Alan Menken Talks Potential Live-Action 'Hunchback of Notre Dame'

The live-action "The Little Mermaid" swims into theaters later this month and will feature many of Alan Menken's songs from the original 1989 animated movie.

Menken is also the mind behind many other Disney movie soundtracks, including "Beauty and the Beast," "Hercules," and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."

A few years ago, rumors began circulating that a live-action adaption of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" would be in production, starring "Frozen" star Josh Gad. However, there have not been any updates in over two years -- until now.

When speaking to ComicBook about the upcoming "The Little Mermaid" live-action, the potential "Hunchback of Notre Dame," movie was brought up, to which Menken said he has "no idea" if it will happen.

"It's a tough one because the Hunchback movie, Hunchback story involves a lot of real, real issues that are important issues and should be explored to be discussed," he said. "And there has to be an agreement about dealing with those issues.

The song "Hellfire" is considered controversial, so the question is, do they produce a film without the music?

"You know, do we do a Hunchback without 'Hellfire?' I don't think so … So it sits in this limbo right now, but the Hercules movie is underway, and I got some inklings of what's going on, but just some, and I've been more involved with the Broadway show off of Hercules, which is coming, and it's fascinating."

Shortly after The Walt Disney Company announced Halle Bailey would portray Ariel in the live-action film, fans immediately took to social media to bash the company for casting a Black actress as the Princess. The hashtag #NotMyAriel even began trending.

Bailey opened up about the backlash, admitting that she expected it. "As a Black person, you just expect it, and it's not a shock anymore," Bailey told The Face in a recent interview." When [Chlöe and I] first signed to Parkwood, [Beyoncé] always said,' I never read my comments. Don't ever read the comments.' Honestly, when the teaser came out, I was at the D23 Expo, and I was so happy. I didn't see any of the negativity."

She added, "I know people are like:' It's not about race.' But now that I'm here…People don't understand that there's another community when you're Black. It's so essential for us to see ourselves."

Bailey is not the first Black actress to portray a White princess, as Brandy took on the role of Cinderella for the 1997 musical movie, "Cinderella." "I hope that [young fans] just know that they are worthy, and we deserve to be in these spaces," Bailey told "Good Morning America" when on the red carpet for the world premiere of the live-action "The Little Mermaid." "And I hope they see themselves and me on the screen."

"I'm just grateful to be here," she continued before naming other African-American actresses who took on the role of a Disney Princess. "There were women before me like Brandy and Anika Rose who were the blueprint for me even to be here today, so I'm just taking this moment all in," Bailey told the ABC show.

Disney's live-action "The Little Mermaid" hits theaters on May 26, 2023. The film will star Halle Bailey as Ariel, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, and Jacob Tremblay as Flounder.