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From “Aladdin” to “Fountain of Youth,” Guy Ritchie has spread his wings in recent years and traveled far and wide to build fantasy worlds for the audiences to lose themselves in. The British director returns to his London street-level crime drama roots as he teams up with “Top Boy” writer Ronan Bennett for “MobLand.”

The Tom Hardy-led series follows Harry de Souza, a fixer for the Harrigan crime family, who is put in the middle of a dangerous situation when the son of rival crime boss Ritchie Stevenson goes missing — last seen alive with the grandson of the Harrigan crime boss. Tensions rise between the two families as it eventually bubbles and “war” is threatened.

From the first scene, the series delivers high-octane action and puts the audience on the edge of their seats as the “Irish gangster and English gentleman” Conrad Harrigan, played by Pierce Brosnan, stakes claim...

"You don't have to be alone." There's a trailer available for a lovely new animated short film called Snow Bear, made by animation veteran Aaron Blaise as his own personal project. The short recently premiered at a film festival in The Netherlands and will eventually be released online this year - hopefully not too long of a wait. Blaise worked as an animation supervisor for Disney for decades, including on films like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Mulan, and many others. He also directed the animated feature film Brother Bear in 2006 but then moved on from Disney movies and Hollywood work. This 2D hand-drawn film was painstakingly created entirely by Blaise over 3 years – it's made entirely by him in his own spare time. With his lifelong dedication to studying, drawing & animating animals, this adventure is infused with humor, relatability, and emotional depth in the tradition of classic animated films.

These remakes didn’t just cash in on nostalgia—they brought fresh energy, great casting, and real movie magic to some of Disney’s biggest animated classics.

I’m planning to see Disney’s new “Snow White” remake in theaters this week, and it got me thinking about all the other times Disney has tried to bring its animated classics into the real world. Some of these live-action remakes just kind of came and went, but a few really stuck the landing. Whether it was the casting, the music, or just a fresh spin that actually worked, there are definitely standouts. So, here’s my list of the top 7 live-action Disney remakes that managed to capture the real magic of a great movie.

Top 7 live-action Disney remakes on streaming right now

No. 7: ‘Aladdin’

No. 6: ‘101 Dalmatians’

No. 5: ‘Cinderella’

No. 4: ‘Maleficent’

No. 3: ‘Cruella’

No. 2: ‘The Jungle Book’

No.

The follow-up to 2019’s ‘The Lion King’ tells Mufasa’s origin story and features original music from Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Every hero has an origin story, and Disney isn’t leaving Pride Rock unturned.

Rafiki, Timon, and Pumbaa take over storytime in “Mufasa: The Lion King,” last year’s follow-up to 2019’s “The Lion King.” Both a prequel and a sequel told through flashbacks, Simba and Nala’s young cub learns about her grandfather’s history, from orphaned cub to king of the Pride Lands. “Mufasa: The Lion King” makes its streaming debut exclusively on Disney+ this Wednesday, March 26— learn the legend with a subscription to Disney+!

How to watch ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ When: Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 3:01 a.m. Et TV: Disney+ Stream: Watch with a 30-day free trial to Disney+ From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a Vpn. Everything you need to know to stream ‘Mufasa: The Lion King...

Quick LinksSnow White Picks Up Where Movies Like Aladdin Left OffThis Trend Extends Beyond Live Action Adaptations

Disney's live-action adaptation of Snow White hit theaters on March 21, 2025, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the reviews are polarizing. Many critics cite Snow White (2025) as "pure Disney magic," while others have pointed out the issues with the CGI, questioned the casting choices, and wondered why the movie took so long to get to the point. It's safe to say that this movie has a lot of ups and downs, but the most important aspect of this movie is how it continues a popular and important trend.

Disney has built a legacy on the backs of princesses who need to be rescued by a knight in shining armor or a prince. While fans still love classic Disney fairytales, many of the classic Disney tropes feel outdated. Fortunately, Disney has already shifted the narrative to give more...

Three-Part Mini-Series

Every once in a blue moon we'll take a movie and baton pass it around the team and really dive in. This time Nathaniel's going solo. But if you like this approach to investigate a movie we've gone long and deep before on the following films: Rebecca (1940), West Side Story (1961), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966), Rosemary's Baby (1968), Cabaret (1972), Silence of the Lambs (1991), Thelma & Louise (1991), Aladdin (1992), and  A League of Their Own (1992) -Editor

by Nathaniel R

Did you know/remember that Fatal Attraction was released in Paramount's 75th year? I did not but it's a detail that feels somehow right. Founded in 1912, the second oldest of Hollywood's few surviving major studios (Universal predates it) celebrated its diamond anniversary in zeitgeist style with one of its all time most profitable and leggiest hits. The Adrian Lyne thriller, which we'll discuss in three installments, was the second highest...

Disney’s controversial live-action remake was proportionally more successful in ‘red’ states that vote Republican than those voting Democrat

Dogged by politically inspired controversy for months, Disney’s new version of Snow White recorded a disappointing $43m (£33.3m) on its first weekend at the North American box office, the lowest figures to date for one of the studio’s recent wave of live-action remakes of its classic animated films. However, despite the stream of criticism over its so-called “woke” credentials, figures reveal that it is proportionally more successful in “red” states that vote Republican than those voting Democrat.

Overall, Snow White’s figures are well down on what Disney may have hoped for; the previously worst performing remake was the Tim Burton-directed Dumbo, which took $45m on its opening weekend in 2019, and finished with a worldwide box-office take of $353m. In contrast, remade films such as Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast...

UK-Ireland top five Mar 21-23 Rank Film (origin) Distributor Mar 21-23 gross Total Week 1 Snow White (US) Disney £3.9m £3.9m 1 2 Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy(UK-Fr-us)

Universal £772,874 £44.6m 6 3 Black Bag(US) Universal £734,932 £2.2m 2 4 Mickey 17 (US-s Kor) Warner Bros £724,113 £5.9m 3 5 The Alto Knights (US) Warner Bros £386,698 £386,698 1

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.29

Disney’s latest foray into live-action remakes, Snow White, has started off with a modest £3.9m at the UK-Ireland box office.

Marc Webb directs the live-action musical re-imagining of Disney’s 1937 Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs animation, which stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, and was released at 651 sites,...

Quick LinksThe Peddler Introduces the Story to the ViewersThe Peddler Was Supposed to Be the Genie in His Human FormRobin Williams Didn’t Voice the Genie in The Return of Jafar

Aladdinis one of the most popular and beloved Disney animated films, and Robin Williams' portrayal of the Genie is one of the reasons why. However, not many fans know that Robin Williams also voiced another character in the movie and that this character had a bigger connection to the story. Aladdin is an adaptation of the classic folktale from One Thousand and One Nights and follows the titular Aladdin, a "diamond in the rough." Aladdin is a poor young man who has to steal to find food for himself and for his pet monkey, Abu. But Aladdin's fate changes once he meets Jafar, who gives Aladdin a mission: to steal a lamp from a cave.

Aladdin has no idea...

Snow White has a long way to whistle while it works financially, at least, if the latest movie from the Mouse House plans on breaking even during its theatrical run. However, despite the controversy that could have acted like the infamous poison apple which utterly killed Disney’s latest live-action reimagining at the box office, the Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot-led film has still done the theater industry a tremendous favor by leading the highest-grossing weekend domestically since late February. Director Marc Webb’s Snow White easily landed the No. 1 slot over the weekend with an estimated $43 million because no other film in the Top 5 managed to make more than $4.4 million (Black Bag) on its own.

Snow White also managed to pick up another $44.3 million overseas for a worldwide total of $87.3 million. Unfortunately, ascending to the top spot is hardly a victory for the live-action Disney flick given its...

For months before its Mar. 21 release, Disney's latest release, the live-action Snow White, was plagued with criticism. Among several delays, casting backlash, and more, Snow White didn't have many reasons to sing "Heigh-Ho."

A few weeks ago, Snow White was predicted to win over $60 million domestically, a figure that was updated ahead of the film's release. However, the Thursday preview numbers proved the live-action remake won't be a total disappointment, placing it higher than movies like 2019's Dumbo and Maleficent 2. Now that the early Sunday numbers are here, Deadline reports Snow White opened to $43 million domestically, and an $87.3 million start worldwide.

Despite the ongoing backlash, the film's release was higher than other controversial movies. Last year, the much-criticized Joker 2 sequel, Folie à Deux, made only $40 million at the domestic box office against a projection of up to $70 million in its opening weekend.

Snow White is right next Dumbo's lackluster start,...

Dented by weeks, if not months, of controversy, Disney’s Snow White debuted worldwide to mixed reviews and muted audience response. This resulted in underwhelming box office numbers, with Snow White falling way short of expectations for a movie of its size. The movie made an estimated $43 million domestically this weekend, and another $44 million from overseas markets. This resulted in a global debut of $87 million. Directed by Marc Webb, who previously dabbled in mega-budget studio entertainment with his two Spider-Man films, Snow White is a remake of the 1937 Disney animated classic. Controversy has surrounded the film for quite some time now, beginning with chatter around its “woke” updates; the negativity only got worse due to comments made by its two stars, Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot.

The two actors are perceived to have opposing political views, which appears to have influenced audiences on either side of the spectrum. But the...

“Snow White” may be the fairest of them all with a leading $43 million in its domestic box office debut, but Disney’s latest live-action remake is off to a sleepy start.

Overseas, “Snow White” also opened slightly behind projections with $44.3 million for a global launch of $87.3 million. Heading into the weekend, the film was estimated to collect $100 million globally.

“Snow White” arrived in theaters dogged with controversies, including criticism about the film’s depiction of the seven dwarves, complaints about changes to the nearly 100-year-old story and calls for boycotts because of co-stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot’s public stances on the Israel-Hamas war. There were also expensive reshoots, which added many millions to the film’s budget. Disney as a result scaled back the movie’s Los Angeles premiere, doing without traditional red carpet interviews. However, analysts don’t believe the deluge of bad publicity actually factored into ticket sales.

Disney’s live-action remakes have been a very mixed bag, but for the most part, they’ve been tremendously successful at the box office. Many of them have been controversial, as Disney has often radically reworked stories to suit modern sensibilities, which could include more diverse (or accurate) representations of characters. However, some of their choices have been equally puzzling, with them sometimes watering down stories so much that they become nearly unrecognizable. This isn’t always a bad thing, with Maleficent an especially radical reimagining of Sleeping Beauty, which audiences at the time embraced. In recent years, movies like Snow White have proven to be controversial, with many feeling their re-imaginings were more preoccupied with pushing agendas than providing entertainment.

Whatever the case, it also can’t be denied that not all of their remakes have been bad. Many loved Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book, while Cruella, a new take on 101 Dalmatians,...

Snow White has finally opened in theaters, and while critical reaction has been mixed, audience reactions are trending more positive. Snow White's audience score might help it deliver a larger box office than expected, with Tim Burton's divisive Dumbo well within its reach. A remake of 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney's latest telling of Snow White, has undergone more public scrutiny than any of their previous live-action remakes. Although the film has been subjected to plenty of online hate ahead of its release, now that the movie is out, general audiences are responding kindly. Not glowing like a jewel in the dwarf's mine, but certainly not the disaster many might have expected or rooted for it to be.

CinemaScore reports that Snow White has scored a B+ on their grading system. This is the lowest CinemaScore that a Disney live-action remake has received, with the...

Director Marc Webb's Snow White, the live-action remake of Disney's classic animated film from 1937, finally debuted in theaters after weeks of controversy surrounding its two stars, Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. Zegler and Gadot's perceived political leanings have stirred debate around the movie, which itself wasn't that well-received by critics. Despite the noise, however, opening day audiences didn't seem to mind the film. The overtly vocal lot, it seems, was always in the minority, as mainstream crowds appeared to embrace the family-friendly film with open arms.

According to CinemaScore, the polling platform that tabulates how likely an audience member is to recommend a movie to others, Snow Whiteearned an encouraging B+ grade. This bodes well for the film's future, as movies with higher grades typically have longer legs at the box office. Those with low grades usually tank after the first weekend. That being said, Disney's past live-action remakes have all earned better CinemaScores,...

2025 sees two Disney live-action remakes hit theaters, Snow White and Lilo & Stitch. It also means it has been 15 years since Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland kicked off this trend that has dominated the box office despite audiences and critics deriving it. For a decade now, audiences have seen films from Disney's classic era(Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio) and Renaissance get the live-action treatment to mixed results. However, right at the cusp of this Disney remake era, an ABC series put its own unique spin on many of Disney's classic canon and did it better than most of the live-action films that had triple the budget. We are, of course, talking about Once Upon a Time.

Once Upon a Time debuted on ABC in October 2011, a little over a year after Alice in Wonderland, and concluded in May 2018, between the $1 billion releases of Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Since then,...

You don't need to be a Disney fan to be aware of Snow White. The movie has been making headlines for years, typically for all the wrong reasons.

Whether it's Rachel Zegler's divisive comments about the 1937 classic, Gal Gadot's stance on the Gaza war, or the many changes Disney has made to the story to update it for the present day, there's a lot of negative buzz surrounding this one. Throw in the fact reviews haven't been good and Snow White's opening weekend is off to a sleepy start.

According to Variety (via Toonado.com), the movie only drew an estimated $3.5 million from Thursday previews screenings; that's a long way off what Aladdin ($7 million), The Lion King ($23 million), Beauty and the Beast ($16.3 million) made, for example.

Snow White is, however, performing better than Maleficent: Mistress of Evil ($2.3 million), Dumbo ($2.6 million), and even Mufasa: The Lion King ($3.3 million...

Disney’sSnow White is being ushered into 651 sites, the widest release at the UK-Ireland box office of the weekend.

Marc Webb directs the live-action musical re-imagining of Disney’s 1937Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs animation, which stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot.

The film has faced a series of controversies, including star Zegler’s criticism of the original film, debates regarding whether the portrayal of the dwarfs is appropriate for the modern day, a mixed critical reception, as well as Zegler and Gadot’s own politics. Although the press campaign has been muted, Disney hasn’t shied away from a wide roll-out.

Here’s a grim figure: outside of Captain America: Brave New World and Dog Man, no other 2025 release has managed to open to over $20 million domestically. The closest we got was Mickey 17, whose $19 million opening was largely seen as disastrous for a movie that cost $118 million (and likely led to the recent reshuffling of WB’s troubled release calendar). The good news is that this weekend’s major new release, Snow White, is all but guaranteed to post the year’s second biggest opening (after Brave New World), but it will inevitably still be seen as a major box office disappointment.

While industry estimates have it opening in the $50 million range, which seems accurate to me (I’d say it has a shot at $55 million), that number would still be a far cry from the usual box office takings anytime Disney does a live-action remake of one of their classics.

Disney has been producing animated films for decades, which have become more successful over the years. From Beauty and the Beast to The Lion King, the brand put out some critically acclaimed and still-loved works throughout the 20th century. The company later bought Pixar and produced some of the modern era's most acclaimed and successful animated films, including last year's Inside Out 2, which was the highest-grossing animated movie of all time for a brief period, before being dethroned by 2025's Ne Zha 2.

In recent years, however, Disney has been reviving their past animated successes to prop up live-action remakes. This kicked off with Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, which became an increasing trend throughout the 2010s and 2020s. Most recently, Disney is releasing a live-action Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. The first Snow White reviews are in, but they are skewing mixed to negative,...

Snow White has debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a dismal score. The upcoming 2025 movie is a live-action remake of Disney's first feature-length animated movie, starring Rachel Zegler in the title role opposite Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. The upcoming Snow White is the latest in a long-tradition of live-action remakes of Disney properties that includes titles such as 2023's The Little Mermaid, 2019's The Lion King and Aladdin, 2017's Beauty and the Beast, and the upcoming Lilo & Stitch and Moana.

Rotten Tomatoes has now aggregated an official Tomatometer score for the live-action remake of Snow White starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. While the score could fluctuate as more reviews are added, at the time of writing, thoughts from 51 different critics have been tabulated to give the movie a firmly Rotten 45% score with an average rating of 5.4 out of 10. Not counting sequels, this the third-worst Tomatometer score for a Disney live-action remake,...

Ahead of the wide release of Disney’s Snow White, the film’s first reviews from critics have been rolling in on Wednesday, and they’ve been decidedly mixed.

Directed by Marc Webb, the live-action adaptation of the 1937 Disney animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs sees a princess, Snow White (Rachel Zegler), join forces with seven dwarfs to liberate her kingdom from her cruel stepmother, the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot).

For years, the film has been under fire for a combination of controversies, including Zegler’s casting and her opinionated remarks about the original animated film. The star also drew heat for her hostile reaction to Donald Trump’s re-election (she later apologized) and her pro-Palestine stance. People on social media have also attempted to paint a feuding narrative between Zegler and Gadot, the latter of which has spoken out against antisemitism and advocated for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza.

After years of delays and online vitriol, Disney is finally set to release its remake of “Snow White,” and it’s going to take a lot to keep it from becoming one of the biggest flops in the studio’s now decade-old remake series.

With a reported production budget said to be at least $250 million, “Snow White” is tracking for a domestic opening of $45-50 million and a global opening of around $100 million. For comparison, the domestic range is similar to the $45.9 million launch of Tim Burton’s 2019 remake of “Dumbo,” which went on to gross a disappointing $353 million worldwide against a $170 million budget before marketing.

That leaves “Snow White” in a situation where it will need an unexpected, multiweek comeback akin to what “Mufasa” achieved this past winter just to break even. Like “Mufasa,” it’s not going to get help from critics, who are tepid on the film...

It was going to come to this eventually. Beginning in 2010 with the release of Tim Burton's not-at-all-good "Alice in Wonderland," the Disney Entertainment Complex discovered they could make billions merely remaking their most popular animated films using live-action actors and modern-day CGI. In the last 15 years, the company has gleefully cannibalized its own catalogue, siphoning nostalgia from the brains of millennials like so much cerebrospinal fluid. This was a curious practice, as the bulk of the films they were remaking were already based on folk tales, ancient stories, or children's literature that is adapted frequently by filmmakers the world over. 

The raison d'être of these remakes (apart from the nostalgia money) was seemingly to allow Disney to keep their flag of ownership deeply planted in tales like "Cinderella," "Aladdin," and "The Little Mermaid," assuring audiences that, yes, their version was the "official" version. Hans Christian Andersen is just some old hack,...

After raiding the crown jewels for just about every live-action reboot imaginable, Disney has finally gotten around to the one that started it all, the 1937 classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. That film represents Walt Disney’s first-ever full-length animated feature.

Originally, Disney’s plan was to rerelease its animated vault treasures every seven years for a new generation of kids, but they got the bright idea to instead remake those films as live-action features. Thus we have had versions of Sleeping Beauty reimagined around evil Maleficent; Peter Pan; Fantasia; Dumbo; Pinocchio; three variations on 101 Dalmatians including Cruella; The Lion King; Jungle Book; Aladdin; Mulan; Alice In Wonderland; The Little Mermaid; and an unfortunate attempt to meddle with my favorite, Lady and the Tramp among others. The best in the live-action genre to date remain Bill Condon’s blockbuster Beauty and the Beast and Kenneth Branagh’s splendid Cinderella.

How did something as wholesome and harmless as a live-action remake of Snow Whitebecome such a toxic point of discourse? Well, that's film culture in 2025, for you. The upcoming re-imagining of Disney's first feature film starring Rachel Zegleras the titular character and Gal Gadotas the Evil Queen isn't even being touched with a ten-foot pole by its own studio, perhaps the most dominant and omnipresent media company in the world. In the last decade, Disney has hit the jackpot by remaking their classic animated films, such as Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and The Lion King, which have grossed billions of dollars worldwide.

Are Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith still together?(Photo Credit –Instagram)

It is not unknown to anyone that Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith have faced many ups and downs in their marital life after they tied the knot in 1997. The Aladdin actor took the plunge after divorcing his first wife Sheree Zampino with whom he shares a son, Trey Smith. However, what you might not know that despite being together, Will and Jada have been staying in separation for 9 years.

According to 2023 reports, Jada possesses an abode in Calabasas close to Will. She even opened up about their marital status many times in several interviews. Jada even clarified that they never thought of getting divorce, however, they preferred to live separately. Scroll ahead to know what she had once told about her marriage.

Jada Pinkett Smith in an interview with Hoda Kotb on October 11, 2023, shared, “I think just not being ready yet,...

Are Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith still together?(Photo Credit –Instagram)

It is not unknown to anyone that Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith have faced many ups and downs in their marital life after they tied the knot in 1997. The Aladdin actor took the plunge after divorcing his first wife Sheree Zampino with whom he shares a son, Trey Smith. However, what you might not know that despite being together, Will and Jada have been staying in separation for 9 years.

According to 2023 reports, Jada possesses an abode in Calabasas close to Will. She even opened up about their marital status many times in several interviews. Jada even clarified that they never thought of getting divorce, however, they preferred to live separately. Scroll ahead to know what she had once told about her marriage.

Jada Pinkett Smith in an interview with Hoda Kotb on October 11, 2023, shared, “I think just not being ready yet,...

Directed by Marc Webb, Disney’s musical fantasy Snow White starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot is set to premiere on March 21, 2025. The live-action reimagining1937’s animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is one of the highly awaited movies of 2025, despite the movie facing a fair share of backlash.

Rachel Zegler stars as Snow White | Credits: Disney

Ahead of the release, the film became the target for the story changing from the source material to probably a ‘woke’ one. The casting for the film wasn’t appreciated at the time of announcement either. But now Snow White is just a few days away from its release, and early reviewers have a different opinion than what was predicted.

Rachel Zegler states Disney’s Snow White to remind young people how strong they are

The highly awaited Disney’s Snow White starring Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot...

While Disney has attempted to limit the public interactions of Snow White stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot in the midst of more controversies than we have time to go into right now, the recent decision to “scale back” the Hollywood premiere of the new live-action adaptation of Walt Disney’s first feature film has drawn more aggravation from one of the movie’s other stars. While the low-key premiere of Snow White may be saving its leading ladies from answering some awkward questions, one star is feeling very grumpy about the whole thing.

Best known for roles in movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Martin Klebba gives voice to the often-glum dwarf Grumpy, and he is not happy about the decision made to prevent Snow White’s actors getting their usual moment in the spotlight with full press coverage. For the actor, Disney is simply pandering to social...

It’s hard to overstate what a massive cultural sensation Robin Williamswas in the 1990s, as he had transcended all expectations to become one of the industry’s most reliable actors. Despite getting his start on the sitcom Mork & Mindy and playing sold-out comedy shows around the nation, Williams would prove himself as an actor by starring in family-friendly hits, comedy sensations, and Oscar-nominated dramedies. Williams was the type of star who could be relied upon to take risks, even when the results were as disastrous as Flubber or Jack. Williams lent his talents to the groundbreaking fantasy adventure film Jumanji, a film that may have been too terrifying for children had it not been for his unique comedic charm.

Get ready to have some fun in the sun with Disney’s Lilo & Stitch trailer! Today, the mouse-eared studio debuted the first full trailer for its live-action adaptation of its 2002 animated classic, and it’s a sugar rush of alien antics, invasion, and people no longer knowing what a dog looks like. The latest trailer features familiar beats from the animated film but adds new life to the setup with gorgeous Hawaiin locales, hilarious sight gags, and fast-paced action that will entertain audiences of all ages.

Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch stars Maia Kealoha as Lilo in reimagining Disney’s beloved animated adventure. Other players include Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Courtney B. Vance, Sydney Agudong, and Chris Sanders as the voice of Stitch. The plot focuses on a young, parentless girl who adopts a “dog” from the local pound, utterly unaware that it’s supposedly a...

When you wish upon a shooting star, you might just end up with an adorable blue extraterrestrial creature. At least, that’s what happens in the first full-length trailer for Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” remake.

In the extended look at the live-action reboot, a lonely Hawaiian girl named Lilo is longing for a best friend. After she sees a glowing comet blast across the night sky, she makes a wish and then finds herself face-to-face with Stitch, a dog-like alien experiment whose raison d’etre is creating destruction.

Like the original 2002 animated film, “Lilo & Stitch” follows a young orphan who is being raised by her teenaged sister, Nani. Lilo develops a close bond with Stitch (née Experiment 626) through the Hawaiian concept of “ohana,” which means family — and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.

“He is your responsibility. Got it?” Nani says in the trailer, to which Lilo cheerfully replies,...

Dana Ledoux Miller, the co-writer of the live-action Moana movie, explains why she thinks the movie will be particularly impactful for audiences. After the massive success of 2016's animated Moanaon Disney+, Disney announced in 2023 that the title character's epic quest to save her island from a curse in ancient Polynesia would be adapted into live-action. Thomas Kail directs the live-action Moana remake, with Jared Bush co-writing with Miller. Dwayne Johnson will reprise his role as Maui in the film, with Catherine Lagaʻaia replacing Auli'i Cravalho as the eponymous hero.

In a recent interview with Variety, Miller says that, despite the live-action Moana serving as a retelling of the story from the 2016 original, it will still feel "fresh" to audiences. According to the co-writer, the live-action remake will honor the legacy of the animated film, but its new format will help to highlight the dangers of Moana's journey out on the harsh ocean waves.

Growing up, Dana Ledoux Miller’s mother would take her and her brother to matinees of films like “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and “Beauty and the Beast.” After, she’d wear out her tapeplayer, listening to and singing along with the soundtracks for the animated classics, imagining she was Belle, Jasmine, Ariel or other Disney princesses.

“It made me want to tell stories,” Miller says.

But she never thought she’d get a chance to play a central role in determining the fate of one of those Disney heroines, which she did as the co-writer and co-director of “Moana 2,” one of the biggest hits of 2024. The sequel, which was co-directed by Jason Hand and David Derrick Jr., is debuting on Disney+ this week after earning more than $1 billion at the global box office. Miller didn’t initially plan on being part of that journey, at least not with cinemas...

If you missed “Mufasa: The Lion King” in theaters over the holidays, it will be streaming exclusively on Disney+ starting March 26. The Disney tentpole grossed $709 million at the worldwide box office. “Mufasa’s” streaming date was exclusively revealed by People magazine.

Helmed by “Moonlight” and “If Beale Street Could Talk” director Barry Jenkins, “Mufasa: The Lion King” tells the story of how lost cub Mufasa becomes the leader of the Pride Lands. He befriends the lion Taka after being separated from his parents, and the two embark on a journey that eventually threatens their familial bond.

“Mufasa” is a prequel to 2019’s “The Lion King,” a photo-realistic digital remake of the 1994 animated classic that grossed over a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. The voice cast for “Mufasa” includes Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Preston Nyman, Blue Ivy Carter, Mads Mikkelsen, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner,...

A Los Angeles jury decided on March 10, 2025, that Disney did not steal the idea for its 2016 animated movie Moana. The decision came after a two-week trial where Buck Woodall, a writer and animator, claimed the film was based on his story Bucky the Surfer Boy.

The jury, made up of six women and two men, took less than three hours to rule that Disney creators John Musker and Ron Clements never saw Woodall’s work. This ended a five-year legal battle over the first Moana film, but Woodall has another case ongoing about the 2024 sequel, Moana 2.

Disney celebrated the victory. “We are incredibly proud of the collective work that went into the making of Moana and are pleased that the jury found it had nothing to do with Plaintiff’s works,” a company spokesperson said after the verdict in Judge Alka Sagar’s courtroom.

The trial showed that Musker and Clements,...

A Los Angeles jury has found that Disney didn’t steal the idea for Moana from an animator’s story about the adventures of a young surfer in Hawaii.

After deliberating for just over two hours, the jury on Monday sided with a Disney unit that it didn’t infringe on Buck Woodall’s copyright to “Bucky and the Surfer Boy” because none of its employees ever saw works related to his screenplay. He alleged that he had shared materials for “Bucky” more than a decade earlier with his brother’s sister-in-law, who worked for Mandeville Films on the Disney lot at the time and allegedly shared it with an individual at Disney Animation TV, prior to the beginning of development for Moana.

The only defendant in the case was Disney’s Buena Vista Home Entertainment, which sells DVDs of the 2016 film. By the time Woodall sued in 2020, the window for him to sue Disney,...

Disney North America Box Office: Will Snow White Be Able To Land In Top Biggest Opening Weekends List For Disney Reimaginings?( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Disney gave the top three biggest blockbusters of last year, Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Moana 2. This year, Captain America: Brave New World is doing a decent job, and Snow White will be released in a few days. It reimagines the classic tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The Disney live-action reimaginings are often box office successes with spectacular openings. Since the Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot starrer is gearing up for release, will it be able to land in the top 5 biggest debuts list? Scroll below for more.

For the unversed, live-action reimaginings refer to live-action remakes or adaptations of Disney’s animated films, often with significant changes or new interpretations of the original story. This upcoming musical fantasy is already...

It was criminal that the Best Animated Film category didn’t exist at the Oscars before 2001. Iconic films like The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Aladdin, and Mulan missed out on the golden statuette. While Beauty and the Beast became the first animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture, the absence of a dedicated Animated Feature category left a void in recognizing the artistry of animated films at the Oscars.

The creation of the award, in hindsight, inadvertently confined animated films to their own category. Following the 81st Academy Awards, cinephiles noted that no rule prevented Wall-e from being nominated for Best Picture, sparking debates on animated films’ true recognition.

At the time of the award’s introduction, Disney had cooled off, and Pixar (distributed by Disney) took the reins, dominating with creativity and innovation. Pixar has claimed 11 of the 23 Oscars for Best Animated Feature.

Today, the animated landscape is more competitive than ever.

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, there will be nowhere to go for at least one major premiere of Snow White because Disney has reportedly decided against rolling out the red carpet for its controversial adaptation. Fears of "anti-woke backlash" have apparently prompted the studio to reduce its media schedule for the live-action remake, which stars Rachel Zegler as its leading princess. The stripped-back strategy is said to include canceling the usual star-studded shindig that allows movies to have their moment in the spotlight.

Industry insiders told The Daily Mail that there won't be a cinematic celebration for Snow White in the UK ahead of its theatrical release on Mar. 21, 2025, as Disney has opted to keep it low-key by only scheduling a few press events for the upcoming movie. According to the source, "Disney are already anticipating an anti-woke backlash against Snow White and have reduced the media schedule to just a handful of tightly controlled press events.

If you've been keeping up with the recent coverage, you'll know that Disney's film studios have been struggling with some major identity issues. As the company grapples with a third consecutive Oscar loss, Disney is pulling some major restructuring. However, the parks tell a different story.

When most people think of Disney's peak era, visions of the '90s films and parks immediately flood the senses. Classics like Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and even A Goofy Movie still serve as the cornerstone on which an entire fandom is built... And Disney is more than aware.

Magic or manipulation?

Anyone who's ever been to any Disney Park knows that the mouse knows how to bewitch our minds and ensnare our senses better than any sorcerous spell, and Disneyland's new after-hours event is a prime example of why it will always have a healthy supply of fans.

The Princess and the Frog sequel series has been scrapped at Disney+. Titled Tiana, the streaming exclusive would have brought back Anika Noni Rose as the voice of Disney's first Black princess, Tiana.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Walt Disney Animation Studios has officially pulled the plug on Tiana as it abandons making original long-form content for Disney+. Sources close to the project revealed that despite best efforts, including several changes to the creative team, the animation studio couldn't get Tiana where it needed to be given its budget. The decision to scrap Tiana in its entirety comes as a bit of a surprise, given that Disney recently found success at the box office with Moana 2, which was announced alongside Tiana back in 2020 as a Disney+ series before ultimately being reworked into a feature-length animated sequel.

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If you know your animation history pretty well, you know that even the biggest studios can have false starts. A major studio can announce the development of a new animated film, only for that movie to never see the light of day, for one reason or another. Pixar, for example, has axed its own titles for being too similar to those of competing studios, like the time it removed "Newt," a film about procreating newts, from its schedule over concerns it was too similar to Blue Sky Studios' "Rio," as one example. Sometimes, though, it's as simple as a studio's executive team shifting, like when Netflix's planned adaptation of the "Redwall" fantasy-adventure book series was sent into development hell because of the studio's changing priorities.

Finally, in select cases, there's an even simpler excuse: If one movie doesn't do well at the box office, any potential sequel goes the way of the dodo.

Snow White has more than just poisonous apples to worry about, judging from the upcoming movie’s revised box office forecast. The live-action re-imagining of Disney's animated classic is already facing an uphill battle thanks to all the controversy swirling about the Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler-led film. However, now the most recent projections indicate that Snow White could make far less than the $63 million to $70 million originally predicted back in early February.

Well, according to a new report published by The Hollywood Reporter, Snow White is now eyeing a more modest neighborhood of $48 million to $58 million domestically. Originally, long-range forecasts published by Boxoffice Pro indicated director Marc Webb’s take on the beloved character might make somewhere between $65 million to $85 million, and, even on the low end, that window was much more promising than the new numbers in the revised forecast.

Related'Snow White' Popcorn Buckets Can Be Mine.

The Philip K. Dick story "The King of the Elves" was first published in an issue of Beyond Fantasy Fiction, way back in September of 1953. The story involves a lonely, borderline-impoverished Colorado gas station owner named Shadrach who, while enjoying the solitude one night, notices that some elves are standing outside (!). He invites them in and gives them food and shelter, learning that one of the elves is their King. When the King dies in bed, however, the other elves — in exchange for Shadrach's kindness — nominate the old man to be their new monarch. He is told that he must come up with new strategies to help them in a long-fought war with a kingdom of Trolls.

Much of the story is a push-and-pull between Shadrach's modest, rural lifestyle in Colorado and the allure of being the King of a nation of fantasy creatures. When he tells the other Colorado...

Three years ago, the world of comedy lost a true original. Gilbert Gottfried may have been best known for playing the parrot Iago in Aladdin — and for the dirty jokes he spouted in the last two decades of his career — but his style of comedy was entirely his own. His stand-up material, which he began performing at age 15, was a surreal experience filled with obscure — often, even, unknowable — pop-culture references combined with bizarre rants about aliens and Nazis.

He hit the mainstream with a one-year stint on Saturday Night Live before appearing in films like Problem Child and Beverly Hills Cop II as well lending his voice to hundreds of cartoons. He never stopped doing stand-up either, as he was a fixture in comedy clubs and a frequent panelist at Friars Club and Comedy Central roasts. Just weeks after the terrorist attacks in 2001, he famously bombed with a 9/11 joke at a Hugh Hefner roast,...

The Walt Disney Co. makes an annual tradition out of synergy across its divisions to promote awareness and tune-in for the Oscars on ABC — and this year, for this Sunday’s 97th edition, that also includes a live stream for the first time on Hulu. To that end, Disney is spotlighting the Oscars on Hulu’s homepage, while Hulu is also featuring current and past Oscar-nominated films on its homepage, Hulu Movies hub and an Oscars hub.

Other partnerships this year inside heavy promotion during ESPN’s coverage of the NBA on ABC earlier in the day, as a lead-in to Oscar night, and the return of ESPN’s Oscars Pick ‘Em game. The company has also added new Oscars photo opps at the Disney parks and, as usual, has Academy Awards-themed program marathons on Disney-owned networks including FX, Freeform and Nat Geo.

“Every year, our partners across The Walt Disney Company...

Quick LinksRobbie Coltrane Was Not The First Choice To Play Rubeus HagridDespite The Ban, Some American Actors Did Make It Into The Harry Potter Films

While there have been several rumors surrounding the casting of Max's Harry Potter TV Series, official news on actors for the program has been surprisingly quiet. This long period of silence finally ended on February 25, with the reveal that John Lithgow will be the latest actor to portray Albus Dumbledore. He will join the likes of Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, and Jude Law, who have all taken on Hogwarts headmaster. Speaking to ScreenRant, John Lithgow has stated how the role will "define" him for the "last chapter of his life." The actor was contacted to depict Albus Dumbledore at the Sundance Film Festival and noted how it came as a "surprise" to him. John Lithgow has confirmed his intentions to stay in the role for...