Disney has announced its latest live-action remake with an interesting directorial choice attached. With The Little Mermaid the next remake in line to release in theaters and Mufasa: The Lion King currently in production, the studio has announced its latest adaptation of a highly-acclaimed Disney film to release in the next few years. Since 2010’s Alice in Wonderland paved the way for a wave of classic animated films reimagined for the screen, the studio has periodically announced new adaptations for both theaters and Disney+.
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Deadline reports that the latest animated film to be adapted in live-action is the classic 1970 film The Aristocats. The film is set to be a live-action hybrid reimagining of the film in the vein of Disney+’s Pinocchio remake. Academy Award-winning filmmaker Questlove will be directing the film, with Will Gluck and Keith Bunin set to write the screenplay.

Related: Why Is Disney Making So Many Live-Action Remakes?

Why Disney Remakes Are Still Successful

Despite mixed critical reception, most Disney remakes have been major commercial successes in theaters. It is no surprise that Disney wants to capitalize on that success with the announcement of The Aristocats, which has been developing with Gluck since 2022. Disney’s last theatrical live-action remake, The Lion King, made over $1.663 billion at the worldwide box office, despite many negative reviews on the film’s lack of originality as a nearly shot-for-shot adaptation of the superior 1994 original animated film.

Disney’s last remake, Pinocchio, was widely panned by critics and audiences alike but was still a success for Disney+, as it was the sixth most-watched program across all platforms on the week of its release. Opinions are divided on the prospect of Disney adapting their animated classics to live-action for theaters and Disney+. Still, they have consistently been proven to bring in tons of money, regardless of their critical reception or how fans feel about the films.

Aside from The Aristocats, Disney is also actively developing remakes of Lilo & Stitch, Hercules, The Sword in the Stone, Bambi, and Robin Hood. David Lowery’s Peter Pan & Wendy is the next remake to release on Disney+, while The Little Mermaid and Marc Webb’s Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, will hit theaters soon. No release date for the upcoming The Aristocats remake has been announced, but the 1970 Disney original is currently available to stream on Disney+.

Source: Deadline