Now that we’ve mentioned Hamilton, do we have your attention? Good. There’s going to be a live-action contemporary Oliver Twist adaptation!
Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist is, “The story is of the orphan Oliver Twist, who starts his life in a workhouse and is then sold into apprenticeship with an undertaker. He escapes from there and travels to London, where he meets the Artful Dodger, a member of a gang of juvenile pickpockets led by the elderly criminal, Fagin.”
Variety is now reporting that a contemporary version of the story is taking form with Ice Cube, Marc Platt, and Thomas Kail, the latter of which directed Hamilton the musical.
Not only is Ice Cube producing the film through Cube Vision, but he will star as Fagin, who is the leader of the gang of pickpockets in London. Ice Cube is also writing the treatment for the script along with Jeff Kwatinetz, who will be producing as well.
Kail is all but set to direct. There aren’t a ton of parallels between Hamilton and Oliver Twist, but in a sense, this seems like a good fit for Kail, especially considering Oliver Twist will use a combination of musical styles, much like the beloved Broadway show.
The movie will also be set in present-day America.
Platt’s involvement makes a great deal of sense here, as he and Kail are particularly connected via Grease! Live, which Kail directed and Platt produced. Platt is also producing Mary Poppins Returns, which will star Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda.