10 Films You Forgot Disney Were Making
Disney keeps announcing projects at a rapid rate. Some of them you might of miss or have forgotten about. I'm here to tell you about them. Cultjer's Disney Reporter Zach Perilstein is ready for action.
Christopher Robin
It started off as Winnie the Pooh in live-action which evolved into the story of Christopher Robin. The story will showcase an older Christopher Robin returning to hundred acre woods. Ewan McGregor will play Christopher Robin. Marc Foster will direct the film and Tom McCarthy will pen the script.
My Take: I think this film has some serious potential. Winnie the Pooh is beloved by many. Having him not be the main character could be a good thing though. Does Christopher Robin still believe in the lessons of Winnie the Pooh? The plot becomes more and more intriguing. I'm excited for Ewan McGregor to play this character. He was phenomenal in Beauty and the Beast. Hopefully him taking all these Disney roles leads him to a Obi-Wan Kenobi Star Wars Story film.
Phineas and Ferb
Yes a live-action Phineas and Ferb film is in the works. The popular Disney Channel animated series is heading to the big screen. The project will not be a Disney Channel film. The film will mix live-action and animation. The show follows the adventures of stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb, their sister Candace, and their pet platypus Perry (who has his own storyline as a secret agent fighting against the villainous Dr. Doofenshmirtz). The series was created by Jeff "Swampy" Marsh and Dan Povenmire.
My Take: The series itself was charming. It would be interesting to see these 2D characters in a live-action/animation hybrid setting. I'm assuming the film would be CGI. The film is still in development although not a lot of news was announced. I hope this project does eventually make it to the big screens. I feel like its kid-friendly characters could do well at the box office during the slow season.
Captain Nemo
The iconic character from Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea will be getting his own film. Captain Nemo will be directed by Logan's James Mangold. It's a original story not an adaption of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. The previous adaption by Disney was directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Kirk Douglas, James Mason, and Paul Lukas. The film is a classic to many. Captain Nemo is currently being written by Sebastian Gutierrez. The film will explore the mysterious genius who explored the sea in his submarine.
My Take: Take my money now. A Captain Nemo film is something that has to be made. Also the director is James Mangold. Who gave us the visually stunning and emotional Logan. This film will be cool to see the origin of the beloved anti-hero. Maybe this could lead to a remake of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. This film although not a remake of a Disney animated classic has some value. Disney is now picking characters out of the archive and expanding on their stories. It's a real treat for the fans.
Disenchanted
Disenchanted will be the sequel to the 2007 live-action/animated fantasy musical film Enchanted. The project was announced back in 2014. Seven years after the Golden Globe and Oscar nominated hit. The script will be penned by J. David Sten and David N. Weiss. The first film opened number one over Thanksgiving weekend. Enchanted starred Amy Adams as Giselle, along with Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon, and Idina Menzel. Hairspray director Adam Shankman will helm the sequel.
My Take: The sequel will take ten years after the original. The film although it's not official yet. Should be released sometime in 2018. The film may get pushed back to 2019 or even 2020. Due to the lack of buzz surrounding the project. Shankman is phenomenal with the musical genre. He will give us a fresh vision to a film that didn't really need a sequel. Shankman is the man behind Step Up series (the movies not the YouTube Red show.), Rock of Ages, and the Zac Efron Hairspray. Idina Menzel's relationship with Disney has gotten a lot better due to a little film named Frozen. So I'm sure she will have a larger role in the sequel. Will it do well at the box office? Times have changed since 2007. I still think a Disney branded musical still has enough to get over the hump at the box office.
Oz: The Great and Powerful Sequel
Although there isn't a title yet. There will be a sequel to Oz: The Great and Powerful which starred James Franco. The film came out in 2013 and later that year Variety reported that a sequel was in development. Mila Kunis even went as far to say that everyone is signed on for sequels. Director Sam Raimi said he wouldn't be interested in directing the sequel but he did leave some loose ends that the next director could pick up. Mitchell Kapner and Joe Roth confirmed that the sequel would not feature Dorothy and "a lot can happen in that period of time."
My Take: Oz: The Great and Powerful was a wonderful film. Like Disenchanted I expect this film to still be a few years away. The film is set 20 years before L. Frank Baum's Oz novels. Although there hasn't been a official Wizard of Oz remake. The film iconic characters and stories are always popping up in pop culture. From having a whole storyline on ABC's show Once Upon A Time. NBC recently did a show based off of Wizard of Oz called Emerald City. It was a disaster and it ended up being canceled. Although the property does generate interest it would be interesting to see if a sequel to a 2013 film about Oz would do well in let's say 2023? It really depends on how the story goes. Sam Raimi didn't want a trilogy for Oz like Spider-Man.
Paul Revere
Yes, you read that right. Disney is making a film about Paul Revere. The film will be made by Disney and Johnny Depp's Infinitum Nihil banner. E. Nicholas Mariani is currently writing the script. Johnny Depp and Christi Dembrowski are producing for Infinitum Nihil. Margaret French-Isaac will exec produce. The film will surround the Boston silversmith over the 24-hour period which he made the famous "midnight ride" from Charleston to Lexington, Massachusetts in order to warn the Colonial militia of the impending British invasion.
My Take: Another film that doesn't have a release date yet. Johnny Depp's Infinitum Nihil banner also produced The Lone Ranger in partnership with Disney and that did absolutely nothing. Disney probably wants Depp to just stick with Pirates at this rate. Historical Disney films are interesting. Most of their sports films that have been set in the past have been really good. This film is a toss up.
The Rocketeers
A reboot of the cult classic The Rocketeer. Max Winkler and Matt Spicer will pen the script for the reboot. The project is in the early development stages yet it is being touted as a sequel-reboot. This time The Rocketeer will be a African-American female. Brigham Taylor will be producing alongside NBA's Los Angeles Clippers Blake Griffin and NFL's Carolina Panthers Ryan Kalil. Griffin and Kalil are the ones to thank for the reboot of The Rocketeer. The new film will take place six years after the original. After the original Rocketeer disappears while fighting Nazis. A new female pilot takes over the mantle of The Rocketeer.
My Take: Despite the similarities to Iron Man the new reboot of The Rocketeer will be a exciting development. It's another reboot that hardcore Disney fans can appreciate. Although not a lot of people know about this film. Disney is starting to get bold with its current project. This is one of them.
Sky High 2
A sequel to Sky High? That's something we need to discuss. The film blurs looking like a real film or a Disney Channel made for TV movie. I don't remember much about the 2005 film other than that. Now they are in the early development stages of making a sequel. Sky High takes place in a world where superheroes are accepted. Will Kurt Russell reprise his role as the Commander? We don't know yet. Maybe if he does more will go see this film.
My Take: In a film world full of superheroes. Do we really need Sky High 2? Especially coming from Disney. I would understand if there was another studio that wanted to do a original superhero film but Disney owns Marvel. I mean everything will be compared to the Marvel standard. We got the MCU, DCEU, X-Men universe at Fox, Sony's Spider-Man universe, and the Valiant universe. Also Sky High is from 2005. Does anyone really want a sequel? Film fans joke that they don't want Avatar 2. At least Avatar did over a billion dollars and still has cultural relevance. (Thanks mostly in part to Disney.) Sky High was moderately successful at the box office. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 73%. I expect we can see Sky High 2 in the mid 2020's.
Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers
Chip N' Dale are back for a live-action Rescue Rangers film. The film will be a live-action/CG-Hybrid film. The director is Robert Rugan. David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman are producing. The chipmunk duo is famous for annoying Pluto or facing off against Donald Duck. In 1989, the characters were slightly changed for the Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers show. Alexander Young will executive produce. They are saying this film will be a origin story.
My Take: Woah, let's get this straight. A Chip n' Dale origin story. Are we going to meet Donald Duck and Pluto in a post-credit scene? This is another film Disney is catering to its old school audience. The film will be under the Mandeville Film banner that also did The Muppets film franchise. I'm excited to see how these live-action, CGI-Hybrid films turn out. Also is Chip n' Dale just a test run for the big screen return of Mickey Mouse?
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
The final film on our list of films you forgot Disney were making is Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Based off of the classic Disneyland attraction. The ride is based of The Wind in the Willows. Pete Candeland will develop the live-action/CGI film. Disney has had success before turning theme park attractions into successful films.
My Take: This should be a interesting film. It obviously once again caters to the hardcore Disney fan. Mr. Toad will be a exciting character to see on the big screen.
Well that's it for the list of ten films you forgot Disney were making. There is even more being developed. Some that seem really random and some that may excite fans even more. Soon I will be writing my Disney Box Office column and the preview in Disney for 2018. Times flies when you are having fun.
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