Every upcoming live-action Disney remake in the works
By Rachel Roth
The Jungle Book 2
Some might not consider this a remake since The Jungle Book (2016) is the live-action remake of Disney’s 1967 animated film. The Jungle Book 2 would be a sequel to that film, not a remake. Though some may forget, that the original Jungle Book did have a sequel released in 2003. So that makes a live-action Jungle Book 2 technically a remake.
There’s another “Jungle Book” adaptation soon to be released on Netflix, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, directed by Andy Serkis, but it has no relation to the upcoming Jungle Book 2. Neel Sethi is expected to return as Mowgli along with the original voice cast.
In an interview with Slash Film, writer Justin Marks discussed their ideas for the sequel.
"“In the second film, the idea is to go further through the Kipling but also go into some of the Disney resources from the ’67 film that maybe didn’t get to see the light of day in the first film,” Marks said. “If you look back to Bill Peet’s work on the original film, some of which was thrown out by Walt Disney, Jon [Favreau] and I really dove deep into the Disney archives to see some of the ideas. We were like, ‘Wait, that’s a great idea. We really need that in the film.’ So we’ve built it out like that.”"
Mark has finished the first draft of the script that they’re drawing from Kipling’s other works for inspiration.
"“There is so much more Kipling to adapt,” Marks said. “I just finished a draft of it quite recently. Even in the first film, we really looked to the other Kipling stories for inspiration, The Elephant and the history and the mythology and the creation of the jungle.”"
According to Mark, Mowgli’s decision not to return to human society will take effect in the sequel and the plot will explore the nearby humans further.
Maleficent 2
Joachim Rønning is developing Maleficent 2, the sequel to 2014’s Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning who are both set to return. Returning with them is Juno Temple and Sam Reilly to reprise their roles. Michelle Pfeiffer has joined the cast as Queen Ingrith and Harris Dickinson as Prince Philip, with Chitwetel Ejiofor, Ed Skrein, and Robert Lindsay joining in as well.
Maleficent‘s writer, Linda Woolverton returned to write the sequel, but the script is also being credited to Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster who apparently acted as co-writers.
The synopsis is as follows:
"A fantasy adventure that picks up several years after “Maleficent,” in which audiences learned of the events that hardened the heart of Disney’s most notorious villain and drove her to curse a baby Princess Aurora, “Maleficent II” continues to explore the complex relationship between the horned fairy and the soon to be Queen, as they form new alliances and face new adversaries in their struggle to protect the moors and the magical creatures that reside within."
Filming concluded August 2018 and is set for a May 29, 2020 release date.