The studio develops an adaptation of the classic Spanish novel with 'Captain Phillips' screenwriter Billy Ray and hires Jeff Nathanson to pen the script for the remake of the 1994 animated classic.
- October 14, 2016
AceShowbiz -
Walt Disney Pictures is developing a big-screen adaptation of "Don Quixote", Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra's classic 1605 Spanish novel. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio has tapped "The Hunger Games" and "Captain Phillips" scribe Billy Ray to write the screenplay for the movie which is in the early stages of development.
Ray is also set to produce the project alongside Disney veteran Gordon Gray ("Invincible", "Million Dollar Arm"). No director is announced, but the movie is said to adapt the adventurous tone of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie series. It will follow a delusional lower-class aristocrat who fancies himself a knight named Don Quixote and sets off on a chivalric quest.
In another news, it is reported that Disney has found "The Lion King (2018)" scribe in Jeff Nathanson. Deadline brings the words that the "Catch Me If You Can" and "Tower Heist" screenwriter will pen the script for the live-action remake of the 1994 animated classic which has yet to set a release date.
Sitting behind the lens is Jon Favreau, the filmmaker behind "The Jungle Book" which successfully grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide. He is also teaming up with the studio to work on a sequel to the Mowgli wild adventure. The release date hasn't been announced.
Meanwhile, Jeff Nathanson recently wrote the script for Johnny Depp's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales". The movie is set for a May 26, 2017 release in U.S. theaters. As for Oscar-nominated Billy Ray, his other credits include "Shattered Glass" and Jodie Foster's "Flightplan".
