From unnecessary CGI adaptations to bizarre horror reimaginings, these live-action remakes have left fans scratching their heads. Join us as we explore the most questionable attempts to bring beloved animated classics to life, featuring both released films and upcoming projects that nobody demanded.
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00:00Wait, wait!
00:02It's a human!
00:03What did you think I was?
00:04Nothing, ghost!
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most unnecessary live-action remakes and reimaginings of beloved animated movies.
00:26Number 10. How to train your dragon
00:29It's not that the trailer doesn't look promising.
00:32It's just that the original was a masterclass on powerful storytelling, stunning visuals, awe-inspiring animation, and exemplary voice acting.
00:40Dragon training. You start in the morning.
00:43Oh, man, I should have gone first.
00:45Because I was thinking, you know, we have a surplus of dragon-fighting vikings, but do we have enough bread-making vikings or small home-repair vikings?
00:55You'll need this.
00:56There's so much life in the trilogy, but especially in the introductory movie, as we're brought into the world and get to know the characters.
01:04I'm through with the lies. I've been making outfits.
01:08So, you got me. It's time everyone knew. Drag me back. Go ahead. Here we go.
01:13Ow! Why would you do that?
01:15While it helps that original co-director Dean DeBlois is at the helm of the remake, we still have doubts about the film's ability to replicate the same magic through live-action.
01:25From trailers, it seems to be a nearly shot-for-shot remake.
01:29And so soon after the animated trilogy's release, we think the remake could have benefited from a little or a lot of breathing room.
01:38That's my fault. Yeah, yeah, I'm on it.
01:42Number nine, Moana.
01:44We are so excited and happy to announce that a live-action reimagining of Moana is in the works.
01:52This is another case of why.
01:54Even the animated sequel was met with head tilts and furrowed brows, but a live-action reimagining has us straight-up puzzled.
02:022016's Moana was well-received by audiences and critics alike.
02:22It's a moving story with important themes and stellar music, not to mention a worthwhile tribute to Polynesian culture.
02:29But a lot of its charm stems from its animation.
02:33There are Maui's dancing tattoos, the way the sea moves to express itself, Tamatoa the giant crab.
02:39Are you just trying to get me to talk about myself?
02:44Because if you are, I will gladly do so.
02:48It'll likely be difficult to capture the essence of it all without the boundaries that animation can push,
02:53which is probably why there wasn't really a lot of demand for a live-action retelling.
02:59Are you afraid of it?
03:02No, no, I'm not afraid.
03:08Number eight, Aladdin.
03:10Every day I just think things will be different, but it never seems to change.
03:151992's Aladdin is a childhood movie treasured by so many.
03:20Thank you, kind sir. I'm so glad you found her.
03:23I've been looking all over for you.
03:25What are you doing?
03:26Just play along.
03:27It's one tons of us watched on repeat growing up, and we felt a little more in love with it every time.
03:33There's something so real about the characters, most notably Aladdin.
03:37His personality is made apparent within minutes of knowing him, and it's all thanks to the phenomenal animation and voice work.
03:44But Genie, she's smart, and fun, and...
03:48Pretty?
03:49Beautiful!
03:50She's got these eyes that just... and this hair!
03:54Wow, and her smile!
03:56Scott Wenger brought so much warmth and endearingness to his character,
04:00and the animation team absolutely understood the assignment.
04:04Between the fantastical elements like magic carpet rides and the song that won Disney countless awards,
04:10Aladdin is up there with the untouchables.
04:12I can show you the world.
04:15Shining, shimmering, splendid.
04:19Which is why it's so surprising that Disney touched it.
04:23Number seven, Lilo and Stitch.
04:26That's a dog.
04:29Mmm.
04:30Yeah.
04:31Ruff.
04:32Another nostalgic classic, Lilo and Stitch is a comfort film for so many.
04:37There's something really warm about the vibe of the setting and the way it was crafted.
04:42Wanna listen to the king?
04:45You look like an Elvis fan.
04:48Oftentimes, live-action versions lose that special something,
04:52so it's unsurprising that there weren't any rallies for a retelling of this beloved story.
04:58Plus, Lilo and Stitch are both two very fleshed-out, distinct characters.
05:03You promised not to fight anymore.
05:06I promise not to yell at you.
05:08Except on special occasions.
05:11Tuesdays and bank holidays would be good.
05:14It would be challenging for any actor Lilo's age to capture her essence.
05:19And as for Stitch, why bother with live-action if it requires so much CGI?
05:24Maybe send me an angel.
05:27The nicest angel you have.
05:32Roots up.
05:33Tabaga.
05:35As we'll see in many entries on this list, that's quite a frequent theme with remakes.
05:44Directed by Tim Burton?
05:45Good.
05:46An expansion on the original storyline?
05:48Also good.
05:49A remake that relies heavily on CGI?
05:52Less good.
05:57One can do a lot with the original source material, seeing as it was put out so long ago.
06:03It really wouldn't have been a bad idea to craft a new iteration of the story
06:08to give it a general facelift or tell the narrative from a different angle.
06:21Dumbo in a Tim Burton-style animation could have been a huge opportunity to put out something innovative.
06:27A stylistically distinct take on a classic.
06:30No one really asked for it, but if we're going to get it, it didn't seem like the worst idea.
06:36Unfortunately in execution, we lost the original's emotional charm
06:41and traded it for a plot that felt overstuffed and deviated substantially from its main character.
06:50Let me guess.
06:51Left in a box by the side of the road?
06:53You know what? I've heard it before, so beat it.
06:55You gotta earn your lunch.
06:56This wasn't necessarily a bad adaptation.
06:59They used real dogs, which was a welcome alternative to the fully CGI route they could have taken.
07:05But there just wasn't a lot of buzz for it.
07:08Hey!
07:09I own this alley.
07:11Oh, hi.
07:13At least you don't live here.
07:14I also live here.
07:16This was a streaming exclusive release, meaning it never made it to theaters.
07:20And Disney didn't do a ton to promote it.
07:23Joe Butch says he wants two spaghetti specials.
07:26And heavy on the meatballs.
07:30There's also the fact that while Lady and the Tramp is a classic Disney staple,
07:34it doesn't have quite the same fan base as other adored childhood favorites.
07:39So no one was really eagerly waiting around for this one.
07:43Number 4. Pinocchio
07:54Pinocchio was dark and problematic enough
07:56that they would have probably been better to just leave well enough alone.
08:00The whole puppet thing doesn't really translate well to live action either.
08:04When do I become a real, real live living boy?
08:07Because it sounds like that's what will make my father happy.
08:10This is another movie that suffered from being a Disney Plus exclusive with an underwhelming amount of hype.
08:16To make matters worse, the retelling lost its magic of the original
08:20and resorted to tired, formulaic beats.
08:23Even with its new elements and changes.
08:25What resulted was an ultimately forgettable adaptation
08:29no one was really looking forward to in the first place.
08:32Even Tom Hanks and Cynthia Erivo couldn't save it.
08:52Number 3. The Lion King
08:55A shot for shot remake without a lick of what made the original so adored?
09:10Of course audiences weren't really gunning for an entirely photorealistic CGI version of The Lion King.
09:16But its release still gained a good amount of traction.
09:19It benefited mostly from hitting theaters at a time
09:22when audiences weren't quite so disillusioned with retellings just yet.
09:34Ultimately though, the adaptation left something to be desired.
09:38It was dull in color, emotion and innovation
09:41and deemed a less expressive, weaker copy of the 1994 original.
09:46Even less needed was the 2024 sequel Mufasa The Lion King.
09:51Number 2. Snow White
10:02Forget remakes no one asked for.
10:04This is one people begged the company not to make.
10:07For one, it's wildly believed that Walt Disney himself would have opposed it.
10:12He considered Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs a standalone and a timeless masterpiece.
10:18In fact, he even cancelled a sequel before it could enter production.
10:22Ultimately maintaining that it was a perfectly complete story.
10:26Here it is.
10:28The victim of the sleeping death can be revived only by love's first kiss.
10:37Love's first kiss.
10:40Ah!
10:42No fear of that.
10:44If that wasn't enough of a reason to hold back,
10:46even before Snow White's release, the remake faced widespread criticism for a variety of reasons.
10:52From casting choices to personality changes,
10:55fans deemed this movie a mutilation of Walt's original work before it was ever even released.
11:14Wait, wait.
11:15It's a human.
11:16What did you think I was?
11:17Nothing, girl.
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11:41We've been going on about a lack of originality in these live-action remakes,
11:45but this is an adaptation that might actually have the opposite problem.
11:55It's not working too well.
11:57It's safe to say nobody predicted this kind of reimagining would ever make it to the big screen.
12:03Directed and written by Reese Frake-Waterfield,
12:06it's the first film to explore a horror version of the classic characters,
12:10following a surge of interest in dark adaptations of familiar childhood stories.
12:15While the idea is a bizarre and unconventional take,
12:19the response was better than you might have expected.
12:22Then winter arrived.
12:25The nights were deathly cold with the land barren and completely devoid of food.
12:30Some did feel it was too over the top,
12:33but Blood and Honey was also praised for its novelty in certain sectors
12:37and quickly amassed a cult following.
12:40Which live-action remake are you upset about?
12:42Rant about it in the comments.
12:44I'm Hua Jin, soldier in the Emperor's Imperial Army.
12:48Do you agree with our picks?
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