Though it may seem like a recent trend, filmmakers have been making live-action remakes of beloved animated movies for decades. In just the last few years, we’ve gotten live-action versions of The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and, now, Lilo & Stitch. Some, like Cinderella (the 2015 version, not the 2021 one), have gone on to win both the hearts if audiences and accolades, while others have failed to truly capture the magic of the original or made fans question the need for its existence at all. That said, if the recent Lilo & Stitch movie has proven anything, it’s that fans do have an appetite for well-made live-action adaptations.
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If you’re ready to put skepticism aside and delve deep into the world of such remakes, below is a list of five of the best live-action adaptations of animated movies ever made:
1) The Jungle Book
Rudyard Kipling’s anthology of short stories about a man-cub named Mowgli has set fire to imaginations for ages, inspiring a series of adaptations in the form of animated movies and TV shows. Though a live-action adaptation was released back in 1994, the 2016 live-action remake is different, and not just because of its star-studded cast. Directed by Jon Favreau, the mostly CG remake adapted the story that viewers knew for decades, but Favreau was able to add flair and finesse to the familiar narrative.
The CGI is brilliant in the film, so crisp that it can make one feel the sweltering heat of the tropical forest. Idris Elba’s Shere Khan, the deadly tiger antagonist, is appropriately spine-chilling, while Scarlett Johansson’s Kaa is mesmerizing, and Baloo, voiced by none other than Bill Murray, is the lazy bear we grew up loving. The tone is a little dark compared to the original Disney movie, but overall, this is as good a live-action adaptation as one can get.
2) Charlotte’s Web
Based on E.B. White’s beloved children’s novel, Charlotte’s Web is a live-action remake of the iconic 1973 animated movie. Directed by Gary Winick and released in 2006, this film pulls off something not many of its kind are able to do, ensure the spirit of the original is not lost in adaptation. The film is naturally about Wilbur (Dominic Scott Kay), a young pig who is rescued as a runt by a little girl, Fern (Dakota Fanning). When Wilbur grows too big to live in the house, Fern gives him to her uncle. This is where the anxious little pig is offhandedly informed by Templeton, the sheep’s leader, voiced by none other than Steve Buscemi, that he was destined to be served up for Christmas dinner. But Julia Roberts’ Charlotte, the wise, level-headed spider, promises him that she’d never let that happen. As fans of the original might expect, the film is full of hilarity and heartbreak, leaving viewers guffawing as many times as they reach to wipe their eys.
3) Alice in Wonderland
Tim Burton’s 2010 movie may be vibrant, but at the end of the day was a palpably uninspired retread. BBC’s 1966 Alice in Wonderland however offers one of the most unique takes on the Lewis Carroll story that has been adapted and reinterpreted over and over again.
Directed by Jonathan Miller, the film is shot in black and white and makes no use of special effects of any kind. Miller’s Mad Hatter (Peter Cook), who’s no more palatably out of his mind, but actually clinically insane, and Mock Turtle (Sir John Gielgud) are as human as they can get. Despite the obvious lack of fantastic beings and grinning Cheshire cats, Miller somehow translates the surrealist elements of Caroll’s work perfectly to screen. There is a dreamlike, or perhaps nightmarish, tinge to all of it, and young Alice (Anne-Marie Mallik) almost sleepwalks through it all, a passive witness rather than an active explorer. The entire vibe of the film is slightly sinister, capturing perfectly what it would be like to be a Victorian child stuck behind heavy curtains, dreaming of Wonderland.
4) Pete’s Dragon
The 1977 animated Pete’s Dragon is wholesome, charming, and endlessly beloved. So naturally, many were worried when Disney decided to do a live-action remake of the film. Directed by David Lowery, the 2016 version of Pete’s Dragon is at its core a story of friendship against all odds. Unlike the original version, it takes a mature — if sometimes morbid — take to the material.
The film begins with a car crash that kills a couple, leaving their young boy, Pete (Oakes Fegley), orphaned. He is rescued by a lush, green dragon named Elliot (John Kassir). What follows is a tale of magic and adventure, friendship and family. But it also has a lot of dark undertones, reminding us of the impossibility of such a connection. The result is something that has heart but is never too sugary. It makes the entire tale feel all the more real and somewhat reminiscent of E.T. in the way it leaves you with a lump in your throat and a bittersweet goodbye. The folksy musical score by Daniel Hart elevates the entire film, but perhaps the Lumineer’s song “Nobody Knows” deserves special mention in the way it encapsulates the healing and heartbreak of loves both lost and found.
5) How to Train Your Dragon
Is it too soon to laud a film that was released a mere month ago? We think not. After all, there are great remakes and then there are ones that leave goosebumps in their wake, hearts soaring, and eyes inexplicably a little wet. And this live-action remake of the incredible tale of Toothless and Hiccup (Mason Thames) falls solidly in the second category.
The visuals for How To Train Your Dragon (2025) are stunning, yet strangely comforting and the cast are spot on. The score will make your heart take flight alongside the ever-beloved, beautiful Night Fury. How To Train Your Dragon successfully kept the spirit of the 2010 animated version alive while somehow also convincing us that we were watching it all for the first time.
