(Photo by Disney /Courtesy Everett Collection)
All 22 Disney Live-Action Remakes Ranked
The Lion King celebrates its 5th anniversary!
Ever since Disney’s $200 million psychedelic experiment Alice in Wonderland yielded a $1 billion return, the studio has been on the live-action remake train, adapting their classic cartoons for new generations to come.
We’ve seen critical hits (Cinderella), box office bonanzas (The Jungle Book), and even a dud or two according to the Tomatometer (Dumbo). For the completionist’s sake, we’re also including sequels like 102 Dalmatians in this list, and well as movies whose stories haven’t necessarily been told before, but which re-purpose old animated characters, like Christopher Robin.
We’re also including a few remakes from the 1990s which predate the current pile-on. In 2019 alone, there were five releases: Dumbo, Aladdin, The Lion King, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, and Lady and the Tramp.
Cruella did well enough as the first major release to have a premiere during the pandemic era (and you’ve got to roll out the red carpet for the Dalmatians villain), though additional entries to this series (2022’s Pinocchio and 2023’s Peter Pan and Wendy) have found varying degrees of success, including The Little Mermaid.
With Mufasa: The Lion King now out, here’s what’s coming up: Snow White on March 21, 2025, and then July 10, 2026 for Moana.
#1
Critics Consensus: As lovely to behold as it is engrossing to watch, The Jungle Book is the rare remake that actually improves upon its predecessors -- all while setting a new standard for CGI.
Synopsis: Raised by a family of wolves since birth, Mowgli (Neel Sethi) must leave the only home he's ever known when
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#2
Critics Consensus: Pete's Dragon continues Disney's current live-action winning streak with an update that gives the original a visual overhaul without overwhelming its sweet, soulful charm.
Synopsis: Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford), a woodcarver, delights local children with stories of a mysterious dragon that lives deep in the
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#3
Critics Consensus: Refreshingly traditional in a revisionist era, Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella proves Disney hasn't lost any of its old-fashioned magic.
Synopsis: After her father unexpectedly dies, young Ella (Lily James) finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother (Cate Blanchett)
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#4
Critics Consensus: Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book may not hew as closely to the book as its title suggests, but it still offers an entertaining live-action take on a story best known in animated form.
Synopsis: When his father is killed by a jungle tiger, Mowgli (Jason Scott Lee) is orphaned and grows up in the
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#5
Critics Consensus: Cruella can't quite answer the question of why its title character needed an origin story, but this dazzling visual feast is awfully fun to watch whenever its leading ladies lock horns.
Synopsis: Academy Award (R) winner Emma Stone ("La La Land") stars in Disney's "Cruella," an all-new live-action feature film about the
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#6
Critics Consensus: It could have told its classic story with greater depth, but the live-action Mulan is a visual marvel that serves as a stirring update to its animated predecessor.
Synopsis: To save her ailing father from serving in the Imperial Army, a fearless young woman disguises herself as a man
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#7
Critics Consensus: Christopher Robin may not equal A.A. Milne's stories -- or their animated Disney adaptations -- but it should prove sweet enough for audiences seeking a little childhood magic.
Synopsis: Christopher Robin -- now a family man living in London -- receives a surprise visit from his old childhood pal,
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#8
Critics Consensus: With an enchanting cast, beautifully crafted songs, and a painterly eye for detail, Beauty and the Beast offers a faithful yet fresh retelling that honors its beloved source material.
Synopsis: Belle (Emma Watson), a bright, beautiful and independent young woman, is taken prisoner by a beast (Dan Stevens) in its
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#9
Critics Consensus: With Halle Bailey making a major splash in the title role, Disney's live-action Little Mermaid ranks among the studio's most enjoyable reimaginings.
Synopsis: The youngest of King Triton's daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond
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#10
Critics Consensus: Lady and the Tramp's cute dogs and likable cast work well enough, but the live-action update lacks some of the magic that made the original 1955 film such a delight.
Synopsis: In this heartwarming romantic adventure, a timeless re-telling of the 1955 animated classic, Lady, an overachieving, pampered American Cocker Spaniel
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#11
Critics Consensus: Peter Pan & Wendy's obligatory fidelity to the animated classic keeps it from achieving Neverland nirvana, but David Lowery's pensive direction gives this rendition some of its own magic.
Synopsis: Based on J. M. Barrie's novel "Peter and Wendy" and inspired by the 1953 animated classic, "Peter Pan & Wendy"
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#12
Critics Consensus: Aladdin retells its classic source material's story with sufficient spectacle and skill, even if it never approaches the dazzling splendor of the animated original.
Synopsis: Aladdin is a lovable street urchin who meets Princess Jasmine, the beautiful daughter of the sultan of Agrabah. While visiting
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#13
Critics Consensus: Barry Jenkins' deft hand and Lin-Manuel Miranda's music go some way towards squaring the Circle of Life in Mufasa, but this fitfully soulful story is ill-served by its impersonal, photorealistic animation style.
Synopsis: "Mufasa: The Lion King" enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba
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#14
Critics Consensus: Angelina Jolie's magnetic performance outshines Maleficent's dazzling special effects; unfortunately, the movie around them fails to justify all that impressive effort.
Synopsis: As a beautiful young woman of pure heart, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) has an idyllic life in a forest kingdom. When
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#15
Critics Consensus: While it can take pride in its visual achievements,The Lion King is a by-the-numbers retelling that lacks the energy and heart that made the original so beloved--though for some fans that may just be enough.
Synopsis: Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny on the plains of Africa. But
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#16
Critics Consensus: Tim Burton's Alice sacrifices the book's minimal narrative coherence -- and much of its heart -- but it's an undeniable visual treat.
Synopsis: A young girl when she first visited magical Underland, Alice Kingsleigh (Mia Wasikowska) is now a teenager with no memory
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#17
Critics Consensus: Dumbo is held partly aloft by Tim Burton's visual flair, but a crowded canvas and overstretched story leave this live-action remake more workmanlike than wondrous.
Synopsis: Struggling circus owner Max Medici enlists a former star and his two children to care for Dumbo, a baby elephant
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#18
Critics Consensus: While it's far from cursed, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil too rarely supports its impressive cast and visuals with enough magical storytelling to justify its existence.
Synopsis: Maleficent travels to a grand old castle to celebrate young Aurora's upcoming wedding to Prince Phillip. While there, she meets
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#19
Critics Consensus: Neat performance from Glenn Close aside, 101 Dalmatians is a bland, pointless remake.
Synopsis: Fashion designer Anita and computer-game writer Roger meet, fall in love and marry along with their dalmatians Perdita and Pongo.
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#20
Critics Consensus: This sequel to the live-action 101 Dalmatians is simply more of the same. Critics say it also drags in parts, potentially boring children, and that it's too violent for a G-rated movie.
Synopsis: In this all-new tale, Cruella De Vil (Glenn Close) is released from prison on good behavior vowing that she will
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#21
Critics Consensus: Alice Through the Looking Glass is just as visually impressive as its predecessor, but that isn't enough to cover for an underwhelming story that fails to live up to its classic characters.
Synopsis: After slipping through a mirror, Alice (Mia Wasikowska) finds herself back in Underland with the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), the
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#22
Critics Consensus: Visually dazzling but soulless, the largely inert Pinocchio reaffirms that you should always let your conscience be your guide… away from unnecessary remakes.
Synopsis: Academy Award® winner Robert Zemeckis directs this live action and CGI retelling of the beloved tale of a wooden puppet
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