Director Tim Burton has been tapped by Disney to helm a live action remake of Dumbo , the beloved 1941 classic about a circus elephant with large ears who learns to fly.
Though the Dumbo remake is still in the midst of development, according to the New York Daily News , it is expected to feature CGI effects alongside a host of live actors. The plotline of the film will be revamped in some ways, as the Wall Street Journal reports that the new story will be “broader” than that of the original Dumbo . Ehren Kruger, who previously worked on the Transformers series, has written the script for the remake, while Justin Springer has been hired by Disney to produce it.
Tim Burton will reinvent another @Disney film classic after signing on to direct a live-action #Dumbo ! pic.twitter.com/tS1IljvnoM
— MovieTickets.com (@MovieTickets) March 11, 2015
Tim Burton has previously worked on another Disney live action feature, 2010’s Alice In Wonderland , which proved to be one of the studio’s most successful non-animated films. The movie went on to gross over $1 billion, setting in motion a turn toward live action films on the part of Disney. In addition to the Dumbo remake, the studio also has The Jungle Book and Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass slated for next year, while Beauty and the Beast will follow in 2017. This week, the studio will release a new, live action version of Cinderella .
ICYMI – Tim Burton reteams with Disney for a live-action #Dumbo : http://t.co/hwS9vR2fxB pic.twitter.com/rwvgwVH4fm
— Cineplex (@CineplexMovies) March 11, 2015
Most recently, Burton has been in the director’s chair for Big Eyes , which starred Amy Adams and was released last December. As the Inquisitr previously reported, rumors have also persistently circled that Burton is planning a sequel to Beetlejuice , after years of fan requests. Both Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton, stars of the original film, have expressed interest in returning for a sequel if Tim Burton were to helm the project.
Burton’s next film to hit theaters, however, will be Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children , which is set for release in the spring of 2016. Burton will also produce the sequel to Alice In Wonderland , which will open in theaters on May 27, 2016.
A live-action ‘Dumbo’ movie is on the way – and the details might surprise you! http://t.co/LJkyeh3a1Z pic.twitter.com/cKPmc1itK7
— M Magazine (@m_magazine) March 11, 2015
As the project is still in its early stages of development, no release date has yet been announced for Disney’s new, Tim Burton directed Dumbo .
[Photo by Matej Divizna/ Getty Images]
