LOS ANGELES, March 7 — A live-action version of Disney’s animated classic Robin Hood has been shelved, with director Carlos López Estrada confirming the project is no longer moving forward.
“It’s dead, sadly,” López Estrada was quoted as saying by Entertainment Weekly today when asked about the status of Robin Hood this week during an AMA on Reddit.
“I say sadly because I actually thought there was something really special (and original!) there. Some truly extraordinary music we had figured out for it.
“I keep daydreaming about doing it independently with different characters,” he added.
The project had been in development for Disney+ since at least 2020, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Alongside López Estrada, Kari Granlund, who wrote the 2019 live-action Lady and the Tramp, was named as the screenwriter.
Justin Springer, a producer on the non-animated Dumbo, was also involved in the project.
López Estrada is known for directing the 2018 film Blindspotting and co-directing the animated Disney feature Raya and the Last Dragon, released in 2021.
Disney first released Robin Hood as an animated feature in 1973, and it has since become a staple of the company’s classic film library.
The original voice cast included Brian Bedford as Robin Hood, Monica Evans as Maid Marian, and Phil Harris as Little John.
Its song Love was even nominated for Best Original Song at the Oscars.
In recent years, Disney has frequently produced live-action remakes of its animated classics, including Cinderella, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin.
Another remake, Tangled, is in development but does not yet have an official release date.
