The Lion King is still in theaters, having just roared past $1 billion at the box office. Unsurprisingly then, Disney’s now working on another live-action remake of one of their classics that has a feline theme as well. According to our sources – the same ones who revealed Kevin Hart and Ryan Reynolds‘ cameos in Hobbs & Shaw months ago – The Aristocats is the latest of many properties that the studio has lined up for the remake treatment.
The original 1970 movie followed pampered Parisian cat Duchess and her three kittens (Toulouse, Berlioz and Marie) as they get thrown out on the streets by greedy butler Edgar, meeting the charming rogue Thomas O’Malley the alley cat in the process. Details on the remake are still scarce and it’s far too early for casting or anything like that, but again, we’ve been told it’s on the studio’s list as with the success they’ve been seeing recently via The Lion King, Aladdin and more, they’re pretty hot on the idea of live-action remakes right now.
This is just speculation on our part, but we can see the project being pitched at the level of the upcoming Lady and the Tramp remake and ending up on Disney Plus. After all, we recently learned that the canine romantic caper, featuring the voices of Justin Theroux and Tessa Thompson, will feature real animals instead of being all-CGI like The Lion King. The Aristocats could work much the same way, though some of its more cartoonish sequences – like the “Everyone Wants To Be A Cat” number – might have to be toned down. Unless Disney can find a cat with a talent for the trombone, that is.
In any case, the aforementioned Lady and the Tramp is the next Disney remake on its way, as it’ll land on the streaming service this November. As for the theatrically-released ones, Mulan is due in March 2020 while The Little Mermaid doesn’t yet have a release date but is set to start filming early next year.
Other projects in the works, meanwhile, include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Sword in the Stone and Pocahontas. The related Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Cruella are also on their way in 2020. And while it’s still unclear whether The Aristocats will end up in theaters or on Disney Plus, it’s exciting to hear that the Mouse House is remaking it regardless.
