New Reports about Live-Action Remake of Hunchback? It’s Bad!

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Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image
Quasimodo singing, Out There, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney

According to a few news outlets the report is that Bob Iger is canceling the Live-Action Remake of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Now as of now take this with a grain of salt but given all the issues surrounding Disney with their latest releases, the current attitudes towards live-action remakes, and Iger’s feelings towards the original 1996 movie this news seems very likely.

Given the news back in May of this year from Alan Menken about the project being in limbo and that there had been little to no news about the production, this news is not a surprise.

The sources allude that things could change but this project isn’t a priority to Iger (who also said that “writers and actors going on strike are not being “realistic” with their expectations.”)

Could Gad go rouge and do a Hunchback version himself? I don’t know but it’s an intriguing thought. He has producing credits with Mandeville Films but that doesn’t mean he has any power or pull. Plus Mandeville Films has a partnership with Universal, which technically has Quasimodo in the “Universal Monster” category, which was a movie franchise that was canceled.

If Gad wanted to a version he more than likely could but it wouldn’t be the Disney version and it would take a while to develop. And after 4+ years of developing the Disney live-action project he may not even want to.

So yet another new movie version of Hunchback that is seemingly not to be made.

Esmeralda sulks Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image
Esmeralda & Djali sulk

What do you think would you welcome a Gad Hunchback version that was not a Disney Live-Action Remake?

Sources – https://insidethemagic.net/2023/08/bob-iger-has-reportedly-scrapped-anticipated-disney-live-action-remake-jb1/

https://www.disneyplusinformer.com/hunchback-of-notre-dame-live-action-reportedly-canceled/

Brief Update on Disney Live-Action of Hunchback

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Disclaimer- I know nothing outside of what is being reported.

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image
Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

With the upcoming Little Mermaid Live Action version coming out this moth, Alan Menken drop a little update on the Hunchback Live Action version which can be read here; https://comicbook.com/movies/news/alan-menken-shares-update-live-action-hunchback-of-notre-dame-movie-hercules-broadway-exclusive-interview/

In a nutshell, the project is in limbo. Menken mentions the seriousness of the issues that Hunchback deals with and them brings up Hellfire. So it sounds like there COULD be a debate over this the version should be a musical as Menken say they can’t do the version without “Hellfire.”

Of course I could be completely wrong and the question of about it being a musical is not the reason but it does give credence to what Josh Gad said on instagram back in March “and hopefully the powers that be will see this love and let us make the live action adaptation the original animated film deserves.” (source)

Disney’s live action remakes do seems to flirt with making them musical or not. They are very half in half out. Mulan no but Beauty and the Beast yes. Cinderella has some diegetic singing but Little Mermaid will be a musical and then there is Lion King speaking “Be Prepare” but the studio wanted to cut it.

So the Hunchback is in limbo. Perhaps the studio feels like it could be taken more “seriously” without the songs and they can get their precious industry accolades if make it gritter and real which a musical would hindered. But the creatives want the music and the fans seem to want the songs.

Meanwhile Disney let a subsidiary (Searchlight) make a farce version that is Hunchback in name only so who knows what Disney is doing these days.

So TLDR – Hunchback version in Limbo

Quasi gets a release date

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Broken Lizard's Quasi
Quasi

About a year ago, in November 2021 it was announced that Broken Lizard was making a satirical take on Hunchback. The Film was dubbed Quasi.

Now if you are like me and I know you are, you keep up with all things Hunchback. From news of the adaptions and so on. For about the last decade there has been eight or so announcements on new Hunchback Tv/Film projects. The Broken Lizard one was the last one and so far the only one to get a release date.

Quasi hits Hulu (US) on April 20th 2023. It will be on other streaming platforms for other countries so no worries. There are also actors listed but no roles given. Like I can guess who is playing Esmeralda (or a character like Esmeralda) but I don’t know for sure.

So in 5 months I better know what that axe means in the logo because I’m puzzled. Mayhaps I need to read the novel again because axe iconography is not something I recall. Bells, sure, gargoyles, hell yeah, cathedral stuff, yup, gallows, a bit bleak but yes, even fire I get but an axe? No.

Also what is a little maddening, at least for me, is that the last film adaptation of Hunchback to come out a little over 20 years was a parody. In the interim between versions nothing and now two comedic takes back to back even with a 20+ year gap. Kinda odd.

So Quasi will be the next Hunchback film version to get released since the 90s.

Source – https://deadline.com/2022/11/broken-lizard-quasi-film-release-date

Site Update- I’m sorry I haven’t done a Magical Adventure post in a while time just gets away from me but I do mean to finish it I just don’t know when. I’m remorseful that it taking me so long. I have no excuses though.

Brolin is at it again

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Josh Brolin Interview for Men in Black picture image

Josh Brolin Interview for Men in Black

Funny story, I posted the screenrant article but in the span of 10 minutes from me finding the article (which was an hour old when I got my daily google alert) to me posting it on Facebook, it got removed but I did find this denofgeek article which says  pretty much the same thing.  Here is a screenshot just prove the screenrant article was on googlenews.

So here we are with Brolin back with his Quasimodo vanity project.

Apparently the point of contention was the choice of director.  Zhang Yimou, who directed Hero, House of Flying Daggers and The Great Wall, was not approved by the studio and the project just fizzed out. That’s the story.

Brolin hopes to make the movie bigger than before  which a weird thing to say given the director he picked originally but sure whatever let’s go with what Brolin says. I hope it will still be “jazzy” like he intimated years ago.

However according to the denofgeeks article  this project is still in limbo, so let’s not get too excited.

Also, also there was a weird tidbit in the screenrant article, which you can’t read BUT did exist,  in that article there was mention of Mark Ruffalo being linked to a live-action version of the Disney version.  And here is the article on that,

https://screenrant.com/disney-quasimodo-hunchback-notre-dame-remake/

It just speculation. Though oddly that Esmeralda POV project is getting mentions in these articles.

Anyway all this “news” is just speculation. Until there is more information don’t except a new version unless it’s the Dinklage/Dance version or the Hollander version. Those projects are too recent to be dead yet, maybe.

 

Hunchback News of 2016

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While a good portion of 2016 has sucked, Hunchback of Notre Dame related news has been ok throughout the year especially in the musical area

Quasimodo as the King of Fools Topsy Turvy Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo as the King of Fools Topsy Turvy Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

First thing that is fairy big in 2016 is that the Disney movie turned 20 years old.

Hunchback of Notre Dame Cast Recording Album picture image

Hunchback of Notre Dame Cast Recording Album

Then there were a lot with the American version of the  Disney movie. The cast album for the Papermill’s version came out and while the show didn’t go to Broadway it did go to regional theaters. So far it has been performed at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine, which I can say was great. Also Utah’s Tuacahn Amphitheater,  California Music Circle of Sacramento had a deaf actor playing Quasimodo.

The show was also  performed on the international level at Frederica Theatre in Denmark. There should be more international performance in 2017 like at Budapest Operaetta. Next year there should be casts.

There was all an amateur cast version done in Nevada over Thanksgiving. Read more Here.

But it’s wasn’t all about the Disney musical, The Joseph Rowntree Theatre in York put on a production that reference the 2016 political climate like character named Governor LeTrump. Read about it here.

Hiba Tawaji as Esmeralda & Jay as Clopin 2016/2017 Notre Dame de Paris picture image

Hiba Tawaji as Esmeralda & Jay as Clopin

Then of course there is the other big Hunchback musical adaptation, Notre Dame de Paris. It started the year with the a French cast in Korea and a return of some of teh original Italian cast for another run of the Italian version. The biggest news for Notre Dame de Paris was the show’s return to Paris with a new cast though with some veteran of the show like Daniel Lavoie reprising his role as Frollo. The show announced it was going to have a production tour around Quebec.   

Sadly there have been no movie related news which is weird since that Max Ryan movie was supposed to start filming this past year and nothing. The only thing is that the role of “The Giant” is no longer listed on the IMDB page but there is still Advisor, thief, cripple, vagrant and Spike. I have no idea what any that mean but oh well we’ll just have to see with that one.

There of course there are the Hunchback news story that are referential. The big one was Rebecca Dann who suffers from Kyphosocollosis, which causes a huge curve in the spine,  won a photography contest and met Stephen Hawkings. Her self-portrait was called “I’m Fine” and it showcased her.  Read More Here. 

Hopefully 2017 will have more Hunchback news, hopefully movie related news but musical news is just as good.

Before we end the year let’s have a fun poll

 

Which of the Hypothetical casting ideas from 2016 was your favorite? Or which one of these casting would you most what to see actually happen? Just leave a comment.

Rupert Grint for Quasimodo 

Anna Kendrick for Esmeralda

Michael McElHatton for Frollo 

Francia Raisa for Esmeralda 

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau for Phoebus

Freddie Highmore for Gringoire

Sarah Bolger for Fleur de Lys

Gemma Arterton for Esmeralda

Terrance Zdunich for Gringoire

Gigi Radics for Esmeralda

Hmm, only one Frollo this year, we’ll have to at least double that in 2017.

Off-Topic – Boston

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I just want to say that my  heart goes out to all those affected by the tragedy today in Boston.  I live near Boston, I  went to school there, I have friends who live close by,  so I feel it’s close to me.