The planned live-action remake film of The Aristocats has been scrapped, according to the film’s director, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.
Live-Action Aristocats Film Canceled
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson was set to direct Disney’s live-action hybrid remake of The Aristocats, according to previous Deadline reports. Questlove was also set to act as an executive producer and oversee the film’s music.
Now, Deadline is reporting that the film is no longer in production. In a recent podcast, Questlove announced that “that the remake of the Disney classic had been scrapped and it wasn’t happening anymore but hoped that it could in the future.”
“Once Disney had their third president, usually when a new administration comes in, no matter what — they’re going to reshuffle,” he said on Score: The Podcast recently.
Questlove noted that it was “the third time in which a new administration came in” and explained his vision for The Aristocats adaptation. He said that he had presented “some of the music examples” and some of the teammates who would be working with him.
“Then they had another administration shuffle,” he added. “And then it was like, ‘OK, well, alright.”
Questlove said that “by the third time, I was just like, ‘Maybe this isn’t meant for me.’”
Via Deadline
However, he is still looking forward to other opportunities and more projects with Disney:
I would have loved to have done that project, but there’s like 20 others that I can get to. What I don’t do is I don’t make announcements until it’s ready but there’s literally four other films. I’ll be working til 2029-2030. So, just wasn’t meant to happen. Maybe it will happen in the future.
Questlove is a founding member of The Roots and directed the documentary Summer of Soul, which won the Academy Award for best documentary. Questlove voiced Curly in the Pixar film Soul and consulted on the film’s music.
Disney’s The Aristocats
Disney’s original animated film The Aristocats was released in 1970 and was directed by Wolfgang Reitherman. It takes place in Paris, where a kind and eccentric millionairess wills her entire estate to Duchess, her high-society cat, and her three little kittens. Laughs and adventure ensue as the greedy, bumbling butler pulls off the ultimate catnap caper. It’s then up to the rough-and-tumble alley cat, Thomas O’Malley, and his “band of swingin’ jazz cats” to save the day.
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