Disney and Mandeville Films are moving forward on two new flicks, a remake of The Swiss Family Robinson and the ride-to-film adaptation of the classic Jungle Cruise attraction.
According to today's Variety, Mandeville, who are producing the forthcoming Tim Allen remake of The Shaggy Dog, will start production on Swiss Family Robinson soon for a Summer 2006 release.
After some time trying to develop a contemporary remake, Mandeville's David Hoberman finally found the right take on Swiss Family Robinson by keeping it in the original period setting. The trade scoops that Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group head Nina Jacobson screened the old film for her family and sparked to the idea of keeping the film in the 1800s.
Greg Poirier (The Lion King II, Gossip, See Spot Run) then wrote a first draft about the shipwrecked Swiss settler family.
As for Jungle Cruise, Disney studio topper Dick Cook was jazzed enough about the adaptation to invite Hoberman to the park to take a ride with him. "It's an adventure film with comedic elements, but its core is almost a family version of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, about a group that travels upriver, in search of a significant cure," Hoberman told Variety. Josh Goldstein and John Norville (Tin Cup) will write the script.
Source: IGN
<b>Previously-posted replies</b> (feel free to reconstruct yourself)
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<b>JimmyJackJunior</b>:
One is probably my favorite movie ever and the other one of my faves at Disneyland. Certainly looking forward to Jungle Cruise I am just not sure they can improve SFR that much.
By the way, why is this not in General Discussion. This seems fairly newsworthy to the site.
<hr><b>goofystitch</b>:
I always frown upon the thought of remakes, but usually end up liking them, so I won't make and judgements until I see it. And I love the Jungle Cruise ride, but I thought Disney was done making movies based on rides and I don' know if this one will work.
<hr><b>deathie mouse</b>:
Maybe Luke is being cautious for the time being trying to not get things too near to The Black Hole...JimmyJackJunior wrote:By the way, why is this not in General Discussion. This seems fairly newsworthy to the site.
