Of late, Alex Ross Perry has been known for delivering a razor sharp dissection of an irredeemable asshole in "Listen Up Philip" and pitting two women in a battle of psychological warfare in "Queen Of Earth." Naturally, the next move would be work for Disney, right?
It might not be the most obvious next stage of Perry’s career, but the filmmaker has been tapped by the Mouse House to pen their live action version of "Winnie The Pooh." This project joins "Mulan," "Alice In Wonderland," "Malificent," "Cinderella," "Beauty & The Best" and "Dumbo" in the studio’s roster of animated movies converted into live action tentpoles, and the Perry hire isn’t entirely out of leftfield. After all, David Lowery of "Ain’t Them Bodies Saints" fame is shooting the remake of "Pete’s Dragon" for Disney. But what is the the studio seeing in guys like Lowery and Perry?
It could be that they are young, hungry filmmaker eager to try new things. And while they are probably cheaper than hiring some Oscar winner or other, the two arguably bring respective approaches that are fresher than someone who has been in the game for long time already. Plus, if you’re an indie moviemaker who is being given a chance to write on the studio’s dime and try a genre you’ve never done before, why not give it a shot?
No word yet on who will direct, but theres’s the interesting twist to this version: it will focus on the adult Christopher Robin reuniting with the titular bear and the Hundred Acre Wood. [Deadline]