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Credit: DisneyWith several successful live-action remakes of animated classics under its belt over the past decade, Disney continues to revisit its extensive library of 2D films. But is Frozen (2013) next?
For many fans, though, the magic has faded. While the likes of The Jungle Book (2016), Beauty and the Beast (2017), Aladdin (2019), The Lion King (2019), and Lilo & Stitch (2025) were massive box office hits, entries such as Mulan (2020), The Little Mermaid (2023), Snow White (2025), and now Moana (2026) have divided opinion and have also struggled at the box office.
Disney’s Live-Action Remake Flops
Two of the most notable live-action flops in recent memory are Snow White (2025) starring Rachel Zegler and Moana (2026). The former became one of Disney’s biggest critical and financial disappointments in years, earning just $205.7 million worldwide against a production budget of as much as $336.5 million. Meanwhile, Moana (2026) has grossed only $229.5 million worldwide against its $250 million budget and has received mixed-to-negative reviews from audiences and critics.
Moana (2026), which brings back Dwayne Johnson as demigod Maui, has been lambasted for being made “too soon” after the 2016 film and its recent 2024 sequel, and also for sticking too closely to the original. But this seems to be the issue with most of Disney’s live-action remakes.
If it follows the original too much, it comes under fire. If it deviates from the source material like Snow White (2025), purists are disappointed. But sometimes, it’s the casting that’s the problem.
Is Disney Remaking Frozen (2013)?
Although a live-action Frozen remake has not been announced by Disney, recently, in response to one of our own articles here at Inside the Magic, in which we fan-cast Supergirl (2026) star Milly Alcock into the role of Elsa, many fans took great issue with Disney’s remakes in general.
While the box office figures for some of these films speak for themselves—as discussed with Snow White (2025) and Moana (2026)—these fans are taking no prisoners when it comes to their thoughts of Disney’s growing live-action remake catalog.
Some comments have been edited slightly for clarity and accuracy.
“Please do [cast Milly Alcock], that way the Frozen remake will tank really hard,” one says. “It needs to tank anyway.”
“Go ahead and cast her. Cast Zendaya as Anna, Pedro Pascal as the guy and a CGI white-tailed deer as Sven,” another fan writes. “Cast whoever you want because I’m done with these watery, stinking, 95% CGI ‘live-action’ remakes and Disney obviously hates their audience and couldn’t care less what we actually want: non-political, original and well written entertainment!”, adding, “Also we are begging for the return of 2D animation! Remember, Disney; we’re the ones with the wallets! Why do you think you’ve lost millions of dollars on junky content no one wanted?!”
To reiterate, no live-action Frozen remake has been announced by Disney.
The sentiment surrounding 2D animation, however, is echoed further down in the comments, with one fan asking, “When are we going to get cartoon remakes of the live-action remakes of the cartoons?”
“If they had remade Moana into a hand-drawn 2D cartoon like the good old days I would’ve [watched] it!” another says.
“The original Moana should’ve been hand-drawn. Disney needs to go back to that, big time!” a third adds.
But back to the discourse surrounding live-action remakes.
“Boycotting this for two reasons,” one declares before elaborating extensively, writing, “I’m sick to death of remakes. Everyone is! Sure, they were extremely popular when Disney started doing them but one right after the other is getting very sickening and the people who did watch a lot of them have wised up to how blah they are. They have no heart, soul, color and are not following what the original movie stood for!”
They add: “The only two remakes I was interested in was [The] Lion King and [The] Jungle Book and I will watch them ONLY for the talking animal action and fights. They can’t hold a candle to the original[s] as far as anything else about them goes.”
The Jungle Book (2016) and The Lion King (2019) remain two of Disney’s most successful live-action remakes, having earned $966.6 million and $1.662 billion worldwide, respectively.
The same can be said about Beauty and the Beast (2017), which grossed $1.266 billion globally.
However, one fan takes aim at that film, talking at length about how it was destroyed with “modernization” and “wokeness,” which suggests they might be referring to the controversial gay kiss scene between LeFou (Josh Gad) and another male character.
“Beauty and the Beast was (I think) the first movie they destroyed with ‘modernization’ and wokeness.”
What’s Next on Disney’s Live-Action Slate?
Tangled is the next live-action remake on Disney’s slate.
Disney’s live-action Tangled, based on the beloved 2010 film of the same name starring Mandy Moore, has already revealed its leading cast, with Titans star Teagan Croft set to play Rapunzel, Zombies actor Milo Manheim taking on Flynn Rider, and Kathryn Hahn onboard as the film’s villain Mother Gothel.
However, that project is already receiving negative reactions, with one design choice revealed in set photos on X (Twitter) having led to backlash from some fans of the original film.
Tangled was briefly paused following Snow White‘s disappointing box office performance; however, it’s now in full production (although there’s no release date yet).
There are reportedly no other active live-action remakes planned beyond Tangled.
With that said, if Tangled performs well at the box office, a Frozen remake could easily follow.
Frozen (2013) follows sisters Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel) as they overcome fear, family conflict, and Elsa’s powerful ice magic in the kingdom of Arendelle. It earned $1.28 billion worldwide and became a global phenomenon. Its sequel, Frozen 2 (2019), grossed $1.45 billion. A third film, Frozen 3, is set for release on November 24, 2027, while a fourth is also in development. The original film remains one of the studio’s biggest animated success stories ever.
While there are undoubtedly countless fans who are excited for Tangled, there are also those who are done with Disney’s live-action reinterpretations. Also taking into account the likes of Snow White (2025) and Moana (2026), a Frozen remake may no longer be a smart move for the studio.
“Remake fatigue is official!!” one fan writes in the comment section beneath our Frozen article, echoing the feelings of many.
Some wonder when Disney’s live-action remakes will end, with one taking aim at Dwayne Johnson’s appearance as Maui in the new Moana film (many have criticized his wig for looking fake), noting that “you can’t put a cowboy hat on Tom Hanks and expect him to play Woody in a Toy Story live action.”
Another asks, “[When] do we get a live action of Zootopia?” followed by several laughing emojis.
Be careful what you wish for.
What are your thoughts on Disney’s live-action remakes? Do you think they should stop, or are you hoping to see Frozen get the same treatment? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
