Here Are All of Disney's Upcoming Live-Action Movies

The tale of a Chinese woman who disguises herself as a man to fight in her father’s place during a war, Mulan returns to theaters on March 27, 2020. Chinese actor Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, will portray the iconic warrior in Disney’s live-action remake. Rumors of whitewashing swirled when a person who claimed to have read the Mulan spec script said the movie would feature a white male lead. However, a source close to the film told Vulture that “all primary roles, including the love interest, are Chinese.”

Viewers will notice one difference between the 1998 animated film and the live-action version right away: director Niki Caro has said it will not be a musical, shattering hopes of a live rendition of “I’ll Make a Man Out of You.”

“It’s a big, girly martial arts epic,” Caro told Moviefone. “It will be extremely muscular and thrilling and entertaining and moving.”

Disney released the first picture of Yifei as Mulan on Aug. 13 to announce that production had begun on the film.

The origin story of villain Cruella de Vil is the focus of this Disney live-action movie, Cruella, scheduled to release on May 28, 2021 . Emma Stone is set to play the dog-obsessed villain in a film directed by I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It’s the second time Cruella De Vil will be portrayed in a live-action movie — Glenn Close played the character in the 1996 live-action 101 Dalmatians and the 2000 follow-up 102 Dalmatians.

Pinocchio might have the chance to truly become a real boy in this Disney live-action movie based loosely on the original morality tale of the puppet who is brought to life. The filmmaker Robert Zemeckis is set to the direct the film, Deadline reported in January.

Disney is planning a live-action remake of its 1942 animated film Bambi, Variety reported in January. The project, about a young deer who explores the forest with his friends and copes with the death of his mother, is in early stages of development at Disney.

Disney announced on July 3 that it had cast Halle Bailey, known for appearing on Grown-ish and as one half of R&B act Chloe x Halle, as Ariel in its live-action version of The Little Mermaid.

“After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance — plus a glorious singing voice — all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role,” director Rob Marshall said in a press release.

Production on the live version of the underwater classic is slated to begin in 2020. More castings are expected to be announced soon.

Disney is developing a live-action movie about J.M. Barrie’s best-known character with David Lowery set to direct and co-write the script, according to EW. Peter Pan has seen several live-action adaptations over the years, including 1991’s Hook, a 2003 version by the same name and 2004’s Finding Neverland.

Reese Witherspoon is reportedly set to play the beloved fairy who loves Peter Pan in Tink. Victoria Strouse, who co-wrote the screenplay for Finding Dory, will pen the script for this Disney live-action movie.

Brian Cogman, a writer-producer for HBO’s Game of Thrones, is set to write a live-action remake of The Sword in the Stone, a Disney animation from 1963 that tells the story of a young King Arthur.

For this live-action movie, Disney is planning a revisionist take on the classic fairytale by detailing the story of Snow White’s sister, Rose Red, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Rose Red appeared in the Grimm brothers’ original fairy tale, though she had no relation to the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In the retelling, Rose Red works with the dwarves to bring Snow White back to life after she eats the poison apple.

Prince Charming comes to life in this live-action movie focusing on the handsome prince — although it is unclear whether the plot will center on the beau of Snow White or Cinderella, since they share the same name in both original animated films.

A Hunchback of Notre Dame live-action remake is in the works at Disney, with the playwright David Henry Hwang tapped to write the movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The remake will be based on both the 1831 Victor Hugo novel of the same name and Disney’s 1996 animated version.

A sequel to the reboot of Aladdin is in the works at Disney, following the success of last year’s live-action remake of the 1992 classic tale.

The 2019 live-action version of Aladdin starred Will Smith, Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott and was a hit among audiences, grossing more than $1 billion worldwide.

Plans for the sequel are still in early stages, and it is unclear if the cast will return for the project, Variety reports.

A live-action adaptation of Disney’s Lilo & Stitch is in the works, with Jon M. Chu in early talks to direct, Variety reports. As of November 2020, Disney is looking for a writer to work on the film with Chu, who previously directed Crazy Rich Asians.