Initially, Disney dabbled in transforming Walt Disney Animation Studios productions into live-action films, but the release of Alice in Wonderland in 2010 sparked a trend that continues unabated. Titles such as The Jungle Book from 2016 and the recent Lion King adaptations ensure this pattern persists. Despite mixed critical reception, Disney views these movies as cash cows, continually remaking beloved animation features into live-action or realistically animated films.
It’s important to remember that a movie trend lasting over 15 years isn’t invincible at the box office, especially for movies like Snow White. Although there’s much anticipation about whether it can keep up the success of its predecessors, we should recall that Disney remakes have had their share of failures. In fact, these five instances demonstrate that not everything is smooth sailing when it comes to generating excitement for live-action Disney retellings. Movies such as some that were even made before Alice in Wonderland serve as reminders of this reality.
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Back in 2010, the live-action adaptation of “Alice in Wonderland” catapulted Disney’s aspirations for live-action cinema to unprecedented heights with a staggering global gross of $1.025 billion. Fast forward six years, and its sequel, “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” unfortunately didn’t resonate as much with audiences. In its entire run in U.S. cinemas, “Looking Glass” managed to earn only $77.04 million, which is less than what “Alice in Wonderland” made during its opening weekend in North America alone. Globally, the film brought in a meager $299.45 million against a budget of $170 million. The buzz generated by the original had dissipated by the time “Looking Glass” graced our multiplexes. Add to that the controversies surrounding Johnny Depp’s star power following “Wonderland,” and it’s no surprise that “Alice Through the Looking Glass” underperformed when it was released in 2016.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
As a movie enthusiast, I found myself watching “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” a film inspired by the classic Disney segment from Fantasia. Regrettably, this magical adventure failed to resonate with audiences on the same scale as desired by Disney executives, grossing merely $215.28 million against a production budget of a whopping $150 million. The film, starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Jon Turteltaub, aimed to replicate the success of National Treasure, but it seemed audiences preferred their family-friendly magic with less wizard duels and more Hogwarts-related tales. Adding to its challenges, it went head-to-head with popular summer 2010 releases like Despicable Me and Toy Story 3.
Dumbo
Restating the information: When Disney revisits animated films produced before 1960, their box office earnings tend to be considerably lower than those of more recent titles such as Aladdin and The Lion King. While a film like Cinderella can manage with a modest budget, movies like Dumbo, which had a production cost of $170 million, struggle to recover their costs. For instance, Dumbo earned a global total of $353.28 million, far below expectations given its talented team and extensive promotional efforts. This might be why the Pinocchio remake was later released on Disney+.
102 Dalmatians
Live-action Disney adaptations often find success initially, as seen with movies like “Alice in Wonderland” and “Maleficent”. However, audiences don’t usually show the same enthusiasm for sequels to these reimagined stories. It seems that once we see animated characters transition into reality, it loses some of its charm after one film. This trend was even present a decade before “Alice in Wonderland” was released. For instance, the 1996 hit “101 Dalmatians” spawned a sequel, “102 Dalmatians”, on Thanksgiving 2000. Unfortunately, this sequel earned less than half of its predecessor’s domestic box office and managed to gross only $183.6 million worldwide. Despite the charm of the dalmatians and Glenn Close’s portrayal of Cruella De Vil, it didn’t spark a new live-action franchise for Disney.
Mulan
Originally slated for a late March 2020 release as a major event film, Mulan was eventually launched in North America and most international territories over Labor Day weekend 2020 as a premium video on demand title through the Disney+ Premium Access program during COVID-19. In select countries, including China, it played in theaters, earning a total of $69.9 million. Although the exact PVOD revenue hasn’t been disclosed, estimates suggest it could have raked in as much as $93 million in rental fees. Combined, these two figures fell far short of Mulan’s $200 million production budget. Notably, Disney has not replicated Mulan’s questionable release strategy for any other expensive remake since Cruella in May 2021, which was screened in theaters worldwide.
Mulan is now streaming on Disney+.
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2025-03-23 20:12