The 10 Animated Classics Disney WON'T Remake In Live Action

6. The Little Mermaid

There are some Disney classic that are ripe for a new take, especially those based on a classic tale that could be reanalysied through a modern perspective. The problem is that most of these classic tales are in the public domain, so other studios can get there first. For this reason, I would have once said Peter Pan is unlikely after Warner Bros. failure with Pan last year and 2012 seeing two polar-opposite takes on Snow White seemingly showed that well is tapped also, yet with Tink and Prince Charming Disney are finding a way round that.

You see, while they don't own the story outright, they do, have the rights to any Disney-inflections and alterations, meaning much of the modern iconography of these tales belong to them, giving them ample opportunity to think a bit broader and find a creative in (similar to what we already saw with Maleficent.

However, I struggle to see how they can make The Little Mermaid when a Chlöe Grace Moretz-fronted version from Universal is arriving soon. You could do something from Sebastian's perspective or have a more Atlantica-skewed adventure, but the only serious contender is to pull a straight-Sleeping Beauty and do Ursuala. However, with such direct competition from Universal getting there first and the fact they've already taken this route with Maleficent and Cruella, it feels a little pigeon-holing.

Don't expect a straight version of Hans Christian Anderson's tale from the Mouse House anytime soon.