Well, it was bound to happen eventually, wasn’t it?
With Disney making bank on their live-action remakes of animated classics, it was only a matter of time before we started seeing other animation powerhouses dipping their toes into the live-action well. And, the latest comes from DreamWorks and their upcoming remake of How to Train Your Dragon.
Now, while I’m not particularly fond of what Disney has done so far with their live-action projects, I am pretty excited for what DreamWorks might have to offer. There are some obvious picks for where they could go next after How to Train Your Dragon, such as Shrek, Madagascar, or Kung Fu Panda. But, I think there are much more interesting routes that they could take if this remake turns out to be successful. Such as…
The Boss Baby
The story of a big brother who works to help his baby brother (who arrives wearing a suit, no less) figure out why puppies are becoming more popular than babies is just as weird as it sounds on paper as it is on the screen.
The main joke is that the baby is voiced by Alec Baldwin (who even makes a sanitized reference to the very R-rated movie, Glengarry Glen Ross) and his parents have no idea that their new baby is a spy. Over the years, it’s become a whole franchise with a sequel and a TV series, and you know what? I think this would be a great live-action film.
Don’t get me wrong. I know we’ve already gotten precocious baby movies in the past (I’m an ‘80s baby, mind you, so I saw Look Who’s Talking when it was new). I’m also well aware that the Baby Geniuses series exists. However, what if we combined Look Who’s Talking with Baby Geniuses while also having the imaginative whimsy that we’ve gotten in the animated The Boss Baby movies and TV show?
I mean, I know it sounds like it might not work, but I just have a feeling that it would. If anything, it would definitely set itself apart from anything that Disney has been remaking, that’s for sure.
The Croods
A family of cave people who hunt, gather, and sleep in a big ‘ol pile at night, encounter a new cave person who seems to have new-aged ideas that the patriarch doesn’t like. That is, of course, until the father learns that this new guy might be right all along. Silliness ensues.
I’m a huge fan of the first Croods movie, as well as its superior sequel. I even really like the animated series, The Croods: Family Tree. The thing is, I’m not quite sure why. I mean, you’d think that the caveman gags would get tiresome after a while. But, much like The Flintstones, the adventures this family go on just always seem to get better and better every time.
All throughout, it seems like the Croods are slowly advancing, and I love the concept of a live-action movie doing something similar. Because unlike The Flintstones, where we have a whole bunch of cave people living together with dinosaurs, the world of this family is constantly in peril.
Yes, it’s all played for laughs (like the daughter, Eep, has a peanut for a toe since hers was apparently eaten off), but I think it would be really cool to see some of these dangers in live-action, while still being really silly. It could work!
Monsters Vs. Aliens
A meteorite makes a woman transform into a giant, and she is placed in a holding facility with other creatures that are deemed “monsters.” However, when hostile aliens come to take over our planet, the “monsters” have to – you guessed it – fight the aliens in order to save the world, hence the title.
Monsters vs. Aliens is one of those DreamWorks movies that was a huge hit upon release (It made $381 million worldwide) but somehow seems to be a bit more on the obscure end of their catalogue these days.
This is a shame, because the movie is all sorts of funny and exciting. I especially like characters like Dr. Herbert Cockroach, Ph.D, and the massive bug, Insectosaurus, which looks like it could be a stand-in for one of Godzilla’s enemies.
I think a live-action version could really benefit when it comes to Monsters vs. Aliens. For one thing, it could be baby’s first kaiju movie…that is, if you’re not the kind of parent who already takes their children to Godzilla movies. Secondly, I think all the modern special effects could make this movie feel fresh and new. Because it deserves another audience to fall in love with it, dammit!
Megamind
A supervillain (who is not very good at his job) somehow manages to defeat his arch-nemesis. However, once his enemy is out of the picture, Megamind doesn’t really have much to do, so he creates a new villain for himself…with disastrous results.
I once dream cast a Wreck-It Ralph movie, and honestly, I think if one were ever made, it would be something like Megamind. The story of a “villain” who isn’t really all that bad (more misunderstood than anything), a live-action movie could be all sorts of fun.
Firstly, I envision it being playful like We Could Be Heroes, or Sky High, and secondly, I also see it parodying movies like Batman v. Superman, and being a whole hodgepodge of other superhero movies over the past few decades.
Honestly, if any movie on this list has the best chance of making a successful live-action transition, I think it’s Megamind. The ingredients are already established. Bonus points if Will Farrell and Brad Pitt could reprise their roles.
Rise Of The Guardians
Childhood guardians, such as Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, The Sandman, and Jack Frost, must fight to keep children’s imaginations alive from the Boogieman, who has nefarious plans.
Rise of the Guardians freaking rules. It made money, but apparently not enough to be considered a success, and the Guardians have fallen by the wayside when it comes to DreamWorks animation. That said, I definitely think these characters deserve a second chance, and I think it could be in live-action.
A part of me thinks it would be somewhat in the vein of a Red One, but I think it would be cool if they really leaned into the idea of children losing their sense of wonder due to a boogie man trying to take it away from them.
My children are 9 and 7, and each year, I wonder when they’re going to stop believing in Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny. A story of parents not wanting their children to lose that magic could be a good bridge into this world of childhood imagination.
The Prince Of Egypt
Lastly, what better movie for DreamWorks to give the live-action adaptation to than possibly their greatest movie ever, The Prince of Egypt? The story of Moses from childhood to becoming a prophet is rife with beautiful animation and music. The film also makes the Book of Exodus exciting for young audiences. In every way, it’s a winner.
Which kind of makes me hesitant to put it on this list. The movie already works so well in animated form, and transitioning it to live-action might take something away from it.
However, I also think that it could make it feel even more majestic and grand in live-action. The Ten Commandments is one of the most powerful movies of all time, and while I’m not sure if a Prince of Egypt movie could come anywhere close, I don’t think it could hurt to try, either.
Which one of these movies, if any, would you like to see next after How to Train Your Dragon?