What other film adaptations of Disney cartoon classics are planned?
New information about the film adaptation of the cartoon “Lilo and Stitch” led to the question – what other adaptations are planned? Therefore, here is a complete list of known film adaptations of Disney cartoons.
More than a dozen Disney remakes are in development. It’s no surprise, given how successful recent reimaginings of their classic animated films have been. It seems that Disney will continue to explore its beloved intellectual property and offer original interpretations-film adaptations (or live-action) for years to come, as well as spin-offs and television series that can come out in parallel and complement the cinematic universe.
What’s up with the previous adaptations?
In 2017, Beauty and the Beast grossed over $1.2 billion at the global box office; in turn, The Jungle Book was met with rave reviews upon its release in 2016 and grossed an impressive $966 million worldwide. Not so long ago, Aladdin from gangster crime master Guy Ritchie, after widespread skepticism, earned $1 billion. Cinderella, Maleficent and Dragon Pit were also successful, and although initially the idea that Disney would remake almost all back catalog caused concern, now most fans are looking forward to seeing their favorite characters again in new versions. Audience attention and anticipation for new film adaptations means that Disney has already made many versions of its cartoons with real actors, and plans many more such films.
Work on film adaptations of classics has understandably taken a hit in the last year or so. Fortunately, theatrical releases seem to be returning to normal. In addition, the Disney+ division has given new life to several films. As such, there are many Disney film adaptations set to take place after Cruella. In addition, there are various spin-offs, sequels, and reimaginings at various stages of development.
Here’s a list of every film adaptation of a classic cartoon that Disney is currently working on.
“The Little Mermaid” – filming is over
“The Little Mermaid” has been in pre-production for a while, but in recent months it finally took a step forward. Rob Marshall, who has returned to Disney after filming Mary Poppins Returns, is confirmed to direct. The screenplay was written by Jane Goldman and David Magee. The Little Mermaid will also feature new music composed by Alan Menken and Lin Manuel Miranda, an unexpected and big change that should definitely please fans of the original film. Holly Bailey stars as Ariel, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, and Jacob Tremblay, David Diggs, and Aquafina will voice Flounder, Sebastian, and Scuttle, respectively. It has been officially announced that Javier Bardem will play King Triton, while Jonah Hower-King will play Ariel’s love interest, Eric. With principal photography officially completed on July 11, 2021, expect The Little Mermaid to be released in late 2021 or summer 2022.
“Peter Pan and Wendy” – shooting is completed
David Lowery did a great job directing the remake of “Pete the Dragon”, so Disney decided to turn to him again as a person who can be trusted with the film adaptation of the story of Peter Pan and Wendy. First released in 1953, Peter Pan has amazing characters, but the film dragged on in places, so hopefully Lowry can overcome that. There have been many iterations of the Peter Pan story over the years, but it looks like Lowry will take the classic tale and turn it into a live-action adventure film that could be really fun.
Principal photography has already taken place and will be completed on June 30, 2021. The Disney+ exclusive Peter Pan will feature a young Alexander Moloney in the lead role. The other title role of Wendy Darling will be played by Ever Anderson from Black Widow. In addition, Yara Shahidi has been confirmed to play Tinker Bell, Jim Gaffigan as Mr Smee and Jude Law as Captain Hook. Wendy’s siblings will be played by Joshua Pickering and Jacoby Jupe, while Darling’s parents will be played by Alan Tudyk and Molly Parker. The release of “Peter Pan and Wendy” is scheduled for 2022.
“Pinocchio” – filming is still ongoing
A screen adaptation of “Pinocchio” has been talked about for several years, but it has faced several obstacles. Sam Mendes was originally set to direct, but left in 2017. A few years later, the director of “Paddington” Paul King left. Disney had hoped to release Pinocchio in 2019 (planning for a 2020 release), but that turned out to be a pipe dream. Eventually, Chris Weitz and Robert Zemeckis worked with the studio to turn several early drafts into an official script. Zemeckis was also approved to direct the film. In March 2021, filming officially began in England, and it was confirmed that Geppetto will be played by Tom Hanks, and Pinocchio will be played by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth from The Ghosts of Bligh. The rest of the cast will include Cynthia Erivo, Luke Evans, Lorraine Bracco, Keegan-Michael Key and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jiminy Cricket. Like some of the studio’s other animated film adaptations, it has been announced that Pinocchio will also be bypassing theaters and landing on Disney+.
“Lilo and Stitch” – in development
The first Disney film released in the 2000s that they wanted to realize in a film adaptation version with actors was Lilo and Stitch. Not much is known about the film other than that it will be written by Mike Van Waes and will feature a mix of live actors and CGI. The Lilo and Stitch remake looks set to head straight to Disney+.
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” – in development
Another film from the Disney revival of the 1990s, although not the most popular, that is planned to be made into a live-action version is The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The film is executive produced by Josh Head, who can play Quasimodo and sing; this new Hunchback is reportedly still a musical. It was announced that David Henry Hwang will write the script. The film may have some competition, as Iris Elba is reportedly set to star in and direct Netflix’s version of the original story (which also produced rival Andy Serkis’ Mowgli).
“Sword in the Stone” – in development
The Sword in the Stone is another live-action remake that is also set to debut on the Disney+ streaming service. Based on the classic Arthurian legend (and the 1963 animated adaptation), The Sword in the Stone was due to begin filming in Ireland in September 2018. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo was set to direct the film, which was based on a script by Game of Thrones’ Brian Cogman. There hasn’t been much information since, except that it’s definitely still in development.
“The Jungle Book 2” is in development
It’s no surprise that Disney is preparing a sequel to 2016’s critically acclaimed The Jungle Book. However, don’t expect an exact release date for the film anytime soon. Director Jon Favreau will return, but he recently switched his focus as a producer on The Lion King 2. Given the sheer amount of work involved in the CGI process, it may take some time for the adaptation to reach release. Despite this, Disney remains adamant that The Jungle Book 2 is on the way. The film delves deeper into the work of Rudyard Kipling and also uses some discarded ideas from the 1967 animated version of The Jungle Book.