From left: Yifei Liu as Mulan, The Little Mermaid, and Peter Pan. Photos / Supplied
From left: Yifei Liu as Mulan, The Little Mermaid, and Peter Pan. Photos / Supplied
With the live-action version of The Lion King in theatres next week, and the first trailer for Mulan premiering today, Disney's formula of remaking their beloved animated classics shows no signs of letting up.
This year has already seen the release of live-action versions of Dumbo and Aladdin, with thelatter making $1.36 billion (US$900m) at the international box office.
It's a winning strategy for the company - and we'll be seeing a whole new slate of these films in the years to come. Here's a timeline of every live-action reboot Disney has in the works.
The Lion King - July 18, 2019
The live-action/CGI remake of The Lion King arrives in theatres next week. Photo / Supplied
Disney's star-studded CGI remake of The Lion King - starring Donald Glover, Seth Rogen and Beyonce, to name a few - arrives in cinemas July 18. Directed by The Jungle Book helmer Jon Favreau, early trailers hint at an epic, sweeping reimagining of the beloved 1994 animated feature.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil - October 17, 2019
Angelina Jolie returns as Maleficent later this year. Photo / Getty Images
The upcoming sequel to 2014's Maleficent brings back Angelina Jolie in the title role, as well as Elle Fanning as Sleeping Beauty. The first instalment - a spinoff of 1959's Sleeping Beauty - was a major success for Disney, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2014.
Tessa Thompson will star in the upcoming Lady and the Tramp. Photo / AP
A live-action remake of Lady and the Tramp is expected to premiere later this year on Disney+, the original streaming service from the company that will house TV shows and films adapted from a number of their beloved properties, such as the Star Wars and Marvel franchises. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Lady and the Tramp has been directed by Charlie Bean (The Lego Ninjago Movie) and will star Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux in the titular roles.
Mulan - March 27, 2020
Yifei Liu as Mulan. Photo / Supplied
The Mulan remake has strong New Zealand connections: it was shot here and directed by Kiwi Niki Caro (Whale Rider) - making her only the fifth woman to direct a movie budgeted over $100 million (NZ$151m) - while Kiwi actors Yoson An and Xana Tang both have significant roles in the ensemble cast. The first trailer, revealed today, hints at a much more action-packed version than the 1998 film.
The Little Mermaid - TBA
Halle Bailey will star as Ariel in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. Photo / AP
Last week saw a number of casting announcements for the live-action version of The Little Mermaid, with 19-year-old singer Halle Bailey cast as Ariel and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula. The film will be directed by Rob Marshall, who helmed last year's Mary Poppins Returns.
Cruella - TBA
Emma Stone will play Cruella de Vil in a live-action spinoff. Photo / Getty Images
A spinoff solo vehicle for Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians (1961) was first announced by The Hollywood Reporter all the way back in 2013, with Emma Stone becoming attached some years later. The film seemed to be stuck in limbo until last year, when Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) was announced to direct and Emma Thompson was cast alongside Stone, according to Variety.
The Sword in the Stone
Back in 2015, Hollywood Reporter announced a remake of The Sword in the Stone (1963) was in the works, with Game of Thrones' Bryan Cogman to write the script. Last year, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) was announced to direct, while Deadline announced the film would join Lady and the Tramp on Disney+.
In May, it was announced that Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man) had been tapped to direct a live-action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1940). Written by Erin Cressida (The Girl on the Train), the film will reportedly feature new songs from La La Land songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
Pinocchio - TBA
After a string of announcements, it seems this one may be on the backburner for now. In 2015, Deadline reported that Peter Hedges was developing a script for a live-action Pinocchio. In 2017, Sam Mendes (Skyfall) reportedly joined the project as director, but dropped out six months later. In 2018, Paul King (Paddington) was announced as the new director, but King stepped down in January this year citing family reasons. Tom Hanks was reportedly in early talks to play Geppetto.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame - TBA
In January, Deadline reported that Disney had tapped playwright David Henry Hwang to pen a live-action musical adaptation that pulled from both Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and the 1996 animated feature. Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz (Pochahontas) will write the music.
Reese Witherspoon has been attached to a Tinkerbell project since 2015. Photo / Getty Images
Variety announced in 2015 that Reese Witherspoon was attached to star in the lead role of Tinkerbell, a live-action spinoff of the character from Peter Pan. The feature seems to be frozen for now, with no further announcements made since.
Peter Pan - TBA
Meanwhile, a remake of 1953's Peter Pan is in development, with David Lowery (A Ghost Story) attached to direct. In New Zealand last year, Lowery told Stuff he hoped to film part of the feature here.
Lilo and Stitch - TBA
Last year, a remake of 2002's Lilo and Stitch was announced, with Mike Van Waes to write the script. Expected to be a hybrid of live-action and CGI, the film will be produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, who worked on Aladdin.
There's even more where that came from. Though just announcements at this stage, a live-action remake of Hercules is reportedly in the works, as well as a Sleeping Beauty spinoff focusing on Prince Charming, and a Snow White spinoff focusing on her sister Rose Red. Disney's in a remake frenzy, so you can spend the next two years indulging your nostalgic senses to your heart's content.
