Despite a couple of recent misfires, Disney isn’t pumping the brakes on its live-action remake engine anytime soon.
It's now evident that every remake release won't land, but for every disappointment like the live-action Moana or Snow White, you get a massive win like Lilo & Stitch, proving the box office appetite of the general audience is still very real.
Because of that, the slate remains packed.
Beyond upcoming projects like Tangled, Lilo & Stitch 2, and Bambi, Disney has plenty more brewing behind the scenes.
Those blue sky concepts include projects for Hercules, Princess Tiana, and a solo project for Beauty and the Beast's Gaston, proving that the studio is in fact, doubling down on turning classic animation into live-action gold.
For the latter, we have a rumor from former Hollywood trade reporter turned blogger Jeff Sneider, who states that "the new Tom Cruise", Glen Powell, is in talks to star as Monsieur Gaston, aka the Town Hero aka The Greatest Hunter in the Whole World.'
Powell most recently starred in The Running Man (2025), Twisters (2024), a sequel/reboot, and Top Gun: Maverick (2022).
According to the report from Sneider, he'll also star in a live-action prequel of 1991's Beauty and the Beast animated film, which focuses on the villain. The Gaston project was officially announced in December 2025, with Dave Callaham (Shang-Chi) set to pen the script. There is no director attached,
Also in Sneider's The Insneider Blog is a report that the Prince Charming movie, which had Chris Hemsworth attached to star, has been put on the shelf.
The project was officially announced in October 2024 with Paul King attached as director. Simon Farnaby and Jon Croker were set to co-write alongside King
However, The Insneider report states that King is more interested in tackling the forthcoming Fred Astaire biopic, which has Spider-Man: Brand New Day's Tom Holland attached as the lead.'
It's also worth noting that Hemsworth was "in talks" meaning that he had yet to officially sign on to star in the project.
Many Disney fans complained that Hemsworth (43) was too old for the role and as more time passes, their argument will only strengthen.
Stay tuned for more updates as the first night of D23 recently wrapped up yesterday evening, but there will be more exciting news and rumors that emerge over the remaining events and panels from the weekend-long festivities.