Disney doesn”t look to be pulling the reins in on their live-action remakes anytime soon. (And who can blame them with The Jungle Book sitting pretty in spot no. 3 at the 2016 box office?)
Now the House of Mouse is in early development on a live-action James and the Giant Peach. Oscar winner Sam Mendes is in talks to direct, Deadline reported Thursday.
No word yet on whether a live-action take on the tale of James and the bugs he befriends would be more directly based on the 1996 Disney stop-motion film or on the source material, Roald Dahl”s 1961 children”s novel.
This comes shortly after the release of another Dahl adaptation that Disney placed in the hands of another Oscar-winning director, Steven Spielberg”s The BFG.
Mendes is better known for his adult-geared fare – like American Beauty, Road to Perdition, and the two most recent 007 films – but he has delved into family-friendly entertainment. In fact, he”s helmed a Dahl adaptation before: Mendes directed the 2013 West End stage musical adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.