Seeing as last week we got an announcement that Disney is remaking The Hunchback of Notre Dame as part of their live action remake movie trend, I thought it would be a good time to do a check on all the differen versions of Hunchback that have been announced in recent memory.
Now in my tenure of running this blog, counting the new Disney/Josh Gad version there has been SIX “new” versions that have been announced and nothing has gotten made as of yet.
The first one was the Josh Brolin version.
This was to be a “jazzy” version with Zhang Yimou slated to direct. Now Brolin has been on and off with this one since like 2011. Back in May 2018 he said he was still trying with this version but a New York Times article back in June of 2018 used the word “jazzy” in reference to Brolin’s Hunchback. But who knows? I’m not holding my breath for this version.
Then we have the Max Ryan version which was to be directed by Chuck Russell. This one I believe was announced in 2014 with the news of Russell directing being announced in 2015. I think had a 2018 release date. But in so far nothing has come out about it.
This version actually has a bit of a history since in was based on script from 2007 that had a cast mentioned with it. Most noticeably Monica Cruz as Esmeralda and John Rhys-Davies as Frollo. This is also the version with character called “Figment.” Which I think for a while was on the IMBD page. You can read more for a bit of a summary of that 2007 concept here. Because it’s very weird
Anyway still no news on this version.
Then there is the lesser known Peter Chernin version. This was one was announced in 2015 as an Esmeralda POV movie. The idea was originally announced in 2013 a idea for Once Upon a Time. There has been no news of this version since 2015.
Then we have the Charles Dance and Peter Dinklage TV collab. This news was reported back in October 2017. So it’s still fairly new and there was a report back in May 2018 that mentioned the project. So I assume it’s still in the works.
Also back in May of 2018, Idris Elba announced he was going to take on a Hunchback version for Netflix. This was the most recent project till last week. Again not a big deal that we haven’t gotten any follow-ups yet, it’s still pretty new.
That brings us to the Live-action remake with Josh Gad. I looked at Gad’s twitter and he has two posts (at the time I looked at his feed) that hinted Hunchback. One of him reading the Disney version’s art book and one him outside of Notre Dame with text that said “Bells bells bells” etc.
I do find a little interesting since Gad was already in a Live action Disney remake as Le Fou and he voices Olaf that maybe this version is a bit of a passion project. That Gad is the one who convinced Disney to do this and not the other way around. I could be wrong, I’m probably wrong. We will have to see.
So we have a race on our hands. Which Hunchback version will be the first to get released to a general audience? Or at least announces some casting news first?
Only time will tell.