Disney is continuing its trend of live-action films of beloved childhood stories, and The Nutcracker is, apparently, no exception.
Even better? They’ve gotten an Oscar-nominated director to take up the helm.
Disney has titled the project The Nutcracker and the Four Lands, which is both an adaptation of the ballet by Peter Tchaikovsky, as well as the story by E.T.A. Hoffmann called The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.
The story is about a girl named Marie (often changed to Clara) who is presented with an ordinary nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve. However, at midnight, she’s transported to a magical world where the dolls are fighting a war against the mice, who are led by the seven-headed mouse king.
According to THR, the adaptation has now picked up Director Lasse Hallstrom, known for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and Chocolat. He’s been nominated for three Academy Awards, and has won a slew of European awards.
Illustrations by Gail De Marcken
The script has been written by Ashleigh Powell, who spent two years developing it. This is sure to be excellent news for all those who love the play and/or the book, as Powell has clearly not been rushed into making this story come alive for the screen.
Apparently hopes of adapting a live-action Nutcracker film do not belong solely to Disney, as THR also mentions both Universal and New Line having an adaptation in the works, though both have had little to no updates recently.
Disney is probably best suited for this kind of movie anyway. The story is a classic one, which the studio has proven deft at adapting in the past. Their move to more live-action adaptations of these kinds of stories shows their range, and if past successes are anything to go by, we’re sure to get something spectacular in this one. Let the dream casting of Marie/Clara begin!
Though this doesn’t quite fall into the same category, don’t forget about our Disney animated-to-live-action Bingo game, in which we’re seeing how many Disney animated classics will get their turn in the live-action category. So far, Mulan, Beauty and the Beast, and Dumbo have been announced, among others.