Cinderella has been named the UK’s favorite Disney princess, according to new national research, from Showcase Cinemas. The study, which was commissioned to celebrate the release of the live-action The Little Mermaid, also revealed Cinderella (11 percent) is the nation’s favorite Disney Princess movie – with the top three characters also reflected in the UK’s top three favorite films as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (10 percent) and Beauty and the Beast (8 percent) landed among the nation’s favorites.
Cinderella, who first appeared on the big screen back in 1950, took 12 percent of the vote in a tightly fought race, beating out competition from Snow White (11 percent) and Beauty and the Beast princess Belle (9 percent), according to nationwide research carried out by Showcase Cinemas.
Recent Disney princesses, such as Moana (8 percent) and Brave protagonist Merida (5 percent) also landed in the top 10, demonstrating that newer characters are making their mark with film lovers.
The live action adaptation Disney’s 1989 classic The Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey as Ariel, a mermaid princess who is fascinated with the human world, will be released at Showcase Cinemas on May 26th.
The research revealed that 70 percent of Gen Z still enjoy watching Disney princess movies and nearly three quarters (72 percent) of those aged between 18 – 34 enjoy princess flicks.
Elsewhere, the survey shows ‘90s favorite 101 Dalmatians (14 percent) is the UK’s number one Disney live action remake, with 2018’s The Lion King (8 percent) and Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book (7 percent) also scoring in the top three.
And there could only be one winner when it came to crowning the nation’s favorite Disney princess love interest, with Cinderella’s Prince Charming (14 percent) coming out on top.
Jon Dixon, UK marketing director at Showcase Cinemas said, “Disney princess movies have been family favorites for nearly 100 years, so it’s fantastic to look back and reveal the UK’s favorites. Cinderella is special for all generations, but it’s great to see more recent films such as Moana and Brave also getting some love from the UK population too.
“Disney’s dedication to live action remakes is amazing, taking old favorites and reimagining them for a modern audience. The Little Mermaid hits the big screen on Friday and we’re sure it’ll be another must see viewing experience for families across the UK”.
The survey also revealed that Cardiff is home to the biggest Disney princess fans in the UK, with 68 percent of the region saying they still watch the princess movies.
The survey also revealed that Some Day My Prince Will Come (10 percent) is the nation’s favorite song from a Disney princess movie, while the Genie (11 percent) from Aladdin is the UK’s number one supporting character from a Disney princess movie.
The research was based on a survey of 2000 respondents undertaken in March 2023