At this rate Disney is soon going to run out of classic animated movies to turn live-action, as it’s been announced that Transformers writer Ehren Kruger has been hired to pen a live action take on Dumbo for the studio, according to THR.
While the likes of Maleficent, Alice In Wonderland and the upcoming Cinderella made sense for a live action version, Dumbo is a rather different proposition as it barely has any human roles at all, instead focussing of circus animal.
Presumably the idea is to use a mix of CG and real animals to create the baby elephant who is constantly teased for his big ears. After his mother gets locked up for protecting him against bullies, Dumbo hits the road with his mouse pal, Timothy, and eventually learns that he can soar high in the sky, flying with the help of feather he believes in magical.
It’s easy to see why Disney is betting big on these live-action takes on the classic film, as Alice in Wonderland grossen over $1 billion worldwide, and this summer’s Maleficent has already made over $600. With other big budget Disney films like Lone Ranger and John Carter failing, new takes on animated classics seems to be their best bet.
As well as Cinderella coming May 2015, they are also developing The Jungle Book (which should also be out next year), Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid.