Deadline reports that a live-action version of The Aristocats is in the early stages of development at Disney. The live-action movie will be based on the 1970’s animated masterpiece The Aristocats, originally directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, the same director behind the 2D animated Disney classics The Jungle Book and Robin Hood.
Not many details have been made available outside of the announcement that Will Gluck and Keith Bunin will join forces to write the script. You may recognize Will Gluck as the director behind family adventure films like Peter Rabbit and 2014’s Annie. Keith Bunin is no stranger to animation or Disney, having written the script for the Disney Pixar adventure film Onward.
Known for its jazzy soundtrack and star-studded cast, The Aristocats is a story of a wealthy Parisian cat family (mommy Duchess and her kittens Marie, Berlioz, and Toulouse) who are catnapped and abandoned in the French countryside by a greedy butler who wants to steal their inheritance. With the help of their gang of animal friends, including the streetwise alley cat O’Malley, Duchess, and her kittens embark on a quest to make their way back home. It features the vocal talents of Phil Harris (Jungle Book), Eva Gabor (The Rescuers), Sterling Holloway (Alice in Wonderland), and Paul Winchell (Winnie The Pooh).
As to how the Aristocats live-action movie will handle the predominantly feline cast, Deadline reports that sources say we can expect it to be similar to Disney Plus’ Lady and the Tramp, in which human voice-over actors narrate the subconscious of animals (similar to Bruce Willis’ role in Look Who’s Talking.)
This is not the only live-action Disney classic we have to look forward to; fans are still anticipating the release of the live-action The Little Mermaid, which is slated to release in Spring 2023.
