Disney is well known for adapting various classic stories and tales from across the world, many of them considered “Fairy Tales” such as Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast etc. Yet looking at many of the classic tales that have adapted you also see some that they have not adapted, at least not yet. Here are five classic stories that Disney could possibly adapt if they find the right inspiration. 

1 – The Prince and the Pauper

A story about two identical individuals, one of royal decent and one a commoner. Some versions of the story they are doppelgängers while others they are twins who were separated at birth. Disney has indeed adapted this story before in the 1990 short film staring Mickey Mouse as both the pauper and the prince, but it also served as the basis for the story of the infamous canceled film Kingdom of the Sun, which was later re-worked into The Emperor’s New Groove which took inspiration from The Emperor’s New Clothes. Disney could possibly revisit the idea as the company continues to offer culturally diverse films, and perhaps revisiting this Central American story would be a good way of adapting the original fairy tale.

2 – The Phantom of the Opera



Yes, I know, it seems like a very odd choice for a Disney film, especially if you were to go by the original book, but there was another story that Disney made back in 1996, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Considered one of Disney’s darkest films, yet 25 Years Later it still is praised for its mature story, epic music and memorable villain. If you were to take the same love and care that went into Hunchback and put that into Phantom, you most certainly would have another memorable “dark” Disney film. The question is whether or not to adapt the original book or the famous Andrew Lloyd Webber stage musical version.

3 – The Seven Voyages of Sinbad



Sinbad is one of the most well known stories from the Arab tale of A Thousand and One Nights, the others being Aladdin and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves which Disney already tackled.

Sinbad was a sailor known for his many strange voyages, seeing many strange wonders, and of course many strange terrors. Before Jeffrey Katzenberg left to form Dreamworks, one of the films he said Disney was planning was an adaptation of Sinbad, but he of course left and took the idea with him, making the 2003 film Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, the film that almost put Dreamworks out of business.

The story of Sinbad is well known in places like the Middle East and India, so an adaptation could possibly attract those audiences. Not to mention Disney already has a foundation for the film, in the basis of the The Park Ride Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage at Tokyo DisneySea

4 – The Wizard of Oz



Walt Disney himself had wanted to adapt The Wizard of Oz multiple times before his passing, and Disney has had an odd relationship with the world of Munchkins and Flying Monkeys, making sequels, prequels, parodies and other interpretations but not a faithful adaptation.

The story itself is in the Public Domain of course, but in recent years not many studios have touched the classic story, most likely due to the reputation of the MGM version. But perhaps Disney may be the studio to do it, by making a fully animated adaptation of the classic tale in the vane of films like Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.

5 – The Princess and the Pea



Yet another odd choice for a feature length film adaptation, but funny enough someone in 2002 actually did it. A 2D animated film based on the classic tale similar to other non-Disney princess films like 20th Century Fox’s Anastasia (Which Disney now owns) and 1994’s The Swan Princess. 

The Princess and the Pea is perhaps one of the Last Great Princess stories from Europe that hasn’t been told by a company like Disney, so perhaps they may attempt this one when they feel they have the right story for it. (Also in case you’re curious I do recommend checking out the 2002 version, it’s not that bad).

What are some classic stories you think Disney Could Adapt?