Fairytale princesses are extremely popular Disney subjects. However, there are a plethora of princesses out there who haven't gotten the royal animated treatment from the House of Mouse. Luckily, Disney's recent movies "Frozen" and "Tangled" have proved that the animation studio hasn't given up on reinventing classic fairytales. This means that we might get to see movies about fairytale princesses like these:
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1. The Twelve Dancing Princesses
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Disney's group of official fairytale princesses would grow substantially if it chose to bring this story to life. However, Disney would definitely have to change this tale to make it more palatable. It's about a king who can't figure out why his 12 daughters' dancing shoes are worn out every morning. He hires a soldier to figure out what's going on, and the soldier uses a magic cloak to follow the princesses. It turns out that they've been sneaking away to dance with 12 princes from another kingdom. The messed up part of the story comes when the king rewards the soldier's discovery by letting him marry the eldest princess—what about her dancing prince?
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In The Twelve Dancing Princesses, themes of enchantment and secrecy captivate the imagination, but the tale's resolution would likely not sit well with modern audiences. Disney would be tasked with weaving a more empowering narrative, especially for the princesses, who are largely passive in the original story. Perhaps they could be portrayed as strong-willed individuals, each with their unique dreams and aspirations, instead of mere pawns in a game of matrimonial reward. Modernizing the story could involve giving the princesses more agency and transforming the somewhat transactional ending into a lesson about respect and mutual consent.
2. Snow White and Rose Red
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Disney would obviously have to change the name of one of these characters, who is completely unrelated to the Snow White who started Disney's foray into fairytales. There is one dwarf in this story, but he's not helpful—he fails to thank sisters Snow and Red for the countless times that they save him after his beard gets tangled up in a tree. Snow and Red also befriend a bear, and it turns out that the bear was cursed by the nasty little dwarf—he's actually a prince. The bear prince eventually breaks the curse by killing the dwarf, and he marries Snow. He conveniently has a brother for Red to marry. Unfortunately, "Brave" kinda already did the enchanted bear thing.
Frequently asked questions
Oh, there are plenty! Think about the stories by the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen that haven't been adapted yet. Characters like Princess Kaguya or The Snow Queen's story are still out there waiting for their spotlight.
It's a tricky one. Sometimes it's about the story not fitting the Disney brand or maybe they just haven't gotten around to it yet. Plus, some fairy tales are pretty dark, and Disney likes to keep things family-friendly!
Personally, I think Princess Kaguya from Japanese folklore has such a touching story. It would make a beautiful movie, full of magic and emotion!
No way! As long as there are different cultures and storytellers around the world, there's always going to be another princess story waiting to be told. Disney just needs to keep searching and maybe step outside their European comfort zone more often.
Definitely! With the right storytelling and animation, any fairytale princess can capture our hearts. It's all about how you bring the characters and their stories to life. Just look at what happened with Moana and Elsa!
3. The Princess and the Pea
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There's already a 2002 animated movie based on this fairytale that looks like a Disney knockoff, and Disney already did a live-action TV movie starring Zooey Deschanel that was based on the "Once Upon a Mattress" musical adaption of the story. However, maybe the House of Mouse will still consider animating it since it's such a popular fairytale. The original story is simple: A prince is looking for a princess to marry, but he won't choose a bride because he's not sure if any of the girls whom he's meeting are actually real princesses. When a girl claiming to be a princess shows up at his castle drenched in rain and looking dreadful, the prince's mother tests her claim by making her sleep on 20 mattresses with a pea underneath them. She proves she's a princess because she can feel the pea, and she gets to marry the prince. It's a pretty awful story, so it'll need a lot of tweaking.
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The Princess and the Pea tale, while brimming with charm, might benefit from a deeper narrative if given the Disney touch. It's a story that could explore themes of sensitivity, perception, and maybe redefine what it means to possess "true" royal qualities in the modern world. Disney's flair for character depth could turn the "delicate princess" trope on its head, perhaps suggesting that her discomfort stems from a deeper awareness - paying homage to the inner strengths that Disney princesses have come to embody. After all, in a world where authenticity is rare, a princess with an unyielding authenticity detector could be quite the protagonist.
4. Thumbellina
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Thumbellina is another fairytale character who got the Disney knockoff treatment in 1994. However, how amazing would it be for the House of Mouse to introduce a Tinker Bell-sized princess? In the original fairytale, tiny Thumbellina gets kidnapped by a toad who wants her to marry his son. She escapes this fate, but a field mouse tries to convince her to marry a mole. She flees on the back of a sparrow that takes her to a land where she finds a fairy prince to marry, and she's gifted with a pair of wings. Thumbellina would fit right in Disney's Pixie Hollow world, which is inhabited by Tinker Bell and her fairy friends.
5. The Wild Swans
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You've probably heard of the non-Disney movie called "The Swan Princess." If the House of Mouse wants to do something similar, it might consider taking on this Hans Christian Andersen fairytale. In this story, the princess doesn't get turned into a bird. Instead her evil stepmother turns her eleven prince brothers into swans. The wicked queen also tries to use the curse on Princess Elisa, but the girl is banished when it doesn't work. The queen of the fairies tells Elisa how to save her brothers, but she has to survive being accused of witchcraft and almost getting burned at the stake before she rescues them.
6. The Tin Soldier
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The princess doesn't play a large part in this fairytale, but Disney could change that. It's about a soldier who encounters a witch who informs him about three treasures guarded by three large dogs. The witch tells him how to avoid getting harmed by the canines and says that he can take as much treasure as he wants to—all she asks for in return for her help is for him to bring back a tinderbox inside the magic hall where the treasures are. This is where things get dark: Instead of giving the tinderbox to the witch, the soldier cuts off her head and takes it for himself. He realizes that the tinderbox controls the three dogs and asks one of them to bring him a beautiful princess. Disney would definitely have to change the ending of the story since the soldier ends up using the dogs to murder the princess's protective parents so that he can marry her.
7. The Four Skillful Brothers
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It would be interesting for Disney to tell a fairytale story from a male point of view. In this tale, four brothers learn four different trades—they become an astronomer, a thief, a huntsman, and a tailor. The brothers' skills help them save a princess from a dragon, but her father is faced with a predicament because he wants to reward his daughter's saviors by offering her hand in marriage. Since the brothers' skills were equally important during her rescue, he ends up giving each brother a quarter of the kingdom instead. The guys would be the main characters here as they set out an epic adventure, but Disney could definitely flesh out the princess.
Some of these fairytales might seem strange, but this is why it would be so much fun to see Disney take them on. The animation studio has plenty of experience now, so it's time to tackle some of the tougher tales about princesses. Which fairytale would you love to see turned into an animated Disney movie?
Comments
Michelle: Write a comment ... Me
Tara: I love fairy tales period they take me back to my child hood days
Ashu: Loved this article. All these fairy tales take me back to my childhood days. Simpler times :)
Dawn: They should make this movie.
Tempest: Thumbellina has a movie...
Lauren_H: A lot of these have Barbie movies instead... When I was little I loved both Disney and Barbie.
Raine: Nice article, but actually "The Tin Solider" does pop up in Fantasia 2000. I would like to see a movie dedicated to that fairytale though, since the segment in Fantasia 2000 was not very long.
Dawn: This is a great idea!
Lara: I love all of the first 5 and there's a barbie film of 12 dancing princesses and 2 of thumbellina
Інна: When I was little my mother used to read me the tale of Andersen about swans brothers & the Princess. It was one of the favorite tales of my childhood, I used to take it way too seriously. And besides I had a book of it & I adored looking at the pictures in this book. It was such a mystery to me & I was always happy that in the long run this tale had a happy ending!! Lol TGIF!!
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