Live-Action 'Bambi' In Very Early Development With Canadian Director
By Kay on June 15, 2023 at 5:00 AM EDT
Another Disney classic film is getting the live-action treatment! Bambi is in early development with a Canadian star.
Sarah Polley To Direct
The child actress turned acclaimed director is undertaking Bambi, the beloved Disney classic, after scoring a hit with Women Talking and winning "Best Adapted Screenpla" at the Oscars. Deadline reports that Polley is taking a bunch of heavy hitters along for the ride with her.
The cartoon will allegedly be turned into a musical featuring music from country singer Kacey Musgraves. If Musgraves is one of the people tapped for the live-action music, fans can rest easily that some melodic, powerful ballads and bad girl witchery will be coming their way!
The movie also has a script already, but nothing is set in stone because the conversations are still considered early development.
Who Is Writing Bambi, For Now
The duo attached to the script, well, the most recent version, are the writers behind Transparent, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and Noah Harpster. The producers are Chris and Paul Weitz. The wait has been extended for fans of the animated film.
The first talks were brought up in 2020 during the pandemic, exciting fans only to be told it'll take years for something like this to happen. In 2023, they finally attached a director who still technically has a pending status.
They have a script that can be picked apart now, and that's also a step closer. When the news was first announced, Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Lindsey Beer were attached as the producers, and that has changed now.
The Writers' Strike Is In The Way
All these plans are great, but let's not forget that the Writers' Strike is taking place, and no one has been actively working on the Bambi script since the last reiteration. As there is no way to tell how long the strike will continue, fans could have an even longer wait ahead of them.
Bambi isn't the only production feeling the heat from the Writers' Strike. Disney alone has essentially shut down production on all their popular shows. And they aren't the only ones to feel the pressure.
Hits like Abbott Elementary, Tulsa Kings, Stranger Things, The Handmaid's Tale, and The Last of Us. The list is endless and growing at this point. There is even speculation that many shows could be canceled depending on how long the strike lasts.
Sarah Polley's Bambi Will Be Different
Deadline acknowledged that little is known about the live-action remake, but Polley's Bambi is the latest in a series of other Disney classics that will be turned into live-action films. The Little Mermaid just dropped, grossing over $414M.
The actress is great at adaptations. Women Talking opened the industry's eyes to the fact that Polley is severe and actual competition. Whatever she does with Bambi will make millions flock to theaters to watch the meek, motherless deer become a fearless forest creature.