Disney has multiple upcoming live-action remakes in the works, with some already confirmed for release and others in various stages of development. The remakes and reimaginings have been a major part of the Mouse House’s live-action movie strategy for years now: Alice in Wonderland grossed over $1 billion back in 2010, and then midway through that decade is when things really started to take off.
Disney released 11 movies that fall into this bracket between 2014-2019, including villain stories such as Maleficent, and hit big with several of them, as the likes of The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Aladdin all grossed over $1 billion each at the box office.
The 2020s have seen a slight slowdown, with a mix of the pandemic, strikes, and diminishing box office returns leading to some projects ending up stalled or scrapped. However, 2025’s Lilo & Stitch remake shows there’s still life in them, and so Disney’s live-action remakes certainly aren’t going anywhere for the foreseeable future.
Releasing March 31, 2028
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Disney’s animated movies have definitely entered an era of solid, highly-successful content following the slump of the 2000s, and this new era of CGI success was inarguably kickstarted by 2010’s Tangled. An adaptation of the classic Rapunzel fairytale, Tangled was a huge hit thanks to its winning take on the story, gorgeous animation, great cast, and stellar musical numbers. A fan-favorite ever since its release, in late 2024 it was confirmed that Tangled would be getting a live-action remake.
Fast-forward a couple of years from that announcement, and at last Disney fans can see the light at the end of the tunnel, because the movie is making good progress. Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman, Better Man) is directing, while the cast includes Teagan Croft as Rapunzel, Milo Manheim as Flynn Rider, and in an instance of fancasting becoming a reality, Kathryn Hahn as Mother Gothel.
The Tangled movie started filming in June 2026, and is confirmed for a theatrical release on March 31, 2028.
Lilo & Stitch 2
Releasing May 26, 2028
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Disney is wasting no time making a second Lilo & Stitch movie in live-action. Following the first remake’s strong box office performance, Disney officially announced a sequel on June 26, 2025 – appropriately enough, “626 Day,” the annual celebration of Stitch. The follow-up, currently titled Lilo & Stitch 2, is scheduled to arrive in theaters on May 26, 2028.
One of the most exciting developments is the return of franchise co-creator Chris Sanders. Best known as the original voice of Stitch, Sanders will not only reprise his creative involvement as a writer but will also direct the sequel, marking his biggest role in the series since the 2002 animated classic. Producer Jonathan Eirich is also returning.
Perhaps even more exciting for fans is the confirmation that Angel will be part of Lilo & Stitch 2. Also known as Experiment 624, the pink character is one of the most popular in the franchise, so her arrival should help ensure the sequel is as big a hit as the first.
In Development
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No one’s big like Gaston, and that’s something Disney will be counting on if this live-action villain movie goes ahead. 2017’s take on Beauty and the Beast was a billion-dollar success, so it does make sense that the Mouse House would be looking to follow it up. At one point, there was talk of a Disney+ series centered on Gaston and his sidekick, LeFou, but now things look to be pivoting to a movie version.
It was reported in December 2025 that a Gaston movie was in development, with Dave Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) writing the script and Michelle Rejwan (Obi-Wan Kenobi) producing. This will apparently be an original take with a new actor, meaning Luke Evans sadly won’t be reprising his role, and it’s said to have a “swashbuckling” tone. There haven’t been firm updates since, but it seemingly remains in development.
Stepsisters
In Development
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Cinderella has already had one successful live-action remake, and Disney is returning to that story for another, but this time focused on her wicked stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella, though it’s expected to be a whole new version with a different cast. Few story details are confirmed, other than it putting a different spin on the classic characters.
The team behind the reboot of The Naked Gun are set for this one, with Akiva Schaffer directing, and also penning the script alongside Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, rewriting an original story from Michael Montemayor (Tangled). The Stepsisters movie was reported back in March 2026, with no details since then.
Princess Tiana Movie
In Development
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The Princess and the Frog didn’t quite get the success it deserved when it released back in 2009, grossing $271 million on a budget a little north of $100m, but its reputation has grown, and so has its prevalence at Disney. Tiana now has a theme park ride, with Splash Mountain re-themed as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and is set for a return to the big screen as well.
In July 2026, it was revealed that Colman Domingo and Robert O’Hara were writing a live-action story about Princess Tiana. However, this won’t be a remake of The Princess and the Frog, but instead a spinoff that tells a new story about the character. No other details have been confirmed at the time of writing.
Sleeping Beauty Movie
In Development
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Disney has already brought the story of Sleeping Beauty to live-action with a twist, thanks to the villain movie Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie), which also received a sequel. However, the new version is expected to be completely unrelated to those movies.
The reboot comes with a surprising name attached: Dan Trachtenberg, who has revitalized the Predator franchise at Disney. That shows he knows how to rework a classic franchise, and it’ll be fascinating to see how he approaches Sleeping Beauty, though there’s no other concrete information on his movie right now.
Disney Live-Action Remakes That Have Stalled Or Been Cancelled
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Several Disney remakes that were reportedly in the works at one point or another have had very little movement in recent years, while others have seemingly been scrapped entirely, including the following.
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
Set to be executive produced by Josh Gad, who may also have starred as Quasimodo, David Henry Hwang was announced to be writing the screenplay.
However, it no longer looks like it’ll happen. Disney composer Alan Menken said in a 2023 interview that there are “a lot of real, real issues that are important issues and should be explored to be discussed. And there has to be an agreement about how we deal with those issues.” He said the movie is in limbo right now.
Hercules
In April 2020, it was announced that Disney’s live-action version of Hercules was in the works. Anthony and Joe Russo were onboard as producers, Dave Callaham signed on to write the screenplay, and Guy Ritchie was set to direct. Joe Russo even said it would take inspiration from the social media app TikTok, but there’s been little progress on the movie in recent years.
Cruella 2
Cruella 2 was greenlit shortly after the first movie, with it expected to further explore Cruella De Vil’s rise en-route to her 101 Dalmatians villainy. Tony McNamara and Craig Gillespie were confirmed to return to write and direct, respectively, and Stone was reportedly back to star, but there’s been no progress.
The Sword In The Stone
The Sword In The Stone was due to start filming in Ireland in September 2018, but was delayed. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo was attached as the movie’s director, working from a script by Game of Thrones‘ Bryan Cogman. In 2014, Fresnadillo told Screen Rant that the movie wasn’t currently moving forward, but he hoped Disney would still make it.
The Jungle Book
It’s no surprise that Disney wants a follow-up to The Jungle Book, given the first movie grossed over $1 billion. It was reported around the time of that movie’s release that a sequel was in development, with talk of Jon Favreau returning to direct. However, he was busy with The Lion King, and then made The Mandalorian, and the project has seemingly been on indefinite pause ever since.
Following in the footsteps of The Jungle Book, the Bambi remake was set to be a photorealistic computer-animated take that will blur the lines between animated and live-action. Sarah Polley had been attached to direct, but left the project in 2024, and the live-action Bambi movie now appears to have been scrapped, or at least stalled.
Aladdin 2
Despite an extremely divisive reaction, 2019’s Aladdin remake nonetheless accumulated over $1 billion at the box office. As a result, a direct sequel was put in motion. Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, and Will Smith were all slated to return as Aladdin, Jasmine, and The Genie, respectively. However, actor Massoud said in 2023 that the sequel was “very unlikely” to happen.
Robin Hood
In April 2020, a live-action/CG hybrid was announced. Kari Granlund signed on to tackle the script, with Blindspotting‘s Carlos López Estrada directing. However, the director gave an update in 2026, revealing that the Robin Hood remake is effectively dead.
The Aristocats
Questlove was attached to direct a remake for The Aristocats for Disney, with Will Gluck set to produce. However, after a couple of years in development with little movement, it was revealed in 2025 that The Aristocats remake had been cancelled.
The Black Cauldron
In 2016, Disney again acquired the film rights (which had lapsed) for The Chronicles of Prydain with the intention of making a live-action adaptation of the novel. No writer, director, or stars were ever announced as attached to the project, so it’s not clear if Disney still intends on moving forward.
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