Disney has made it a regular habit of producing live-action remakes from their animated works. On their docket fans can find Pinocchio dropping on Disney+ in September with another live-action adaptation of Peter Pan & Wendy to follow.
The world-renowned company has had many successful animated pictures, but they aren’t the only ones. Many studios have created entertaining animated tales that, if done well, can serve the audience and the box office. They’re stories of princesses and vampires, science fiction and fantasy, and they all have something to offer the big screen.
Hotel Transylvania
There are now four of these films to date. Its initial story circulated around Dracula and his mission to protect the world of monsters, and most importantly his daughter, from humans.
A live-action adaptation has a lot to offer for a family-friendly audience. Beloved monsters, Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf-man all in one film would be a sight to see. With a proper mix of practical effects and CGI, and the castle setting it’s a completely feasible project. To make it a stronger consideration, simply tone down the goofy moments and cast a different set of actors for the remake.
Quest for Camelot
Quest for Camelot was released in 1998, giving audiences the story of a young woman’s quest to find King Arthur’s lost sword Excalibur. Unfortunately, it was not well received and is considered to be one of the worst King Arthur films.
That doesn’t mean it can’t be adapted and made better. The story itself is sound, and there’s nothing wrong with the setting of the film. Medieval England for an adventure film is a solid foundation. Nix the singing two-headed dragon and add more scenes featuring the knights of the round table.
The Swan Princess
The series started in 1994 and has pumped out eight other films since. Without any doubt, not all deserve that leap to live-action representation. The first, centering around Derek and Odette’s love story from childhood to adulthood, is the only one.
It has all the elements that any other princess-centric story has to make it a family fun adventure. It’s set in a faraway land, it has great songs for actors to sing, and a cast of likable characters. Lend Odette a storyline that is a little less damsel in distress and a little more can do, ingenuity like was done for Belle in Beauty and the Beast and it’s a winner.
The Secret of the Kells
With stunning animation and a beautifully told story, The Secret of the was well received by many. The main character Brendan is a young boy living in a monastery with his Viking-fearing uncle. Brendan learns of a monk working on a book that can turn dark to light. It spirals into an adventure fantasy story wrapped in Celtic mythology.
There’s a deeply rich cultural history in this story. Converting it into live-action is a risk considering it is already one of the best Irish movies. With that being said, compounding on its popularity with a live-action film could do even more for the original. The picture would need to be filmed in Ireland by a director who understands the importance of the country’s history.
Titan A.E.
Titan A.E. is a one-of-a-kind animated adventure. The movie blended two styles of animation, traditional and CGI, giving it a look like none other. The post-apocalyptic setting of Earth’s destruction and the idea of aliens reigning supreme is a much more meaty concept than other animation films.
It’s true, the movie was a sci-fi bomb at its release. Still, as far as a science fiction piece of material, it already possesses several key elements for a good story. Put in the right hands of a director and studio who understands the balance between practical and CGI effects, and it will be successful with audiences.
Anastasia
This princess film focused its attention on a real-life figure, the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna. It’s a journey of her character remembering her past, and more importantly, figuring out who she wants to be.
A reproduction of this story would certainly have its difficulties, but the musical adaptation was met with mainly positive reviews. A balance would need to be struck when retelling accurate history and mixing it with the fantasy elements implemented by lead villain Rasputin. Putting that to the wayside, there’s a slew of great relationships, and scenery to offer an audience. The juxtaposition of Anastasia’s past life of ball gowns and ballrooms with her current situation would feature well in a live-action adaptation.
Ferngully: The Last Rainforest
This movie was adapted from a children’s book by Diana Young. It told the story of fairies living in a rainforest, determined to keep it safe from humankind’s destruction of their homeland.
Ferngully would have its challenges in being adapted to live-action, but it would be worth it. If the fairies were fashioned the same as Julia Robert’s role as Tinkerbell in Hook, the look would withstand time. What would be more impressive is the possibility of the villain Nexxus coming to screen. He’s a terrifyingly dark entity able to morph his body at will. Some excellent CGI would make him a memorable villain for years to come.
The Road to El Dorado
This Dreamworks production was a wild romp with lead characters Miguel and Tulio on their mission to find the city of El Dorado. It had all the elements of an excellent movie animated or not, with genuinely funny moments, a great villain, and an excellent soundtrack.
There’s not much that needs to be changed to make this live adaptation a strong action-adventure film. The plot and character establishment are already existent. Strong casting, as the voice actors are no longer a proper fit, and shooting on location versus a CGI-based set and it’s a shoo-in for a great blockbuster.
Iron Giant
The Iron Giant is one of the animated movies that have a lot of fanfare, and for good reason. It’s a unique story and it was superbly told through excellent animation and casting. Young Hogarth stumbled upon a giant robot in the woods. The pair meet and form a tight-knit bond while the United States government strives to destroy it.
The execution in creating the Iron Giant itself is key. Its screen time takes up so much of the film it’s paramount that it looks aesthetically correct for fans. As some movies have proven their use with good CGI and model building, the technology and craftsmanship of designers and artists are certainly and finally up to the task.
How to Train Your Dragon
Talk to anyone about non-Disney animated films, and this is sure to come up in conversation. How To Train Your Dragon was a huge success. Audiences couldn’t get enough of Hiccup learning about dragons and becoming so close to the fan-favorite, Toothless.
There are a wealth of dragon movies out there but none have the personality of this Night Fury. Creating a living breathing dragon in the name of this creature would have fans rushing back to the theater. Not to downplay the importance of Berk and the rich Vikings that live there. This movie has everything working for it. All it needs is a solid cast and a director, and it will surely take off.
