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Disney Princess movies have been a popular source for the studio’s recent live-action adaptations, and several are still waiting patiently for their chance to shine. For some of these, it’s only a matter of time before Disney releases its live-action version. However, others are animated films produced by Disney only recently, which means it could still be several years before a new adaptation is likely to be considered. Then, there are those Disney Princess movies that may just be too difficult to adapt, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try.
Recent live-action adaptations from Disney like Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast have done reasonably well, while others have failed to please audiences. This shows that there is a particular art to adapting animated films and that Disney may still have some work to do in perfecting this. The upcoming 2023 The Little Mermaid has received a lot of backlash over its casting and potential plot choices, and the resulting debates have made live-action remakes seem all the more divisive. Still, The Little Mermaid has the potential to prove critics wrong—and inspire even more remakes.
7 Tiana – The Princess & The Frog (2009)
The Princess and the Frog (2009) was one of Disney’s last traditionally animated films before the studio turned exclusively to computer animation. This has made it one of the last of these “classic” princesses to be adapted, and the fact that it is the only one to feature a Black princess makes it among the most heavily anticipated. Rumors have circulated about various pitches being considered by Disney over the years, but nothing seems to have stuck.
Of the remaining Disney Princesses that could receive an adaptation reasonably soon, The Princess and the Frog would likely be the easiest. The movie’s story had already been heavily changed from the fairytale to create a less problematic story, and Tiana’s business-owning self is already an adequate feminist icon. Additionally, the thoroughly thrilling villain, Dr. Facilier, or “The Shadow” man, would be even better in live action. Regardless of what is holding Disney up, they must jump on this remake soon.
6 Rapunzel – Tangled (2010)
Tangled revolutionized the Disney Princess franchise since it was the first to be fully computer animated. Also, Disney completely reimagined the classic story of Rapunzel by making the titular princess the hero of her own story instead of a simple damsel in distress. Plus, when Tangled made Rapunzel’s prince a wanted thief, it introduced a dynamic that was a lot more fun than the traditional formula.
Disney has yet to adapt any of their computer-animated princess movies, which may feel too fresh and new to reimagine. The fact that Tangled made so many changes to the original fairytale also limits the creativity left to Disney for a remake. A live-action adaptation may be forced to follow in The Lion King‘s footsteps and create a move-by-move, word-by-word remake, which has proven unpopular with audiences. Still, it’s hard not to want to see Rapunzel and Flynn fall in love in the flesh.
5 Merida – Brave (2012)
Merida was Disney’s first Pixar princess, which meant an entirely different formula to how her story was told in Brave. She was the first of her royal fellows not to sing her heart out about her dreams since Brave wasn’t a musical. That’s not to say that Merida didn’t express herself. In fact, she is regarded as one of the fiercest and most independent of the Disney Princesses, which has contributed to her place as an everyday favorite.
Though Brave faces the same obstacles as the other more recent Disney Princess movies regarding adaptation, its unique formula may qualify it to be moved up in the queue. The film put great effort into creating visually stunning Scottish landscapes, and the Celtic aesthetic has renewed appreciation in pop culture. Therefore, seeing a live-action version of the wild redhead galloping through mysterious Scottish forests atop her Shire horse, Angus, would be difficult to pass up.
4 Pocahontas – Pocahontas (1995)
Of all the Disney Princesses, Pocahontas would require the most care when adapting to a live-action film. The movie has been criticized for its romanticized perspective of colonization, especially regarding the history of John Smith, who is now recognized as downright problematic. Additionally, the changes made to Pocahontas, who had been only a child when Smith settled in Jamestown, led to a massive historical misunderstanding. Still, the themes of Pocahontas could lead to a genuinely impactful live-action film—as long as the story was placed in the right hands.
The only acceptable way that Disney could proceed with a Pocahontas remake would be to put the project in the hands of the Powhatan people (descendants of Pocahontas’ real tribe) or other relevant Indigenous American tribes. This way, the important themes about colonization that the original films contained could be presented by the people who are affected by it the most. This would ensure the movie’s values wouldn’t be lost behind offensive or unproductive misconceptions.
3 Moana – Moana (2016)
Moana is Disney’s Pacific Islander princess and another character unique for her purely adventurous spirit and no interest in finding someone to love. The story of Moana is full of excitement, and of course, the beautiful score by Lin-Manuel Miranda would mean exciting possibilities for a live-action musical. Additionally, the ocean setting could make for a gorgeous Life of Pi-style masterpiece, and the idea of watching a realistic Te Fiti transform out of a fiery lava monster (and then into an island) would be a dream come true.
Of course, the visual possibilities of Moana are precisely why a live-action adaptation would be complicated. It would require a sizeable budget, and certain aspects would risk looking ridiculous rather than groundbreaking. This is especially true for the larger-than-life demigod Maoi. It’s hard to imagine the shapeshifting hero looking like a regular man (even if they got Dwayne Johnson to do the job), and his magical abilities could easily look silly and ruin the film’s legacy in general. Still, if done right, it could be breathtaking.
2 Raya – Raya & The Last Dragon (2021)
Raya from Raya and the Last Dragon is another of Diseny’s non-musical and, therefore, unique princesses. Inspired by the cultures of Southeast Asia, Raya’s story is set in the fictional country of Kumandra and carries important themes of the importance of trust and harmony within civilization. The great thing about a potential live-action remake of Raya is that the titular character is a master fighter, which could mean an opportunity for action-packed butt-kicking.
Like Moana, the magical qualities in Raya and the Last Dragon would make an adaptation all the more complicated. This would be especially true for the dragon Sisu since her design in the animated movie was criticized for not looking “realistic” or like the dragon’s audiences were used to. Of course, this was a conscious decision from Disney, who modeled Sisu after the style of Southeast Asian dragons, not the western winged versions. In live action, western audiences might have even more to criticize—but it could also better open their eyes to the ideas of another culture.
1 Anna & Elsa – Frozen (2013)
Since the Frozen movies were such a massive success, they have been marketed as their own franchise—so they aren’t technically Disney Princesses. Still, they are often given an honorary place among Disney’s royalty, which brings up the question of whether Anna and Elsa could get live-action adaptations themselves. Of course, Disney is still releasing Frozen movies, with Frozen 3 currently in the works. Still, given another decade, it could be time to bring Disney’s most popular royal sisters to a whole new format.
The most compelling aspect of Frozen that could benefit from a live-action remake is Elsa’s ice powers. The queen’s stunning ability was already a sight to behold in the animated version and only got better with the Frozen 2 sequel. Therefore, any future adaptation would need to come when technology has advanced to the point that the visual effects of Frozen could be improved upon. Watching Anna fall in love with Kristoff in real life and seeing Elsa’s “Let It Go” scene remastered could easily be as successful as other Disney Princess remakes, but it will have to happen at the right time.
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