Disney Plots Live-Action Remake Of ‘Fantasia’ Sequence
When it comes to Disney’s apparent determination to live-action-remake every story it’s ever animated, not evenFantasiais exempt. Disney is developing a feature film based on theNight on Bald Mountainclosing sequence from the 1940 musical anthology. Hit the jump for all the details on the Fantasia live action remake.
Matt SazamaandBurk Sharplesswill write the screenplay and executive produce. The project is still in the early stages, and doesn’t yet have a director or stars.THR, which broke news of the Fantasia live action remake, likens the new movie to Disney’s recentSleeping BeautyretellingMaleficent.
The originalFantasia, released in 1940, consisted of eight animated sequences set to classical music. The last was based on “Night on Bald Mountain” byModest Mussorgskyand “Ave Maria” byFranz Schubert, as arranged byLeopold Stokowski, and was animated byVadimir Tytla.
The scene follows the demon Chernabog, who summons ghosts and monsters in the dead of the night. The undead spirits dance and fly and generally wreak havoc through the countryside, until daybreak forces them back into hiding.
Sazama and Sharpless have some experience with dark fantasy tales. They scripted the vampire origin storyDracula Untold, which brought in $215 million for Universal last fall. They also wrote the upcomingThe Last Witch Hunter, which stars Vin Diesel as the title character, andGods of Egypt, which Alex Proyas is directing.
Disney has found great success mining its animated vault for source material.Alice in Wonderland,Maleficent, andCinderellawere all box-office hits. A live-action remake ofThe Jungle Bookand anAlicesequel are coming next year, and a live-action remake ofBeauty and the Beastlands a year after that. Live-action remakes ofMulan,Dumbo,Winnie the Pooh, andPinocchioare also in the works, as is a Tinker Bell spinoff.
