Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, who won a Best Documentary Oscar for Summer of Soul in 2022, will direct a remake of classic Disney film The Aristocats for Disney. The film is being described as a live action / animated hybrid, possibly close in style to the 2019 remake of The Lion King, and the script is by Will Gluck, writer-director of the “Peter Rabbit” films, and Keith Bunin.
"They chose i to chase the cat…," Questlove wrote on Instagram. "I basically have 2 life goals: 1. Don’t dismiss my dreams & 2. Get out of my own way."
If you never saw or don't remember the original 1970 film, it tells the story of "a pedigreed cat and her three kittens who are catnapped by a greedy butler who hopes to gain the inheritance left to them. Things look hopeless until they are befriended by Thomas O'Malley, an easygoing alley cat." You can watch the trailer for the original below.
The Aristocats is one of many remakes Disney has on its schedule. Peter Pan & Wendy, by Pete's Dragon director David Lowery, will be out on Disney+ in April, and a live-action remake of The Little Mermaid will be in theaters on Memorial Day Weekend. No word on whether The Aristocats will be a theatrical or streaming release. Stay tuned.