It’s official: the 1973 Disney animated feature Robin Hood is getting a live action remake. Following in the footsteps of Cinderella, Beauty and The Beast, and The Lion King, Disney is offering a new version of their interpretation of the thief of Nottingham story for a new generation.
Carlos Lopez Estrada, director of Blindspotting, has been confirmed as director of the project and Kari Granlund, the screenwriter for the remake of Lady and the Tramp, has signed on to write the screenplay for Robin Hood as well. Unlike Mulan, Robin Hood has been confirmed to be a musical, and like Lady and the Tramp, the film will be a mix of live action and CGI. No word has been confirmed about casting yet.
The original Robin Hood follows the eponymous thief, depicted as an anthropomorphized fox, and his loyal sidekick Little John, a bear, cleverly evading the clutches of Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham. As Hood fights against the Prince’s tyrannous taxation of the people of England while seeking to reunite with his childhood sweetheart Maid Marian, he steals from the rich and gives to the poor, becoming n a symbol of courage and charity in the people’s eyes.
Robin Hood was made after Walt Disney’s death and before the Disney Renaissance. Despite being not being considered one of Disney’s “prestige” films, Robin Hood has a special place in the hearts of Disney fans, having even inspired Bryan Howard in the making of Zootopia. It will be interesting to see if the live-action remake lives up to its predecessor.