Animation is the one screen medium that allows an artist to unlock the most potential out of the story they want to tell, which begs the question of why anyone would want to bother trying to reinterpret a great animated movie or TV show for live-action?
Well, we cannot deny it is amusing to see classic animated TV shows and films recreated in a more realistic light, and many have pulled off the task to surprising esteem. The following are some of the most acclaimed and noteworthy examples and, as you might have guessed, there are a few live-action Disney animated movie remakes included.
The Jungle Book (2016)
OK, we realize that we are technically cheating by including director Jon Favreau‘s The Jungle Book because one of the few elements not created with CGI is Mowgli actor Neel Sethi. However, the film recreates Disney’s 1967 adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s seminal stories with Academy Award-winning visual effects so astonishingly vivid that you would not be able to tell the difference.
Transformers (2007)
Released in tandem with Hasbro’s popular toy line was the hit animated series Transformers, which was first spun off to the big screen in a 1986 feature starring Orson Welles. More than three decades later, director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg would help increase the shapeshifting robots’ notoriety with a live-action blockbuster that spawned a long-running franchise.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird first introduced the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1984 with their Mirage Studios comic book series that was later adapted into a toy line and tie-in animated series just three years later. Only three years after that, fans got to see what Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo would look like in the real world in a film that depicts the pizza-chomping urban warriors more accurately than the 2014 reboot.
Paddington 2 (2017)
Author Michael Bond’s beloved adventures of a marmalade-slurping, Peruvian bear named after a London train station inspired a popular English animated series in the 1970s. While the character was first adapted for live-action cinema in 2014 with Paul King’s well-received film, it is the first sequel, Paddington 2, that especially welcomed the bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) into the hearts of movie lovers of all ages.
The Little Mermaid (2023)
The most famous adaptation of Danish author Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale, The Little Mermaid, is Disney’s acclaimed 1989 classic that many audiences thought should be left untouched. However, Halle Bailey‘s impassioned performance as Ariel and her unbelievable singing talent make director Rob Marshall’s live-action take a must-see.
Attack On Titan (2015)
Hajime Isayama’s manga depicting a war between humans and giant, man-eating humanoids was made into one of the most popular and acclaimed Japanese anime TV shows of its time, Attack on Titan. Toho would release a two-part feature adaptation that was criticized by fans for the way it deviated from the source material but impressed general film critics with its exciting B-movie-style action and bizarre creature designs.
101 Dalmatians (1996)
Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians was first adapted into an instant animated classic in 1961, featuring Betty Lou Gerson as the voice of Cruella de Vil – a villain who seemed too uproarious for a live-action setting. That was until Glenn Close stepped into the role, giving a pitch-perfect performance as the ruthless fashionista in director Steven Herek’s fun reboot.
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)
When Pokémon: Detective Pikachu was first announced, fans of the trading card game/video game/animated TV show questioned why the franchise’s first live-action installment, of all the potential choices, would be based on a game that makes the lightning-spewing creature a talking mystery solver. However, with Ryan Reynolds voicing the adorable title hero, an impressive Justice Smith as his human companion, and a witty script, Rob Letterman’s film was heralded as one of the best video game movies ever made.
George Of The Jungle (1997)
A movie you might not have known was based on a TV show is George of the Jungle, which was originally an animated series that ran for only 17 episodes in 1967. Future Academy Award winner Brendan Fraser’s performance in the title role would make Disney’s hilariously meta live-action feature nearly as iconic as the character it was poking fun at: Tarzan.
Cinderella (2015)
Most audiences would immediately become convinced that Disney really was on to something when it released the live-action version of its animated, 1950 adaptation of the seminal fairytale, Cinderella. Directed by Kenneth Branagh and led by an extraordinary Lily James, the reinterpretation would redefine the titular princess as a strong, independent role model and the story itself as a touching romance worth buying into.
One Piece (2023)
Netflix has released live-action iterations of a few popular anime series and one of the more successful is developers Matt Owens and Steven Maeda’s TV show, One Piece. Originally based on a manga by writer and illustrator Eiichiro Oda, the animated series adaptation premiered in 1999 and followed the adventures of a pirate crew searching for mystical treasure.
Scooby-Doo (2002)
There is probably not a single person who disagrees that none of the live-action adaptations of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? have surpassed the beloved Hanna-Barbera cartoon. However, the generation that grew up with the James Gunn-penned reboot, simply titled Scooby-Doo, regards the film as a classic that boasts some spot-on casting for the Mystery Inc. crew, especially Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, even if Scooby’s CGI animation is a little dated.
The Flintstones (1994)
Executive producer Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the Hanna-Barbera favorite, The Flintstones, starring John Goodman as Fred and Rick Moranis as Barney Rubble, was not met with the most positive reviews, particularly for its tepid humor and adult-oriented storylines. However, the city of Bedrock reimagined for a live-action setting is truly a wonder to behold.
Office Space (1999)
There are two different types of fans of Mike Judge’s filmography: those who love his animated efforts, such as Beavis and Butt-Head, and those who admire his live-action titles, such as Silicon Valley. Well, fans of Office Space might be surprised to learn that their love for the film, technically, makes them a fan of both since the cult-favorite corporate satire is based on a series of short films Judge created called Milton.
Mulan (2020)
Mulan is a modern Disney classic way ahead of its time that some might call a movie that did not need a reboot, especially with the exclusion of its famous musical numbers and the mystical lizard sidekick, Mushu (Eddie Murphy). However, Yifei Liu is wonderful in the title role of a Chinese woman posing as a male imperial soldier to save her father’s life and the action is beautifully choreographed.
Speed Racer (2008)
Originally a Japanese manga that became an international pop culture phenomenon as an anime series, Speed Racer was later adapted by Lana and Lily Wachowski into a live-action film starring Emile Hirsch as the ambitious titular driver. The brightly colored, CGI-heavy film was divisive upon release, but has since been widely reevaluated as an underrated cult favorite.
Casper (1995)
Casper made his debut in a series of Paramount-produced animated shorts called The Friendly Ghost before the spirited spirit became an official property of Harvey Comics and went on to star in multiple hit animated series. He would return to cinema in a fun entry-level ghost story, starring Christina Ricci and Bill Pullman, that became the first live-action film to feature a central character who is created entirely with CGI.
Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)
Established Disney favorites Chip and Dale became the stars of their own adventure series, called Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers, in the late 1980s. The anthropomorphic chipmunks would later be voiced by Andy Samberg and John Mulaney in a feature film of the same name that premiered on Disney+ to wide acclaim from both critics and audiences.
Cruella (2021)
Disney had already released two live-action installments to the 101 Dalmatians franchise by the time the company announced director Craig Gillespie’s spin-off, Cruella. However, it proved to be a worthy entry thanks to a lead performance by Academy Award winner Emma Stone that would forever change the way audiences saw the typically ruthless villain.
Dora And The Lost City Of Gold (2019)
Nick Jr. introduced a hero who would bring young viewers along with her on her many adventures in the animated series, Dora the Explorer, which originally premiered in 2000. Isabela Merced played a teenage version of the character in the theatrically released live-action feature, Dora and the Lost City of Gold, which also stars Danny Trejo as the voice of her monkey sidekick, Boots.
Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2005)
In 1996, Space Jam brought the real-life basketball champion Michael Jordan into the world of Bugs Bunny and his furry friends. Roughly a decade later, Joe Dante’s spiritual sequel Looney Tunes: Back in Action – a globe-trotting espionage adventure with Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, and Steve Martin – would, instead, bring the iconic cartoon characters into our live-action world.
Popeye (1980)
Director Robert Altman could not have picked a better choice than Robin Williams to bring the beloved comic strip character, Popeye, to life in his live-action film, also starring Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl. Williams heavily altered his voice to authentically match the voice of the spinach-chomping sailor, which was originated by voice actor Billy Costello for the character’s original animated adaptations.
Christopher Robin (2018)
Author A. A. Milne’s world-famous bear, Winnie-the-Pooh, actually made his television debut as a puppet in a live-action 1960 episode of Shirley Temple’s Storybook before getting his own beloved animated series later that decade. He and the rest of the animals from the Hundred Acre Wood would return to the medium for Christopher Robin, in which Pooh’s human friend (played by Ewan McGregor) grows up to become someone similar to Robin Williams’ Peter Banning in Hook.
Ben 10: Race Against Time (2007)
The Cartoon Network original series Ben 10 is about a boy who discovers a device that, when placed on his wrist, can turn him into several different extra-terrestrial species. Two years after it premiered, the channel aired a live-action feature spin-off from director Alex Winter called Ben 10: Race Against Time, starring Graham Phillips in the title role. It was followed by 2009’s Ben 10: Alien Swarm, which stars Ryan Kelley as an older Ben.
Aladdin (2019)
One of the most beloved animated movies from Disney’s “Renaissance Era” in the ’90s is Aladdin, which follows a poor, young Arab man (voiced by Scott Weinger) whose luck begins to change when he befriends a genie (voiced by Robin Williams). Guy Ritchie helmed a live-action retelling starring Mena Massoud in the title role and Naomi Scott as Jasmine, which proved to be a career milestone at the box office for Will Smith, who played Genie.
Madeline (1998)
The first adaptation of Ludwig Bemelmans’ Madeline books, which center on a witty, mischievous young girl at a Catholic boarding school in 1950s France, was in a 1960 episode of The Shirley Temple Show. After the books were adapted into a popular animated series in the late ’80s and early ’90s, a live-action feature was released to theaters, starring Hatty Jones in her debut role as the title character and Oscar winner Frances McDormand as Miss Clavel.
Beauty And The Beast (2017)
Author Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve’s “tale as old as time” has been adapted and reinterpreted into countless variations, with few as famous and esteemed as 1991’s Beauty and the Beast from Disney. The company would revive the Oscar winner with a live-action feature starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast.
Masters Of The Universe (1987)
Some audiences consider the live-action Masters of the Universe film, starring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and Frank Langella as Skeletor, to be one of the worst movies based on a toy. However, it is a fun cult favorite in the eyes of those who grew up with the tie-in animated series about a prince using his mystical abilities to defend his kingdom.
Mr. Magoo (1997)
Mr. Magoo, an elderly millionaire who often finds himself in uproarious situations due to his extreme near-sightedness, entertained audiences with his animated short films and various iterations of his TV show for decades before Disney adapted the character for live-action. Admittedly, the best reason to check out the film is to watch the great Leslie Nielsen work his comedy magic.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010)
The original Sorcerer’s Apprentice was a short film that appeared in Disney’s 1940 animated anthology movie, Fantasia, in which Mickey Mouse’s character uses his boss’ mystical hat to create an army of sentient brooms. Director Jon Turtletaub expands upon the concept and redefines it as a Harry Potter-esque adventure starring Nicolas Cage as a wizard living in modern-day New York City who takes Jay Baruchel’s character under his wing.
Dudley Do-Right (1999)
Dudley Do-Right first appeared as a segment on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show in the late 1950s before becoming the star of his own animated series the following decade. Brendan Fraser does his best to do for the heroic Canadian Mountie what he did for George of the Jungle in director Hugh Wilson’s live-action feature.
Æon Flux (2005)
Director Karyn Kusama’s Charlize Theron-led thriller, Æon Flux, is not a very beloved film by itself. However, seeing the eye-popping, dystopian visuals from the original MTV animated series brought to life for a live-action setting is quite remarkable.