Disney is recreating its classic animated movies in live-action, allowing new audiences to experience the magic and longtime fans to see their favorite characters brought to life in a new manner. Among Disney’s most exciting remakes are the ones that bring its beloved and iconic princesses back to the big screen.
Viewers interested in catching their favorite princesses in live-action can use our guide to find out where to watch all of Disney’s princess movie live-action remakes on platforms like Disney+, Hulu, and more! The live-action remakes are ranked from the best based on film quality.
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Beauty and the Beast is a live-action remake of Disney’s 1991 animated film of the same name. The film follows Belle (Emma Watson), the devoted daughter of Maurice (Kevin Kline), who agrees to take her father’s place as a prisoner in the Beast’s (Dan Stevens) castle. During her stay, she realizes there may be more to the Beast than meets the eye. Beauty and the Beast, above all, is a gorgeous film with dazzling costumes, sets, and grandeur that truly transports viewers into the fairy tale. It does justice to the source material while imbuing the remake with its own sense of enchantment.
Cinderella (2015)
Cinderella is Kenneth Branagh’s remake of the 1950 animated film of the same name. The film centers on Cinderella (Lily James), a young woman forced to be a servant by her evil stepmother, Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett), after her father’s death. However, her life changes after a chance meeting with soon-to-be-king Prince Kit (Richard Madden). Like Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella is a dazzling spectacle with stunning costumes and visuals. It sticks close to the original, allowing it to capitalize on the old-fashioned charm and nostalgia of the story. However, its straightforward adaptation strategy leaves it lacking some of the personality and energy of the original.
The Little Mermaid (2023)
The Little Mermaid tells the tale of Ariel (Halle Bailey), a mermaid princess fascinated by the world on land. She’s so determined to live on land that she accepts a deal with Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), trading her voice for three days on land to find “true love's kiss,” unaware it’s part of the sea witch’s scheme to grasp power over the Seven Seas. The Little Mermaid is a riveting deep-sea adventure with top-notch performances and voice acting across the board. It pays tribute to the 1989 original while updating some outdated aspects, though the CGI struggles to bring the underwater world to life convincingly.
Mulan (2020)
Mulan follows Hua Mulan (Yifei Liu), a free-spirited and independent woman with little interest in marriage, much to the chagrin of her parents. When imperial soldiers force her elderly father to join the military since he is the only male in his family, Mulan disguises herself as a man to serve in his place. Mulan is a visually pleasing and action-packed film that amplifies the 1998 original movie’s powerful message on gender roles. However, it does deviate far from the original, such as excluding Mushu and erasing the musical aspect. While some viewers may enjoy the refreshing feeling of the movie, others may wish it felt more like a Disney movie.
Maleficent (2014)
Maleficent is a re-imagining of Disney’s 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty, which tells the story of Maleficent's (Angelina Jolie) origins. In the movie, Maleficent is a good fairy who is fiercely protective of Moor, the magical realm where she lives. However, when a human man betrays her, she embarks on a years-long vengeance mission targeting his daughter, Aurora (Elle Fanning). Maleficent shines as a feminist revision of Sleeping Beauty, elevated by the mesmerizing performance of Jolie. At the same time, many viewers will question if one of the most terrifying, iconic female villains from Disney’s past was the right subject for this drastic reimagining.
Snow White (2025)
Snow White is a remake of Disney’s 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It follows Snow White (Rachel Zegler), a princess determined to restore her kingdom to the prosperity and happiness it enjoyed before the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot) took over. Along her journey, Snow White teams up with seven dwarves and rebel Jonathan (Andrew Burnap). Snow White effectively modernizes the original, turning it into a lighthearted, empowering film about a young woman saving her kingdom. At the same time, it’s not the most creative reimagining, and the CGI can sometimes be unsettling, making Snow White a lighthearted, enjoyable, but relatively standard fairy tale movie.
Aladdin (2019)
Aladdin tells the tale of Aladdin (Mena Massoud), a street urchin who begins a forbidden romance with Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott), whose parents expect her to marry royalty. In his desperation to impress Jasmine, Aladdin agrees to Jafar’s (Marwan Kenzari) scheme to retrieve a lamp with a Genie (Will Smith) that can grant three wishes. Aladdin is an entertaining remake, with director Guy Ritchie opting for a straightforward adaptation elevated by exciting visuals and dance sequences. However, the original 1992 movie was already so well-made and impeccably cast that the remake feels a tad unnecessary and falters when trying to replicate the masterful performances of Robin Williams and Jonathan Freeman.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)
Maleficient: Mistress of Evil is also inspired by Sleeping Beauty and serves as the sequel to Maleficent. The movie follows Maleficent, who finds the Moor threatened once more. This time, the threat comes from the greedy Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer), Aurora’s mother-in-law. Like the first movie, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is visually dazzling, dark, and action-filled. However, its story is considerably less developed and profound than the first, making maintaining its pace and viewers’ interest challenging.
Where to watch Disney princess live-action movies streaming online
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