Disney has found a new favorite story angle in turning the beloved cartoon into a live action film Pinocchio to Lion King. Disney is now turning their sights on their ever-popular classic princesses which are often based on fairy tales, with the release Little Mermaid in May 2023 following the adaptation of The beauty and the Beast, cinderellaAnd Sleeping Beauty.
Live action Little Mermaid take a look at the central character Ariel played in the 2023 version by Halle Bailey, fell in love with humans and gave his voice to get legs. This adaptation of the story certainly draws attention to the story and there are many more animated princess films that Disney could tackle if they wanted to.
Updated on May 25, 2023, by Hannah Saab:
As the fans eagerly lined up to see Little Mermaid (May 26), it’s the perfect time to revisit some of the Disney princesses who could get the same live-action treatment sometime soon, but haven’t yet.
10 ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ (2012)
Temporary Wreck-It Ralph Generally a film based on a central male character, the second film in particular demonstrates the power and importance of female characters, and princesses in general, in one Vanellope Von Schweetz’s Princess.
If they can bring arcade characters to the internet, why not live-action settings? Both of them Wreck-it-Ralph the film must be packaged in humor, something that is interesting to the audience. What’s more, the world the film depicts is full of pop culture references, wacky characters, and jaw-dropping visuals, all of which can be translated into live-action versions when done right.
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9 ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ (1937)
A classic Brother Grimm fairytale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs follows a beautiful princess who runs away from her evil stepmother to a house in the forest. Unfortunately, her stepmother found her, and Snow White found herself in need of true love’s kiss.
Story about Snow Princess it has been adapted many times and with many twists – from Mirror mirror to Hunter Series – and Disney finally turned their first animation into a live-action film. It will be interesting to see what route Disney takes with live-action in 2024 Snow Princess film.
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8 ‘Tangle’ (2010)
tangled tells the story of the classic princess Rapunzel, trapped in a tower growing her hair incredibly long, and dreaming of escaping. In the Disney version, her hair is the reason for her being framed by Mother Gothel as it is the source of her youth.
tangled is a classic story that could be an immediate adaptation opportunity for Disney. The character also seems popular with audiences, but admittedly it will be difficult to top the 2010 version, which comes with many iconic musical numbers such as “I See the Light” and “Mother Knows Best.”
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7 ‘Anastasia’ (1997)
Inspired by, but inaccurately, from real events in Russia, Anastasia tells the story of the daughter of the last Tsar who reigned in St. Petersburg, and it’s not a fairy tale, but a princess story nonetheless.
It is a controversial film in more ways than one, as it is not only based on real people (if not real events), but was not made by Disney but is now owned by him. With the merchandise showing up at the park, the live-action remake can make it their own officially. A live-action adaptation of Anastasia it may also help correct some of the often criticized historical inaccuracies in the 1997 film.
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6 ‘The Princess and the Frog’ (2009)
Now, this is a fairy tale with a twist, The Princess and the Frog move frog Prince from Germany to New Orleans, complete with hit musical numbers, and showing what can happen when a princess isn’t a princess after all.
Despite the passage of time, Tiana remains immensely popular with audiences and Disney has many plans to incorporate her into the park even beyond switching the Splash Mountains theme in Orlando to a new restaurant in Anaheim. Now would be the perfect time for Disney to announce a live-action remake.
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5 ‘Frozen’ (2013)
Frozen is a story about two sisters with, most importantly, great songs. The story of these two princesses is a re-imagining of the story of the Ice Queen, where brother and sister are separated by a dangerous ice force.
Frozen has proved popular with sequels, and constant merchandise releases, at Disney parks and on the Broadway Stage. So why not as a live-action film? Of course, Disney had to nail the special effects while also keeping in mind that the heartwarming tale of Anna and Elsa is at the heart of its wildly popular franchise.
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4 ‘Atlantis: The Lost Kingdom’ (2001)
Disney’s often overlooked 2001 animated film tells a different kind of story, but still features a princess (and a badass, too). Central figure in Atlantis: The Lost Empire is Milo the explorer who travels to Atlantis, discovers a hidden civilization and falls in love with the Atlantean princess, Kida.
While not a fairytale, this princess exploring Atlantis could make for a great action movie, something Disney hopes will move in that direction. Revisiting the story on an epic scale with today’s technology could draw even more attention to Kida’s incredible saga.
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3 ‘Moanna’ (2016)
Moana tells the story of a princess in a different light when the titular daughter of the village chief sets off alone to meet a demigod and save the world in the process. This film shows a great alternative to European culture, on which most princess films are based. The film featured great hits and was very popular, with a Moana-based attraction added to Epcot, at Disney World.
Moana is the perfect character to bring to life, as she is strong, brave, and goes on one of the most jaw-dropping journeys ever seen in a Disney princess film. And the good news is that it happens! According to The Hollywood Reporter, Moana get a live-action remake produced by Dwayne Johnson, Danny GarciaAnd Hiram Garciaalthough it is not clear when the release date will be.
Watch it on Disney+
2 ‘Kingdom and the Last Dragon’ (2021)
Raya and the Last Dragon is a princess film set in a fantastic land of dragons inspired by Southeast Asian Cultures, a first for Disney. The storyline follows the titular princess who is out to reform the connection to save her world and bring back the dragons
This film would very well be a more serious live-action adaptation. When it premieres it shows how Disney is exploring more cultures and many fans will love to see this pushed even further with real representation interwoven with Raya’s incredible story.
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1 ‘Dare’ (2012)
This princess film is actually a Pixar production rather than a Disney classic, but it’s still worth mentioning because of Merida’s matchless characterization. This story features a Scottish princess who determines her own destiny.
In the Brave, it’s great to see some of the more complex characters brought to life, as well as perhaps a more accurate view of a country’s legend, not to mention how the quirky heroine proves popular with audiences. This Scottish saga could do well as a live-action film led by a talented and complex female protagonist.
Watch it on Disney+