Moonlight playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney has written mashup musical for Disney and Oscar-nominee David Oyelowo (12 Years a Slave) is set to star, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The musical will be based on a mix between William Shakespeare’s classic Othello and Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac with the new title Cyrano the Moor.
Othello follows the story of the eponymous Moorish general and his scheming ensign Iago, who tricks Othello into his own doom. Cyrano follows the titular large-nosed wordsmith who uses his talent for poetry and prose to woo the heart of the woman he loves, but on the behalf of another man.
This will be somewhat of a departure for Disney’s musical slate as of late, as they are currently focused on reviving their already established properties, such as Beauty and the Beast earlier this year and their upcoming Aladdin. If anything, though, this film will fall in line with Disney’s dedication to reviving known classics. With the aid of McCraney, who created the dynamic source material for this past year’s Oscar winner, it looks like a calculated risk on their end.
Oyelowo will be producing alongside his wife Jessica Oyelowo. The actor was last seen in A United Kingdom and Queen of Katwe. He will soon begin filming the star-studded Chaos Walking and recently wrapped production on the latest untitled Cloverfield sequel.
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