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Had things gone according to plan, Kate Winslet would have returned to the big screen this year as a member of The French Dispatch’s ensemble cast. Alas, the current health crisis has resulted in Wes Anderson’s latest movie being delayed to a yet-to-be-revealed date, but that doesn’t mean Winslet won’t have any kind of cinematic presence in 2020. It’s been revealed that another one of her upcoming movies, Black Beauty, is heading to Disney+.
The Mouse House’s streaming service announced today that it will premiere Black Beauty later this year. It’s unclear if the movie, which was produced by Constantin Film and JB Pictures, was originally intended for a theatrical release or if conversations to put it on streaming were always in the cards, but either way, Black Beauty is being added to the Disney+ exclusive lineup.
Of course, this is just the latest film adaptation of the original Black Beauty novel (the full title being Black Beauty: His Grooms and Companions, the Autobiography of a Horse) written by Anna Sewell, with the most recent Black Beauty movie before now being the 1994 one starring Sean Bean, David Thewlis, Alan Cumming and Andrew Knott. However, rather than being set in the 19th century like most previous adaptations have done, this latest version is a contemporary take on the original source material.
Starring The Nutcracker and the Four Realms’ Mackenzie Foy as 17-year-old Jo Green and Kate Winslet as the voice of Black Beauty herself, the movie follows the eponymous equine starting out as a wild mustang born free in the American West, but then being captured and taken away from her family. Eventually Black Beauty crosses paths with Jo, who is grieving the loss of her parents, and the two form “a bond that is built on love, respect and mutual healing.”
Black Beauty’s cast also includes Game of Thrones’ Iain Glen and Meet Joe Black’s Claire Forlani as John Manly and Mrs. Winthorp, respectively, among others. Behind the cameras, Deserted’s Ashely Avis directed Black Beauty and wrote the screenplay.
It’s worth noting that Black Beauty isn’t Kate Winslet’s first foray into the Disney realm, as she previously appeared in A Kid in King Arthur’s Court and Finding Neverland (the latter of which hailed from Miramax, which was under the Disney umbrella at the time). Winslet is also set to appear as Ronal, a free diver of the Metkayina tribe on Pandora, in Avatar 2, which was recently pushed back another year.
Whenever it ends up dropping, Black Beauty will join Disney+’s ever-growing lineup of exclusive movies, which have so far included the live-action remake of Lady and the Tramp, Noelle, Togo, Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made, Stargirl (not to be confused with the same-named DC Universe/CW series), Artemis Fowl and Hamilton. Others on the way include Magic Camp, The One and Only Ivan, Clouds and Flora & Ulysses, to name a few.
If you’re not already signed up for Disney+, you can do so here. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more news concerning the streaming service, and be sure to look through what Disney+ is adding in August.
