After years of rumors and speculation, fans are convinced Disney is in development on a live-action The Hunchback of Notre Dame movie set for release soon.
Live-Action Hunchback of Notre Dame Movie - Is It Happening?
Across social media, primarily Facebook, speculation resurfaced regarding Disney being in preparation to release a live-action remake of 1996's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, with the movie teased for release soon.
The alleged cast is said to feature Frozen's Josh Gad as Quasimodo, Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot as Esmerelda, and Captain America star Chris Evans as Captain Phoebus. The full rumored cast can be seen below:
- Josh Gad - Quasimodo
- Gal Gadot - Esmerelda
- Chris Evans - Captain Phoebus
- Peter Capaldi - Judge Claude Frollo
- Sacha Baron Cohen - Clopin
- Imelda Staunton - Laverne
- Jack Black - Hugo
- Kelsey Grammer - Victor
The post which is currently going viral on Facebook is based on one originally shared by Gad himself in March 2023, which included a concept poster with the movie's title card and cast listed.
On his Instagram page, Gad made it clear that this movie is fake and not happening, mentioning the cast is only a fan cast which he was responding to at the moment.
"Wow. This spread quickly. Lol. Okay, for the record, this is not real. This is a Fancast! I was just responding to it. Love that you guys all want this. We do to! The script is one of the best I have read and hopefully the powers that be will see this love and let us make the live action adaptation the original animated film deserves. But for now, again, this is just a fan cast!!!"
Although this live-action version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is not real or in development, Deadline confirmed in January 2019 that a remake was being planned.
Disney tapped Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang to write the live-action adaptation with original Hunchback musical minds Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz returning to write the music for the remake. Mandeville Films was set to produce with Gad possibly in line to play Quasimodo, but nothing was set in stone.
Gad offered an update on progress for the live-action remake in March 2021, telling a fan on X (formerly Twitter) that he was "Getting. Closer. And. Closer." to moving further along in development on the film.
Menken also spoke to ComicBook during press rounds for 2023's The Little Mermaid about the reported Hunchback of Notre Dame remake.
He bluntly said, "I have no idea," when asked if the movie was still happening, indicating there were still plenty of discussions to be had about the "real, real issues that...should be explored" in a retelling of the original 1996 film.
Teasing that the live-action Hercules was getting underway, he remained unsure about what was happening with the Hunchback remake, noting how many conversations still needed to take place:
"I have no idea. It's a tough one, because the 'Hunchback' movie, 'Hunchback' story involves a lot of real, real issues that are important issues and should be explored to be discussed. And there has to be an agreement about how we deal with those issues. You know, do we do a 'Hunchback' without 'Hellfire?' I don't think so ... So it sits in this limbo right now, but the 'Hercules' movie is apparently underway and I got some inklings of what's going on, but just some, and I've been more involved with the Broadway show off of 'Hercules,' which is coming, and it's really exciting."
Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame is streaming on Disney+.
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