The smell of popcorn and chlorine—that’s what I remember from watching the original Tangled at a theater attached to a hotel swimming pool in 2010. Weird memory. Weirder still that I’m now tracking whether Disney will let Rapunzel‘s hair down again in live-action, or whether the whole enterprise gets quietly shelved after Snow White face-planted earlier this year.
- Moana Leads Disney’s Live-Action Remake Slate
- Tangled and Hercules Face Very Different Futures
- The Uncertain Fate of Bambi and Other Disney Remakes
- Why Disney’s Live-Action Strategy Keeps Dividing Audiences
- What This Means for Disney’s Remake Future
- FAQ
- Why do Disney live-action remakes keep getting made despite mixed reception?
- Has Snow White’s failure actually changed Disney’s live-action remake plans?
- Why does Bambi’s live-action remake seem unlikely to happen?
- What makes some Disney live-action remakes succeed while others fail?
- Disney Live-Action Remakes 2026 & Beyond: Full Updated List (November 2025)
Disney has officially confirmed six live-action remakes in various stages of development. Six. That’s not a strategy—that’s a compulsion. And after a decade of watching The House of Mouse strip-mine its animation vault, I find myself torn between exhaustion and genuine curiosity about whether any of these will actually work.
Moana Leads Disney’s Live-Action Remake Slate
Let’s start with the sure thing—or what passes for sure in this industry.
Moana sails into theaters July 10, 2026, and Disney is clearly betting big. The debut trailer has already racked up over 7.5 million views, and Dwayne Johnson returns as Maui, bringing that particular brand of charisma that prints money. The rest of the cast is entirely new, which is interesting. It suggests Disney learned something from the backlash cycles around other remakes—fresh faces mean fewer direct comparisons.
Here’s where I start arguing with myself, though. The 2016 animated Moana wasn’t just successful; it was practically perfect. That water animation. Those songs. The way it handled Polynesian mythology with something approaching respect. Live-action can’t replicate what made that film special—it can only translate it into a different language and hope the meaning survives.
But maybe translation is enough. Maybe 7.5 million trailer views means audiences are ready to feel it again, differently.
Tangled and Hercules Face Very Different Futures
Tangled sits in a fascinating limbo. The project has heavy hitters attached—Michael Gracey of The Greatest Showman directing, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson co-writing—and the casting rumors alone could fuel a semester’s worth of entertainment journalism courses. Sabrina Carpenter. Ariana Grande. Names that guarantee headlines regardless of whether they actually sign.
But nothing’s official. And word is the project’s future has grown uncertain following Snow White‘s reception. That’s the thing about Disney’s remake machine—one stumble doesn’t just hurt that film. It sends ripples through every project in the pipeline that shares DNA.
Hercules feels more insulated, somehow. Announced back in 2020, it has Guy Ritchie directing (he already proved himself with Aladdin), Dave Callaham writing, and the Russo Brothers producing. The last update suggested Ritchie was rewriting the script with a heavier musical bent than originally planned. Austin Butler and Dua Lipa have both been rumored for roles, though nothing confirmed.
I’ll confess—Hercules is the one I’m actually rooting for. The original 1997 film was gloriously weird, a gospel-infused Greek mythology mashup that shouldn’t have worked and absolutely did. If Ritchie can capture even half that energy while making it his own…
Maybe. I’m not sure. That’s the honest answer.
The Uncertain Fate of Bambi and Other Disney Remakes
And then there’s Bambi. Poor Bambi.
Announced alongside Hercules in 2020, the project had Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Lindsey Beer scripting, with Sarah Polley—Women Talking‘s Sarah Polley—set to direct. That’s a serious filmmaker for what could have been a profound meditation on loss and nature and the violence humans bring to both.
Polley departed in 2024. No replacement has been announced. Under Bob Iger’s return to Disney, several projects have been quietly shelved or cancelled, and Bambi increasingly looks like one of them. Which is almost a relief? The original is 83 years old and still lands like a gut-punch. Some things don’t need updating. Some things probably can’t survive the attempt.
Lilo & Stitch 2 represents the opposite scenario—a sequel born from success rather than legacy obligation. This year’s live-action Lilo & Stitch performed well enough that Disney greenlit a follow-up almost immediately. Chris Sanders, who created the franchise, returns to write. Stars Maia Kealoha and Sydney Agudong reprise their roles as Lilo and Nani.
Whether this sequel adapts the existing animated Lilo & Stitch 2 or tells something new remains unclear. Honestly, the ambiguity feels right. The original Lilo & Stitch succeeded because it had heart and weirdness in equal measure—qualities that don’t come from IP familiarity. They come from creators who give a damn.
Maleficent 3 rounds out the confirmed slate, though details remain scarce.
Why Disney’s Live-Action Strategy Keeps Dividing Audiences
You know that feeling when you’re watching a remake and everything’s technically fine—the performances work, the visuals are expensive enough—but something’s missing? Like eating a meal that fills you up without actually tasting like anything?
That’s the trap Disney keeps falling into. And escaping. And falling into again.
The live-action remakes print money often enough that stopping isn’t an option. Beauty and the Beast made over a billion dollars. The Lion King made even more. But Snow White stumbled. Pinocchio went straight to Disney+. The hit-to-miss ratio isn’t as favorable as the successful entries might suggest.
What separates the wins from the losses isn’t budget or star power. It’s whether the filmmakers found something new to say—or at least a new way to feel the old thing. Cinderella worked because Kenneth Branagh leaned into earnest romanticism. The Jungle Book worked because Jon Favreau made the technology serve the story rather than replace it.
The upcoming slate has potential. Guy Ritchie knows how to inject energy. Michael Gracey knows spectacle. But potential isn’t execution, and Disney’s track record suggests they’ll interfere with at least half of these until the life drains out.
I keep thinking about that hotel theater in 2010, chlorine drifting through the vents while Rapunzel’s tower filled the screen. There’s no live-action remake that can give me that specific memory back—and that’s fine. That’s not the point.
The point is whether these new versions can create their own moments for whoever’s watching them in 2026 or 2027 or whenever Bambi finally either happens or doesn’t. Some of them will. Most probably won’t. But six films in development means Disney’s betting they can thread that needle at least a few more times. Whether you’re exhausted by the strategy or cautiously optimistic probably says more about your relationship with nostalgia than it does about Disney’s actual filmmaking.
What This Means for Disney’s Remake Future
- Moana is the bellwether. July 2026’s release will determine how aggressively Disney pursues the rest of this slate—a hit greenlights everything, a miss could freeze projects for years.
- Snow White’s shadow looms large. The film’s underperformance has already reportedly affected Tangled‘s development confidence, proving that Disney’s remakes exist in a connected ecosystem where each release impacts the others.
- Creative talent matters more than IP. Projects with distinctive directors attached (Ritchie, Gracey, formerly Polley) generate more industry optimism than those without—suggesting even Disney recognizes that brand recognition alone isn’t enough.
- Sequels may become the safer bet. Lilo & Stitch 2 emerging from a hit rather than mining another classic suggests Disney might pivot toward building on live-action successes rather than constantly adapting new properties.
- Some remakes will quietly die. Bambi‘s directorless state is likely a preview—Disney will keep projects officially “in development” while functionally abandoning them to avoid bad press.
FAQ
Why do Disney live-action remakes keep getting made despite mixed reception?
The economics remain favorable even when individual films disappoint. A billion-dollar success like The Lion King offsets multiple underperformers, and Disney’s theatrical-to-streaming pipeline means even “failures” generate Disney+ subscriber engagement. The remakes also serve a strategic function beyond profit—they refresh trademark claims, introduce classic properties to new generations, and keep Disney’s animation legacy culturally relevant. The question isn’t whether remakes make sense for Disney; it’s whether audiences will eventually stop showing up. That threshold hasn’t been reached.
Has Snow White’s failure actually changed Disney’s live-action remake plans?
The ripple effects appear real but selective. Tangled has reportedly faced increased scrutiny and uncertainty, likely because it shares Snow White’s princess-musical DNA. But projects with different tonal profiles—Hercules with its action-comedy bent, Lilo & Stitch 2 building on proven live-action success—seem insulated. Disney’s strategy appears to be risk assessment rather than wholesale retreat: princess properties face higher bars now, while films with distinct genre hooks or sequel momentum continue moving forward. The lesson Disney learned isn’t “stop making remakes”—it’s “stop making remakes that feel like obligations.”
Why does Bambi’s live-action remake seem unlikely to happen?
Sarah Polley’s departure in 2024 removed the project’s most significant creative justification. Without a visionary director attached, Bambi becomes just another IP exercise—and one with significant challenges. The original’s power comes from its simplicity, its willingness to let tragedy land without explanation or comfort. That’s extraordinarily difficult to translate into live-action without either sanitizing the emotional impact or creating something too dark for Disney’s family-brand positioning. Add Bob Iger’s cost-cutting regime and the film’s production limbo starts looking permanent.
What makes some Disney live-action remakes succeed while others fail?
The successful remakes find something new—either a fresh thematic angle, a technological innovation that serves the story, or a directorial vision strong enough to justify the adaptation’s existence. The Jungle Book worked because Jon Favreau’s photorealistic animals created genuine wonder. Cinderella worked because Kenneth Branagh committed to romantic sincerity without irony. The failures typically occur when Disney treats the remake as a brand exercise rather than a creative opportunity, resulting in films that look expensive but feel hollow. The pattern suggests audiences can tell the difference between remakes made with purpose and remakes made with spreadsheets.
Disney Live-Action Remakes 2026 & Beyond: Full Updated List (November 2025)
| Rank | Movie Title | Original Year | Release Window | Status | Director / Key Talent | Confidence Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moana | 2016 | July 10, 2026 | In post-production | Thomas Kail / Dwayne Johnson, Catherine Laga‘aia | Confirmed |
| 2 | Hercules | 1997 | 2027–2028 (est.) | Active development | Guy Ritchie / Russo Brothers / Dave Callaham | Very Likely |
| 3 | Tangled | 2010 | TBA | Script stage | Michael Gracey / Jennifer Kaytin Robinson | Uncertain |
| 4 | Lilo & Stitch 2 | (sequel) | 2027–2028 (est.) | Early development | Chris Sanders (writer) / Maia Kealoha, Sydney Agudong | Likely |
| 5 | Maleficent 3 | (sequel) | TBA | Announced | Angelina Jolie confirmed to return | Likely |
| 6 | Bambi | 1942 | TBA | On hold / directorless | Sarah Polley departed 2024 | Unlikely |
