Disney Mulling Live-Action Version Of ‘The Little Mermaid’ 

USA Network & Syfy Layoffs In Wake Of Restructuring by by Ali Jaafar

‘Nashville’ Finale: Creators’ Thoughts & That Cliffhanger

The Rock China Action Pitch Auction Heats Up by by Ali Jaafar

Disney Mulling Live-Action Version Of ‘The Little Mermaid’

EXCLUSIVE: Execs at Disney are in the early stages of reviving Hans Christian Anderson’s

as a live-action feature. Disney produchttp://deadline.com/2016/05/disney-beauty-and-the-beast-live-action-teaser-1201761213/tion chiefs recently heard a new take and are currently evaluating whether to proceed with the idea. Deadline understands that initial discussions have also taken place with major producers, including some with a strong connection to the studio.

Disney Drops 'Beauty And The Beast' Live Action Teaser

holds special significance for Disney, which produced an animated version of the story in 1989. That pic, which followed the adventures of Ariel the singing mermaid, gave viewers classic songs such as “Under The Sea” and helped usher in a new golden age of animation at Disney. That streak would include

, starring Emma Watson, was viewed almost 92 million times in its first 24 hours alone this week, beating the previous record holder for most viewed teaser

Like went down a toilet, like one for Phineas and Ferb that was canned in 2013. Though...

Hans Christian Andersen did own his fairy tales though. His were for the most part original writings...

with a worldwide gross to date of $860 million — has buoyed Disney execs to look through their back catalog for more live-action adaptations.

Should Disney execs decide to move forward, they’ll find strong competition from an existing live-action project being led by Brit production powerhouse Working Title. That

project, set up at Universal, has Chloe Grace Moretz attached to star and up-and-coming filmmaker Rebecca Thomas set to direct from a script by Richard Curtis.

Disney is moving forward expansively with its live-action slate in general. In April it dated a number of films in addition to 

with Emma Stone set for the title role and Kelly Marcel writing; 

with Ava DuVernay attached to direct and Jennifer Lee writing; 

with Dwayne Johnson set to star and John Requa and Glenn Ficarra writing; 

with director Tim Burton and writer Ehren Kruger; and a sequel to

with director Rob Marshall, starring Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

with Angelia Jolie set to return in the title role and Linda Woolverton writing; 

with director Lasse Hallstrom and writer Ashleigh Powell; 

with both director Jon Favreau and writer Justin Marks returning; and a

project with Reese Witherspoon set to star and Victoria Strouse writing

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy

News alert! All Disney animated films other than Song of the South (don’t count it out!) are in active development as live action remakes. Then the remakes will be remade as animated films. That’s the business model.

LIve action Fantasia. That’s what we need.

That’s a bigger than usual gamble for Disney, the scenes “under the sea” have to be spectacular, anything less would turn the film into a joke. Ever since “Alice” crossed 1B, I have known all these live-action remakes were inevitable, but I thought they would go with the safer options first, you know Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan, Frozen.

Having said that, considering it is now a race to the finish line with that rival project set up at Uni, I can understand why Disney would fast track this, they’ve already lost a remake opportunity because of a quicker rival and unless tracking picks up steam, it sure looks like a lose-lose situation for now : Disney won’t be advised to make their version anytime soon, and the rival studio may just lose a lot of money (Warner Bros – Tarzan). Well, I hate to see films flop, so I hope it will do at least relatively well. We’ll see, we’ll see.

Mulan is already in the works as a live action remake. Hopefully Ming na will make a cameo is said remake. Maybe as Mulans mok or one of the ancestorial guardians.

I predict that this movie will be a giant Bonanza . . . for all the animators, computer programmers, and compositors at ILM.

ILM could not handle all the shots required to do The Little Mermaid live action version and capture the quality of the story. This, if green lit, it will take many vfx houses to support ILM’s lead.

However, I would like the Richard Curtis/Chloe Moretz version to enter production first. As much as I love Disney, I don’t think that they own fairytales any more than the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen, so it would be really interesting to see an independant take on TLM from a mainstream Anglo-American Studio…

The Richard Curtis script is surpisingly grim— much more Hans Christian Andersen and less Disney, which seems an odd choice.

Hans Christian Andersen did own his fairy tales though. His were for the most part original writings while the Grimms just collected them.

i really want a live action remake of “The Black Cauldron” so much story to that and it could make a great movie.

Good news. It’s happening. Disney got the rights to the Chronicles of Prydain which Black Cauldron is a part of. You can google for more googy.

I figured Jungle Book and great buzz for Beauty and the Beast would encourage such an ambitious live-action reboot – can’t blame Disney here!

That said, it would be GREAT if Disney would take a leap with these remakes a bit: the Genie live-action prequel is a start, but what about theatrical remakes of beloved nostalgic properties on their TV Zside (such as Chip & Dale’s Rescue Rangers or Gargoyles?)

They were developing Rescue Rangers in the same vein as Alvin and teh Chipmunks. Not sure what happened to it.

Like went down a toilet, like one for Phineas and Ferb that was canned in 2013. Though the CaDRR was likely that the Road Chip got steamrolled since TFA was done the same weekend, and was a what I’d call a “light” PG-13. Common Sense Media has it at Age 10, while Alice will likely be a 9.

Disney: where being unoriginal is the name of the game.

Please not Don Hahn, please not Dan Hahn, please not Don Hahn!

Will JUNGLE BOOK 2 be subtitled THE WRATH OF KAA?

cancel it and cancel any future disney star wars movies, oh woops, I mean cancel any future star wars remakes…..disney/remakes – samething.

Was Tomorrowland a remake? Was the first Pirates of the Caribbean a remake? I don’t recall them being remakes

No, but they both were based off of amusement park rides. So, kind of?

I sure hope that they do not ‘drop’ another trailer for this.

Their last 3 movies had over a 90 score on Rotten Tomatoes (Zootpia 98, Jungle Book 95, Civil War 90), and all made close to a billion worldwide. Add in the 92 score for The Force Awakens and I’d say they’ve had a lot of good ideas that were profitable Alice notwithstanding. As long as they keep making good versions of these properties I’m in. Hollywood and literature have always told new versions of old stories. It’s not new.

'Peaky Blinders' Renewed For 4th & 5th Seasons Amid Host Of BBC Drama Orders

'Nashville' Finale Opts For Cliffhanger Ending Amid Hope For Season 5 Pickup

'Grey's Star Ellen Pompeo Signs With CAA

Dwayne Johnson-Rawson Thurber China Action Pitch Stirs Big Bids

'Chicago PD' Surprise: Brian Geraghty Exiting NBC Show

'Nashville' Creator & Producers On Finale: "We Have Stories Left To Tell"

Bernie Sanders Steps Up Attack On Disney Over Disneyland Wages

'Mirror's Edge' Video Game To Be Adapted As TV Series By Endemol Shine Studios

'NCIS' Showrunner Gary Glasberg Inks New Overall Deal With CBS TV Studios

'Alice Through The Looking Glass' Review: Inventive Sequel Is A Worthwhile Trip Down The Rabbit Hole

‘The Boxcar Children’ Series Of Books To Be Produced As Family Films

Dwayne Johnson-Rawson Thurber China Action Pitch Stirs Big Bids

Bernie Sanders Steps Up Attack On Disney Over Disneyland Wages

Shawn Dunn Boards Original Force As CTO; Pamela Wolfe Named HR Executive VP At Starz

Epix & Katie Couric Respond To Criticism Over Anti-Gun Docu Editing

Dominic Bogart Storming ‘The Glass Castle’; Gregg Sulkin Joins Magical App Pic; ‘Battle Of The Sexes’ Courts…

Associate Director, YouTuber & Gamer Partnerships