Disney’s live-action remake of Bambi has taken an exciting step forward, with the studio lining up a director for the project.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, Women Talking director Sarah Polley is touted to helm the reimagining of the 1942 animated classic.
The remake was first announced back in 2020, with Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Lindsey Beer set to pen the screenplay; it’s unknown if this team is still in place.
Related: The Good Place's Jameela Jamil lands next movie role in Pixar's Elio
The original animation followed the titular character, a white-tailed deer, as he learned his place in the forest alongside rabbit Thumper and skunk Flower.
The reimagining will follow the template of The Lion King and The Jungle Book, which both used photorealistic animation to recreate the world.
Related: Disney confirms Little Mermaid animated series inspired by Halle Bailey's Ariel
The most recent remake from Disney was The Little Mermaid, which saw Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy play the roles of Ariel and Ursula respectively.
Bailey, who made her acting debut in the film, recently spoke about the lessons she learned from playing the princess who loses her voice.
“I’ve been comfortable really just being with somebody all the time,” she told Who What Wear. “Somebody has always held my hand. I’ve never had to do anything alone. So this was really my first venture into solo adulthood. I had moved to London, and I was in intense rehearsals and stunts and mermaid training.
Related: When will The Little Mermaid be available to watch on Disney+?
“[So] all of a sudden, I’m going through this not only physical transformation but [also] mental and spiritual transformation of me finding who I am on my own and building that confidence within myself to be able to do these things. So I truly feel like Ariel taught me that I’m worthy, and I’m stronger than I thought.
“Looking back, I am happy that it was that way. [It] helped me mirror the emotions Ariel was feeling in the film to where she felt trapped and isolated and ready to see a brand-new world where her heart belonged. I felt like there were parallels to both of our lives in the time that I was filming, and I was grateful for that,” she added.
Bambi currently has no release date. The Little Mermaid live-action movie is in cinemas now. The animated movie is streaming on Disney+.
Watch The Little Mermaid (1989) on Disney+
Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
