Cruella to Alice in Wonderland: Top 7 live action remakes of childhood classics

If you’ve grown up in the 90s and are a millennial like me, every time someone says ‘live action remake’ your heart might constrict a little. Even though ‘live action remakes’ are not a new story and have been going on for years (perhaps even decades – Glenn Close appeared as Cruella de Vil in 1996!), something about tampering with a childhood memory doesn’t sit well with anyone, does it? But here’s my top list anyway!

Cruella (2021)

Directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Emma Stone and Emma Thompson the film was written for the screen by Dana Fox and Tony McNamara. The story was written by Aline Brosh McKenna, Kelly Marcel and Steve Zissis. Based on Dodie Smith’s 1965 novel and the Disney Classic, this feature takes a deeper and more incisive look at the origin story of Cruella de Vil. The story is incredibly well-knit together and the psychological conflicts of the main protagonist (Stone) follow various stages (from her childhood to adulthood) that keep you hooked. Thompson and Stone share a wonderful chemistry. Armed with a punch 70s soundtrack and sparkled with a dark yet glitzy splash of the fashion world of the UK, Cruella is definitely the best live action remake in the history of live action remakes.

Maleficent (2014)

Starring Angelina Jolie in the titular role, the film was released in 2014 and gathered $758.5 million dollars at the global box office. The story took a peek at Maleficent’s back story and Jolie’s flawless portrayal made it a grand affair. There’s something about knowing the back story of a villain that makes the story all the more delicious. The movie met with a mixed response from the critics but Jolie’s memorable depiction as the powerful but misunderstood fairy is definitely one that will go down in history.

Mulan (2020)

Starring Yifei Liu and directed by Niki Caro, Mulan (2020) had a lot of promise but was released right before the pandemic hit, hence incurring massive losses at the box office. While the film was well-received with critics (I’ll never forgive them for ignoring Mushu) it didn’t manage to do well when it came to commercial success. It also ran into some controversy related to lack of diversity and political commentary.

Aladdin (2019)

Directed by Guy Ritchie, the film had pretty big shoes to fill. Guy Ritchie’s direction style isn’t always the safest bet but Aladdin (2019) was definitely a hit. Starring Will Smith as the Genie and Mena Massoud as Aladdin and Naomi Scott as Jasmine, the film’s soundtrack lived up to the expectations: which is saying something because Aladdin’s memorable songs such as ‘You Ain’t Never Had a Friend Like Me’ and ‘I Can Show You the World’ were imprinted in everyone’s minds. The film amassed around $1b dollars at the box office.

Jungle Book (2016)

mahwash@khaleejtimes.com