Between the releases ofSnow White,Lilo & Stitch, andHow to Train Your Dragon, the era of live-action remakes is officially upon us. Some have mastered the craft more than others, but when done properly, there are few feelings as gratifying as seeing ananimated classic brought to life with respect and care in live-action. It was announced back in 2019 that a live-action remake ofThe Hunchback of Notre Dame, the 1996 Disney classic starringTom HulceandDemi Moorewas in the works. DespiteJosh Gadbeing attached as a producer, updates on the project have been eerily silent for years now. Collider’sMichael Zimmermanrecently had the chance to catch up withStephen Schwartz, who worked as a song producer on the 1996 film and was initially announced to be returning for the remake along withAlan Menken. Sadly, to the dismay of fans, he admitshe has no clue what’s going onwith the project:
“I don’t know anything about it, to tell you the truth.”
Schwartz went on to call the original animatedHunchback of Notre Damemovie“one of my favorites,”and he also praised the stage adaption of the film, which has predominantly played in theaters internationally. What’s particularly disappointing about this live-actionHunchback of Notre Dameupdate is thatit sounds like work on the film is completely stalled. It still would have been upsetting to hear thatDisneyhasn’t been able to crack the story, or that other issues were keeping it from moving forward, but it doesn’t seem like it’s even being actively developed at the moment. PlaywrightDavid Henry Hwangwas originally attached to write the script for the film, but it had not been announced or even reported who was attached to star.
More Live-Action Remakes Are Coming in the Next Few Years
Arguably the biggest live-action Disney adaptation in development isMoana, which has already been set for release on August 01, 2025.Moana 2hit theaters near the end of last year andgrossed over $1 billion at the box office, sothe live-action version is expected to be a colossal financial success. There was an adaptation ofTangledin the works, but around the same time thatSnow Whitestruggled for box office returnsearlier this year, it was reported thatthe film had been shelved. There have been talks of a live-actionAladdinsequel withGuy Ritchiereturning to direct, butupdates on that front have also been quietfor a while now.
It’s unclear at this time if the live-actionHunchback of Notre Damemovie is still in active development. Stay tuned to Collider for potential updates on the situation and watch the originalHunchback of Notre DameonDisney+.
