Disney has been on fire announcing live-action remakes in recent years – this time, it’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
This work-in-progress film, simply titled Hunchback, will herald the return of the original’s songwriters Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. However, the film will take its inspiration from the 1992 animated feature and Victor Hugo’s novel – not the stage production that the songwriting duo collaborated on in Europe.
Writing the script is playwright David Henry Hwang, who has ample experience penning broadway plays and musical theatre. Perhaps his best-known play is M. Butterfly, a 1988 Broadway production that won the Tony Award for that year. He’s also collaborated on the book for Aida, a musical with music and lyrics from Elton John and Tim Rice respectively.
Producing Hunchback is Mandeville and Josh Gad. Disney veterans will know too well about Gad’s credentials. The 37-year-old actor has had big roles in Frozen and The Beauty and the Beast live-action remake. Gad is even due to reprise his role as Olav in this year’s Frozen 2. Given his experiences working for the company, it’ll be interesting to see what he brings to the table with Hunchback.
The head honcho of Mandeville, David Hoberman, has pursued a Hunchback live-action film for thirty years. It was this desire that led to the creation of the animated feature we all know and love – as well as a limited TV series on ABC.
News of a Hunchback remake follows Disney’s multitude of other live-action reimaginings. This year alone will see the release of three live-action revisits of classic Disney properties including the Tim Burton-helmed Dumbo, Aladdin and The Lion King.
Alas, the Hunchback project is very much in its early stages and we likely won’t hear new information for a while. Similarly, a Lilo & Stitch live-action remake is in the same state.
But a question to you – do you feel that Disney is overdoing it with their string of remakes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!