Live Action are adaptations of cartoons and animations made with real actors and actresses. Films of this type tend to be very successful all over the world. Just look at the large number of remakes of classic animated films, such as Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King.
And since productions of this type do not stop appearing, we have prepared a special list with the most famous cartoons that have been transformed into movies with real actors, and others that are yet to come.
Get the popcorn ready and let’s go!
What is LiveAction?
Live action is a way of making movies using real actors and actresses but they are filmed inside or in digital animations. The name is also applied to video games and the like that also use real actors.
However, the term refers more to adaptations of comics, animations, and classic books. Movies like the Flintstones, Maleficent, Resident Evil, Aladdin and other remakes of Disney classics that have been released in recent years are good examples of live action.
Some live action movies also use real actors alongside animations, as in the case of movies like Space Jam, Mary Poppins, and Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
Much of the success of live actions is due to the use of CGI technology, which consists of computer generated images. This technology has become essential for cinema, since the vast majority of these films are very commercial, with large budgets and mass distribution.
But to better understand this style, seeing is better than talking. Let’s see some examples of live actions that have been blockbusters in recent years.
14 successful live actions
Live actions are usually versions of classics that marked the childhood of many people and that continue to mark that of the new generations.
Many times, they arrive with a new aesthetic, with special effects and full of adventure and action, which turn on the public.
Being adaptations, they are not always faithful to the original work, but this is not a defect. On the contrary, it serves to show that the work can be explored in other ways.
In the following list you will see some of the most successful live actions, not only because of their resemblance to the original work, but also because of the charm and importance they possess. These are productions that deserve to be remembered and seen by all!
1. Scooby Doo
The classic American cartoon, Scooby Doo, was created in 1969, being the second American cartoon with the highest number of seasons, only losing to the Simpsons.
Its live-action version was released in 2002, featuring a fully CGI-produced Scooby Doo. Budgeted at $84 million and grossed over $275 million, the film spawned two other sequels: Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed and Scooby Doo: The Mystery Begins.
Being the last one released to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the character, the success of these cartoons also generated a live action derived from them, focused on the characters Daphne and Vilma..
Check out the trailer for the film below:
2. The Flintstones
The classic 2D animation of the Flintstones had its live action version in 1994, with a budget of US$46 million, it was a success among the public, grossing US$341 million —despite negative reviews from specialists.
The story portrays the life of a middle class Stone Age family, especially focusing on Wilma and Fred Flintstone’s friendly relationship with their neighbors Betty and Barney Rubble.
In 2002 the film generated a prequelthat is, a film with a plot prior in time to that of the first film, called The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, although the collection left to be desired.
Watch the movie trailer here:
3. Maleficent
Maleficent brought an interesting perspective on fairy tale movies: the Wicked Witch’s point of view version of the story. Maleficent is the antagonist of the Sleeping Beauty story and with this movie she gained the spotlight and the opportunity to tell her side of her story.
If in the story she is an evil witch, in this film she is portrayed as a good fairy, who protects the magical creatures that live in her kingdom and who falls in love with a young man named Stefan.
Throughout the film we discover more and more details about the personality of Maleficent, played by Angelina Jolie, and her reasons for ending up acting as she does.
The film was a huge success, grossing over $758 million from a budget of $180 million.
Its sequel released in 2019, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, obtained lower results than expected, not reaching the success of the first film. Badly received by critics, Mistress of Evil was accused of trying to repeat the success formula of the first film and failing in the attempt.
Check out the movie trailer below:
4. X-Men
The group of Marvel superheroes is one of the publisher’s biggest successes, both for comics and for its cartoon and movie versions.
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it is considered the most multicultural comic published by Marvel.
The first comic book was published in 1963, spawning cartoon versions such as The Incredible X-Men, X-Men Evolution, and Wolverine.
In 2000, the first live-action film of the X Men was released, guaranteeing various sequels, such as a first trilogy and then others such as X-Men: First Generation or X-Men: Dark Phoenix.
It is one of the most successful film franchises today.
Check out the trailer for the first movie here:
5. Cinderella
One of the greatest Disney classics inspired by the fairy tale by Charles Perrault and the 1950 animation also from Disney was released in live action in 2015.
This latest version presents some differences in relation to the original animation. For example, it shows Cinderella and the Prince meeting before the ball or a fairy godmother who introduces herself as an old beggar.
All in all, the film was a massive box office success, grossing over $539 million from a $95 million budget.
Watch the movie trailer here:
6.Death Note
Based on the Japanese manga of the same name, this Netflix live action tells the story of a high school student who finds a notebook that can kill people if their names are written on it.
However, the reception of the film was very negative, both by critics and by its fans. Mainly because of its great differences in relation to the original manga.
Check out the movie trailer here:
7. Alice in Wonderland
The 2010 film directed by Tim Burton is based on the classic book of the same name. However, the plot takes place 13 years after the original story, featuring a 19-year-old Alice returning to the magical world she visited during her childhood.
This live action became the sixth film to bill more than a billion dollars worldwide, also guaranteeing its continuation with Alice Through the Looking Glass, which premiered in 2016.
Check out the movie trailer:
8. The Jungle Book
The 2016 film, based on Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, is a remake of the 1967 animated film Mowgli’s Story.
CGI-heavy, the film Mowgli the Wolf Boy was also a critical and commercial success, grossing nearly $1 billion worldwide, as well as winning an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, also guaranteeing a new movie for 2019.
Check out the trailer below:
9. Beauty and the Beast
Another classic that has conquered its version in live action has been Beauty and the Beast, from 2017. The film, which is a romantic fantasy in the form of a musical, is based on the original fairy tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont and in the 1991 animation.
The film garnered positive reviews and grossed over $1 billion worldwide, ranking second on the list of the most profitable films of 2017.
Check out the trailer for the film below:
10. 101 Dalmatians
The 1996 live action, 101 Dalmatians, is based on its 1961 animated version. The film was a great success, being one of the most remembered classics today when it comes to live action.
This movie is different from other Disney classics in that it is more about comedy than emotion and romance, as well as having its adorable puppies, which have already guaranteed an upcoming movie.
Check out the trailer for the film below:
11.Garfield
Star among the most famous cartoons in the world, Garfield made the leap to his own live action movie in 2004. There is no one who does not know this lazy cat and his favorite dish: lasagna.
Despite unfavorable reviews, the film grossed nearly $200 million worldwide, spawning a new movie in 2006, which was also a hit with audiences.
Meet the trailer here:
12. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
This live action from 1988 mixes real actors and traditional animation, being a unique film: it mixes comedy and fantasy with elements of film noir.
It is based on the novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit? Being a great success with the public and critics. It is one of the most avant-garde live action productions and a benchmark of the genre to this day.
Check out the trailer for the film below:
13. Yogi Bear
Based on the Yogi Bear cartoon, the Yogi Bear movie premiered in 2011, applying computer graphics to real characters. The film was met with negative reception from critics and audiences alike, but the good box office made for a second film.
Check out the trailer for the film below:
14. The Smurfs
The Smurfs is the first live action CGI film produced by Sony Pictures, and its success ensured the production of a trilogy. Based on the comic characters by Belgian illustrator Pierre Culliford, who published several books about them.
Check out the trailer for the film below:
Now you know what live action is and you have seen incredible examples of this style of film.
If you want to know more styles of cinema, don’t waste time,
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