18 Pics To Compare Disney Characters To The Live-Action Actors And See If Magic Is Lost In Remaking

Since it's a prequel, we learned the origin of the would-be Dalmatian murderer — though during the events of the movie, she doesn't show any particular dislike of the breed — and how she went from Estella to Cruella.

"Mulan" is the first of Disney's live-action remakes to earn a PG-13 rating. In the film, Yifei sings and performs 90% of her own stunts.

Lady's part is played by the real dog Rose, a cocker spaniel, while her voice is Thompson's. Overall, the movie is pretty similar to the original, with a few much-needed updates.

Theroux is a vocal advocate for rescue dogs, and has become quite close with Monty, who plays Tramp. Monty was rescued from a kill shelter in New Mexico, but has since been adopted by an animal trainer.

Jones' commanding yet warm voice was the obvious choice for Mufasa in 1994, and there's still no one better to voice the character, so he just did it again.

This movie isn't literally "live-action," it's filled with photorealistic, animated animals. But even director Jon Favreau isn't sure if the movie should be considered "animated" or not.

Glover's friend, collaborator, and apparent "Lion King" enthusiast Chance the Rapper was brought on as a "nostalgia consultant" during the making of the film, to make sure it retained the same spirit as the original.

They add some much-needed comic relief to the movie.

Massoud might be familiar to "Jack Ryan" fans. He plays Ryan's colleague, Tarek Kassar. As Insider's Kirsten Acuna noted, Massoud's portrayal of Aladdin is one of the movie's high notes.

Jasmine differentiates herself from other Disney princesses by actually refusing to get married, as opposed to aspiring to it. In the 2019 version, the princess even gets her own song, and a brand-new motivation to become the first female sultan of Agrabah. 

The Genie was made iconic by the late Robin Williams in the animated version. While Smith doesn't come close to Williams' hyperactive, pop-culture-loving, frequently transfigured Genie, he successfully puts his own spin on the character. He even gets to rap!

The 2017 film was pretty much a shot-for-shot remake of the 1991 classic, so there wasn't much difference between the two. Director Bill Condon said, “Emma Watson was our first, and really our only, choice for Belle for a lot of reasons: her talent, her beauty, her intelligence."

Dan Stevens wore a comically large motion capture suit to shoot his scenes as the Beast. But he also got to show off his real face towards the end.

The biggest difference between the "Cinderella" films is that the live action version isn't a musical. Say goodbye to all your faves like "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" and "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo."

Unlike their live-action version of "The Lion King," Pinocchio looks almost identical to his cartoon counterpart, not like a real wooden puppet.

According to Hanks, he asked director Robert Zemeckis if he could be in the film.

"As soon I as I heard that Bob was doing it — Bob Zemeckis, I called him up cold and I said, 'Pinocchio,' literally one word. I said, 'Pinocchio,' and he said, 'Yeah,' and I said, 'Geppetto' and he said, 'Really?' and that was that.

The 2014 film rehashed the same story but from Maleficent's perspective. Turns out, Maleficent was way more complicated than the original allowed her to be.

In this version, Aurora saw Maleficent as her guardian angel, not a villain.

This live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid was released on May 26, 2023, and stars 23-year-old actor Halle Bailey. And although Halle may twin so well with her cartoon counterpart, she has been celebrated for bringing a beautiful portrayal of Ariel that many more children can see themselves in.

What is your favorite animated character that came to the screen, and why? Tell us in the comment section!