After a few years of disappointment, Disney is circling back to its previous successes and reimagining Walt Disney Animation Studios’ films into live-action movies, and one of the next remakes will be the company’s riskiest yet. Starting in 2020, Disney experienced a devastating downfall. The COVID-19 pandemic and straight-to-streaming method significantly hurt the multinational mᴀss media and entertainment conglomerate’s revenue. Disney’s subsidiary Pixar faced several problems concerning its movies’ discouraging performances at the box office, as did Marvel Studios. So, as a solution, Disney is turning to sequels and remakes of its popular films.

The Toy Story franchise is returning with a fourth movie; The Incredibles 3 is in production; two more Frozen films are reportedly in the making; and so on. Disney is also pumping out live-action remakes at a fast pace. The company’s strategy seems to work as they released a few triumphant projects in 2024. Inside Out 2 grossed almost $1.7 billion, breaking a few records, including securing the тιтle of 2024’s highest-grossing film. Meanwhile, Mufasa: The Lion King didn’t make as much money but still turned a profit. Hopefully, an upcoming live-action remake will perform a bit better.

Moana’s Live-Action Movie Is Disney’s Riskiest Remake Yet

Moana Premieres In 2026

Moana is one of the upcoming live-action remakes of Walt Disney Animation Studio’s films, and it’s certainly a big risk for Disney to take. The original musical fantasy adventure movie premiered less than a decade ago, while other live-action remakes have been of older films, like Mulan, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Cruella, and so on. Disney hasn’t taken one of its animated flicks from the “revival era” (which began with The Princess and the Frog in 2009) and reimagined it as a live-action picture. Moana will be the first.

Disney is veering into dangerous territory by releasing a live-action version of Moana only a decade after its premiere. It will be much easier for audiences (especially children) to compare the two movies. Meanwhile, more time between the releases of original animated films like One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) and live-action remakes like Cruella (2021) gives the newer movies more space to breathe. They won’t be judged as meticulously, with fans pointing out every similarity and difference with the first film. Meanwhile, Moana is fresh in viewers’ minds, giving them a reason to be more critical of the remake.

If Moana Does Well, Other Recent Disney Hits Might Be Remade Too

Frozen Would Likely Be Next

Despite some reservations that I or others might have, Moana (2026) can still succeed. Anything is possible in this day and age of theatrical releases, and Disney has obviously proven itself to be a force to be reckoned with in the movie industry. Perhaps the company’s risk will pay off and Moana (2026) will become the highest-grossing live-action remake of an animated film (surpᴀssing Disney’s The Lion King in 2019). If it’s a triumph, Disney will undoubtedly begin to consider remaking other recent animated hits instead of just focusing on the classics.

The next possible choice for a modern live-action remake would be Frozen. The Frozen franchise has been one of the main things keeping Disney afloat in recent years, which is why the animation studio released a sequel and is working on two more. Aside from Frozen, though, Disney could reimagine The Princess and the Frog, Big Hero 6, etc. The company could also dip its toes into Pixar’s world and remake movies like Coco or The Incredibles. Anything and everything is on the table if Moana (2026) is a box office success.

Moana 2’s Box Office Is A Good Sign For The Upcoming Remake

Moana 2 Grossed Over $1 Billion

The good news is that Moana 2 performed exceptionally at the box office following its release in November 2024. The Moana sequel ultimately grossed $1.05 billion, which is $300 million more than what the original animated film made. Moana (and Disney as a whole) is certainly experiencing an upward trend. The hope for the multinational mᴀss media and entertainment conglomerate is that the streak continues with the live-action remake of Moana.

It’s also a great sign for Moana (2026) that Disney’s previous live-action remakes have been successful, for the most part. Back in 2010, Alice in Wonderland earned a little over $1 billion at the box office, and The Lion King grossed $1.6 billion in 2019. Meanwhile, more recent projects like Lady and the Tramp, Mulan, and Pinocchio have fallen to the wayside. The pandemic and Disney+ are mostly to blame for these failures, though. So, Disney giving Moana (2026) a theatrical release is a necessity.

Regardless Of Moana, Recent Disney Classics Will Surely Be Remade Eventually

Disney Won’t Stop Banking On Its Previous Successes

Even if Moana (2026) doesn’t live up to Disney’s expectations and turns out to be a box office bomb, its failure won’t dissuade the company from producing more live-action remakes of recent movies. Disney’s current plan is to take advantage of its former popular projects by either turning them into live-action films or ordering sequels. For example, Toy Story 4 (heck, even Toy Story 3 before that) was supposed to be the final Toy Story movie. Now, a fifth film is on its way because Disney knows it will turn a profit.

Moana (2026) also isn’t the only live-action remake of a recent animated film that Disney has in the works. After the reimagining of the 2016 animated musical fantasy adventure movie is released, Disney plans on turning Tangled into a live-action picture. Unfortunately, not much is known about the new version of Tangled, but it will be something that Disney can fall back on if Moana (2026) fails. Plus, the company has several other live-action projects in development, including Hercules, Robin Hood, and a Cruella sequel. Disney will keep pushing out these remakes, despite how Moana (2026) performs at the box office.

Source: Forbes