actress who isn't from the native Hawaiian community.

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'Moana' -

In April, Disney announced that they'll be teaming up with Dwayne Johnson to develop a live-action remake of its 2016 animated musical sensation 'Moana'! Johnson plans to return to the role of demigod Maui, and he'll also co-produce via his Seven Bucks Productions. Auli‘i Cravalho, who voiced Moana, will executive produce with Scott Sheldon of Flynn Picture Co, and the original screenwriter Jared Bush will also return to write the remake, along with Dana Ledoux Miller.

In a video announcement from Oahu and with his two young daughters, Johnson spoke on his Polynesian roots. “This story is my culture, and this story is emblematic of our people’s grace and warrior strength,” he said. "I wear this culture proudly on my skin and in my soul, and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reunite with Maui, inspired by the mana and spirit of my late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, is one that runs very deep for me.”

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‘Pinocchio’ (2022) -

'Pinocchio' is a remake of the 1940 classic which was based on the book 'The Adventures of Pinocchio' by Italian author Carlo Collodi. The 2022 live-action reproduction stars Tom Hanks as Geppetto, the lonely woodcarver who makes a puppet called Pinocchio and wishes for him to become a real boy. Pinocchio is voiced by British child actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, and his trusty sidekick Jiminy Cricket is voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The movie also features Cynthia Erivo, Luke Evans, and Keegan-Michael Key. 'Pinocchio' hit Netflix in December 2022.

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'Snow White' -

Peter Dinklage spoke out about how fans have praised Disney for racially diverse casting in films like the upcoming remake of 'Snow White,' but they miss the larger issue of how the old tale portrays disabled people. “I was a little taken aback when they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White. You’re still telling the story of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.’ Take a step back and look at what you’re doing there. It makes no sense to me,” the actor said. But Disney heard him, and the next day put out a statement that said they would be working with consultants to improve the remake. "To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community. We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period,” a spokesman told The Hollywood Reporter.

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'Snow White' -

In June 2021, Rachel Zegler, who made her feature film debut as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s 'West Side Story,' was cast as the princess first made famous in animated form back in 1937. Shortly after the casting was announced, Zegler tweeted, “I HAVE MANIFESTED MY ENTIRE LIFE I THINK I THINK.” Marc Webb ('The Amazing Spider-Man') will direct the film, Marc Platt will serve as producer, and Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the songwriting duo behind tunes from 'La La Land,' are set to write new music for it, Variety reports.

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'Cinderella' (2021) -

Amazon Prime Video released the new live-action version of 'Cinderella' which is a modern take on the old fairytale, but had mixed reviews. Camila Cabello plays the titular character who is also an entrepreneurial seamstress who designs dresses for her business, "Dresses by Ella," and who dreams bigger than just marriage. The film also stars Billy Porter as the "Fabulous Godmother" Fab G, and Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Charming. We also see Idina Menzel as the Stepmother, Minnie Driver as the Queen, and James Corden as a footman.

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'Cruella' (2021) -

Emma Stone's glam-punk reinvention of Disney's most fabulous villain, Cruella de Vil, was a huge hit. The live-action take on the animated classic '101 Dalmatians' is actually Miss de Vil's origin story, set in the 1970s. Stone had big shoes to fill, as the animated film already had a 1996 live-action remake starring Glenn Close as Cruella. This new backstory, of young fashion designer Estella de Vil whose obsession for dog fur earns her the nickname of a lifetime, was quite well-received.

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'Alice in Wonderland' (2010) - This quirky film based on the novel by Lewis Carroll was the first to be released in the flood of Disney live-action remakes. The story follows Alice Kingsleigh (Mia Wasikowska) throughout her adventures in Wonderland, where she meets characters such as the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), the Queen of Hearts (Helena Bonham Carter), the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), and the mildly-endearing/mildly-creepy Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry).

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How it did -

'Alice in Wonderland' was the second highest-grossing film released in 2010, and even inspired a sequel from yet another Lewis Carroll book in 2016, 'Alice Through the Looking Glass.' However, the sequel did not share the same success as its predecessor.

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'Maleficent' (2014) - Disney decided to tell the story of Sleeping Beauty with a different flair. 'Maleficent' (2014) stars Angelina Jolie, and tells the well-known story from the "villain’s" point of view.

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How it did - The movie took a cool US$758.5 million worldwide, making it the fourth-highest-grossing film in 2014, according to Business Insider. It’s no wonder that after this rousing success, they decided to make a sequel. 'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' premiered in 2019.

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‘Cinderella’ (2015) -

Based on the classic movie from 1950, 'Cinderella' (2015) brings in some big names to recreate one of the most popular fairy tales. Lily James plays Ella, Helena Bonham Carter plays the fairy godmother, and Cate Blanchett plays the evil stepmother. The biggest difference, however, comes from the fact that it's not a musical.

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How it did - Cinderella had a happy ending in terms of commercial success, and was positively received by critics. It also became Kenneth Branagh’s highest-grossing film opening, beating out 'Thor.'

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'Jungle Book' (2016) - Released in April 2016, the live-action film follows Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves, who must escape the jungle due to the fearsome tiger, Shere Khan. We follow him throughout a journey of self-discovery with some particularly colorful characters. The film was directed by Jon Favreau, who you may recognize from films like 'Chef' (2014). The cast includes Neel Sethi (Mowgli), in his break-out role, as well as some familiar names such as Ben Kingsley (Bagheera) and Bill Murray (Baloo).

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How it did -

'Jungle Book' made approximately US$966.5 million in the box office, and won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. They have already started planning a sequel, though no date has been set for its release.

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'Beauty and the Beast' (2017) - The tale as old as time got some new life with this live-action rendition. With a star-studded cast, including Dan Stevens and Emma Watson in the titular roles, Disney added some new twists and new music to bring this tale back to life.

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How it did - 'Beauty and the Beast' was a box-office success. It became the highest-grossing film of 2017 after earning more than US$1.2 billion worldwide. It also earned the title of highest-grossing live-action musical film, though some of the movies on this list may give it a run for its money in the future.

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'Christopher Robin' (2018) - Christopher Robin is all grown up and lacking imagination, so he must go back to Hundred-Acre Wood. Ewan McGregor plays the titular role, with support from the voices of Jim Cummings, Brad Garrett, Nick Mohammed, and Peter Capaldi, among others.

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How it did - 'Christopher Robin' received mixed reviews overall, including 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, and ended up raking in US$197 million worldwide.

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'Mary Poppins Returns' - Many may be thinking, "Wasn’t this already a live-action movie?" Well, you would be right. However, this movie worked as a continuation of the first, starring a grown-up Jane and Michael Banks.

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How it did -

With an all-star cast like Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins and Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jack, it's not shocking that the movie pulled in US$349 million worldwide.

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'Dumbo' - Tim Burton (pictured) took on the direction of this old tale about the little elephant with big ears and big dreams. The story was slightly tweaked however, as they chose to add a human family into the mix.

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How it did - Dumbo unfortunately failed to please critics, despite its talented cast, only scoring a 46% on Rotten Tomatoes.

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'Aladdin' - Prince Ali came back to the big screen in this new live-action film. The film put great emphasis on finding non-white actors for the cast, with Mena Mansour Massoud as Aladdin and Naomi Scott as Jasmine. For this reason, many were upset with the casting of Billy Magnussen as a new suitor for Jasmine in the film.

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How it did -

While audiences seemed to enjoy the stroll down memory lane in the streets of Agrabah, the critics didn't seem to feel the same way.

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'The Lion King' - 'The Lion King' was one of the most anticipated remakes, directed by Jon Favreau (director of 'The Jungle Book') and with a star-studded cast.

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How it did - Fans were dazzled by the plethora of stars in the cast, including Donald Glover (Simba), James Earl Jones (returning as Mufasa), John Oliver (Zazu), Billy Eichner (Timon), Seth Rogen (Pumbaa), and Beyoncé as Nala. Queen Bey's soundtrack was a huge hit!

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'Mulan' -

The 1998 heroine returned to the big screen in this live-action remake starring Liu Yifei and directed by Niki Caro, who is the second woman to direct a movie with a budget of over US$100 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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'Mulan' cast - There was some controversy about the cast, but ultimately it was viewed as a visually beautiful film, though it lacked the same heart that animated film had.

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'The Sword in the Stone' - Not much is known about the remake of the tale of the plucky young squire Arthur or "Wart," and his magical companion, Merlin. What we do know however, is that it’s sure to be done right with Bryan Cogman (the writer and producer of 'Game of Thrones') at the wheel.

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'Peter Pan' - This is decidedly not the first, nor the last, adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s 'Peter Pan.' From the grown-up version in 'Hook' (1991) to the tale of inspiration in 'Finding Neverland' (2004), we’ve seen a lot of different sides of Peter Pan. We so far only know the director of the film, David Lowery (pictured here), who also directed 'Pete’s Dragon. Let’s just hope it’s better received than 'Pan' (2015). Think happy thoughts.

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'Tinker Bell' - As an added bonus, the sassy fairy sidekick is also getting her own backstory. Reese Witherspoon will be playing the role of Tinker Bell in the live-action film. Originally announced in 2015, fans have known about this one for a while. Despite this however, no other details have been announced as of yet.

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Rose Red -

Rose Red is Snow White’s sister, however she has little to do with the well-known Disney tale. Rumors are that Brie Larson may be looking at the titular role. Evan Daugherty ('Snow White and the Huntsman,' (pictured) is writing the script, reportedly basing her on the character from Grimms’ Fairy Tales.'

Who plays your favorite Disney character in these live-action remakes?

Halle Bailey's 'The Little Mermaid' crushed Memorial Day box office with US$118 million debut

04/10/24 | StarsInsider

MOVIES Disney

Disney movies often make us nostalgic, whether you're seeing them for the second time round or the hundredth time. In recent years, Disney is on a roll with their live-action remakes, and they're showing no signs of stopping!

The live-action version of 'The Little Mermaid' had its theatrical release and pulled in an impressive US$118 million debut during Memorial Day weekend, reports Variety, making it the fifth-highest Memorial Day opening of all time. In the international market, it grossed US$68.3 million across 51 material markets.

Reviews are in favor of Halle Bailey as Ariel, with unanimous praise for her star-making performance. Critics are also huge fans of Melissa McCarthy as Ursula—with her perfect ominous cackle—as well as the soundtrack by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken (who wrote the score for the 1989 original), which includes four new original songs. The cast also sees Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina, Jacob Tremblay voicing Flounder, Daveed Diggs voicing Sebastian, and Awkwafina voicing Scuttle. While critics have nothing but praise for the stars, there is still contention about whether the live-action achieves more than the beloved animated version did, but now you can go see for yourself.

Click on and find out more about the Disney remakes, past and future. Who will be playing your favorite character?