Harrison Ford as Carl in Pixar’s Live-Action Up? Everything We Know So Far
Disney’s live-action juggernaut may be headed skyward: after Moana, rumors since July 2025 point to an Up adaptation, with Harrison Ford floated for a lead role.
So, about that rumor making the rounds that Disney is doing a live-action Up with Harrison Ford as Carl Fredricksen: fun to imagine, not actually happening. Here is what kicked this all off, what Disney really has in the pipeline, and why Ford-as-Carl is just fan casting for now.
Where the chatter started
Back in July 2025, whispers popped up that Disney might announce a live-action Up at D23 on August 29. It sounded plausible because the studio has been on a live-action kick, so people ran with it. Then, on November 29, 2025, a tweet started circulating that turned up the volume even more:
"Harrison Ford is reportedly in talks to play Carl Fredricksen in the live-action version of Up."
Great headline, zero confirmation. The character at the center of all this is Pixar's 2009 icon: Carl Fredricksen, the stubborn, big-hearted widower with the square glasses, the love of his life Ellie, and an entire house tied to a mountain of balloons. Ed Asner voiced him beautifully in the original. The idea of Harrison Ford stepping into that role understandably got people curious.
What Disney is actually making right now
When Disney's live-action slate surfaced, the rumor deflated. Per The Direct, six live-action projects are in the works, and Up is not one of them. The current lineup:
- Moana
- Tangled
- Hercules
- Bambi
- Lilo & Stitch 2
- Maleficent 3
No Up on that list. Which means the live-action remake is not in development, and by extension, the Harrison Ford casting talk is just that - talk. No deal, no negotiations, no movie to join.
Quick refresher on the original Up
Released in 2009 and directed by Pete Docter, Up brought home a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes and runs a tight 1 hour 36 minutes. Alongside Ed Asner as Carl, the cast includes Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, and Bob Peterson. It is one of those Pixar movies that hits the heart in the first ten minutes and never really lets go. If you want to revisit it, Up is streaming on Disney+.
But if it ever did happen... who could play Carl?
Fans throwing Harrison Ford into the mix makes sense - gruff exterior, loads of soul underneath. If we are fantasy casting, a few other names also line up nicely with Carl's mix of cranky and tender: Robert De Niro has the tough-shell-soft-center thing down; Danny DeVito brings warmth and bite; Steve Martin can blend heart and timing; and Brian Cox could nail the authority and the ache. All that said, this is just armchair casting. Until Disney actually greenlights a live-action Up, Ed Asner remains the definitive Carl.
The bottom line
Despite the tweets and the summer rumor mill, Disney is not making a live-action Up right now. There is no project, and there is no Harrison Ford deal. If that changes someday, I will be the first to grab the metaphorical balloons and yell about it. Until then, the real journey is still in the 2009 film - and it holds up just fine.