Forget live-action remakes of classic Disney movies like Snow White and Lilo and Stitch, I need a live-action of the 2021 hit movie, Lilo and Stitch’s opening weekend box office and generally positive reception proves there is potential in live-action adaptations, other movies like 2024’s Snow White were a huge disappointment. However, Encanto could turn the tides, beginning a new era for live-action remakes.

Despite underperformance at the box office - it earned $261.3 million against a $120-150 million production budget - Encanto has made a name for itself. The movie follows characters in the Madrigal family, a multigenerational Colombian family who each have gifts, and centers on the giftless Mirabel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz) as she sets out to find out why her family are losing their powers. With songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Encanto’s soundtrack reached number one in the charts, particularly with the hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” and Encanto earned many accolades for its themes, characterization, and depth, becoming a cultural phenomenon.

Encanto Is Perfect For A Disney Live-Action Remake

Encanto’s Popularity & Personal Story Make It A Perfect Candidate

Encanto is the perfect movie to receive a Disney live-action remake for a number of reasons, but the main one is partly due to the film’s popularity. Although the movie’s box office earnings were lower than expected in 2021, Encanto achieved success via its ratings after the film was released on Disney+. Furthermore, Encanto has earned a rare Rotten Tomatoes score, being both Verified Fresh and Verified Hot with a 92% Tomatometer and 93% Popcornmeter - showcasing the film’s reputation among both audiences and critics alike - and continues to hold up today, as the animated movie even topped 2024 streaming charts.

Encanto earned high praise for exploring Colombian culture and the topic of transgenerational trauma, with amazing and emotional performances all around.

However, it is the reasons behind Encanto’s popularity that make it the perfect candidate for the live-action treatment. Encanto earned high praise for exploring Colombian culture and the topic of transgenerational trauma, with amazing and emotional performances all around. The fact is, there simply aren’t many films like it in Disney’s repertoire. Encanto’s characters were refreshingly life-like and represented a lived experience for many, even if the film focused on magical elements, and the move away from traditional storytelling into cultivating interpersonal relationships deeply resonated with viewers. Being so character-focused, Encanto’s reach could easily be expanded through a live-action remake.

Encanto Could Improve Disney's Fortunes With Live-Action Adaptations

Disney Has Seen Live-Action Remakes Fail With Snow White & The Lion King

Despite its perseverance and occasional success, Disney has had a problem with its live-action remakes for a while, but Encanto could end that unfortunate trend. Although movies like The Lion King and Snow White are definitively regarded as animated classics in Disney’s history, their live-action remakes are considerably less liked. This is because they fail to capture the beloved animated movies authentically, whether that be through poor CGI choices, slow execution, or a completely off-center plot. With the high fantasy aspects of Snow White and the non-human characters in The Lion King, live-action remakes are distinctively harder to do.

the live-action remake would need to make sure it keeps the Madrigal’s powers and, more importantly, gets them right

This would not be so much of a problem with Encanto as the plot is human-based with minor magical elements. The characters’ powers in Encanto are integral to their personalities and their dwindling magic forms the majority of the plot. Therefore, the live-action remake would need to make sure it keeps the Madrigals' powers and, more importantly, gets them right, to authentically recreate the same characters from the animated film. Luckily, in a world of fantastic CGI capabilities, making people look like they have superhuman strength or can make plants and flowers grow is relatively easy to do in Hollywood.

While the humanness of Encanto’s story would make a brilliant live-action movie because of its practicality, its universal themes are also important. Exploring a multigenerational family, and its pressures, Encanto finds something for all audiences to relate to, and a live-action remake would further expand the reach of the film’s message and fantastic exploration of Colombian culture. Yet, despite an obvious interest in the movie, its universe, and Mirabel following Encanto’s ending, an animated sequel has yet to be announced. Therefore, perhaps Disney can fill the void and fix its live-action failures by revisiting one of its most underrated movies.