Tim Burton to Direct Live Action Dumbo Remake

Somewhere in Los Angeles right now, there’s a pretty good chance that Johnny Depp is getting fitted for an elephant costume. Proving once again that nothing in Hollywood is sacred, Walt Disney Pictures has recently revealed that they’re working on a live action Dumbo remake, with director Tim Burton at the helm.

For those of you who didn’t have a childhood, the original Dumbo tells the story of a young circus elephant whose oversized ears made him the subject of ridicule, until it was revealed that they allowed him to fly. Released in 1941 (really), the film was a major hit for the then-fledgling animation studio, and is regularly listed amongst the greatest animated movies of all time.

The Burton version will be the latest in a string of Disney reboots, a trend that, fittingly enough, began when Burton’s own Alice in Wonderland grossed more than US$1 billion at the worldwide box office. Since then, the House of the Mouse has scoured its own back catalogue for properties to exploit, with recent releases like Maleficent and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice paving the way for further films including upcoming remakes of Cinderella, The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast.

While we’re pretty sceptical about the idea of a new Dumbo film, we have to admit that if the movie has to happen, the man who made Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice isn’t necessarily the worst choice. Although his recent track record has been somewhat hit-and-miss, Burton certainly knows how to put an interesting spin on otherwise child-friendly material. And let’s not forget that the original cartoon contains some pretty out there stuff, including this amazing scene when Dumbo gets hammered and hallucinates dancing pink elephants.

We're also interested to see what Elfman does with Dumbo's long-recognised and controversial racial stereotyping.

No news yet on a release date or casting, although we’re willing to bet money that Danny Elfman will work on the score. Burton's most recent film, Big Eyes, hits theatres on March 19.

Via WSJ.