Fans Astounded at Live-Action ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame’ Cast, “They’re Gonna Ruin It”

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Jack Black from the 'Jumanji' franchise with 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' characters in the background

A video detailing a cast list for the upcoming live-action remake of The Hunchback of Notre Dame has gone viral online with over 1.5 million views. But some just are not happy about it.

Quasimodo in 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1996)
Credit: Disney

The Walt Disney Company is currently celebrating its centennial. With 100 years of storytelling as one of the biggest entertainment corporations in the world, Disney fans are encouraged to join the festivities by heading to the movie theater, tuning into Disney+, or even visiting the hub of the celebration, Disneyland Resort in California, Walter Elias Disney’s original amusement park playground.

While Disney is known for their immersive theme parks, what solidified the House of Mouse as a leader in family-friendly entertainment was animated movies and television shows that are still beloved today. Way back in 1937, Walt Disney released his first feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and what followed became the foundation of the Disney magic many know and love today.

snow white and seven dwarfs dancing in cottage
Credit: Disney

Related: Disney Reportedly Wants Dwayne Johnson For Its Next Live-Action Remake

From Snow White to other classics like Bambi (1942) and Peter Pan (1953) to the Disney Renaissance era with movies like The Little Mermaid (1989) and Beauty and the Beast (1991), and modern-day giants like Frozen (2013), Moana (2016), and Zootopia (2016), Walt Disney Animation Studios has captivated audiences and cemented itself as one of the leading animators in the field even if recent films like Strange World (2022) and Disney Pixar’s Lightyear (2022) bombed at the box office.

Then, in 2013, a new form of entertainment gained steam at Disney — live-action remakes. This began with the Angelina Jolie-led Maleficent (2014) (a spin on the tale of Sleeping Beauty), which was followed by Cinderella (2015), The Jungle Book (2016), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Beauty and the Beast (2017), Christopher Robin (2018), Dumbo (2019), Aladdin (2019), The Lion King (2019), Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019), Lady and the Tramp (2019), Mulan (2020), Cruella (2021), and Pinocchio (2022).

Mufasa and Simba in 'The Lion King'
Credit: Disney

Of course, four years prior to Maleficent’s release, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (2010) brought in over $1 billion at the global box office, and even earlier to that, Glenn Close starred as the evil Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmatians (1996) and its sequel 102 Dalmatians (2000).

And there is more to come — whether fans like it or not. The Disney live-action machine is largely successful, with the total box office receipts coming in at over $9 billion. Big hitters include Jon Favreau’s The Lion King at $1.6 billion and Kenneth Branagh’s Beauty and the Beast at $1.2 billion.

Josh Gad (left) and Luke Evans (right) in Beauty and the Beast
Credit: Disney

And now one upcoming movie, which is in the works from screenwriter David Henry Hwang and producers David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman, Josh Gad and Don Hahn, is a live-action remake of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). While there is no director attached to the Disney film just yet, Gad is enthusiastic that movement is happening behind the scenes.

But fans just can’t wait, and a cast list has gone viral on TikTok with over 1.5 million views and close to 200,000 likes. The video comes by the way of @allthings__disney and shows a poster featuring a cast list for The Hunchback of Notre Dame:

Staring Josh Gad as Quasimodo!!!!! #disney #disney100 #disneystudios #thehunchbackofnotredame #liveaction

@allthings__disney

Staring Josh Gad as Quasimodo!!!!! #disney #disney100 #disneystudios #thehunchbackofnotredame #liveaction

♬ original sound – ac

Related: Birthplace of Disney Animation, Walt’s First LA Home, Being Restored

Paired with the iconic Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz song “Out There”, the poster includes the following names: Josh Gad, Gal Gadot, Chris Evans, Peter Capaldi (possibly as Claude Frollo), Imelda Staunton, Kelsey Grammer, Jack Black, and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Let it be known that this is a fan-made cast list and poster, but the contention around it is huge nonetheless. While some Disney fans rejoice at Olaf himself, Josh Gad, taking on the leading role of Quasimodo, some rejected the potential casting saying Disney continues to overuse him. Likewise, Gal Gadot — most likely playing Esmeralda in this version — raised many eyebrows.

Esmerelda and Frollo in 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'
Credit: Disney

Again, Disney has not yet announced the cast of the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but this sure is a good taste of what the potential could be. The House of Mouse is renowned for getting A-list talent to bring their famous animated characters to live-action, and Hunchback (TBD) is likely to be no different.

For projects coming down the line, they include Peter Pan & Wendy (2023) on Disney+, and then the big exclusive movie theater release of Rob Marshall’s The Little Mermaid (2023) this May, starring Halle Bailey as the titular Disney Princess Ariel. Next year fans will see Snow White (2024) release, starring Rachel Zegler (Shazam! Fury of the Gods) and Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), and shortly after Mufasa: The Lion King (2024) from director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight).

The iconic animated film The Hunchback of Notre Dame, based on Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel, starred Tom Hulce as the Hunchback Quasimodo, Demi Moore as Esmeralda, Tony Jay as Judge Claude Frollo, and Kevin Kline as Captain Phoebus.

Would you like to see this cast for the live-action Hunchback of Notre Dame? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!

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