Tim Burton has officially begun production on his live-action version of Dumbo, the most depressing Disney movie of all time. (Okay, maybe that’s up for debate, but this movie wrecked me as a child.) We’ve heard rumors about the cast for a while now, from Colin Farrell to Danny DeVito and Michael Keaton, and they’re all true! The casting news, along with some plot details and an official release date was announced today during Disney’s live-action panel at the D23 Expo.
After starring in a handful of disappointing films, including last year’s Collateral Beauty and Suicide Squad, it sure would be nice to see Will Smith star in a decent movie again. Bad Boys 3, which was recently delayed, could be that film — maybe, possibly — but Disney’s new Dumbo movie seemed like more of a sure thing given the studio’s reliable formula for live-action remakes. Recent reports revealed that Smith was in talks to star in Tim Burton’s reimagining of the classic Disney film; unfortunately, those talks are no longer happening.
If you’ve ever wondered what a Tim Burton movie starring Will Smith would look like, you might find out relatively soon. The actor is reportedly circling a role in Disney’s live-action remake of Dumbo, which Burton has been attached to direct for some time now. After delivering the disappointing one-two punch of Suicide Squad and Collateral Beauty, Smith sure could use a win, and joining Disney’s growing empire of live-action remakes seems like a pretty safe bet.
This really is like a real life Dumbo story!
After a baby elephant, Me-Bai, was taken from her mother in 2011 and sold to give rides to tourists in Thailand, she was reunited with her mother over the weekend.
With their new Cinderella just days away, Disney is continuing its streak of turning its animated classics into live-action features with the news, via the Wall Street Journal, that Dumbo is ready to make the transition from animated elephant to ... well, still-animated elephant surrounded by live-action actors. If that idea doesn’t get your ears flapping, maybe this will: the Journal says Tim Burton will be the man who’ll direct the new Dumbo.