Music of Disney Live Action Remakes

As Disney remakes many of their animated films into live action, the music still plays a important part.  Almost every of these re-imagined films use a song or song melody to help tie the film to the original.  Let's take a look film by film and see how the original music was used.

101 Dalmatians (1996)
Original Composer: George Bruns
Original Songwriter: Mel Leven
Remake Composer: Michael Kamen
Music Reused: Cruella De Vil

Re-imagining the animated film, they opted to have real-life (non-speaking) animals.  The lead human Roger is a no longer a composer and doesn't perform the film songs "Cruella De Vil" and "Dalmatian Plantation".  The popular takeaway song "Cruella De Vil" appears in the end credits performed by Dr. John.   

Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Original Composer: Oliver Wallace
Remake Composer: Danny Elfman
Music Reused: none

Sparking the new age of Disney remakes, this retelling is more an extension of the Alice stories.  Since it's more of a fantasy adventure, the various song snippets from the animated film aren't used.  One original song "Very Good Advice" appeared on the Almost Alice compilation album.    

Maleficent (2014)
Original Composer: George Bruns
Remake Composer: James Newton Howard
Music Reused: Once Upon a Dream

They continued the story of Sleeping Beauty with this live action extension to the story.  We get a new fantasy score with no singing from the animated film.  The original's takeaway song "Once Upon A Dream" is performed by Lana Del Rey in the end credits.   

  

Cinderella (2015)

Original Composer: Oliver Wallace, Paul J. Smith
Original Songwriters: Mack David, Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston
Remake Composer: Patrick Doyle
Music Reused: A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes, Sing Sweet Nightingale, Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo

While not a complete remake, it borrows much from the 1950 animated film.  We hear the briefest reference to "Sing Sweet Nightingale" while Cinderella is cleaning.  Since characters don't sing in the film, two popular songs are heard in the end credits -  "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" performed by Lily James and "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" performed by Helena Bonham Carter.   

The Jungle Book (2016)
Original Composer: George Bruns
Original Songwriters: Terry Gilkyson, Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman
Remake Composer: John Debney
Music Reused: Jungle Beat, The Bare Necessities, I Wanna Be Like You, Trust In Me

In a fun nod and are appearance by a non-song melody, Debney incorporated Bruns' "Jungle Beat" into the main title sequence.  Both the popular "Bare Necessities" and "I Wanna Be Like You" are sung in the film by Bill Murray and Christopher Walken, respectively.  The latter song received new lyrics by composer Richard M. Sherman and was on hand during the scoring process.  Song melodies also appear in the underscore.  End credits feature "Trust in Me" performed by Scarlett Johansson and "The Bare Necessities" performed by Dr. John.    

Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Original Composer: Alan Menken
Original Songwriter: Alan Menken, Howard Ashman
Remake Composer: Alan Menken
Music Reused: Belle, Gaston, Be Our Guest, Something There, Beauty and the Beast, The Mob Song

Disney decided to go full-remake with this classic.  All the animated songs appear, alongside three new songs.  The new songs form much of the new underscore, with some parts of the animated score fitted with a bigger orchestration and new arrangements.  

Dumbo (2019)
Original Composer: Oliver Wallace, Frank Churchill
Original Songwriters: Frank Churchill, Oliver Wallace, Ned Washington
Remake Composer: Danny Elfman
Music Reused: Casey Junior, Baby Mine, Pink Elephants on Parade, When I See an Elephant Fly

Dumbo expanded on the animated film but kept a few key musical aspects.  In an opening montage as the circus comes to town, the melody of "Casey Junior" is heard.  "Baby Mine", heavily featured in the marketing, gets sung in the film and in the end credits.  An updated version of "Pink Elephants on Parade" appears in a circus balloon sequence.  A Dixieland arrangement of "When I See an Elephant Fly" is heard as an end credits tag.     

Aladdin (2019)
Original Composer: Alan Menken
Original Songwriter: Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Tim Rice
Remake Composer: Alan Menken
Music Reused: Arabian Nights, One Jump Ahead, Friend Like Me, Prince Ali, A Whole New World

Menken returned to rescore the film, again weaving the animated songs into the underscore.  The one new song is mixed into the score as Jasmine's theme.  The score arrangements are full of bigger orchestration, Middle Eastern styling and pop elements.  

The Lion King (2019)
Original Composer: Hans Zimmer
Original Songwriters: Elton John, Tim Rice
Remake Composer: Hans Zimmer
Music Reused: Circle of Life/Nants' Ingonyama, I Just Can't Wait to Be King, Be Prepared, Hakuna Matata, Can You Feel the Love Tonight

All animated songs returned, with new arrangements and more pop vocals.  The song "Busa" is unfortunately replaced by the new Beyoncé song, "Spirit".  With this almost direct remake, Zimmer retooled much of his score - pretty much all original themes and sequences return.  The score does get more African influences, bigger arrangements and enhanced orchestration.  The Lion King II/Broadway song "He Lives In You" appears in the end credits. 

Lady and the Tramp (2019)
Original Composer: Oliver Wallace
Original Songwriters: Peggy Lee, Sonny Burke
Remake Composer: Joseph Trapanese
Music Reused: Main Title (Bella Notte), Peace on Earth, La La Lu, Bella Notte, He's a Tramp

Plenty of the songs make reprises in the film (minus one problematic Siamese cat song).  The opening features a new choral version of "Bella Notte" and reuses the 1955 "Peace on Earth" recording by Donald Novis.  "La La Lu" is quoted in the score with a southern jazz treatment.  "La La Lu" and "Bella Notte" are also sung in full, while "He's a Tramp" has rewritten lyrics.     

Mulan (2020)
Original Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
Original Songwriters: Matthew Wilder, David Zippel
Remake Composer: Harry Gregson-Williams
Music Reused: Honor To Us All, Reflection

Returning the film to its epic heritage, many of the aspects of the original film were put aside.  With no characters singing, instrumental versions of the songs are incorporated into the score.  We hear the melody to "Honor To Us All" in one of the lighter moments, and "Reflection" in several pivotal scenes in various arrangements.  The song is also used in the end credits, sung first by Christina Aguilera (again) and actress Yifei Liu (in Mandarin).  

Pinocchio (2022)
Original Composer: Paul J. Smith
Original Songwriters: Leigh Harline, Ned Washington
Remake Composer: Alan Silvestri
Music Reused: When You Wish Upon a Star, Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee (An Actor's Life for Me), I've Got No Strings

Almost all the 1940 original songs appear in the film, with Silvestri adding four more songs with Glen Ballard.  The original songs are abbreviated and sound unchanged, but their melodies don't make it into the Silvestri underscoring.

 

The Little Mermaid (2023)
Original Composer: Alan Menken
Original Songwriters: Alan Menken, Howard Ashman
Remake Composer: Alan Menken
Music Reused: 

The Jungle Book

Beauty and the Beast

The Lion King

Lady and the Tramp

Mulan