Nicolai Haugsted
Disney appears to be changing its strategy—and for many, it’s about time.
For years, Disney has relied on a relatively simple formula to draw audiences to theaters: Take a beloved animated film, cast real actors in the roles, and let nostalgia do the rest.
This strategy previously secured billions in revenue for the company, but recent years have shown that even the most iconic Disney characters cannot necessarily guarantee success.
Now, several upcoming film projects suggest that the entertainment giant is ready to rethink its approach to old classics.
Looking at the studio’s upcoming releases, it appears Disney is moving away from nearly shot-for-shot remakes and instead focusing on new stories featuring familiar characters.
Done with Retelling the Same Story?
Over the past 16 years, Disney has revived numerous animated classics as live-action films.
Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King are just some of the titles that have been given new life with actors or photorealistic animation.
Several of these films achieved enormous financial success, but others struggled to convince both critics and audiences.
Snow White, in particular, proved to be an expensive endeavor.
According to figures, the film earned approximately $205 million worldwide, despite a production budget of around $271 million.
This left Disney with a significant financial problem when marketing costs and the cinemas’ share of ticket sales are also factored in.
It therefore suggests that Disney now seems to prefer films that expand existing universes rather than merely retelling their original stories.
However, this is an assessment of the company’s upcoming projects and not an officially announced decision to completely abandon remakes.
Sleeping Beauty Gets a Completely Different Story
Among the upcoming projects is a new live-action film based on Sleeping Beauty.
Director Dan Trachtenberg is working on an interpretation that will not simply retell the well-known story of Sleeping Beauty.
Instead, the characters and universe will form the basis for a different narrative.
Disney is also working on a film about Tiana from The Princess and the Frog.
Actor Colman Domingo is involved as a screenwriter, and the project is described as an independent story focusing on Tiana’s family, adventures, and the culture surrounding New Orleans.
This allows audiences to return to the popular princess’s world without necessarily having to see her original fairy tale once again.
Villains Get Their Own Turn in the Spotlight
Disney also plans to give some of its less sympathetic characters the lead role.
Gaston, the self-absorbed hunter from Beauty and the Beast, is reportedly set to get his own live-action film.
The story will explore his life before the events of the original classic, rather than simply telling the same story from the villain’s perspective.
The project is thus reminiscent of Disney’s earlier film Cruella, where Emma Stone played a younger version of the famous villain from 101 Dalmatians.
At the same time, the company is working on Stepsisters, which will focus on Cinderella’s two wicked stepsisters.
Here, audiences will have the opportunity to experience characters who usually stand in the shadow of the classic princess, from a new angle.
Precisely this type of storytelling appears to be an important part of Disney’s future film plans.
Rapunzel Allowed to Be the Exception
Although several new projects are moving away from traditional remakes, Disney apparently holds on to the familiar formula in at least one area.
Tangled, originally released as an animated film in 2010, is still planned as a live-action film with a story close to the original.
Teagan Croft is set to play Rapunzel, while Milo Manheim and Kathryn Hahn are cast as Flynn Rider and Mother Gothel, respectively.
The film is expected to premiere in 2028.
The project was previously paused after the disappointing box office numbers for Snow White, but Disney subsequently chose to continue development.
Disney Has Already Tried Something Similar
The idea of expanding known narratives is not entirely new to the company.
Mufasa: The Lion King, for example, told a new story about a character audiences already knew from The Lion King.
The film had a modest opening compared to expectations but ultimately achieved significant overall ticket sales.
Conversely, Mulan from 2020 showed that major changes from the animated source material do not automatically ensure a positive reception.
Disney currently has several projects under development, but their final form may still change.
However, with stories about Gaston’s past, Tiana’s family, and Cinderella’s stepsisters, the company appears to have developed a greater appetite for exploring what happened outside the original plots of classic fairy tales.
