Over the past two decades, Disney has turned remakes of its classic cartoons into a veritable hit factory.
Using tried-and-tested storylines and modern visual design — from CGI to acting — the studio has not only brought old stories back to life, but also raked in billions of dollars worldwide.
Some of these films have become cultural events, others have sparked controversy and deserved criticism, but all of them have shown that audiences still feel a strong nostalgia for Disney’s “golden age.”
Yes, this genre of remakes always gets a beating from those who want Disney to finally move on from its legacy of the last century and focus on new ideas. But why should Disney do that when remakes bring in so much money? Let’s take a look at exactly how much and which ones were the most successful.
5th place — Mulan (2020)
Box office: $70 million
Considered one of Disney’s most financially unsuccessful remakes, largely due to the pandemic and mixed audience reactions.
4th place — Snow White (2025)
Box office: $205 million
It remained among the modest (or rather, disastrous) releases. Despite interest in the project, there was too much controversy surrounding it, and the film’s ratings are simply terrible.
3rd place — Cruella (2021)
Box office: $233 million
Another Disney victim of the pandemic. Although the film was warmly received for its style and acting, it cannot be called a big box office success.
2nd place — Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)
Box office: $299 million
The second part of this duology was clearly disappointing in terms of both the quality of the film itself and its box office performance, which is quite logical, since the latter is a consequence of the former.
1st place — Dumbo (2019)
Box office: $353 million
It grossed a lot, but with a large budget, it did not bring Disney significant profits.
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Leader — The Lion King (2019)
Box office: $1.662 billion
Well, hello. Here it is — the highest-grossing Disney remake of all time. Despite all the criticism, which is primarily related to the fact that it shouldn’t have been made in the first place, this photorealistic cartoon played well on nostalgia and intrigue surrounding how much better this legendary story looks with advanced visuals.
It turned out, of course, that it wasn’t any better, but the money couldn’t be returned.