Some legendary holiday stories are simply to classic to ever die out. From the tale of old St. Nick to the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, Christmas has so many accompanying stories and tall tales that it has practically become a genre itself. Who else but Disney could completely capitalize on this idea? Although winter will soon come to a close later this month, Disney has just revealed that they have begun development on a live-action adaptation of one of the world’s most iconic Christmas tales of them all: The Nutcracker.
A new report from THR indicates that Disney has begun developing a brand new live-action adaptation of the classic Christmas story, The Nutcracker. Titled The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, the project will directly adapt Tchaikovsky’s iconic ballet as well as E.T.A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Screenwriter Ashleigh Powell sold the script to Disney after two years in development, and Disney has subsequently tapped The Hundred Foot Journey director Lasse Hallstrom to helm the project.
The Nutcracker has become one of those stories that even people who do not celebrate Christmas have become at least somewhat familiar with over the years. Centering upon a little girl by the name of Clara, the story follows her as she receives a nutcracker doll for Christmas. At midnight on Christmas Eve, she finds herself magically transported to an otherworldly realm with said nutcracker, during a war between mice and gingerbread men.
Even if you don’t recognize the plot of the legendary ballet, chances are you probably know some of its iconic music. Just listen to "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" below and try to tell me that you aren’t thinking about Christmas at this very moment:
I’ll be damned if that song does not strike the absolutely perfect balance between creepiness and Christmas nostalgia; but that’s just me.
The Nutcracker is simply one of those stories that will never go away. With roots dating all the way back to the 19th century, it’s a tale that has been told a million different ways by numerous well-known storytellers. Even iconic director Robert Zemeckis found himself attached to direct a modern, animated version of the classic story. Despite all of these retellings, the story has rarely been told in the live-action film format. If we were to pick a company with the cojones to give that rare and daring task a try, then Disney would seem like the obvious choice.
We will bring you any and all news related to the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Nutcracker as it becomes available to us.
