Disney Animation vs. Live-Action: 10 Shot-for-Shot Remakes
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VOICE OVER: Emily Brayton
WRITTEN BY: Tal Fox
From animated classics to live-action remakes, Disney loves to recreate iconic moments! Join us as we explore the times Disney brought animated scenes to life with stunning accuracy. From floating down rivers to shattering glass slippers, these moments prove some scenes are too perfect to reimagine. Which recreation captured the magic of the original? Which ones missed the mark? Our countdown includes Baloo and Mowgli floating along the river, Dumbo's heartbreaking "Baby Mine" scene, Ariel's iconic rock moment in "Part of Your World," Maleficent's dramatic entrance, and the unforgettable "Circle of Life" opening that proves some cinematic blueprints are timeless!
10 Times Disney Did Shot-for-Shot Remakes of Their Animated Scenes
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the times Disney, for better or worse, essentially copied and pasted entire scenes from their animated classics into their live-action remakes.
Before “Hakuna Matata,” there was “The Bare Necessities.” While teaching Mowgli to take it easy, Baloo lets him float down the river on his belly like a built-in raft. Clearly, the live-action creators couldn’t resist recreating this visual in their version of the song. It’s almost a copy-paste—CGI aside. The biggest difference is that 1967 Mowgli takes “bare necessities” to another level, lying down without a care, while 2016 Mowgli sits up, drumming on Baloo’s belly and splashing around like he’s helping steer. The essence stays the same: a kid, a bear, and a river—because some Disney moments are just too classic to leave out. Or, as Baloo would say, a “Bare Necessity.”
It’s like Disney watched this scene and thought, “How can we make it even more devastating?” This time, the song is sung beautifully by Sharon Rooney, who plays Miss Atlantis, a new character, but the sentiment stays the same. Little Dumbo finds his mom locked up, and she comforts him with her trunk. And did they really have to make live-action Dumbo well up like that? As if animated Dumbo’s tear wasn’t already soul-crushing. Sure, this is one of the film’s most famous and heartbreaking moments, but come on, Disney—you didn’t have to do us like that. Turns out even heartbreak hits harder in CGI.
As one of the most recognizable and beloved songs in “The Little Mermaid,” we expected nods to the original, but not necessarily a frame-for-frame remake. “Part of Your World” lets Halle Bailey make the moment her own, though we still caught some homages to some classic shots. The reprise, however…well, see for yourself. It’s almost like the live-action team traced the original and just dropped Bailey in. Don’t get us wrong—we’d have caused a storm bigger than Ursula’s if they skipped that iconic image of Ariel on the rock with waves crashing behind her. But watching this, we couldn’t help but think… haven’t we been “Part of [This] World” before?
Unlike some live-action remakes, Aladdin stays true to the animated classic—just from “a new fantastic point of view.” Still, some moments are simply too “shining, shimmering, splendid” to leave out. There are only so many ways to show a magic carpet “soaring, tumbling, freewheeling.” Okay, enough “Whole New World” references—the real copy-paste moment comes when Aladdin picks up the lamp. While his 1992 counterpart’s climb is a bit smoother, the moment he grabs the lamp is nearly identical. The camera angle might differ, but everything else is the same. And, of course, in both versions, it’s Abu’s eye for treasure that sends everything crashing down. Never change, Abu!
Because who doesn’t want to relive their childhood trauma in live action, right? Or CGI. The Pleasure Island scene is burned into our memories, so naturally, Disney thought, why not pass the nightmare fuel to a new generation? Lampwick’s transformation is eerily spot on, from the slow, creeping changes to his sheer panic when he sees his reflection. If you thought the animated version would haunt you forever, just wait until you see its live-action update. They even nailed the terrifying shadow moment. Well, looks like another generation just learned that you really can have too much of a good thing the hard way. It’s fine; we didn’t need to sleep tonight, anyway.
Since this film flips “Sleeping Beauty” on its head, you wouldn’t expect it to borrow too much from the original animation. But hey, if you’re called the Mistress of Evil, you better live up to it! When it comes to Maleficent’s big moment, her dialogue is practically in sync with the 1959 version, aside from a few tweaks in timing and Angelina Jolie’s delivery. Of course, since this is her story, the scene is extended, and the fairies aren’t the ones to offer a solution this time. Still, one thing remains the same: a true villain knows how to make an entrance and an exit, and Maleficent delivers in both, leaving in a green blaze of glory.
Is there a more magical moment than this ballroom scene? Belle and the Beast lock eyes across the stairway and make their graceful descent while the first notes of “Beauty and the Beast” play. So, of course, the 2017 live-action remake had to honor it. This ballroom boasts far more chandeliers than its animated counterpart. Yet one of the best tributes comes in that iconic shot where the camera pans away from the dancing duo, up to the chandelier, offering a closer look at the room’s grandeur before returning to their intimate waltz. It’s a tale as old as time, and they clearly wanted to keep it that way.
The glass slipper represents the transformative power of magic—a core theme in Disney films. It’s a moment of pure emotional payoff, a signature in their storytelling. We get a similar feeling during Cinderella’s dress transformation, though the 2015 remake goes all out with it. With modern effects at their disposal, why wouldn’t they make a spectacle of such an iconic moment? But in a quieter scene, we see the Prince himself slip the glass slipper onto Cinderella’s foot. In the animated version, he doesn’t even show up—why bother when you have staff for that? But here, the moment feels more romantic while still keeping that close-up of the life-changing fit.
Some moments are so perfect that changing them would be downright barking mad. Maybe that’s why the remake’s creators took the original’s lead here. One of the film’s sweetest, most iconic moments is this doggy date at Tony’s, where the special of the day is, of course, spaghetti and meatballs. Really, the only noticeable difference is that these pups got a CGI makeover—everything else is practically identical. We still get the soul-stirring serenade of “Bella Notte,” and yes, they still share that strand of spaghetti. Honestly, making any big changes would’ve been a ruff call and perhaps un-fur-givable to the fans. This scene was just too paw-fect to mess with.
There’s paying homage, and then there’s almost copying a film frame for frame—and “The Lion King” definitely leans into the latter. From the “everything the light touches” scene to Simba’s triumphant roar, we get some serious déjà vu. Director Jon Favreau even admitted that some moments from the 1994 classic were just too iconic to touch, and honestly, we’re with him on that—especially the opening. It’s one of the most stunning scenes in animation. How do you improve on perfection? The rising sun to the animals slowly gathering—it’s breathtaking. And the presentation of Simba still gives chills. It’s a classic proving the 1994 animation’s blueprint lives in its live-action descendant in a cinematic “Circle of Life.”
Where do you think the shot-for-shot remakes worked, and where did they fall flat compared to the original? Let us know in the comments
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the times Disney, for better or worse, essentially copied and pasted entire scenes from their animated classics into their live-action remakes.
#10: Floating Along the River
“The Jungle Book” (2016)Before “Hakuna Matata,” there was “The Bare Necessities.” While teaching Mowgli to take it easy, Baloo lets him float down the river on his belly like a built-in raft. Clearly, the live-action creators couldn’t resist recreating this visual in their version of the song. It’s almost a copy-paste—CGI aside. The biggest difference is that 1967 Mowgli takes “bare necessities” to another level, lying down without a care, while 2016 Mowgli sits up, drumming on Baloo’s belly and splashing around like he’s helping steer. The essence stays the same: a kid, a bear, and a river—because some Disney moments are just too classic to leave out. Or, as Baloo would say, a “Bare Necessity.”
#9: “Baby Mine”
“Dumbo” (2019)It’s like Disney watched this scene and thought, “How can we make it even more devastating?” This time, the song is sung beautifully by Sharon Rooney, who plays Miss Atlantis, a new character, but the sentiment stays the same. Little Dumbo finds his mom locked up, and she comforts him with her trunk. And did they really have to make live-action Dumbo well up like that? As if animated Dumbo’s tear wasn’t already soul-crushing. Sure, this is one of the film’s most famous and heartbreaking moments, but come on, Disney—you didn’t have to do us like that. Turns out even heartbreak hits harder in CGI.
#8: “Part of Your World (Reprise)”
“The Little Mermaid” (2023)As one of the most recognizable and beloved songs in “The Little Mermaid,” we expected nods to the original, but not necessarily a frame-for-frame remake. “Part of Your World” lets Halle Bailey make the moment her own, though we still caught some homages to some classic shots. The reprise, however…well, see for yourself. It’s almost like the live-action team traced the original and just dropped Bailey in. Don’t get us wrong—we’d have caused a storm bigger than Ursula’s if they skipped that iconic image of Ariel on the rock with waves crashing behind her. But watching this, we couldn’t help but think… haven’t we been “Part of [This] World” before?
#7: Taking the Lamp
“Aladdin” (2019)Unlike some live-action remakes, Aladdin stays true to the animated classic—just from “a new fantastic point of view.” Still, some moments are simply too “shining, shimmering, splendid” to leave out. There are only so many ways to show a magic carpet “soaring, tumbling, freewheeling.” Okay, enough “Whole New World” references—the real copy-paste moment comes when Aladdin picks up the lamp. While his 1992 counterpart’s climb is a bit smoother, the moment he grabs the lamp is nearly identical. The camera angle might differ, but everything else is the same. And, of course, in both versions, it’s Abu’s eye for treasure that sends everything crashing down. Never change, Abu!
#6: The Donkey Transformation
“Pinocchio” (2022)Because who doesn’t want to relive their childhood trauma in live action, right? Or CGI. The Pleasure Island scene is burned into our memories, so naturally, Disney thought, why not pass the nightmare fuel to a new generation? Lampwick’s transformation is eerily spot on, from the slow, creeping changes to his sheer panic when he sees his reflection. If you thought the animated version would haunt you forever, just wait until you see its live-action update. They even nailed the terrifying shadow moment. Well, looks like another generation just learned that you really can have too much of a good thing the hard way. It’s fine; we didn’t need to sleep tonight, anyway.
#5: Maleficent's Curse
“Maleficent” (2014)Since this film flips “Sleeping Beauty” on its head, you wouldn’t expect it to borrow too much from the original animation. But hey, if you’re called the Mistress of Evil, you better live up to it! When it comes to Maleficent’s big moment, her dialogue is practically in sync with the 1959 version, aside from a few tweaks in timing and Angelina Jolie’s delivery. Of course, since this is her story, the scene is extended, and the fairies aren’t the ones to offer a solution this time. Still, one thing remains the same: a true villain knows how to make an entrance and an exit, and Maleficent delivers in both, leaving in a green blaze of glory.
#4: The Ballroom
“Beauty and the Beast” (2017)Is there a more magical moment than this ballroom scene? Belle and the Beast lock eyes across the stairway and make their graceful descent while the first notes of “Beauty and the Beast” play. So, of course, the 2017 live-action remake had to honor it. This ballroom boasts far more chandeliers than its animated counterpart. Yet one of the best tributes comes in that iconic shot where the camera pans away from the dancing duo, up to the chandelier, offering a closer look at the room’s grandeur before returning to their intimate waltz. It’s a tale as old as time, and they clearly wanted to keep it that way.
#3: Glass Slipper Close Up
“Cinderella” (2015)The glass slipper represents the transformative power of magic—a core theme in Disney films. It’s a moment of pure emotional payoff, a signature in their storytelling. We get a similar feeling during Cinderella’s dress transformation, though the 2015 remake goes all out with it. With modern effects at their disposal, why wouldn’t they make a spectacle of such an iconic moment? But in a quieter scene, we see the Prince himself slip the glass slipper onto Cinderella’s foot. In the animated version, he doesn’t even show up—why bother when you have staff for that? But here, the moment feels more romantic while still keeping that close-up of the life-changing fit.
#2: Spaghetti Scene
“Lady and the Tramp” (2019)Some moments are so perfect that changing them would be downright barking mad. Maybe that’s why the remake’s creators took the original’s lead here. One of the film’s sweetest, most iconic moments is this doggy date at Tony’s, where the special of the day is, of course, spaghetti and meatballs. Really, the only noticeable difference is that these pups got a CGI makeover—everything else is practically identical. We still get the soul-stirring serenade of “Bella Notte,” and yes, they still share that strand of spaghetti. Honestly, making any big changes would’ve been a ruff call and perhaps un-fur-givable to the fans. This scene was just too paw-fect to mess with.
#1: “Circle of Life”
“The Lion King” (2019)There’s paying homage, and then there’s almost copying a film frame for frame—and “The Lion King” definitely leans into the latter. From the “everything the light touches” scene to Simba’s triumphant roar, we get some serious déjà vu. Director Jon Favreau even admitted that some moments from the 1994 classic were just too iconic to touch, and honestly, we’re with him on that—especially the opening. It’s one of the most stunning scenes in animation. How do you improve on perfection? The rising sun to the animals slowly gathering—it’s breathtaking. And the presentation of Simba still gives chills. It’s a classic proving the 1994 animation’s blueprint lives in its live-action descendant in a cinematic “Circle of Life.”
Where do you think the shot-for-shot remakes worked, and where did they fall flat compared to the original? Let us know in the comments
