Disney has been known for their famous movies since the 1930s. With a new generation, this company has found a way to share their classic films in a way that connects the Silent Generation to Generation Alpha in a magical way. From fairy tale classics to villian adaptations, here are some of the best Disney live action remakes:
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
With Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast, the remake retells the iconic love story that originally dazzled the silver screen in 1991. With a turnout of $1.2 billion in the box office, and being the second highest grossing film of 2017, (beaten by “Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi”), “Beauty and the Beast” was an overall success for the company.
Aladdin (2019)
The original “Aladdin” was released in 1992, and 27 years later a revamped upbeat remake was shown to the world. The movie starred Naomi Scott as Jasmine, Mena Massoud as Aladdin and Will Smith as the big blue genie. The movie brought in a total of $1 billion and ranked number nine in the box office films for 2019. The movie guides viewers on a journey of two characters from different backgrounds falling in love in “A Whole New World.”
Maleficent (2014)
Angelina Jolie graces viewers with her villainous attitude in this twisted adaptation. Based on the film “Sleeping Beauty”, “Maleficent” shows the antagonist’s point of view and the events leading up to the curse on Aurora. It showed that villains are not all that bad. This was Disney’s first villain centric film. This film came 55 years after the release of its motion picture counterpart. The movie ranked number four for the highest grossing movies of 2014 with a total of $758 million. Five years later Disney released “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” which made less than the first film.
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
This Tim Burton adaptation stars Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter and Mia Wasikowska as Alice. Burton applies his eerie directing style causing this film to rank number two in the 2010 box office ranking bringing in $1 billion. When Alice falls down a rabbit hole, she is graced with an all so familiar dream like journey through Underland.
The Little Mermaid (2023)
This most recent movie adaptation truly made viewers part of Ariel’s world. Halle Bailey stars as Ariel who falls deeply in love with Eric played by Jonah Hauer-King. The cast is full of well-known actors including Mellisa McCarthy, Daveed Diggs, and Jacob Trembly. Bringing in $569 million, “The Little Mermaid” ranked number eight in the box office for 2023. Cinemas across the globe saw children and adults all dressed up to see their favorite under the sea adventure return to the screen.
Lion King (2019)
Donald Glover as Simba and Beyoncé as Nala star in this musical adaptation of the 1994 classic “Lion King”. Ranked number two for 2019 movies and number nine for all movies created, “Lion King” brought in a total of 1.6 billion dollars. This was Disney’s highest grossing animated movie yet. This movie adaptation revolutionized the way movies could be reanimated.