A perfect тιтle attracts moviegoers, which is why it’s common practice for movies and TV shows made by companies such as Disney

to use working тιтles before finalizing the one that will be used for the release. A bad movie тιтle that alienates audiences can have a significant impact on box office earnings and thus a film’s success. Factors like marketing, appealing to a broader audience, and properly capturing the essence of the story are important to the process of crafting the perfect movie тιтle.

Ranging from beloved classics films to modern-day box office hits, many of the best Disney films that won the hearts of audiences initially had different тιтles, which were changed to better fit the film as the plot and storylines were planned and developed. Some of Disney’s most beloved and well-known movies had surprising and truly bizarre working тιтles that wouldn’t have done the film justice.

10

Tangled (2010)

Originally тιтled Rapunzel Unbraided

Tangled tells the tale of a young princess with magical long hair who is desperate to leave her isolated tower and explore the world. The animated film is closely based on the well-known fairy tale “Rapunzel” from Grimms’ Fairy Tales. The Disney film was originally set to be called Rapunzel Unbraided, which was later shortened to Rapunzel. However, prior to the film’s release, the тιтle was changed to Tangled instead.

The former president of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Ed Catmull revealed that the тιтle was changed from Rapunzel to Tangled to appeal to a broader audience as potential viewers might ᴀssume that it is a “fairy tale for girls” instead of being a fun and charming film that can be enjoyed and appreciated by everyone. Tangled went on to earn nearly $600 million at the box office, and the success led to a live-action remake of Tangled now in development.

9

The Princess And The Frog (2009)

Originally тιтled The Frog Princess

The groundbreaking and underrated animated classic The Princess and the Frog revolves around the hardworking and dedicated waitress Tiana Rogers (Anika Noni Rose), who aspires to own a restaurant one day. Set in New Orleans during the 1920s, The Princess and the Frog follows Tiana after she kisses Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), who was transformed into a frog by Dr. Facilier (Keith David), and gets turned into a frog herself as well.

The Disney film is inspired by the novel The Frog Princess written by E. D. Baker, and the book’s тιтle was to also be the тιтle of the film until it was changed to The Princess and the Frog. The original тιтle The Frog Princess and elements of the story received criticism, resulting in the name’s alteration to avoid controversy and derogatory language being used.

8

Bolt (2008)

Originally тιтled American Dog

Bolt is another adorable animated adventure film that follows a dog named Bolt, voiced by John Travolta, a canine actor starring in a television series who believes that his TV powers are real and mistakenly embarks on a mission to save his beloved owner Penny with the help of his nonexistent superpowers. The project was initially тιтled American Dog and had a vastly different plot and tone. As significant changes were made to the original story of the film, the тιтle was also changed to the short and snappy Bolt.

The main character’s name was also changed from Henry to Bolt, and the тιтular character’s lightning bolt design became an iconic and easily recognizable symbol. The тιтle Bolt perfectly fits the tone of the adventure-filled movie and the tiny yet energetic and brave dog protagonist’s name encapsulates his personality.

7

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989)

Originally тιтled Teeny Weenies Or The Big Backyard

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is a Disney live-action film that went through several working тιтles before landing on the iconic final one. Despite the word “shrunk” being grammatically incorrect, the film’s name is a well-known and beloved тιтle that gives enough information about the plot and also displays its tone. As evident from the name, the film follows an inventor who accidentally shrinks his children and the neighbor’s children to heights of a quarter of an inch.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids was first тιтled Teeny Weenies, before being changed to Grounded to appeal to a larger and more mature audience. Grounded was then changed to The Big Backyard, before the science-fiction adventure film landed on the final тιтle, Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. The film’s тιтle is based on a hilarious quote from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and eventually became a staple of Disney’s repertoire.

6

The Lion King (1994)

Originally тιтled King Of The Kalahari

The Lion King is one of the most popular and iconic Disney films, and surprisingly, the beloved musical was initially тιтled something vastly different. The coming-of-age comedy-drama movie follows young lion cub Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) who is forced to flee his kingdom after his father King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) is murdered by his uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons). After Simba grows up, he returns as an adult (then voiced by Matthew Broderick) to take down his evil uncle, avenge his father, and lead the kingdom as the king.

The first script of the film was тιтled King of the Kalahari. However, when a new script was drawn up, the film’s тιтle was changed to King of the Beasts, and then King of the Jungle. The final тιтle change saw King of the Jungle being changed to The Lion King, as the film’s setting was changed to a savannah instead of a jungle. The simpler тιтle also better conveys the power of the story, which is about Simba stepping up to save his home.

5

The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

Originally тιтled Kingdom Of The Sun

The film тιтle and plot of The Emperor’s New Groove underwent a drastic transformation. When the cult classic’s development began, it was planned to be a musical epic film тιтled Kingdom of the Sun. During the years in development, it was turned into a lighthearted fantasy comedy film, and the тιтle was changed to Kingdom in the Sun. Later, this тιтle was changed to The Emperor’s New Groove, which better fit the lighthearted nature of the finalized story.

The film was initially set to have a more complex plot that revolved around an emperor and peasant who switched places, and the name change to The Emperor’s New Groove marked the film’s tonal shift towards comedy. The fantasy comedic romp underperformed at the box office, earning $169.5 million. However, many now recognize it as one of the best animated Disney movies.

4

The Princess Diaries (2001)

Originally тιтled The Princess Of Tribeca

The coming-of-age comedy film The Princess Diaries is based on the novel of the same name by Meg Cabot. Yet the film adaption was originally тιтled The Princess of Tribeca. However, once the film’s setting was changed from New York City to San Francisco, the тιтle was changed back to The Princess Diaries. This proved beneficial as Cabot’s young adult novel had a devoted fanbase that would be invested in a film adaption of the popular story.

The new тιтle, The Princess Diaries sparked the attention of the target demographic of young adults. The Princess Diaries also launched Anne Hathaway’s career and was a commercial hit, grossing over $165 million worldwide. Hathaway’s portrayal of Mia Thermopolis, the Princess of Genovia, in her film debut was widely praised and turned the young actor into a household name.

3

Up (2009)

Originally тιтled Heliums

The heartfelt comedy-drama film Up follows an elderly widower Carl Fredricksen, voiced by Ed Asner, who embarks on a mission to travel to Paradise Falls in South America by attaching balloons to the house he and his late wife built and flying it there. The young scout Russell (Jordan Nagai) becomes an accidental stowaway and joins Carl as they travel to Paradise Falls to fulfill his late wife’s wish.

The critically acclaimed film was originally тιтled Heliums, in reference to the thousands of helium-filled balloons that lift Carl and Ellie’s house into the sky. However, the succinct and distinct тιтle Up is perfect for the uplifting film that went on to be nominated for Best Picture. The тιтle Up doesn’t just represent Carl and Ellie’s house’s journey to the sky but also references Carl’s journey of growth and healing following his wife’s death.

2

Frozen (2013)

Originally тιтled The Snow Queen

The iconic Disney blockbuster film Frozen follows Anna (Kristen Bell), the princess of Arendelle, who embarks on a mission to find her estranged sister Elsa (Idina Menzel), the Snow Queen. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen”, Frozen revolves around Elsa and Anna, the former of whom has ice and snow powers that she struggles to control, focusing on the bond between the sisters.

During the film’s lengthy development and then production, it was referred to as The Snow Queen before the тιтle was finalized as Frozen. Frozen follows the trend of Disney тιтles being shortened to one-word names that aren’t simply the name of the main character, similar to Tangled and Up. However, the тιтle Frozen is a strong representation of Elsa and Anna’s stilted sisterly relationship along with Elsa’s magical ice powers, and the transformation of Arendelle into a frozen landscape.

1

WALL-E (2008)

Originally тιтled Trash Planet

The groundbreaking science fiction film WALL-E is set in the future and follows the тιтular robot who roams the inhabitable and deserted Earth in 2805 and cleans up the garbage-ridden planet. With a pet cockroach as his only companion, WALL-E’s life is turned upside down after a futuristic robot named EVE arrives, and he follows her to the starship Axiom. The film was developed under the тιтle of Trash Planet, before being changed to W.A.L.-E, the spelling later changed to WALL-E.

The film is thus named after the endearing and lovable robot protagonist, and while Trash Planet might have been an accurate тιтle, the pessimistic tone could have isolated potential audiences. The choice to тιтle the film after WALL-E was a mᴀssive success, and the critically acclaimed Disney film won a Golden Globe Award, and Academy Award, and earned over $500 million worldwide.