Marc Webb in Talks to Direct Disney’s ‘Snow White’
With Aladdin exceeding expectations and the juggernaut that is The Lion King waiting in the wings, it’s full speed ahead for Disney’s live action reimaginings of their animated classics. Next up is the fairest of them all, with Disney in talks with Marc Webb to direct Snow White.
According to Variety the deal isn’t done yet, but the Amazing Spider-Man director is the studio’s top pick to helm the live action remake of their original animated classic.
Should Webb sign on to direct, he will join song writing duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. The pair, best known for The Greatest Showman, are no strangers to Disney musicals having just worked with Alan Menken to provide new lyrics for ‘Arabian Nights’ and Jasmine’s new song ‘Speechless’ in Aladdin. For Snow White, Pasek and Paul will be both adding new material and reimagining some of the old classics.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly Pasek said “We’re taking the original animated film and updating it by writing new songs, reinterpreting some of the old songs, and creating a fully fleshed-out, robust live-action musical. It’s a challenge because you’re really trying to expand something that so many people know so well and has been a part of so many people’s lives, but it been really fun because ‘Heigh-Ho’ in the original film is a very short song but we’re trying to expand it a little bit in this version. So getting to play around with that is really exciting.”
Marc Platt is signed on to produce, with The Girl on the Train screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson currently in negotiations to pen the screenplay.
The original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was Walt Disney’s first full length animated feature. Deridingly referred to as “Disney’s folly” during production, the movie exceeded all expectations, earning critical acclaim and becoming the highest grossing sound film of all time by the end of it’s original box office run. Even today, the film is still one of the top ten movies of all time at the North American box office once adjusted for inflation.
Disney’s latest live action reimagining, Aladdin, is in theaters now, and The Lion King opens July 19th. No release date has been announced for Snow White.
Chris is a lifelong fan of Disney, Star Wars and super heroes who can’t quite believe this golden age of movies and TV we’re living in. Having written blogs dedicated to Disney’s Aladdin musical and Star Wars Celebration, Chris is excited to be part of the MNN team.
