The Tale of Six Hunchbacks

by

Seeing as last week we got an announcement that Disney is remaking The Hunchback of Notre Dame as part of their live action remake movie trend, I thought it would be a good time to do a check on all the differen versions of Hunchback that have been announced in recent memory.

Now in my tenure of running this blog, counting the new Disney/Josh Gad version there has been SIX “new” versions that have been announced and nothing has gotten made as of yet.

Josh Brolin picture image
Josh Brolin

The first one was the Josh Brolin version.
This was to be a “jazzy” version with Zhang Yimou slated to direct.  Now Brolin has been on and off with this one since like 2011. Back in May 2018 he said he was still trying with this version but a New York Times article back in June of 2018 used the word “jazzy” in reference to Brolin’s Hunchback. But who knows? I’m not holding my breath for this version.  

Max Ryan picture image
Max Ryan

Then we have the Max Ryan version which was to be directed by Chuck Russell. This one I believe was announced in 2014 with the news of Russell directing being announced in 2015. I think had a 2018 release date.  But in so far nothing has come out about it. 

This version actually has a bit of a history since in was based on script from 2007 that had a cast mentioned with it. Most noticeably Monica Cruz as Esmeralda and John Rhys-Davies as Frollo. This is also the version with character called “Figment.”  Which I think for a while was on the IMBD page.  You can read more for a bit of a summary of that 2007 concept here.  Because it’s very weird
Anyway still no news on this version. 

Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame singing "God Help the Outcast" picture image
Esmeralda singing “God Help the Outcast” Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Then there is the lesser known Peter Chernin version. This was one was announced in 2015 as an Esmeralda POV movie. The idea was originally announced in 2013 a idea for Once Upon a Time. There has been no news of this version since 2015. 

Peter Dinklage Quasimodo picture image
Peter Dinklage

Then we have the Charles Dance and Peter Dinklage  TV collab. This news was reported back in October 2017. So it’s still fairly new and there was a report back in May 2018  that mentioned the project. So I assume it’s still in the works.

Idris Elba picture imahe
Idris Elba

Also back in May of 2018, Idris Elba announced he was going to take on a Hunchback version for Netflix. This was the most recent project till last week. Again not a big deal that we haven’t gotten any follow-ups yet, it’s still pretty new.

Josh Gad for Quasimodo picture image
Josh Gad

That brings us to the Live-action remake with Josh Gad. I looked at Gad’s twitter and he has two posts (at the time I looked at his feed)  that hinted Hunchback. One of him reading the Disney version’s art book and one him outside of Notre Dame with text that said “Bells bells bells” etc.

I do find a little interesting since Gad was already in a Live action Disney remake as Le Fou and he voices Olaf that maybe this version is a bit of a passion project. That Gad is the one who convinced Disney to do this and not the other way around. I could be wrong, I’m probably wrong. We will have to see.

So we have a race on our hands. Which Hunchback version will be the first to get released to a general audience? Or at least announces some casting news first?
Only time will tell.

New Hunchback TV show in the works

by

Peter Dinklage Quasimodo picture image

Peter Dinklage

 

It’s been announce that Game of Thrones stars Peter Dinklage and Charles dance will produce a TV drama called Quasimodo based on The Hunchback. Now we have been burned before on Hunchback versions like with Brolin and that one from Esmeralda point of view and I don’t know what’s up with the Max Ryan version. There is also that universal monster cinematic universe and MAYBE. maybe a Disney live-action version is could maybe happen, maybe. However I’m excited and I hope this gets made.

Charles Dance picture image

Charles Dance

I do like the idea of Dinklage and Dance starring as Quasimodo and Frollo. Though they wouldn’t super idea to the roles as Quasimodo is liken to a giant and Frollo is mid-aged from a late renaissance point of view, still I think they could act the roles well pending on how the story is adapted.

Also Charles Dance was one my Hypothetical casting for Frollo and I still maintain that he would be a great Frollo. And oddly George R.R. Martin did allude to Quasimodo when Cersei refer to Tyrion in A Feast for Crows  “swing from a rope in the Sept of Baelor” and Dinklage plays Tyrion on the HBO show of Game of Thrones.  You can read that post here. So if they do take the roles it would be great casting.

You can read more of this story below;

http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/game-of-thrones/268269/peter-dinklage-and-charles-dance-to-executive-produce-tv-drama-quasimodo

A Quasimodo Reference in Game of Thrones

by

No real Spoilers

Lena Heady as Cersei Lannister & Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones picture image

Lena Heady as Cersei Lannister & Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones

I was reading the fourth Book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, A Feast for Crows,  A Song of Ice and Fire  is great series and what the HBO show Game of Thrones is adapted from.

In the fourth Cersei chapter, Cersei says that Tyrion could be hiding in the Baelor’s Sept, their big important church, swinging on the bell rope. Tyrion, who is the coolest, is Dwarf who is considered to be not too good looking and he has deformities. The implication of Tyrion “swinging from the bell rope” is clearly an homage to our pal Quasimodo.

Annie Leibovitz and the Hunchback

by

World Renowned Photographer, Annie Leibovitz, has taken many photographs for Disney using celebrity as iconic Disney Characters. To date she has done;

Rachel Weisz as Snow White from Snow White, by Annie Leibovitz, picture image

Rachel Weisz as Snow White from Snow White, by Annie Leibovitz

– Taylor Swift as Rapunzel from Tangled
– Julie Andrews as the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio with Abigail Breslin as an “Apprentice Fairy”
– Whoopi Goldberg as the Genie from Aladdin
– Jennifer Lopez as Jasmine and Marc Anthony as Aladdin from Aladdin
– Scarlett Johansson as Cinderella from Cinderella
– Julianne Moore as Ariel from The Little Mermaid
– Queen Latifah as Ursula from The Little Mermaid
– Jessica Biel as Pocahontas from Pocahontas
– Tina Fey as Tinkerbell, Giselle Bündchen as Wendy, and Mikhail Baryshnikov as Peter Pan from Peter Pan
– Russell Brand as Captain Hook from Peter Pan
– Olivia Wilde as the Evil Queen and Alec Bladwin as the Magic Mirror from Snow White
– Rachel Weisz as Snow White from Snow White
– Penelope Cruz as Belle and Jeff Bridges as the Beast from Beauty and the Beast
– Roger Federer as King Arthur from the Sword in the Stone
РBeyonc̩ Knowles as Alice, Lyle Lovett as the march Hare, and Oliver Platt as the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland
– David Beckham as Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty
– Jack Black as Phineas, Will Ferrel as Ezra and Jason Segal as Gus from the Haunted Mansion Ride

First off a few things that irritate me. First, The Haunted Mansion? Really? You people have 38 movies you haven’t touch yet and you do a ride? Second, two from Peter Pan and a cop-out of Pinocchio? Third, the Stone and the Stone one is way off, did they even watch the movie? Because I don’t think they did. Also I have say a lot of these don’t care for a lot of these images. They look too fake, the celebrities look awkward a lot of the time and the CG work is meh-ish. Also does any one else think it’s odd that based on this series that Snow White, Ariel and Peter Pan are older than Evil Queen, Ursula and Captain Hook?  Just a thought.

But anyway getting to my point, Hunchback. Annie Leibovitz hasn’t done a Hunchback one as of yet. But if she does which Hunchback characters would you like to see represented? And who would you like representing them?

Personally they should have two, one of Frollo in the Hellfire Scene  and the other Quasimodo and Esmeralda. Since this whole series is based more on who is popular and fits the character in more of a brand way I don’t know who for Esmeralda or Frollo but Peter Dinklage comes to mind for Quasimodo. I think there is some pull for Angelina Jolie for Esmeralda and she could work but she could easily be another character? Like Maleficent. Anyway your thoughts?

Game of Thrones and Hunchback

by

Let’s talk about Game of Thrones because everyone else is. Game of Thrones is a very popular show on HBO not mention a popular book series calledA Song of Ice and Fire. So what does this have to with Hunchback? Well on a VERY superficial level some of the characters harken to the Hunchback of Notre Dame. (I’m going to try to keep this as spoiler free as I can)

First up fan-favorite Tyrion Lannister.

Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones picture image

Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones

Tyrion is a dwarf and is often called the imp. But more than that in book he is supposed to be quite ugly. He is described as having stubby legs a jutting forehead, mismatched eyes of green and black, and lank, white-blonde hair. Later he gets an injury that removes most of his nose. So he is deformed. While he isn’t characterized as being a nice as Quasimodo he does have sympathy for outcasts and the mistreated.

Sandor Clegane a.k.a the Hound

Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane, Game of Thrones picture image

Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane, Game of Thrones

The Hound also has a deformity as result of getting very badly burned as a child. He is obsessed with Sansa Stark who is considered a great beauty. He is attracted to her after she shows him some compassion and treats him like a human. He reminds me of Frollo and Quasimodo. And Quasimodo was liken to a dog.

Petyr Baelish

Aidan Gillen as Petyr Baelish, Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, Game of Thrones picture image

Aidan Gillen as Petyr Baelish, Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, Game of Thrones

He sort of has Frollo level obession, first with Catelyn Stark and then that get refocuses on her daughter, Sansa Stark who looks like her.

Sansa Stark

Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, Game of Thrones picture image

Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, Game of Thrones

She is like Esmeralda in the sense that she captures men’s attentions and is a great beauty.

Arianne Martell

Arianne Martell by Matt Olson, Game of Thrones picture image

Arianne Martell by Matt Olson, Game of Thrones

She seems to resemble Esmeralda in the looks department. She is short, buxon, large dark eyes, olive skin, long black eyes. I would say whoever they get to cast her for the show could make a lovely Esmeralda except the show cut her and that was a dumb movie. I hated season five.

Edited July 27th, 2015