A Complete Rundown of Every Live-Action Disney Princess Movie
From glass slippers to poison apples, live-action remakes bring our favorite Disney princesses to life
Since growing up with the beloved animated princesses, Disney has been releasing its own reinterpretations of the tales, live-action films that bring the fun and whimsy of each magical world into real life. Whether it's the intricate costumes to the setting to the dance numbers to the modern yet nostalgic perspectives, there's so much to love about Disney's live-action remakes.
From 2014's Maleficent which retold the tale of Sleeping Beauty from the side of the evil fairy to Disney's newest film that will bring the first-ever animated princess, Snow White, to life in 2024, it seems like almost every classic queen is getting the live-action treatment. So, take a stroll down memory lane and keep scrolling to see every live-action Disney princess movie.
Snow White (2024)
The upcoming live-action Disney princess movie, Snow White, has already caused quite the stir despite nothing as much as a trailer to indicate what's to come. Rachel Zegler will star as Snow White, the beautiful princess banished from her kingdom who meets a team of seven dwarves. The actress received backlash online for her thoughts on reimaging the tale to swap out the helpless princess in favor of one who becomes a leader, with some even calling for the cancellation of the movie. Gal Gadot has also been tapped in for the live-action, taking on the role of the Evil Queen. As of now, the movie is scheduled for release in March 2024, although it is unknown if the strikes will cause any delays.
The Little Mermaid (2023)
The most recent addition to the roster, The Little Mermaid reimagines Ariel's underwater kingdom and her journey of finding her footing (quite literally) and her true love. In spite of the racist backlash, Halle Bailey dazzles as the titular mermaid in her first major film role, with many celebrating the casting of a Black actress for the princess. Other classic characters join Ariel in her journey, like King Triton (Javier Bardem), Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King), and Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), making for so much fun under the sea.
Mulan (2020)
Mulan had a bit of a hard time after its theatrical release was canceled due to the pandemic. Still, the remake of the beloved classic plays with the magic and setting of the original in a visually stunning film. Yifei Liu stars as Mulan, a rebellious daughter who pretends to be her injured father by joining the imperial army and defending her country. The movie, though, disappointed fans by not including the iconic songs and taking out characters like Mushu the dragon and Mulan's love interest, Li Shang. Yet, the costumes and fight scenes make the film worth watching.
Aladdin (2019)
Taking it to the streets of the Arabian city of Agrabah, Aladdin finds himself discovering a magic lamp, falling in love with Princess Jasmine, and battling the wicked sorcerer Jafar. Clearly, Aladdin has plenty of color and whimsy to draw on for a live-action film. With breakout stars like Mena Massoud as Aladdin and Naomi Scott as Jasmine, the movie features stunning visuals of dance numbers and magic carpets as well as vibrant costumes. And, what's Aladdin without his genie, played with so much humor by Will Smith.
Beauty And The Beast (2017)
Emma Watson was born to play a Disney princess. The actress brings so much heart to Belle, the bookish villager who becomes a prisoner in a beastly creature's castle but soon falls in love with him. While it may seem hard to bring The Beauty And The Beast and the castle of living furniture to life, the live-action manages to look stunning and intricate. This version of the classic introduces new songs like "Evermore" and adds more backstory to the characters, making fresh a tale as old as time.
Cinderella (2015)
There are so many memorable things about the Cinderalla live-action movie. There's the stellar performances from the cast of Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, and more. Then there's the beautiful visuals like Cinderella's blue dress at the ball. The live-action film stays memorable in a sea of other Cinderella adaptations, telling the story of a young girl at the mercy of her evil stepmother after her father passes away. She goes to the ball, leaves her glass slipper, and falls in love with the prince all before the clock strikes midnight.
Maleficent (2014)
Disney's first live-action princess movie actually takes on a different perspective. Maleficent tells the story of Sleeping Beauty and Princess Aurora through the perspective of the evil fairy, who feels betrayed by the palace yet comes to love the young princess as she grows up. Angelina Jolie plays Maleficent with so much intrigue, and accompanied by Elle Fanning's Aurora, she completely transforms the main antagonist into a compelling character. The movie set up the live-action Disney princess movies to come, and its sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, was released in 2019.