Tony-winning ‘M. Butterfly’ playwright David Henry Hwang has been set by Disney to write ‘Hunchback.’ This is a live-action musical adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel and animated film. Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz will write the music.
Mandeville is producing along with Josh Gad. Deadline has heard that Gad, a star of the Mandeville-produced blockbuster ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ might play the lead character. However, no casting is solid at this point.
Hwang’s other work includes the plays ‘Chinglish,’ ‘Yellow Face,’ and ‘Kung Fu.’ There’s also ‘Golden Child’ and ‘The Dance and the Railroad.’ Finally, there’s the Elton John & Tim Rice collaboration ‘Aida,’ the revival of ‘Flower Drum Song,’ and Disney’s animated ‘Tarzan.’ He is America’s most produced living opera librettist as well.
Stephen Schwartz is a three-time Oscar winner. His credits include ‘Wicked,’ ‘Godspell’ and ‘Pippin.’ Alan Menken is a eight-time Oscar winner. His credits include ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Aladdin.’ Most importantly, he provided the original score for the 1996 Disney animated film ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame.’
Furthermore, the new film will pull from that 1996 animated film and the Hugo novel. However, the stage production that Schwartz and Menken collaborated on in Europe will not.
There are no other details regarding production or release, but it may come out as early as next year.
Source: Deadline