How do you adapt an epic 17th-century novel for the modern day? Written by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote has proven to be an incredibly influential work of art over the past 500 years and has been adapted for the big screen numerous times.
Ub Iwerks, who created Mickey Mouse with Walt Disney, directed an animated version in 1934 (below). Peter O'Toole starred in Man of La Mancha (top), a 1971 film version. Director Terry Gilliam has been struggling to make his adaptation, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, since 1998; the project may soon be in production. Now Disney plans its own version, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
What sort of approach will be taken with the classic source material?
Reportedly, "the plan is to adapt the work in a tone that recalls the madcap and fantastical nature of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean movies." That may raise eyebrows in some quarters, but the story of an aristocrat who loses his sanity and comes to believe that knights, maidens and dragons exist in the real world seems to lend itself to a fantasy adventure.
Billy Ray will write the screenplay; he's best known for recent hits The Hunger Games and Captain Phillips, though he also directed the acclaimed drama Shattered Glass, among others. He's not known for "madcap and fantastical" movies, but that doesn't mean that particular tone is beyond the capabilities of the Academy Award-nominated writer. Ray and Gordon Gray (McFarland USA, Million Dollar Arm) will produce the project.
As we know, Disney is also busy developing a variety of live-action adaptations of its past animated movies. That includes The Lion King, to be directed by Jon Favreau, who demonstrated his touch with the very successful The Jungle Book.
When we learned that Favreau had been hired last month, we also heard that Disney was fast-tracking the project. According to Deadline, the studio has just hired Jeff Nathanson, a top-notch writer. Nathanson's screenwriting career stretches back to 1995 and includes the sequels Rush Hour 2 and Rush Hour 3, as well as Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He also wrote the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, so maybe he could consult as needed on Don Quixote?
Similar to Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast, due out in theaters on March 17, 2017, The Lion King will feature songs from the original animated classic. No date has been set yet for The Lion King to roar into theaters.
