What started as an exercise in risk-taking for Disney through the likes of Maleficent and Kenneth Branagh’s lavish Cinderella movie has now morphed into a truly momentous endeavor, as the Mouse House continues to transform the vast majority of its animated back catalog into live-action feature films – think of Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, The Lion King and the many more adaptations brewing in various stages of development.
Another project that has wormed its way onto the production line over at Disney is a live-action Christopher Robin movie. Not to be confused with Fox’s Untitled A.A. Milne Project – Simon Curtis (Woman in Gold, My Week With Marilyn) is behind the lens for that one – Variety now reports that Spotlight helmer Tom McCarthy has been drafted in to fine-tune the original script submitted by Alex Ross Perry. Marc Forster remains attached to direct, allaying fears that McCarthy had been appointed to steady the ship.
What’s more, we understand that Christopher Robin is simply a working title for the time being, with the story revolving around Mr. Robin as an adult, who spends most of his days with his nose to the grindstone. Overwhelmed by family commitments, his imaginative adventures in Hundred Acre Wood appear to be nothing more than a distant memory – that is, until Pooh pays him a visit during his most desperate hour. Upon encountering the honey-loving bear, Christopher Robin agrees to help Pooh find his missing friends and from there, our protagonist must discover a way to balance both sides of his life – or risk losing them both.
Without a release timeline to call its own, it’s still early, early days on Disney’s live-action Christopher Robin movie. McCarthy, meanwhile, is gearing up for the premiere of Netflix’s teen murder mystery 13 Reasons Why. The first trailer booted online just yesterday, and you can find it below.
