It was recently confirmed "Batman" director Tim Burton will direct the live-action version of animated Disney classic "Dumbo." Will this film turn out to be a nightmare?
If you're familiar with Burton's filmmaking style, you'll know we don't mean the kind that flops at the box office or is simply unwatchable. Think cuddly character given a "The Nightmare Before Christmas" treatment.
"The film is expected to be a mixture of computer generated effects and live actors, although details on the project are still scarce at this early stage of development," the Wall Street Journal said in an exclusive report. Walt Disney production chief Sean Bailey said that the setting will involve a "big world," which indicates that "the story will be broader than the original tale of a circus elephant with large ears who learns to fly."
Will it then touch on environmental issues and take on wildlife conservation as a theme?
Right now, "Dumbo" does not have a release date yet and is just one of the live-action versions of the studio's classic animated movies lined up for release, which includes "The Jungle Book" and "Beauty and the Beast."
"The script for 'Dumbo' has reportedly expanded on the story, with changes including the addition of a human family," Time said. "It's a solid bet that some more dated elements of the film will be absent from the modern remake: Odds are the racially offensive, jive-talking crows (with a leader named, naturally, Jim Crow) didn't make the cut."
Disney's confidence in Burton may be traced to the box office success of the 2010 flick "Alice in Wonderland," which starred Burton favorites Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, as well as Anne Hathaway and Mia Wasikowska. The film went on to earn more than $1 billion globally and became "the spark for the new live-action fairy tale strategy that Walt Disney Pictures is aggressively pursuing under Mr. Bailey," WSJ said.
Further, WSJ speculated that Burton's appointment as "Dumbo" director could also be influenced by the fact that circus motifs is a "favorite" theme of the filmmaker. It can be recalled that his "Batman Returns" did take on the Red Triangle Circus Gang. Could be we be seeing elaborate circus scenes in the live-action "Dumbo" then? And, come to think of it, will Johnny be involved in the film, even in a cameo role?
Currently, Burton is helming "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children," Mashable said. He will also be taking charge of "Beetlejuice 2," which makes "Dumbo's" release date even hazier.
We'll know more in the coming months.
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