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Credit: ITMRumors circulating Disney’s latest live action remake project have been circulating social media for the past two days, much to the delight of many fans. However, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. While this might be an absolute dream cast for The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the potential benefits of its success do not outweigh the consequences of its failure.
Images of a mockup for a live-action remake of Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame started appearing on places like TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram just last weekend, prompting many Disney fans to go understandably berserk. The proposed adaptation of Victor Hugo’s classic novel is bursting with star power, but can it deliver?
Casting The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Out of all the Disney remakes, The Hunchback of Notre Dame has near-perfect casting. With Josh Gad, Peter Capaldi, and Gal Gadot in the title roles of Quasimodo, Claude Frollo, and Esmeralda accompanied by character actors like Kelsey Grammer, Jack Black, and Imelda Staunton in the supporting cast, we can’t think of a better live-action fit for their animated counterparts.
Related: Josh Gad Shares Poignant Post, Expresses “Helpless” Feeling to Fans
With the recent drama surrounding the cast of the live-action Little Mermaid, seeing something like this is definitely a breath of fresh air. As good as this lineup might be, it could either save Disney’s reputation for remakes, or absolutely condemn the whole concept altogether.
Heaven’s Light or Hellfire?
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is an absolute masterpiece of animation, as well as Disney’s most mature story. The original animated film dealt with themes of persecution, religion, corruption, and lust. Still, it did it in a way that both children and grown-ups could fully comprehend without sacrificing substance. If the remake can’t pull off the same thing, Disney could take a massive blow.
Just as The Black Cauldron nearly terminated Walt Disney Animation, a live-action remake of this caliber could discourage or outright destroy any hopes of Disney attempting another. That might sound good for some, but the studio won’t walk away unscathed, and it could do permanent damage the Disney name.
Related: OpEd: ‘Hunchback’ is the Best Animated Disney movie
On the other hand, if the proposed remake and the all-star cast surpassed expectations, it might very well change audiences’ minds about Disney’s remakes. The live-action remakes have always had a bit of a negative stigma, with one or two exceptions, but the amount of good publicity this could generate is absolutely remarkable. While the Hunchback of Notre Dame remake is still just a fan speculation at this point, Disney should definitely be paying attention.
What do you think of this proposed casting? Tell us at Inside the Magic in the comments below!