There’s still a while before it flies into cinemas, but we now know the Dumbo remake has landed a cast including Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton and Danny DeVito.
Making the announcement at the D23 Expo – the exposition convention for The Official Disney Fan Club – Disney confirmed the Tim Burton movie would also star Eva Green (Casino Royale) alongside newcomers Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins. Roshan Seth (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), DeObia Oparei (Independence Day: Resurgence), Sharon Rooney (Two Doors Down) and Douglas Reith (Downton Abbey) have also been cast in supporting roles.
It was also revealed production is now underway on the live-action adaptation of the 1941 animated classic, with the film slated for a March 2019 release for US audiences (a UK date hasn't be confirmed).
So far, so intriguing. But that’s not all, Disney also released a synopsis for the film…
Disney’s new live-action feature film “Dumbo” introduces Holt Farrier (Farrell), a former circus star who finds his life turned upside down when he returns from the war. Circus owner Max Medici (DeVito) enlists Holt to care for a newborn elephant whose oversized ears make him a laughingstock in an already struggling circus. But when Holt’s children (Parker and Hobbins) discover that Dumbo can fly, persuasive entrepreneur V.A. Vandevere (Keaton) and an aerial artist named Colette Marchant (Green) swoop in to make the peculiar pachyderm a star.
And then there’s this new on-set photo, showing Burton aboard the Casey Jr…
Just in case you don’t remember, that’s the tuneful train that transported Dumbo to the circus in the original animated film.
Will Burton reprise the sequence with another singalong? Disney made no announcement if the remake would contain songs, but it's worth baring in mind the director didn’t include any musical numbers in his Alice in Wonderland remake. Plus, Disney have said the upcoming Mulan live-action film would leave out all tunes.
But even if it's not attached to a score sheet, we’re hoping Burton will adapt the Pink Elephants on Parade sequence from the original. His surreal spin would certainly have Dumbo fans grinning from big ear to big ear.
Dumbo will be released in US cinemas on 29 March 2019. A UK release date has yet to be confirmed
