Disney has scrapped its planned live-action Robin Hood movie.
Director Carlos López Estrada, who had been developing the project, confirmed the news during a Reddit AMA. When asked about the status of the film, Estrada replied bluntly, “It’s dead, sadly.”
Estrada had been attached to direct the project since it was first announced in 2020. The filmmaker, known for Blindspotting and Raya and the Last Dragon, said he believed the movie had potential before Disney pulled the plug.
“I say ‘sadly’ because I actually thought there was something really special (and original!) there,” Estrada explained. “Some truly extraordinary music we had figured out for it.”
He also added that he still thinks about the idea and would like to revisit something similar outside of Disney.
“I keep daydreaming about doing it independently with different characters,” he said.
Another Live-Action Remake Bites The Dust
The cancellation comes as Disney faces backlash and financial disappointment tied to several of its recent live-action remakes.
Most notably, Snow White bombed at the box office and reportedly lost close to $300 million for the studio. The film was plagued by controversy, negative buzz, and criticism from fans before it even hit theaters.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid also failed to live up to expectations. The movie struggled to generate the kind of profit Disney had come to expect from its remake strategy.
For years, the studio relied heavily on live-action versions of its animated classics. Films like The Lion King, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast were massive hits.
But recent entries have not seen the same success, leading to reports that Disney has started scaling back its remake plans.
Disney Reportedly Rethinking Its Remake Strategy
The planned Robin Hood movie was originally expected to debut on Disney+ and was described as a musical reimagining of the classic 1973 animated film.
That version featured anthropomorphic animals and remains one of Disney’s most recognizable takes on the Robin Hood legend.
However, with the studio reassessing its approach to remakes, projects that had been sitting in development for years are now getting canceled.
Robin Hood appears to be one of the casualties.
Hollywood makes Robin Hood woke
Worth mentioning is that Robin Hood has recently been reimagined by Hollywood, including the Amazon series completely rewriting the character’s history.
The new Hugh Jackman movie looks to be taking a similar approach.
There was also that one-and-done Robyn Hood series set in modern times that features a woke female person of color as a “contemporary re-imagining” of Robin Hood.
Tangled Still Moving Forward
Despite the pullback, Disney is still developing at least one major live-action remake.
A live-action Tangled movie is moving ahead. Unlike Snow White and The Little Mermaid, the Tangled adaptation closely resembles the original animated characters.
That move suggests Disney may be attempting to course-correct after criticism that some of its recent remakes strayed too far from the source material.
For now, though, the planned live-action Robin Hood is officially off the table.
