Disney has built a reputation for adapting some of its most beloved IPs into questionable live-action remakes. These movies rarely deliver a “fresh take” and instead come off as transparent cash grabs, stuffed with CGI and unnecessary twists that leave fans questioning why their beloved childhood classics had to suffer this fate. Disney’s latest redo, Lilo & Stitch, has been met with a giant wave of complaints from fans who grew up watching the original animated movie.
Despite the poor reviews and loud fans complaining about the movie, these remakes tend to do well financially at the box office. Lilo & Stitch has grossed roughly $361 million worldwide just four days after its release. Disney’s 2019 live-action remake of The Lion King is its highest-grossing remake to date, bringing in approximately $543 million since its release. Given these massive payday numbers, it’s safe to say that Disney’s remaking streak isn’t stopping anytime soon.
But which remake flops stood out among the rest? From the overstuffed Dumbo that lost its heart among new characters, to the soulless Beauty and the Beast remake that couldn’t recapture the original’s magic, we’ve rounded up some of the most disappointing Disney live-action remakes that left fans frustrated and critics unimpressed.
‘Beauty and the Beast’ (2017)
While it looks visually impressive, the 2017 remake of Beauty and the Beast was, just like its live-action siblings: Unnecessary. Yes, Emma Watson is more than adequate as Belle, and yes, Dan Stevens had us questioning whether or not the Beast was actually attractive, but the remake is very much lost in the looming shadow of its predecessor. Critics have noted that the film’s attempt to deepen character backstories adds little depth and instead slows the movie down, detracting from its central love story.
‘Dumbo’ (2019)
The main complaint with Tim Burton’s retelling of the beloved Disney classic Dumbo is that the director goes a little overboard with his additions to the story. While the original plot was a simple, endearing story about a flying baby elephant that loved his mother, Burton’s shift towards exploring new, human-centric character arcs, along with some superficial changes to the script, sidelined the titular elephant and weakened the film’s emotional impact. The backlash surrounding the film was so bad that Burton even credited it for being the reason why he won’t be working with Disney again.
‘The Lion King’ (2019)
Why did we need a nature documentary of The Lion King? Well, we got one anyway. Although by no means the biggest Disney remake flop, especially since it featured such impressive visuals, the live-action version of The Lion King stuck so close to the original movie that fans couldn’t understand why there needed to be a remake at all, aside from cashing in on nostalgia. Additionally, the movie failed to capitalize on its stellar cast, which included Beyoncé, Donald Glover, and others.
‘Mulan’ (2020)
The live-action version of Mulan strips away much of the humor, optimism, and song numbers that made the original animated film a classic (also, where is Mushu?). The script offers a messy, superficial, and overall unsatisfying look at Mulan’s gender issues, the Chinese concept of qi, and the mythology behind our hero. Although the fight sequences are decent, and sometimes action-packed enough for us to keep watching, the movie was ultimately a misfire.
‘Snow White’ (2025)
Even before Snow White was released in theaters, there was already so much bad drama surrounding the remake that it felt like it was cursed. From MAGA conservatives causing an uproar over Latina star Rachel Zeigler being cast as the titular character to Zeigler and co-star Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, publicly voicing very different responses to the war in Gaza, Snow White was already drowning.
And was the remake good? Unfortunately not. Audiences criticized Gadot for giving a lackluster performance and her inability to sing. What’s more, the CGI dwarves and the unnecessary changes to the original story left longtime fans shaking their heads in dismay.
