Tim Burton to direct Disney's live-action 'Dumbo' reboot

Disney will bring back another of its classic films

Published 11th Mar 2015

Disney has confirmed that ‘Alice in Wonderland’ director Tim Burton will direct the company’s upcoming live-action reboot of children’s classic 'Dumbo'.

Burton initially sparked Disney’s interest in reviving its own back-catalogue of animated classics with 2010’s ‘Alice In Wonderland’ which earned $1bn worldwide.

It is rumoured that he will work with a script provided by Ehren Kruger, who was also responsible for ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’.

Dumbo remains at a very early stage of production but is expected to combine CGI and live action.

Kruger’s screenplay is said to add a unique family story that parallels Dumbo’s journey - an extension on the classic narrative involving the young circus elephant who is teased for having big ears.

The original animated film won an Oscar for best scoring of a musical picture and was also nominated for best original song for ‘Baby Mine’.

Tim Burton’s appointment on the remake was confirmed earlier by Disney president of production Sean Bailey.

Although the director has become known for gothic and eccentric films such as ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘Sleepy Hollow’, he has quickly become a Disney favourite.

Following the success of Burton’s ‘Alice In Wonderland’, Disney has had success with fairy-tale adaptations ‘Maleficent’ and ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’.

Its latest live-action adaptation ‘Cinderella’ starring Lily James, is set to hit cinemas on 3rd April 2015.

Burton is currently working on dark fantasy ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’, an adaptation of a classic novel by Ransom Riggs.

Credit: PA Photos