Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson returns to the big screen this week in the live-action version of Moana. The former wrestler plays demigod Maui, reprising his role from the 2016 animated original. The magical adventure, set in ancient Polynesia, is the latest in Disney's lucrative series of live-action adaptations.
Disney's First Live Action Remake
Disney's first live-action remake was Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (1994). It used real animals—including monkeys, camels, and wolves—but unlike the animated version, they did not speak or sing. The film earned a respectable $70 million (£52 million) against a $30 million (£22 million) budget.
Animatronic Success: 101 Dalmatians
The animatronic puppies in 101 Dalmatians (1996) fared much better at the box office, grossing $321 million (£240 million) on a $67 million (£50 million) budget. Starring Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil and Jeff Daniels as Roger Dearly, it became one of the year's biggest films.
Explosion of Live Action in 2016
The live-action trend exploded in 2016 with Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, a billion-dollar smash hit. Starring Mia Wasikowska as Alice and Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, it earned $1.025 billion (£766 million) on a $200 million (£150 million) budget. Since then, 21 more remakes have been released, with six in production.
Critically Acclaimed and Top Grossing Remakes
According to critics, the best Disney remake is The Jungle Book (2016), with a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, The Lion King (2019) is the most financially successful, grossing $1.7 billion (£1.2 billion). Second place is Beauty and the Beast (2017) with $1.3 billion (£947 million), followed by Aladdin (2019) at $1.1 billion (£768 million).
Stars Reprising Roles
Johnson is not the only actor to reprise an animated role in live action. James Earl Jones voiced Mufasa in both versions of The Lion King, and Frank Welker returned as the voices of Abu, Rajah, and the Cave of Wonders in the 2019 Aladdin remake.
Criticism of the Trend
Not everyone supports the live-action trend. Chris Sanders, co-writer of Lilo and Stitch (2002), voiced Stitch in the 2025 remake, but his writing partner Dean DeBlois declined involvement, saying: “I’d rather see something original.”
Snow White Flop
The 2025 Snow White suffered a devastating loss of $170 million (£127 million) for Disney. Critics blamed “remake fatigue,” “woke” casting choices—such as using CGI characters instead of dwarf actors—and off-screen conflict between stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. A planned Tangled remake was briefly shelved during the backlash but is now back in production.
